Get the Support You Need
How do you get the support you need as a writer? Well, here’s how to know when it’s not the support you need.
Get the Support You Need: A Little Horror Story
When I was an acquisitions editor, I heard from an author who wanted to pull her book from publication because her friends had found a bunch of errors in the ARC (that’s the Advanced Reading Copy of a book, which is sent out to reviewers before the book is published).
Of course, I was concerned, as I had seen nothing but a handful of typos typical of an ARC and asked if the friends could provide further information about what they’d seen.
They couldn’t because it was just a joke—a little prank they were playing on the author, who was absolutely devastated by what they did.
This story still haunts me years later.
If you can’t be happy for your friend’s success, then just STFU.
If your friends can’t be happy for your success, and they can’t STFU, then you need new friends.
Tips for Editors & Writers
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Plant a Seed, Earn a Buck
A few months back, a book I wrote more than twenty years ago delivered an unexpected royalty check for $1,000. When I originally wrote the book, I received an advance that earned out in a year or so. After a few years, the book stopped selling all that many copies (this is common), but I…
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Happy New Year!
I ate my grapes (a Spanish tradition for the new year), said “Feliz año!” to everyone in the neighborhood, and snuggled up with a good book, feeling grateful as I embark on my second year in Spain. May your 2026 be filled with happiness and adventure!
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Reading Books for a Living
I discourage editors from saying that our work is “reading books for a living” because that diminishes our expertise and experience. Editing is not reading books for a living; it’s understanding stories and storytelling techniques, cultivating judgment and discernment, practicing effective editorial methodologies and more. But some days, like today, I look around my office…
