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Unpacking Your Assumptions about Fiction

If you’ve ever taken a class from me, you know that I have a pathological hatred of using questions in editorial queries. By this I mean asking questions like, “What is Joe’s motivation?” where you are, or think you are, asking the author to address the problem of Joe’s lack of motivation. Use statements instead…
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What Is the Difference Between Line Editing and Copyediting?

Line editing (LE) and copyediting (CE) are related skills, as they both focus on the sentence level. Obviously there is significant overlap between the two skills. Basic Definition of Copyediting But copyediting is about ensuring consistency across a manuscript, correcting egregious errors, making sure the manuscript conforms to a specific style guide, and otherwise smoothing…
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5 Networking Tips for Editors

Most of my work comes from referrals and word-of-mouth, and that’s true of most of the experienced freelance editors I know. I also solve a lot of problems that arise by talking them over with my colleagues. Because of that, I’m a strong advocate for having a network of colleagues. But I know networking intimidates…
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How to Fire a Client

If you have clients who offer ongoing work, such as publishers and packagers, there will occasionally come a time when you have to fire them. Sometimes this is because you ignored a red, red flag. Other times it’s because you’ve moved on to higher-paying clients, less demanding clients, more fulfilling work. Don’t Burn Bridges with…
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5 Tips for Having Hard Conversations

One of my secret vices is reading advice columns. They’re always about conflict, which is the heart of story, and so I can’t help but be drawn to them. Over and over again, the writers express a desire to set some kind of a boundary – to tell their parents they can’t stay for three…
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7 Questions to Ask when Line Editing Dialogue

In fiction, dialogue is used to forward the plot and reveal character. But authors often get bogged down in writing boring, mundane conversations that may reflect how people actually talk, but aren’t very interesting for readers. Helping authors sharpen dialogue can make a good book great. Sharper dialogue engages readers and keeps them immersed in…
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