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Tag: Editing

The Professional Costs of Publishing

The Professional Costs of Publishing

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 If you’re toying with the idea of self-publishing a book, then I would encourage you to read Andrew Franklin’s blog post on the Society of Author’s website. Andrew Franklin is the joint founder of Profile Books. Therefore, he understands the costs involved when it comes to publishing a book. In his blog post (which was also an article in the Society of Author’s Journal published back in the autumn) he candidly talks money. A lot of money. Particularly when you…

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Five Mistakes Rookie Writers Make

Five Mistakes Rookie Writers Make

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Last week, I mentioned that I went to NAWGFest17, the great writers’ conference run by the National Association of Writers’ Groups. While there, I went to a series of workshops run by Cressida Downing, the Book Analyst. At the first workshop she went through five common mistakes that rookie writers make (with their fiction), which I thought I’d share with you here, as I, too, can own up to having made a couple of these.

Spacebar Trampolining

Spacebar Trampolining

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A couple of days ago I shared a post on facebook that said: “Dear friends older than 37: You don’t have to put two spaces after the period anymore. That was for the typewriter era. You’re free.” It resulted in a raft of comments ranging from: – “I never do.” – “Why not?” – “But I use at least three.” The post was a tongue-in-cheek way of saying to those writers who were taught to type on a typewriter (including…

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In The Beginning

In The Beginning

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It is a truth universally acknowledged that over 98.276% of all first draft beginnings could be improved dramatically. Okay, I made that up, but whether you’re writing an article, short story or a novel, the beginning has to hook your reader and draw them into your piece. If you don’t do it at the beginning, the reader won’t be bothered to find out what happens next. And don’t forget, the first reader who sees your work is an editor or…

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A Writer’s Repair Cafe

A Writer’s Repair Cafe

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Last weekend I was in Bewdley, Worcestershire, finding out about the Repair Cafe they have there (for an article). Repair Cafes are a worldwide scheme, originating from one location in Holland in 2008 and exploding into over 1200 locations worldwide today. The idea is simple: instead of throwing something away when it is broken and buying a brand new replacement, see if you can get it repaired. Their success rate is high. When Bewdley’s Repair Cafe first opened its door…

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What The Editor Changed

What The Editor Changed

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What do you do when you see your work published in a magazine? Do you buy an extra copy and frame it on the wall? Do you pass it round to friends and family, insisting that they read it? Or do you file it away in your achievement files of published work? Have you ever thought of sitting down and reading through the piece yourself? Have you ever played the ‘What The Editor Changed’ game?

Titivating Too Far

Titivating Too Far

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Perfection. Whenever we create something, we want it to be good. No. We want it to be great. Well, let’s face it, if other people are going to read our creative words, we really want them to be perfect! And quite right too. But don’t let perfection hold you back. A story that is often raised in writers’ groups is that of the perfection of editing, when a writer once reportedly said:

Can You Hear Me, Mother?

Can You Hear Me, Mother?

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I’m currently reading GUT:The Inside Story Of Our Body’s Most Under-rated Organ by Giulia Enders (and very interesting it is too). But it made me wonder: how far should writers go in order to ensure their message is understood? I’ve blogged before about the benefits of reading your work aloud. It can be a useful step in the armoury of proofreading: checking for missing words, repetitions and other typing mistakes. But reading aloud like this often takes place in your own…

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Drafting Around

Drafting Around

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How many drafts of one piece do you write? I ask, because when I receive an assignment those that are still first drafts stand out for several reasons. They contain spelling (or more probably typing) errors, homophones (where words sound the same but are spelt differently and have different meanings), and there are usually structural errors too. It doesn’t matter how much outlining you do either (although outlining may resolve many of the structural problems writers face). Even if you’ve…

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