Let’s go through a common event, one that we all have experienced. A police officer has pulled up behind you. Lights flashing, that crunch-crunch-crunch as he stomps his way over the asphalt. Your window is already open ’cause you know the drill, and your butt is clenched so tight an onlooker would think you’re three…
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Recent Articles
Is the Press Release Dead?
Does Santa Claus exist? Is the press release dead? These questions come up every year. While the existence of Santa Claus has been widely proven to be true, I’ll weigh in on the other question as one of my coaching clients asked me that question just the other day. My answer is simple. If you…
#PR Predictions for 2015 from #Publicity Expert Dan Janal @prlead
Note from Cathy: Dan Janal offers some interesting predictions about PR and publicity in the coming year. I agree with Dan’s predictions, and I believe that #2 is absolutely critical. It is no longer just about the media promoting us; we need to promote them, too. And despite what some say, press releases are not…
Must-Have iPhone Apps for Authors & Writers
As a modern day writer, you’ve learned when and where you write best. Rarely, I’m sure, does inspiration strike when you’re seated at your desk in front of your computer at 9:00am. More likely, you’re inspired while you’re out and about. In order to efficiently capture and save every new idea, detail, story line, etc.,…
Writers’ Conferences Put Authors on the Road to Success
There are several good reasons why writers should invest the time and effort required to attend writers’ conferences. Attending a writers’ conference only takes a few hours or days at the most, a few bucks, and a little effort to register and arrange travel and lodging, but the payoff can be big. If the book…
Medium – An Online Writing Tool for Authors
Walter Isaacson uses it. NY Times journalist David Carr uses it. Author Emily Gould, Journalist Ben Smith, and Entrepreneur Elon Musk use it too. What is it? It’s a new site for authors called MEDIUM. It was founded by Twitter co-founders Evan Williams and Biz Stone in August 2012. On this exclusive site the authors…
Book Publicity Idea: Link Your Book to Holidays and Special Events
One creative way to get publicity for your book is to tie it to a holiday or special event. You’ll be able to reach out to the media who often need a ‘reason’ to showcase your book right now. Furthermore you may be able to reach your audience on a more personal level by promoting…
What Can Authors Learn From The ALS “Ice Bucket Challenge”
The “ALS Ice Bucket Challenge” today’s social media explosion, has caused a dramatic change in awareness among many. Whether on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube, the “icing” videos took over everyone’s newsfeeds. The challenge involves filming a video of yourself while getting drenched by a bucket of ice water, share it on social media, and challenge…
Why You Should Use WordPress for Your Author Blog
If you are an author and you are toying with the idea of starting a blog so you can either promote your existing books or highlight or showcase your writing skills or maybe jog your creative juices, you should use WordPress as your blogging platform. While you can go with other blogging software, when it…
21 Top Fan Fiction Sites for Authors
Overview: Fan Fiction is a great way for aspiring authors to hone their craft. Amanda Hocking started out writing fan fiction and she was signed to a multimillion dollar book deal. Fifty Shades of Grey author E. L. James started writing fan fiction after she finished reading the Twilight saga, and hasn’t stopped since. Here’s…
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Get the answers you need to turn your non-fiction book into multiple information products. Click here to learn more.
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Cathy Stucker's Publishing Blog
Editing Resources for Writers
Making your manuscript the best it can be is a critical step in your book’s success. We can not recognize all of the issues in our own work, so it is important to hire a professional to edit your book before you self-publish it or submit it to a publisher. (No, it is not the job of the publishing house to turn rough drafts into polished prose. Your work should be the best you can make it before you send it off.)
Although it is important to have other sets of eyes review your work, you should also revise your manuscript before turning it over to an editor. Here are some resources to help you be a better editor of your own work.
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Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print
In this completely revised and updated second edition, Renni Browne and Dave King teach you, the writer, how to apply the editing techniques they have developed to your own work. Chapters on dialogue, exposition, point of view, interior monologue, and other techniques take you through the same processes an expert editor would go through to perfect your manuscript. Each point is illustrated with examples, many drawn from the hundreds of books Browne and King have edited.
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Copyediting and Proofreading For Dummies
This book, from the popular For Dummies series, is designed for those who wish to be professional editors and proofreaders. If this is you, this will be helpful in launching your freelance career. Writers can benefit from an understanding of what copyeditors and proofreaders really do. It is a good way to set your expectations of what an editor can do for you and how to work with a professional editor. |
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Editing Made Easy: Simple Rules for Effective Writing
This useful book is a quick read, and an easy reference for anybody who wants to communicate clearly with American English. The book is non-technical in its approach. It doesn’t cover grammatical terms such as present perfect progressive or correlative conjunctions. It boils grammar and style into a few simple rules that will serve you well whether you are a journalist, a student, a novelist, a business executive, a blogger, or anybody else who would like to make effective use of written language. |
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The Little Book of Self-Editing for Writers: 12 Ways to Take Your Book from Good to Great (Little Books for Writers)
Part One: Search and Destroy Part Two: The Self-Editor’s Toolkit Part Three: Self-Editing Resources |
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Author’s Quick Guide to Editing Your Book This Kindle book provides a concise look at both self-editing and working with an editor. This e-book will help you discover:
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Words are, like, important?
Anyone who appreciates the beauty and utility of language will enjoy this poem by Taylor Mali. There are people who will tell you that the meaning is what matters, not the way it is expressed. But when words are used carelessly and incorrectly, how do we know what the speaker or writer is trying to…
Prepping for NaNoWriMo
NaNoWritMo is coming! Here is a fictional look at one writer’s approach to this annual November event. I got a kick out of it, and I hope you do, too. Mike, the writer, shares a bit of his fractured take on life at bikeswine.com. More and more you hear the stories of preppers – men…
How To Write a Book Without Writing
Here’s what happens when most people sit down to write a book: First, they procrastinate because they don’t know where to start. Next, they finally get going and they even manage to write a chapter or two, but then they get stuck. Finally, they shelve the book to “finish later” and it never gets done….
Who or Whom? Which is Correct?
This is possibly the trickiest confusion-causing grammar rule imaginable. So many of us see the two words “whom” and “who” and our eyes begin to cross because we can’t even start trying to figure out the difference between them. I see many people try to sound correct by using “whom” even when they should use…
How to Write Haiku
Haikus are famous around the world for many reasons, one being that they’re always short and sweet and easy to write. While haikus may be short, they’re definitely not easy. They’re a very structured form of writing that packs a huge punch in very little words. Originally, haikus focused on senses and had a…
Librarian Love: Helping You Get Published
Most people won’t believe you when you tell them that librarians can play a role that could prove vital to getting you published. The image of a cranky woman at a desk persists—but most don’t realize that behind that woman is a world of resources that could pave the way to success. It’s never too…
Researching For Your Novel: Librarians as Friends
Writing a novel can be very intimidating, and very difficult. One of the hardest tasks any author needs to undertake is research. Whether it’s looking at the historical context of a war being used as the background of a romance novel, or understanding how an engine works for your new steampunk series, research is essential….
How Writing a Novel Actually Works
This infographic shows some of the myths believed by new novelists. Many new writers believe that writing the first draft is the hard part. In fact, when you finish the first draft you work has hardly begun. You may get a chuckle from this graphic, or you may find that it is too true to…
How to Write Faster
If you want to write a book or if you want to write for a living, one of the biggest factors that will determine if you make a good living with writing is your writing speed. Writing faster is not just a matter of how fast you type. You have to actually compose your thoughts…