Writing and Publishing News

Some authors resist hiring a book editor for their manuscripts. “Too expensive,” they say. Or “Just don’t want to take the time to have it edited—want to get my book out there NOW!” I advise authors to start saving up the money for a good editor as soon as you decide to write that book [...]

This is something that authors often ask themselves. Sometimes they ask me if I think they need an editor. The answer is usually yes. Traditional publishers want to receive a completely edited manuscript. Yes, they will have their editing staff spend some time with it before it goes to publication, but they still want the [...]

Did you participate in the NaNoWriMo (Write a Novel in a Month) this November? Now what? Do you plan to trash it and chalk it up as experience? Or do you feel it is something worth publishing? If you hope to find a publisher or if you want to self-publish, there’s still a stringent process [...]

What do you expect to pay for editing and what do you expect to get for your money? How many of you have ever seen a cute craft or bakery item somewhere for sale and said, “Oh, I could make one of those?” You devalue the work that went into the item because you believe [...]

Maybe you haven’t heard. After years of writing nonfiction, I’m working on my first novel. I’m already thinking about my audience. I hope it is you. But if you don’t appreciate a light mystery—if suspense makes you nervous, if you would rather not read anything even slightly romantic, and if too much adventure upsets you, [...]

I’ve been working on things that take concentration and time—lots of uninterrupted time. And I’ve given up a few things in the processes. One is my daily walk (I’m definitely walking this morning before the heat sets in) and another is my daily blog. I’ve missed a few lately—breaking my “daily” record. What am I [...]

I had a question from a potential client yesterday about how I work with authors. He wanted to know if I would be available for consultation after I do the editing in order to discuss my edits. He wondered if this was included in the fee. I explained first off that I charge by the [...]

Do you stress and strain over every word you write? Are your sentences sometimes difficult to form? Do you have trouble writing what you think you want to say? Do your paragraphs seem a little rough when you reread them? Or do you firmly believe that, because you have worked so hard on your manuscript, [...]

Have you published an ebook? Are you thinking about producing one? You might find my latest FREE ebooklet useful. It’s 50 Ways to Promote Your Ebook. You’ll find it ready to download FREE at http://www.patriciafry.com You might be surprised to discover some of the marketing ideas in this ebooklet. Most authors will read a few [...]

This is number 6 in the 7-part Authorship is a Business blog series. Be sure to study the previous entries starting on June 21, 2012. Topics include write the right book for the right audience, the benefits of writing a book proposal, how to write with your audience in mind, resources for studying the publishing [...]