Setting is the location and time in which the book’s story takes place. A novel’s setting can include geography and time period, and can take place on Earth (past, present, or future) or in a made-up world. A novel’s setting is one of the elements… Read More »How to Avoid Infodumps in Your Novel
Every time I go through an author’s manuscript, I find words or phrases that don’t always lend themselves to making the author sound eloquent. To put it a different way: Too much wordiness in a sentence can make an author sound amateurish. As a book editor, one of… Read More »#1 Tip for Avoiding Wordiness in Your Novel
If you’re an author, you should know that your purpose is to create books that are as concise as possible. (After all, that’s my number-one goal as your book editor: To help you create incredible, well-written books!) What does that mean? That means cutting out whatever… Read More »Don’t State the Obvious
There is a common misconception in the writing community that immediately after you write your manuscript, you should send it off to a book editor. While a book editor will help improve your book before publication, the best books (and I’ve found, those by the… Read More »3 Crucial Tips for Self-Editing Your Book
When it comes to all the elements that go into a successful novel—good pacing, character development, plot progression, and the story itself, for example—there’s a lot that can go wrong. As the writer, you don’t have the perspective. Things might work in your head but don’t… Read More »How to Work with Beta Readers
I’m just going to say it: If you’re a serious author, you need to be a part of a writers’ critique group. But if you’re an introvert like me, you might be a little hesitant in meeting with a group of strangers (they’re authors, too…but still!) and baring… Read More »4 Best Tips for Joining a Critique Group