how to find an editor

How to find an editor for your book

In previous blog posts, I talked about why you need an editor and what an editor might cost. But where do you find a good editor? How can you avoid hiring an incompetent editor who will do more harm than good? Here are a few general tips on how to …

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How much does editing cost?

One of the questions I get asked most often is: What does editing cost? My answer is always: it depends. How much an editor will charge you for editing your manuscript depends on several different factors. Factors that influence editing costs Type of editing: In a previous blog post, I …

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overused body language writing

How to avoid overused body language in your writing

Human communication is mostly nonverbal, so it makes sense to use plenty of body language, gestures, and facial expressions in our writing. Showing your characters’ emotions through their body language is also a wonderful way to avoid telling (More about showing vs. telling here). Instead of saying she was nervous, …

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types of editing and proofreading

The 3 different types of editing

In my last blog post, I explained why every writer needs an editor. But actually, you might need even more than one editor. There are different types of editing, and they are all very different skill sets, so it’s rare that one person can do all types of editing—and do …

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why you need an editor

Why do you need an editor?

Editing is expensive, so some self-published authors and some small publishers try to cut costs by skipping the editing. Needless to say that’s a really bad idea. Why? After spending months or even years writing a story, you’re too close to it. You’re so familiar with the story that you …

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Participle problems in fiction

You’ve probably heard of dangling participles, but participles can create other problems in fiction too. Before I dive more deeply into that, let me explain what a participle is. Present participles are forms of verbs that are formed by adding -ing. Example: Hoping for a happy ending, she read the …

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20 tips for proofreading your manuscript

Whether you’re self-publishing or submitting your manuscript to a traditional publisher, proofreading your work is important. A carefully proofread book makes you look professional and shows readers and publishers that you care about the quality of your work. Proofreading your own manuscript is not easy, though. After spending months or …

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