Category: writing

closeup of typwriter writing word Feedback

Asking for Backup: Why Consider Beta Readers or a Manuscript Evaluation

No writer succeeds in a void. The beginning of a new year is a great time to give your book a fresh start. If you're ...

black and white shot of audience from stage

Why does anyone care what you write?

book matters writing advice

The best way to lose readers is to make your book about you, and you alone. This applies even when you are writing a memoir, ...

road work ahead sign plus relax people, I think we'll be OK

You may need to stop writing to finish your book

book matters creativity

The end of year holidays make us a little nuts. We get caught up in our to-do lists, and this includes the book we're writing, ...

christmas tree made of books with ornaments

12 Things Every Self-Publisher Should Know

book matters independent publishing

It seems like everyone is writing and publishing a book these days. How do you make sure yours can tango with the best of them? ...

Top 3 Ways You Sabotage Your Book

writing manuscript

Do you get up in the morning thinking of new ways you can sabotage your book? Do you discuss how to make sure your book ...

Repetition vs Reiteration

writing manuscript

Repetition vs Reiteration: Show your reader what’s important without boring them to death How many of you can remember specific information after hearing or reading ...

Exposure: Bad for you in the mountains, Good for your book

marketing and support materials self-publishing

While bad for humans, exposure is great for books. Exposure gets you readers, admirers, customers, and fans. Develop a marketing mindset and make your book ...

Color painting of a woman holding a book. She is wearing a decorative hat and dress reminiscent of 19th century US

Where do you begin? The Foreword, the Preface, and the Introduction

book matters books

Where do we start a book? Learn how to separate the foreword, preface, and introduction, and determine how, or whether, we want to use them.

shadowy picture of a sign with giant letters in all-caps: DON'T TALK. TYPE.

5 Tips on Writing from an Editor

writing writing advice

Set yourself up for success: five important, basic tips that will help you with your craft.

closeup of medieval handwritten manuscript

What a Proofread Does … and Does Not … Do

Editing editing

People assign characteristics to a proofread that actually belong to an edit. The two are not the same animal. Be aware of this, so you ...

closeup of 2 small white petaled flowers on a mossy log

What to Look for In an Editor

Editing editing

If you haven’t worked with an editor before, you might find the process mysterious and strange. I'm here to demystify that process. Let's look at ...

view of open book from top spine, in mellow light

Copyediting: Don’t Let Your Manuscript Leave Home Without It

Editing books

In many ways, this type of editing calls back to the markups we got from our English teacher in school. Where development is the 30,000-foot ...

Be Honest: Do you REALLY want to self-publish?

self-publishing design

Today, we have choices. Self-published books make it onto bestseller lists, are sometimes picked up by traditional publishers for a second printing, and are a ...

The Developmental Edit: An Expansive View of Your Work

Editing developmental editing

Different types of editing are useful for different reasons. The developmental edit is one of the most under-appreciated types of editing. But the scope is ...

Ivan Radic Dice spelling "repair" behind broken glasses on a wooden surface

Quick Guide for Self-Publishing Writers: Are you ready for an editor?

Editing copyediting

As a self-publishing author, you are responsible for everything about your book. Here's an extremely abbreviated guide to the three main types of editing, and ...