Book Editing

Happy National Knock Knock Joke Day

Naional Knock Knock Joke Day is October 31. Practice your jokes now to share them this upcoming Sunday.

“Knock knock!
“Who’s there?”
“Boo!”
“Boo Who?”
“Don’t cry. It’s just me!”

That’s my favorite knock knock joke, and it fits the season, but there are soooooooo many not-so-funny knock knock jokes that are… Read More

Fannie Hurst, who?

Happy birthday, Fannie Hurst!

Fannie Hurst, who? She is an American author who was also a feminist and civil rights activist who was popular during the post-World War 1 era.

From 1910 until the 1940, she wrote 17 novels and 9 volumes that included 300 short stories.… Read More

Happy National Pecan Cookie Day

Be prepared to celebrate Happy National Pecan Cookie Day on September 21.

Across the United States people are asking each other: “Are you a Pe-Can or a Pe-Can’t!” Well, maybe it’s just a Texas thing when I get with my northern family members who say pee-can to my pee-con! Anyway, let’s… Read More

Why do costs for writing and editing services vary so much?

Prospective clients interview me and ask, “Why do costs for writing and editing services vary so much?”

Many variables go into answering this question and in the cost for services, too. Some considerations for overall cost of services:

  • Experience of service provider
  • Depth of services required
  • Length of project (number of pages)
  • Project quality
  • Project… Read More

What’s the difference between an editor and a beta reader?

Following my last few posts on editing, I’ve gotten this question: What's the difference between an editor and a beta reader?

Beta readers are not professional editors and professional editors are not beta readers. Before someone finds offense, let me clarify this is most often the case and there are exceptions to… Read More

What questions to ask an editor before hiring?

What questions to ask an editor before hiring? How to find a good editor is a matter of the writer asking questions related to experience, process, work ethic, costs, schedule, and sometimes it really can come down to personalities. Knowledge is gained by asking how long the editor has worked as an editor. If… Read More

Will an editor change my story too much?

Will an editor change my story too much? I hear writers say, “I won’t hire an editor because they’ll change my story.” Sometimes the complaint is about changing plot line or changing word use so it no longer sounds like the author’s. As a writer, I understand this concern. As an editor I respond with, "You might have hired… Read More

What’s an editor and why do I need one?

What’s an editor and why do I need one? Remember back to grade school, when an -or/-er is added to the end of a word it means “one who,” therefore an editor is one who edits. The dictionary says: “Editor” is a noun for a person in charge of determining content of… Read More

Happy September Birthday Authors!

I love to read and celebrate writing, so I’ve learned about some of my favorite authors. This month we celebrate the birthdays and accomplishments of Roald Dahl, Agatha Christie, and Stephen King. What a mix, right? It may be that September birthdays may be all they have in common? Or not? What… Read More

Happy Labor Day

Labor Day dates back to a time when we celebrated the labor movement and achievements of American workers who are the backbone and success of our free trade capitalist economic structure. Labor Day started in 1882 in New York City by a Labor Union. It became a federal holiday in… Read More