Coming Soon: How to Edit Your Novel

Last week, I'd planned for this post to celebrate the release of my first nonfiction book: How to Edit Your Novel: Practical Tips for Strengthening Your Story. However, life happens, and the book didn't release.

Instead of becoming upset, let's make the most of it, shall we?

Editors, agents, and writers alike love this book--if you write fiction, you will too! Will you help me spread the word about it? Just go to Goodreads and mark it as 'Want to Read.' Then stay tuned for release updates--I'm giving you a chance to win a free copy!

Until it's available, you can read more about it below:

Take your self-editing skills to the next level.

· Have you eliminated all the telling?

· Are the characters complex?

· Is every scene necessary?

Most authors will answer 'yes!' to these questions. But then editors and readers tell them the descriptions don’t engage them, the characters are stereotypical, and the story dragged.

 How do you fix it? 

Self-editing can only take you so far. But if you know the right questions to ask and you know how to interpret the answers, you’ll not only strengthen your self-editing skills, you’ll strengthen your writing.

How to Edit Your Novel doesn’t simply rehash the fiction-writing basics that create good stories—it provides examples, context, and questions that will help authors identify and strengthen their weaknesses the same way a professional editor tackles a manuscript.

By combining mini writing lessons with practical self-editing tips, everything a writer needs to become a better self-editor is practically presented. Whether you’re a new writer or an experienced author, How to Edit Your Novel can help you polish your story into a gem that agents, publishers, and readers will want to keep reading.

“…bound to be a book you keep right next to your keyboard….” - Cristel Phelps, Managing Editor for Fiction, Elk Lake Publishing, Inc.