Writing is an extension of your voice. You may not always think about it that way, but every time you put fingers to keyboard, you’re conveying information and communicating something about who you are (even when “who you are” is “someone who uses Gmail autoresponses”). You can put that power to work in your community by writing […]
Writers come to us when they’re passionate about a subject or excited to share a powerful message. They’re often way past ready to jump into the long and difficult work of turning their ideas into a real, and really good, book. Typically, we listen to their (brilliant) ideas and then ask a few questions. Among […]
Tidying Up, the Netflix show based on Marie Kondo’s blockbuster book, debuted this month to many, many hot takes. Even if you haven’t read the book, you still probably know that the show anticipates (and fuels) January’s zeitgeist by helping hoarder-lite accumulators streamline their possessions. The many responses to Marie Kondo, her book, her method, […]
If you’re like me (meaning a tech-curious but otherwise regular computer user), new web apps can inspire a bit of excitement. New always promises to be more fun or beautiful or useful than old, but I usually realize and pretty quickly that the new app doesn’t address a need I have, and it quickly disappears into the ether. […]
As part of the Do-More/Do-Less banner I’ve unfurled for 2019, I’m revisiting Jane Friedman’s book The Business of Being A Writer. Friedman, whose Twitter bio declares that she knows “far too much about the publishing industry,” is the cofounder and editor of The Hot Sheet, the call-is-coming-from-inside-the-house newsletter about publishing. Her book gives a comprehensive overview […]
Joleen Pete photography As December’s performance winds up (or down, depending on your POV) and January creeps closer to center stage, I’m ready to give in to the annual tradition of the yearly critique. Even if the timing feels a little arbitrary, I like reflecting back on work completed (or abandoned), projects finished (or started), […]
In a previous post, we talked about the different kinds of edits that professional editors can provide. But what does the process of working with an editor actually look like? Again, it depends on the type of edit. Here, we’ll focus on developmental editing (for nonfiction books and documents, our specialty). A developmental (or substantive) edit typically happens […]
Words matter. And I’m not just echoing the sentiments in Dictionary.com’s choice for word of the year. Or, I’m echoing those sentiments, but by way of framing a project we’re working on about climate truth. The research required to complete the project is powerful—it makes the stakes of climate change clear and tangible, and it also […]
If you’re prepping to labor over a big writing project, you’ve likely got a lot to consider. Maybe you’re hammering out the logistics of collaboration. Maybe you’re plotting your strategy to avoid self-handicapping during the writing process. And maybe you’re considering hiring a professional editor. For a high-stakes project, the cost–benefit analysis of working with a professional editor is a […]
“Well, if I work really hard and can’t get it done, at least I’ll know I just didn’t measure up.” My client’s words about the project’s viability disturbed me. Not because I hadn’t heard them before—I hear them all the time!—but because they’re so misplaced. Photo by Drew Coffman Her words confirm the pretty much […]