So You Need An Editor – What Kind?

So You Need An Editor – What Kind?

A DEVELOPMENTAL EDITOR:
       Looks at the overall structure and content of your novel.
       Works and collaborates with you throughout your writing process.
       Understands your genre and helps you develop a marketable story.
       Helps with pacing, tone, POV, plot and other building blocks of your novel.
       Does NOT concentrate on typos, grammar, punctuation, sentence flow, etc.

     COSTS:
       Typical fees run between $0.01 per word to $0.10 per word.
       A 70,000 word novel would cost between $700 and $7,000.
       Some developmental editors charge by the page or hour.
       BE SURE to know their rates ahead of time!
                                               ***

A LINE EDITOR OR COPY EDITOR:
       Checks your manuscript line-by-line.
       Analyzes each sentence for clarity, continuity, consistency, flow, tense, word choice,
clichés, repeated words, etc.
       Looks for grammar and punctuation errors.

    COSTS:
       Typical fees run between $0.01 and $0.04 per word.
       A 70,000 word novel would cost between $700 and $2,800.

                                                ***

A PROOFREADER:
       This is the final pass on your novel checking for typos, spelling, grammar and punctuation
errors before going to print.

    COSTS:
       The least expensive editing option.
       Typical fees are between $0.003 and $0.015 per word.
       A 70,000 novel would cost between $210 and $1,050.
       Some proofreaders charge a flat fee. These can be as low as $100 or as high as $500.

 

 

5 Title Picking Tools

5 Title Picking Tools

5 Title Picking Tools

Unlock reader interest with these 5 title picking tools

Your book title is important. It’s the first thing editors and readers see. For a lot of years I knocked around a lot of publishing houses and learned how to ask targeted questions. So, instead of trying to tell you what to do, I’m sharing a smattering of questions I recall from my on-the-job training. I put them in checklist form to help you explore various options for the best title for your next book. 

 

___ 1. Target your title. Send readers a message that says: this novel is for you.

     – Does it reflect your genre so it attracts your specific audience?

     – Does your title convey the mood of your book? (Light-hearted or suspense?)

     – Does your title match your cover art?

     – Will your title appeal to the age and education level of your audience?

 ___ 2. Impress readers. What kind of first impression will your title make? 

     – Will your title stand out as memorable, original, creative?

     – Does it say something specific and meaningful, not just general and boring?

     – Did you run a search to see if your title is already taken by a well-known book?

     – Have you tried using alliteration, or a clever play on words?

     – Can you think of contradictory phrases and provocation to add interest?

     – What about a funny twist, if it’s appropriate, to make your title memorable?

     – Is there a unique or repeating phrase in your novel that works as a title?

     – Did you try pairing a few words that don’t usually go together to stir curiosity?

 ___ 3. Terse works here too. Don’t try to dump your whole book into the title. 

     – Are you trying to keep your title down to two to five words?

     – You can’t fit everything in, so can you try sticking with one or two concepts?

     – Will it fit easily in URLs, tweets, small display spaces on e-books covers?

     – Are you avoiding punctuation in your title that isn’t allowed in URLs?

     – If you can’t stay under five words, did you consider adding a subtitle?

     – If you add a subtitle, does it add new information, not reiterate the title?

     – Have you considered a subtitle that cites a series name or volume?

     – Did you avoid the one-word title that increases the risk of a duplicate title?

 ___ 4. Link with readers.

     – Does your title provoke questions without confusing or misleading readers?

     – Did you avoid using words that are easy to misspell or mispronounce?

     – Is your title easy to enunciate, does it roll off your tongue if you say it aloud?

     – Did you avoid unintended connotations or controversy that alienates readers?

 ___ 5. Elucidate your story. Focus attention on your story without giving it away.

     – Did you include key words that describe a major book theme, person, or idea?

     – Have you considered what jumps out at you most about your book?

     – Does a phrase come to mind that sums up your novel or article?

     – Is there a main character trait that runs though the storyline that fits in a title?

     – How can you hint at the plot line without giving everything away?

     – How can you insert a question that makes readers want to investigate further?

     – Does your title make readers curious about a main problem, dilemma, or theme?

KJ Bagwell

KJ Bagwell

Get Your Books Copyrighted!

Get Your Books Copyrighted!

Get Your Books Copyrighted!

To copyright or not to copyright? If the content of your work is automatically copyrighted to some degree when you publish it, why go to the bother of getting it done officially? Pirates. That’s right. Pirates: unscrupulous plagiarizers. Seriously? How hard is it to get an official copyright? Not hard at all…

It has happened to some authors whose names you would likely recognize, and they fought back. Without an official copyright, you wouldn’t be able to contest the pirate in court. Some publishers expect their authors to have their books copyrighted. It’s easily done and surprisingly inexpensive. How do you get one?

Go here: https://www.copyright.gov/registration/literary-works/index.html

Check the URL to make sure you’re on the .gov website.

On the right-hand side, click on “Register A Literary Work” and follow instructions.

How much does it cost? For fees, go here: https://www.copyright.gov/about/fees.html

Beware of ‘services’ offering to do it for you for a fee. I’ve seen some charge $99 for something that takes a few minutes and a lot less money to do yourself. A basic copyright, which is what I have on each of my books, cost me $35 each. Note that prices may have changed. The application process is easy, even though it’s a lot of pages and you must read the instructions carefully. I’ve done it, which means you can, too. 

Pirates may not care that your work is officially copyrighted and steal it anyway. It’s rare, but it happens, and now you’ll have the legal recourse to go after them. 

 

P.T.L. Perrin

P.T.L. Perrin

www.ptlperrin.org