The reader is looking for a reason to purchase your book. It’s up to you to hook them. If thousands of books are being published every day, how will you make your book stand out? It’s been said that the average person spends 8 seconds looking at the front cover and 15 seconds on the [...]

The sad fact in book sales is that even the greatest novel on the shelf can’t sell itself without proper packaging. Book marketing is a huge business, and most publishing houses have a dedicated staff devoted to book design above and beyond the editorial team, including graphic designers, cover artists, and copywriters.
Typically, a copywriter crafts [...]

Commas—what purpose do they serve? When are you actually supposed to use them? Are there clear rules as to comma use?
Answering the last question will also (sort of) answer the first two. Yes, there are clear rules governing comma usage, and they’re not hard to understand, believe it or not. The basic rule [...]

As a professional editor, I receive many documents to review before they are finally presented and published. Generally, a thesis contains a title page followed by a summary, table of contents, list of figures and list of tables (If your dissertation contains these elements), then the text itself, followed by a bibliography (or work, depending [...]

You have completed your writing, and now you want to get paid for your hard work. Most writers are great for writing, but have no idea how to develop. How do you get your finished product in hand right? How to get published? More important is how you get paid?
The simple answer to all these [...]

Editing your own work to help you refine your writing skills and learn more about your own style and habits. It has a critical eye to your own writing means that you acknowledge both your strengths and your weaknesses and can tailor your efforts to focus on areas requiring further improvement. Before you hire publishers [...]

Modern Language Association (MLA) and the American Psychological Association (APA) are common style guides used for writing academic papers. Where MLA is primarily used in the liberal arts, and humanities; APA is used within social sciences (e.g. psychology, education, sociology).
Before you begin writing your college paper, your professor will advise you of the style that [...]

Last week I covered the ‘Why’ of writing book jacket copy, so now let’s roll up our sleeves and get into the ‘How’.
What is copy? Book jacket copy isn’t about summarizing your project or providing the reader with a clear synopsis or plot spoiler; it’s about sales. Book copy should be short, succinct, and send [...]

Creating a great essay can help pave the way to a brighter future for you. Learn how to write an engaging college essay to make your application stand out!
Most college essay questions are designed as a way for colleges to learn more about you. This is your chance to tell colleges more about yourself. The [...]

Maintaining a successful blog will increase your fan base and help promote your writing career.  With either your own website, or using a free blogging platform, you can attract readers from around the world.
There is no doubt that the internet has changed the writing world. Not only does it provide a new means for writers [...]

Yesterday we covered, “The Importance of a Formatted Press Release”. You’ve got the perfect event/product and you’ve managed to draft the perfect press release to highlight it. Now all you need is the right audience. Below is a list of tips on how to effectively get your release into the hands of the media.
Query first
Compile [...]

An author’s bio allows your readers to get to know you, the author of their favorite story, article, or book, a little bit more intimately. This is your time to sell yourself to potential readers and editors. Including your author bio with queries and submissions enables editors to get to know you; who you are, [...]