Leaving Your Critique Group

Knowing When to Fly: Leaving Your Critique Group

In working on your craft, it's one thing to find the right critique group. It's quite another to know when to fly. Writer and librarian Lisa Bubert shares her experience, outlines her formula, and offers tips on leaving the nest.
hiring a pro editor

Should You Hire a Professional Editor?

But being able to truly see if you’ve been successful in writing a compelling work requires objectivity and distance than can be hard to achieve on your own—and this is where a professional editor comes in.
keys to great writing

A Key to Great Writing: Make Every Word Count

If I could teach only one key to great writing, it would be this: Make every word count. Recognize the power of a single, well-chosen word. Trust it to do its work. As a rule, the more economically you use language, the more powerfully you will deliver your message.
get that book done

Have Trouble Getting That Book Done? Try Doing Less.

There are countless ways to defeat ourselves, but the biggest and worst is to make the task too big and then feel daunted before we ever start
Che Gilson

5 On: Che Gilson

Author Che Gilson discusses what she as an unagented author learned to look for in publishing contracts, designing your own cover art, the necessity of continually creating new material, and more.
writing a love scene

How to Write a Great (and Not Schmaltzy) Love Scene

For a love scene to move readers, it must embody the principle of restraint—in dialogue, in description, and in the characters’ actions.
An image of a Central Indian tribal figuring of a woman reclining and reading a book.

How to Find and Work with Beta Readers to Improve Your Book

Editor and writing coach Kristen Kieffer discusses how to get the best out of a beta-reader experience.
Allyson Rudolph

5 On: Allyson Rudolph

Allyson Rudolph discusses some of her favorite experimental fiction, the day-to-day life of an associate editor at a publishing house, common problems she sees in fiction and nonfiction, her commitment to increased diversity in media and the arts, and more.
how to find and choose an editor

How to Find an Editor as a Self-Published Author

Indie author Teymour Shahabi explains how to find an editor for the draft of your self-published book and what to look for in a good editing relationship.
Danger of writing groups

The 4 Hidden Dangers of Writing Groups

Writing groups can cause fatal frustration, deep self-doubt, and sometimes years of wasted effort. Learn the most common dangers of writing groups, and find out how to improve your group to give you more of what you need—and less of what you don't.
Jim Thomsen

5 On: Jim Thomsen

Editor Jim Thomsen discusses freelance editing, story craft, favorite authors, and his own authorial aspirations.
Best Business Advice for Writers: September 2013

Best Business Advice for Writers: September 2013

Best Business Advice for Writers (Sept 2013): a monthly link round-up where I share the best online articles focused on the business of writing and publishing.
photo by Ian Burnes

Editors Are Usually Really Nice People

If you have Zen or Buddhist inclinations—and you're also in the profession of writing and publishing—you will love this story
Find the right freelance editor

5 Ways to Find the Right Freelance Book Editor

If you’re ready to hire and work with a freelance editor, learn how to find qualified candidates, plus how to properly evaluate them.
Local Japan Times / Flickr

4 Ways to Find the Right Freelance Editor

Local Japan Times / Flickr Today's guest post is from author and copyeditor C.S. Lakin. Whether you plan to submit