Category: The Business of Writing

There is more to being a writer than just writing your stories. There is a business aspect to this industry too. From hiring editor through to understanding copyright, this series is about understanding the business side of writing.

Open post
Woman reading on a tablet

The Spectrum of Genre

Whenever I meet a writer for the first time, the conversation often turns to what genre we read and write. Will we be able to find some common ground from which we can build a connection — other than the fact that we're both writers?

When I first started out on my editing career, I would encounter the odd person who insisted that they didn't write a genre. They wrote fiction. To this, I would nod and smile — and gauge whether they would be receptive to a quick education. But now, the writers I encounter seem to understand that fiction is marketed based on genre. It is important for a writer to understand the ins and outs of their specific genre and subgenre. Get it wrong, and the fans of those subgenres will flay you alive.

In today's post, we going to take a quick look at the spectrum of genre.

Read More

Open post

The difference between a critique partner and a beta reader

Getting another set of eyes on that manuscript is vital. Sometimes, we think we wrote something in a certain way, but for whatever reason, what we thought we put on the page isn't what we actually put on the page. Sometimes, we get too close to our stories that we can't see the forest for the trees. Without having that external input, vital issues easily slip through the system.

It can be a costly venture to employ a developmental editor, something that can be beyond the budgets of many writers. But a developmental editor is NOT the only way you can get that vital feedback.

Every writer I know, myself included, uses critique partners and beta readers as part of their editorial process. However, there seems to be some confusion about what these two types of readers do.

It's time to delve into the nitty-gritty as to what makes a critique partner different from a beta reader.

Read More

Open post

Writing is a Business

There comes a point in every writer's career when they need to start making decisions about what their writing means to them. They need to examine their goals and strategize on how to get there.

For many writers, there is a shift in mindset, where writing moves from being a hobby to being a business.

Before I go much further, I do need to stress that there is nothing wrong with writing as a hobby. I know of a few hobby writers, and they are extremely knowledgeable about the craft. However, if you are looking at publication with the intent to sell your books (and I do mean books plural), then you have migrated past being a hobbyist and into the realm of running a writing business. Exactly how that business looks will depend entirely on your goals and ambitions.

This decision about making writing into a business can come very early within a writer's career, and it should. It doesn't mean that it has to suck all the fun out of writing your stories, but it will help you focus your activities, hopefully becoming more productive and working towards your goals.

So, let's take a look at what writing as a business really means.

Read More

Open post

The Real Costs of Editing. Here we go again!

Within my various editing groups, there seems to be a common complaint among editors, and it revolves around the issue of appropriate rates to charge. We editors seem to be in this "damned if we do, damned if we don't" position.

Most of us encounter those who look at our quoted rates and balk at the price — but as one said to me the other day, it's not necessarily the people we think either. (She sent out two quotes the week before, with the same rate quoted: one to a lawyer and the other to a retired gentleman. It was the lawyer who complained about the cost. The retired gentleman smiled as he paid the bill.) The flip side of this coin is that some look at our rates and compare it to the rates offered by others, and go, "Oh, you mustn't be very good. You're not charging anywhere near enough for what you say you do."

What are we editors to do?

Most of us encounter the former type of writer more than anything. Let's face it, there's this inherent nature that people have to be stingy with their finances, complaining that they can't get something for free. There's not a lot I can do about the second category, but with the first, I can educate writers about what it is they really face when working with freelance editors.

Read More

Open post
Guilty

#CockyGate and Trademark Hell: Enough is Enough!

In June of 2018, the entire publishing world was thrown into chaos by #CockyGate. It was an absolute train wreck that was happening in slow motion. What started as one woman's horrible mistake (and lack of understanding of trademark law) blew up into a full-scale witch hunt.

Pitchforks were seized by the masses, and the mob was on the loose. No one was safe from this shit storm (and yes, I deliberately swore). I watched my social media feeds with my jaw open, waiting for the next author to be attacked. And the bullying took a long time to stop.

Read More

Posts navigation

1 2 3 4 5
Scroll to top