Blog
-
A Look Back at EFACON 2023
Attending EFACON 2023 on August 18 and 19 in Alexandria, Virginia, increased my editorial knowledge and strengthened my ties in the editorial community. I left the conference with renewed enthusiasm for my work and already look forward to future events from the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA). In the following I discuss benefits of the conference […]
-
Scene It First Interview with Mary SanGiovanni (Ep. 6)
On July 12, 2023, the queen of cosmic horror, Mary SanGiovanni, joined me for the sixth episode of the Scene It First series, sponsored by Fictionary. In this series, I speak with bestselling, award-winning authors to talk about first scenes, share secrets of writing craft, and celebrate the stories that thrill and inspire us all. In this […]
-
Course Review: Editing for Point of View and Perspective
The self-paced Editing for Point of View and Perspective class from Club Ed delves into finer editing considerations of particular benefit to developmental editors and line editors. As with all Club Ed courses, the materials and exercises are first-rate. After having taken many quality courses from Club Ed creator Jennifer Lawler, I’d picked up this […]
-
Book Review: Such Kindness by Andre Dubus III
“I used to be something, I guess. But I’m trying to let go of all that.” Tom Lowe always thought everything would be all right as long as he worked hard enough. He had a wife and son, a home he’d built with his own hands, a future that seemed within reach, despite the nagging […]
-
Five Reasons Copyediting Takes More Time Than You Might Think
People are often surprised by the time it takes to copyedit manuscripts, probably because they have a sense of how long it takes to read a book of similar length. But copyediting does take longer—much longer—and authors and readers benefit from the hours upon hours copy editors dedicate to their craft. (This post refers largely […]
-
Scene It First Interview with Deborah Halverson (Ep. 5)
On May 24, 2023, YA author Deborah Halverson joined me for the fifth episode of the Scene It First series, sponsored by Fictionary. In this series, I speak with bestselling, award-winning authors to talk about first scenes, share secrets of writing craft, and celebrate the stories that thrill and inspire us all. In this episode, […]
-
Editing Is a Conversation
Too often people view editing as a one-way service in which the editor “corrects” the author’s prose. To get the most out of the author–editor relationship, however, it’s important to remember two things: • Editing is a conversation. • Edits are suggestions. (Though general principles still apply, the following is geared toward the relationship between […]
-
Book Review: The Ferryman by Justin Cronin
Any Justin Cronin release is an event. The books of the Passage trilogy are among my favorites (oh, that first hundred pages), and The Ferryman shows the author at the top of his form with this stand-alone. His latest resonates with the motifs readers will recognize from his earlier works: falling, the wonder of stars, […]
-
Scene It First Interview with Marshall J. Moore (Ep. 4)
On April 26, 2023, I was thrilled to welcome fantasy author Marshall J. Moore to the fourth episode of Fictionary‘s Scene It First series, in which we speak with bestselling, award-winning authors to talk about first scenes, share secrets of writing craft, and celebrate the stories that thrill and inspire us all. In this episode, […]
-
Fictionary Interview with Authenticity Reader Crystal Shelley
On April 4, 2023, I was pleased to interview authenticity reader Crystal Shelley before a live audience in the Fictionary community. I’ve long benefited from the resources Crystal produces, and I have unending respect for her and for the way she approaches her work. In this informative interview Crystal sheds light on authenticity reading and […]