Four recommended books for all fiction writers
I highlight four books that, in my view, offer fiction authors helpful insights that can help them make their own writing better on their own terms.
Say what you mean: All that readers have is the text
You the author don’t get to explain what you meant the text to say. It’s essential to make really sure that the text actually says what you think it says.
Beautiful book cover design in days of yore
Book cover design dances to the marketing imperative. 100+ years ago, what that looked like was a bit different.
Not all commas are from Oxford
Commas congregate around the edges of rules. Some exist within the realm of necessity, but most commas waltz through lawless zones, following nothing more than a song in the author’s mind, required only, by their presence or absence, not to confuse or trip up readers.
What’s a rule and what is just style: Using italics for direct thought in fiction
Writing styles come into and fall out of fashion. Too often, people pass along “rules” when all they’re expressing is a preference for a style.
Semantic structure: Using Styles in editing, book design, and ebook formatting
Say what you mean. It’s so simple in books, right? If it’s an important idea, bold it. Or maybe italicize it. If it’s a section header, make it big. Chapter title, make it really big. That’s all there is to it, right? Not quite. Not anymore.
13 best practices for creative writing critique groups
Nobody is born being able to creative writing critique well. You have to learn it — learn from doing it. But guidelines can help.
The purpose of book trailers
You can’t just make a cool video and expect it to get people interested in the book.
How to prepare in Word a manuscript for publication
The standard manuscript format doesn’t really apply here. It’s not a bad starting point, of course; most book designers are used to starting with manuscripts that conform at least visually to some form of a standard manuscript format. But there’s more to be done before the manuscript is ready for book design.