I’m going to start by saying working with an editor doesn’t mean you’re a terrible writer or you are failing with your book. All the best authors out there work with an editor (just take a look at the acknowledgements: the editor(s) is often one of the first people an author thanks!). Taking that first step to work with an editor is a huge one, so well done if you’re thinking about working with an editor to shape and hone your book. Having your book professionally edited wi

Copyediting is your book’s final edit. It’s the line-by-line edit that amends any grammatical or spelling errors, and makes revisions to improve flow and readability. This means once you receive your book back from the copyeditor, you are expected to focus on which revisions you agree with, rewriting or deleting huge chunks of your book. Once your book has been copyedited, the next stages in the publishing process are typesetting (formatting your manuscript into a book) and

Self-publishing is a tricky balance between rushing and procrastinating. It’s all about setting realistic deadlines and understanding how long each part of the publishing process takes, such as how long editing a book takes. Once you’ve found a book editor you want to work with, you need to work out when your manuscript will be ready for editing. Submit it too soon, and you’ll end up paying for extra services like more time needed on the first round or paying for additional

The amount of time it takes to self-publish your book will depend on many factors, including word count, budget, and deadline. One element that is constantly underestimated is how long it takes to edit a book. That’s why understanding what’s involved in the editing process from final draft to published book is imperative for self-publishing authors. The editing process is the longest stage of self-publishing a book (after writing it, of course!) Knowing exactly what’s involve

The Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) Conference is held every year during the second weekend of September. This year I attended for the first time. I wasn’t really sure what it would entail, so now I share with you a combination of review and overview of the event, so you can get an idea of what it’s like (if you’re a fellow editor or proofreader considering going next year) or if you’re nosy about what happens when a group of editors and proofreaders ge

Yes, I am mentioning Christmas in August. But seeing as Christmas is a popular deadline for launching books (who doesn’t love getting a book for Christmas?), let’s see what’s involved to get your book published for Christmas. I imagine you’re thinking that August to Christmas gives you LOADS of time for publishing, but if Christmas is a deadline you’re working towards, there are several factors to consider. While I am referring to self-publishing your book in time for Christm

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been sharing my thoughts and advice on how to switch your mindset towards your first draft, so that you can expect less and achieve more. Here, I collate my various analogies and reminders so you have somewhere you can turn to the next time you think ‘This book is rubbish!’. Read on to find out why your book is like a pancake; the difference between a first and final draft; what the first draft is for; why I don’t want to read your first draft,

OK, more accurately, this blog post is about how my anxiety makes me a better book editor for certain books and clients. Maybe this blog post should have been saved for Mental Health Awareness week in May, but awareness about mental health is an everyday activity for me and affects my personal and business life daily, not just for a week in May. What I mean by my anxiety improving my book editing business falls into two main categories: how my anxiety helped me identify my ni

The world of publishing can be completely overwhelming when you first enter it: from all the unique terms (‘what is copyediting?') to the different job titles used in the editorial business, it’s no wonder most first-time authors just don’t know where to start, or how long it takes to edit and self-publish a book. Knowing what’s involved in each stage of the editing process and how long each one takes means you can plan for them and allow enough time for each part of the edit