Chapter One. Page One. The good, the bad, and the cliché.
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January 24, 2014

The Pew Research Center reported last week that one in four American adults had not read a single book in the past year. The number of non-book readers has nearly tripled since 1978. If you want someone to read your book, you know it has to be good. Better than good. The 18-29 year old demographic is the most likely age group to have read… [Read More]

Beta-Readers
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January 17, 2014

You finish a piece of writing. It’s polished. It’s done. You feel the sense of completion in every atom of your being as a writer. Savor that moment. The end. Done. You save it. You print it. You revise it again. You read it aloud. It’s ready for reader feedback. So who do you ask? Not your lover or spouse. Not your best friend or… [Read More]

What belongs in the front matter?
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January 3, 2014

Front Matter is one of the last sections of a book manuscript for an author to complete. But it’s the first thing a reader sees. Before page 1, there are several items that appear in the front pages of any book. Some pages are mandatory: title, copyright, and table of contents. Others are optional, upon the discretion of the author and publisher. Every page before… [Read More]

Start the New Year with a Writing Group
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December 20, 2013

In January, Jill Swenson starts intensive writing workshops in the Ithaca area intended for those who seek to improve their writing craft and/or have a work-in-progress. At each session, every writer will present new work.  Participants are expected to attend every session and bring two double-spaced pages of text with photocopies for the group. Each writer will read their selection out loud and the group… [Read More]

Good writing is rewriting
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November 15, 2013
Using Citation Machine - Project Gutenberg Image

You’ve polished your manuscript. Encouraged by friends and family who read earlier versions, you incorporated their feedback and suggestions into your final draft. Following a style guide, you also checked spelling and grammar. You’ve taken your work to the best of your abilities and are proud of your efforts. Then, you deliver the document to an editor for professional review. And that’s when self-doubt kicks in…. [Read More]

When Writing Isn’t the Source of Your Authority as an Author
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October 25, 2013

Writing is not easy. As a developmental editor I have had the pleasure of working with fine artists, storytellers, public speakers, radio journalists, scientists, and college professors on book projects.For many, their authority as an author is based on skills and talents other than writing. Here are some tips I gathered from other professionals that may help others stand on their authority based on expertise… [Read More]

Three legs to the publishing ladder
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September 3, 2013

You’ve finished writing your manuscript and you’re ready to publish. Or at least you thought you were. Think again. Do you have a proposal and a platform? There’s no book without a manuscript. It’s a necessary, but not a sufficient condition for publishing today. No matter how good the manuscript, it’s only one of three legs on which to step up to publication. In fact,… [Read More]

What kind of editor do you need?
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June 18, 2013
Memoir Writing Workshop

It’s important for an author to know the differences between the various kinds of editing, and understand what professional services an editor may or may not provide. When you work with an editor, find one with whom you can clearly communicate your needs, expectations and working style.  Not all editors are the same. Copyeditors read your document and look for errors in punctuation, spelling, grammar,… [Read More]

Prose: Good, Better, Best
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June 4, 2013

Tracy Kidder and Richard Todd have co-authored Good Prose: The Art of Non-Fiction and opened a window into writing and editing, writer and editor. Author of Strength in What Remains, Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World, Tracy Kidder won the Pulitzer Prize for his 1981 non-fiction narrative, The Soul of a New Machine. Kidder established… [Read More]

In Search of Structure: Finding Your Non-Fiction Narrative Arc
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May 7, 2013

Do you have a non-fiction work-in-progress? Are you in search of structure to your manuscript? The organization and order of information in a non-fiction book is every bit as important as plot is to fiction. Immersing yourself in the subject matter is no guarantee that the structure of a book will reveal itself as self-evident. So how does a writer of non-fiction move from the… [Read More]