Category Archives: indie-publishing

Editor Q & A: April Lynn from April Editorial

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Promotional graphic for April Lynn of April Editorial. Large pink text reads “April Lynn from April Editorial.” A banner below says “Fiction Editing Series.” The graphic includes an illustration of edited manuscript pages with red markup and a pink pencil. Text reads: “This series is designed to help editors shine a light on their editing process and hopefully help you find an editor who is a perfect match for you and your manuscripts!” Website: www.april-editorial.com.

Introduce yourself! How did you get into editing and what are your qualifications? What genres do you enjoy editing most?
My name is Hannah, but I also respond to April. Or as some of my authors like to call me—April Hannah. Editing was always a dream job of mine, but after getting my bachelor’s in English Linguistics, I got sidetracked and became a flight attendant instead. Now that I’ve been flying for about nine years, I have some seniority and a lot more flexibility with my schedule. I went from flying 18-20 days a month to about 12 days. I also panicked during COVID and realized I needed to have another income stream in case the world falls apart. So I went back to my love of reading and editing, took some courses online through ACES & the Editorial Freelancers Association, and dove right in. I edit primarily romance novels, but have dipped my toes into fantasy and am editing a horror novella right now which is a fun change of pace.

What is the biggest mistake you see indie writers making right now? (For example, info dumps at the beginning of their book, not enough conflict, too much tell vs. show, etc.)
If you’ve worked with me before, you’ll know one of the first things I do is delete as many instances of ‘that’ from your book as possible. I have a personal vendetta against the word now. When it comes to the story though, the biggest pitfall I think a lot of authors struggle with is making each character unique. Dual POV is so popular, but I don’t think people realize how hard it is to write from two different points of view. Each character should have their own mannerisms: if one person plays with the ends of their hair all the time, it’s better to not have other characters doing that. Maybe he sighs a lot, but she rolls her eyes. Their dialogue should also stand out. I always suggest authors assign words and phrases to each character to help with this, and building good character profiles before you start writing is so helpful.

How do you keep the author’s voice intact while also guiding them with suggestions on how to make their book the best it can be?
I always start out my feedback by saying all the edits and comments are suggestions, take what you want and leave the rest behind. At the end of the day, it’s their book and not mine. If I make big changes, I always explain why or leave multiple suggestions for rephrasing. I don’t want to cross over into ghostwriting. My goal is to use what they’ve given me and make small tweaks here and there to ensure everything flows together and remains consistent.

Is there ever a time when a book requires too much work? What do you tell a writer whose manuscript isn’t ready for a professional edit? What resources do you refer them to?
Since I’m getting paid for the size of a manuscript (my rates are per word) instead of the time it takes to edit, I simply can’t help an author with every single issue within their manuscript. During my first read through, I start to notice trends and the major elements I believe they should focus on. I also don’t want their revisions to be too overwhelming, so narrowing things down helps us both out. I also have a section in the editorial feedback where I provide resources to help them improve their writing and premade cheat sheets I’ve made to help them with things I may have not had the time to fix or that aren’t part of the style of editing I was hired for. I love getting to work with authors for multiple books because each book improves more and more. As long as they have taken in the feedback for each one, we can move on to focus on other issues.

What advice can you offer an author who can’t afford a professional edit? Are there things they can do to sharpen their own self-editing skills?
There are tons of resources out there for authors, and tools I’ve used to help myself become a better editor. I have a list of recommended reading on my website but “Romancing the Beat” by Gwen Hayes & “Self-Editing for Fiction Writers” by Renni Browne and Dave King are great places to start. I am also working on some self-editing courses geared toward authors who are unable to hire an editor. So stay tuned for those!

Have you noticed AI writing tools affecting the manuscripts you edit? What are your thoughts on authors using them in the writing process?
I have a clause in my contract for this and will not work with authors who use genAI in their writing. So far, I have not noticed anything funky in the books I’ve worked on but I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before someone sneaks through the cracks. I think using AI eliminates the heart and soul from a novel, the creativity and uniqueness. I want no part of a romance written by a robot.

As an editor, it’s important you’re honest and give critical and actionable feedback. How do you offer this feedback so a writer doesn’t take it personally?
With any edit, I always start off by telling an author what they’re doing right and what their strengths are. I think starting on a positive note makes it easier to take in feedback. It’s also helpful to let them know they’re not alone, and a lot of this feedback is common. I also provide lots of examples and resources to back things up and never tell an author they can’t do something or it’s wrong. A great benefit of working with indie authors is they can write the book how they want and don’t have to adhere to style guides and story structures.

Are there any other tips or thoughts you would like to add about editing or publishing?
Don’t let self-doubt take you out. Nobody’s first draft is a bestseller. And find your community. It can get lonely, but I can guarantee there are others out there struggling with the same things you are or wanting to celebrate the same wins both big and small.

And lastly, where can readers find you online?
You can find me on IG or Threads @april.editorial or via my website www.april-editorial.com

Editor Q & A: Natalie from Purple Moon Editing

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Promotional graphic for the Fiction Editing Series featuring Natalie from Purple Moon Editing. Pink headline text reads “Natalie from Purple Moon Editing,” with illustrated marked-up manuscript pages and a pencil. Additional text says the series helps editors share their process and helps writers find a good editor match. Website listed: msha.ke/purplemoonediting.

Introduce yourself! How did you get into editing and what are your qualifications? What genres do you enjoy editing most?
Hi! I’m Natalie. In 2024, my husband put the idea into my head to become an editor. I’d already self-published a book and was getting ready for the second one, so I acutely felt the need for quality, but affordable editors for indie authors. Since I love English and have often been dubbed a Grammar Nazi, he told me I should pursue not only writing, but editing as well. In 2025, I began Purple Moon Editing with offering beta reading while I obtained certification for proofreading and editing through the Virtued Academy International online. In the beginning of this year, I opened for all edits, and I have already been loving the work I get to do.

What is the biggest mistake you see indie writers making right now? (For example, info dumps at the beginning of their book, not enough conflict, too much tell vs. show, etc.)
I think one of the main things I often have to point out is characterization. Characters need to be clear from the beginning. This is a tricky one, especially for writers who are “pantsters”, but it’s important for them to know their characters well. It can really jar the reader when characters fluctuate between motivations or when they say or do something totally out of personality. This is also one of my favorite things to address because I love finding out how to tighten and strengthen characters in the story, so it’s still a win for me. 😊

How do you keep the author’s voice intact while also guiding them with suggestions on how to make their book the best it can be?
Even when I begin reading a new book (for leisure), it can take a while to get used to the cadence and style of the author. I like to just read a lot of the manuscript first before I even begin to edit so I can get the feel of that author’s personal style/voice. Then I go ahead with normal edits, which are usually quite typical. If something is considered “wrong”, but it seems to be part of the author’s style, I’ll mention it to them and let them decide how they want to proceed. For example, I delete the word “that” quite often because it is a filler word that clutters the flow of the story, but recently I noticed one author using it in her character’s dialogue. It seemed to fit the more formal, stilted style of their speaking, so I left it in the dialogue, though I did mention it to the author.

Is there ever a time when a book requires too much work? What do you tell a writer whose manuscript isn’t ready for a professional edit? What resources do you refer them to?
I don’t think I’ve personally come across a manuscript that is too much work yet, but I think if I did, I’d suggest they back up and get the right type of edit first. Editing progresses as it goes, so the messiest draft needs to start with a basic beta read, which is a light edit, mostly dealing with development, but sometimes points out common mistakes too. I do offer beta reading, but authors can often ask friends to beta read as well. I think the hardest manuscript I’ve seen has come from an author whose first language is not English, so her grammar is understandably more challenging than normal. I admire her desire to write in English, and even though it takes me longer than most manuscripts, that’s what editors are for! It’s all part of the job.

What advice can you offer an author who can’t afford a professional edit? Are there things they can do to sharpen their own self-editing skills?
I completely understand the financial strain of hiring professional editors. I’ve self-published twice, and that has been my biggest expense. That’s one of the reasons I began Purple Moon Editing, because I think indie authors desperately need more affordable resources. I encourage learning all you can about your craft, both the story-telling and the editing aspects, but I do not think authors make good editors for their own stories. I recently posted about this. Even as an editor, I will never completely self-edit my own books. The reason is that an author can see all the scenes in their heads, making it difficult to realize when information is missing or unclear. They also often see the same sentences so many times their minds become numb to the mistakes. They also already know what they’re trying to say, adding another layer of difficulty in picking out errors. If finances are very tight, I recommend gathering a team of beta readers (many friends or avid readers enjoy doing this for free) and using their feedback as developmental edits. Then make the manuscript as perfect as you know how and hire an editor for just a final proofread. Proofreading is often the cheapest type of edit, but it does help with spelling and punctuation and capitalization. Addressing just those issues can help so much. Too many indie authors try to skimp on editing, pushing out books that have so much potential, but they’re just hard to read. And that reflects badly on all indie authors, giving us the stereotype of being sub-par artists or amateurs.

Have you noticed AI writing tools affecting the manuscripts you edit? What are your thoughts on authors using them in the writing process?
Thankfully, most indie authors I know or work with have strong feelings against using AI in their process. As artists who rely totally on themselves from start to finish and beyond (indie authors even have to do their own marketing), the idea that generalized artificial intelligence can imitate us and easily belittle our efforts hurts to the core. I haven’t noticed AI tools affecting the manuscripts I edit in a negative way. I believe AI is a tool which can be used intentionally and responsibly for some things, but I don’t think it has a place in creativity.

As an editor, it’s important you’re honest and give critical and actionable feedback. How do you offer this feedback so a writer doesn’t take it personally?
That’s truly a balance I’d like to obtain! I try not to focus just on the mistakes or changes that need to be made, but also on all the good as well. I leave a lot of encouraging comments. I let authors know if I love a certain line, or if a scene was really strong. I even leave emoji reactions along the way. I think that helps soften the harder comments. I also try to be careful of my wording. It can be easy to get lazy and just leave the barest comments, such as, “Delete this. She already said this. This doesn’t make sense,” but if I’m addressing a bigger issue or a wording choice, I’ll offer the comment as a suggestion. “Maybe you could find a different word here. It could use a stronger verb,” or “I feel like this would be clearer if you deleted the first line.” I want to be helpful and supportive, and I want to sound conversational, not like an officer.

Are there any other tips or thoughts you would like to add about editing or publishing?
I love stories. I believe they have power. I believe every story is needed in the world. Writing, editing, and publishing can seem scary and overwhelming, but they don’t have to be. Get a good support system, get help when you need it, and go for the dream. There are a lot of resources out there to help with every step of the way. I like to say, “To be a writer, you don’t have to be good at spelling or grammar or have a huge following or be agented. All you need is a story.”

And lastly, where can readers find you online?
You can find me on Instagram ( https://www.instagram.com/purplemoonediting/) and Threads: (https://www.threads.com/@purplemoonediting). My website is: msha.ke/purplemoonediting

Thank you so much for the thoughtful questions, Vania. I hope, if you’re a writer, these thoughts can help you.

Editor Q & A: Megan Harris

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Promotional graphic for Megan Harris Fiction Editing Series. Pink text reads “Megan Harris” on the left. A teal banner says “Fiction Editing Series.” Below, text explains the series helps editors share their editing process and helps authors find an editor who is a perfect match for their manuscripts. Website listed as www.mharriseditor.com. On the right are illustrated manuscript pages with red editing marks and a pink pencil.

Introduce yourself! How did you get into editing and what are your qualifications? What genres do you enjoy editing most?
My name is Megan Harris and I’ve been editing books for 14 years! I got my start as an apprentice under a small press, Evolved Publishing, that still operates today! Over time my services have expanded from only offering line edits to adding developmental editing services and helping with pitch materials including synopsis, book blurb, and query letter writing/revisions.

The genres I love to edit most are all in fiction and include horror, mystery, romance, and fantasy.

What is the biggest mistake you see indie writers making right now? (For example, info dumps at the beginning of their book, not enough conflict, too much tell vs. show, etc.)
One recommendation I often make to indie authors is to trust their reader to draw their own conclusions. This can be a struggle when you’re first starting out (which is why we edit) because what may seem like something that needs explanation from the writer’s side may be intuitive once the reader is embedded in the world building the author has set up. For example, conversations between two people may mean fewer dialogue tags needed and more physical action than the writer initially describes. It takes some effort to thread that needle but is so worth it in the end!

How do you keep the author’s voice intact while also guiding them with suggestions on how to make their book the best it can be?
I make it clear from the beginning of my author relationships that what I’m suggesting is not something they must agree with each time. When I’m making edits I explain the changes and why they are occurring, and it’s up to them to decide if the changes mesh with what they are trying to say. This partnership helps us both see each other’s perspectives while aiming for the same goal: a well-edited manuscript that readers will enjoy and that the authors is proud to publish.

Is there ever a time when a book requires too much work? What do you tell a writer whose manuscript isn’t ready for a professional edit? What resources do you refer them to?
Yes, this has happened from time to time but can be avoided when an author and editor take time to work through a sample edit together. I offer 1,000-word line edit sample edits as well as a 3,000-word developmental edit for those looking for those services. For both, I request authors send over a sample from the middle of a manuscript so there is a better baseline to work from since most authors have a well-edited start to their story.

If it seems like the book needs more work than the agreed upon scope, I give a few different options such as changing the service (which can come with a change in the cost) or referring the work out to someone else that may be a better fit if they agree to it. This is often avoidable, however, if the vetting process that comes from working on a sample is followed.

What advice can you offer an author who can’t afford a professional edit? Are there things they can do to sharpen their own self-editing skills?
Cost is often a barrier but that shouldn’t prevent an author to do the best they can with the resources they have. I recommend that authors who can’t afford a professional edit seek out critique partners that can help them improve their writing. You can find others to trade services with or barter skills. Maybe you’re great at making graphics and can trade manuscripts with someone who needs help in that area.

You can also see if an editor is willing to work with your smaller budget or if they have discounts. I offer them oftentimes and currently have a year-long discount for services to give authors a break during these challenging times. Not every editor is able to do this, but you won’t know until you ask!

Following a thorough self-editing process is also a great way to save on costs. For instance, if you’ve been able to self edit your book well and an editor determines from your sample that you only need proofreading, you’ve just saved yourself a lot of money because you’ve taken the time to carefully review your work. I recommend authors become familiar with study guides and books on craft to sharpen their self-editing skills. It can also help to ask others when you’re stuck for advice on word usage, either in writing communities or on social media.

Have you noticed AI writing tools affecting the manuscripts you edit? What are your thoughts on authors using them in the writing process?
I don’t accept manuscripts which have been created with generative AI. It’s in my contract and personal credo to only work on projects written by humans. Other writing tools that assist with writing, such as spellcheck, are okay in my book so long as the author is putting in the work to write and revise.

This may be controversial, but it saddens me when authors lean too much into using AI to write. If you haven’t bothered to write your book, why should others bother to read it?

Our reliance on technology has led to people believing that they can cut corners and it shows up in creative spaces too often. Readers can tell when an author has put their original work out there and are more likely to want stories written by human authors, so I urge authors not to rely on generative AI tools to create their stories.

As an editor, it’s important you’re honest and give critical and actionable feedback. How do you offer this feedback so a writer doesn’t take it personally?
No matter an author’s experience, I find it’s helpful to find what is working in a manuscript as often as I find what can be improved. My clients appreciate this candor and honest reactions to their stories which humanizes the experience and doesn’t look like I’m just checking boxes. For developmental edits, my writeup includes a section called “story strengths,” for instance, and in line edits I share with authors comments at times that tell them where something is working well.

When it comes to critical, actionable feedback, I ask a lot of questions in emails to get a sense of what they may have wanted to achieve in specific areas and then guide them gently through my thought process on changes that may improve what they have written. Sometimes there is pushback, but approaching their project in good faith helps authors know I’m on their side and rooting for them the entire time.

Are there any other tips or thoughts you would like to add about editing or publishing?
It’s probably said often, but taking a break between writing and editing is such a crucial step in the process. If you write your story and put it away for a while, you’ll come back to it with a fresh perspective and a better idea of how to make improvements. I also encourage writers to think about tropes along the way or have a friend read their work to determine what may be most helpful to know. Using tropes in marketing has become a common tactic and even if this trend dies off, it’s helpful when you’re pitching your book to others to know what kinds of themes they can expect to encounter.

Lastly, it’s a good idea to have thoughts about how to market your book before you finish the editing process. Clients of mine usually plan their release date and work backwards, giving themselves plenty of time to hit the major milestones they need, such as completing edits and having the cover ready, before the release date. Creating a plan can help you build up the hype about the book so that when the release date comes you can feel satisfied that you did everything you could to make it a success.

And lastly, where can readers find you online?
Authors can find me at my website, www.mharriseditor.com, where they can read blog posts with author tips and sign up for my quarterly newsletter. My username on most social media platforms is the same as my website: MHarrisEditor. Instagram | Threads | Facebook

Thanks for the opportunity to connect with your readers and answer these questions!

20booksto50k: Then vs. Now

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Black and white “20BooksTo50K” logo with a small sailboat icon and the tagline “A rising tide lifts all boats,” followed by the title “20booksto50k: Then vs. Now.”
Logo taken from https://indieauthormagazine.com/

Back in 2015, Michael Anderle had an epiphany. He did the math and came up with the idea that if an author had a backlist of twenty books, they could make a living wage–$50,000 dollars a year. If memory serves, he was sitting on a beach somewhere.

It seems simple enough. Write twenty books that each make $208.00 dollars a month.

That revelation turned into a phenomenon, and plenty of authors rose to the challenge. And not only rose to the challenge, but smashed that ball right out of the park.

In 2015, I wasn’t published yet. I was active on Twitter while I was writing a high fantasy series that I’d end up not publishing, but if you were in the #writingcommunity, you knew about the Facebook group and were likely a member. It turned into a hub of hope. You learned how to make covers-to-market, write-to-market, to write a series and give the first book away to earn royalties through read-through. But it was more than just advice. Authors were actually doing those things and showing snapshots of their sales dashboard proving that those tactics made money.

We drank the Kool-Aid because it made us feel good. I guess it was more like spiked punch at that point, which makes sense because when I get tipsy, I want to do ALL THE THINGS. And more than that. I think ALL THE THINGS are possible. Anyway, yeah, that group gave us a buzz that was hard to push back. So we wrote our novels and packaged them with good covers and wrote long series that had open plot arcs so a reader had to read all the books to know how the story ends. We were in it together.

A rising tide lifts all boats.

Unless your boat has a hole in it.

Over the past year or so, I’ve talked a lot about letting the dream go. Wicked Games will be out May 15th, and it will be the 19th book I’ve published since starting my pen name and changing to first person present POV romance. I wrote and stockpiled books during the pandemic and published my first books in 2022 (the duet I recently re-covered and re-edited).

I don’t make $44,928 a year off the books I have out now (that total is adjusted to the 18 books I have published, not 20). There are days I’m lucky if I make pennies from all my books combined.

Last week I had to turn off my Amazon ads. All of them. And it made me sick inside because ads are the only exposure my books have. I don’t like posting on social media and don’t do it nearly as often as I should, and my newsletter/blog brings in not very much interest. But my ads were getting a lot of clicks and no sales to show for it. I even checked my rank for the books I was advertising and their ranks were actually falling, not going up. So people were clicking but not borrowing in KU. With that proof, I had to turn them off.

There are a lot of reasons why books don’t sell, and I don’t mean mine specifically. Probably the biggest culprit is saturation. Back in March, an article in Publisher’s Weekly said that in 2025, four million books were published between people self-publishing and authors who had trad deals. Four million books in one year alone. And those four million books don’t make the books published in 2024, 2023, 2022, etc, disappear. All those books just stack on top of each other into a seemingly endless abyss of novels that give readers so much to choose from they may not be choosing anything at all (doomscrolling, anyone?).

One thing the 20booksto50k group did was turn the indie mindset from writing books as a hobby into writing books as a business. We started thinking about covers and blurbs and marketing strategies and what readers wanted, and today, it’s easier than ever to produce a book written-to-market that looks professional. Unfortunately, publishing a professional book is only the start, when before it’s what got you halfway there.

The other day, a friend of mine said something that stuck with me. Publishing is no longer a distribution channel or a discovery tool. All publishing is now is uploading a file. That really resonated with me because ten years ago, there was organic discovery. Simply being part of the KU ecosystem ensured visibility, borrows, and royalties. I think that’s why when Draft2Digital put their $12.00 a year maintenance fee in place there was such an uproar and why I’m seeing such a disdain toward Kobo lately. Authors want help selling their books and believe the distribution service of their choice should be the ones helping them. Nobody likes paying for nothing, and when you’re not selling books, that’s what you get. Dead weight, indeed.

Do any of the philosophies of the 20booksto50k group still hold true? I mean, a book with a good cover and a good blurb will always sell better than a book with a DIY cover and a blurb so vague a reader can’t tell what the book is even about. But some of their biggest fundamentals like rapid releasing and having a large backlist don’t seem to move the needle much, if at all, anymore.

Because of some personal reasons, I left that group a couple of years ago and haven’t looked back. When I was a member, yes, making money was a goal, but so was building a readership of fans and giving them a good product on which to spend their time and money. From what people have been saying now, the group is focused more on quantity than quality and adopting AI as a way to make that happen. The group also has a new vibe now that it’s called Author Nation, run by Joe Solaris instead of Michael Anderle and Craig Martelle, and I’m a little disappointed I never made it Las Vegas for their yearly convention when the group was still under their leadership. I missed their golden era, when everyone was helping each other and you could ride the high of a good conference with good speakers for months.

These days I don’t know what any group could really offer an author to help them get ahead, besides just “emotional support.” All the information is out there and you can follow it to a T and still end up with zeros on your dashboard.

Why am I talking about this now? I guess because I’m closing in on the twenty books part of the idea, and I’m not even close to making the 50k part. It’s an idea that was perpetuated a long time ago, and it was perpetuated because some authors managed to do it. And that too, is like driving wood splinters under your fingernails. You can have perfectly fine books. Cover, title, blurb, tropes, and have it professionally edited, and no one will buy it or borrow it in KU. You start to wonder if there is something wrong with you, especially when other authors around you are able to do it, and with fewer books than you.

While I was scrolling Threads the other day, there was an author who was saying a first book in her series wasn’t doing well, and she was wondering if she should even bother publishing book two. I looked up her profile, and in one post she said when her book was on preorder she had over 100. To me that sounded pretty good, so on Publisher Rocket, I looked up how well she was doing. Her books were earning her thousands a month. She was literally living the 50k part of that dream, and I was so angry I almost started crying. To have what so many of us wanted, and she was complaining about it. I’m happy for her, but it’s really difficult to be happy for someone who doesn’t seem to be grateful for their own success.

I don’t know when I’m going to publish next. I told myself that I would start Frozen Assets at the beginning of May, and it’s the beginning of May. I’ve been enjoying the time off, getting things done around my apartment, going for walks, and watching TV in the evenings guilt-free. I like not feeling pressured to get words down. I like not having a publishing plan.

I learned some valuable lessons while I was part of the 20booksto50k group, but they instilled a dream that many of us will never reach and a mindset that’s hard to turn off. The publishing landscape is too different from what it was ten years ago and we need to make adjustments in our own businesses and hobbies to protect our mental health.

I’ll keep writing because I love it, but publishing is something else and I’ll see how that feels next year. Wicked Games comes out on the 15th of this month and it will be my only book this year. The few readers I have already know this, and they also know I’ll be working on my hockey duet for the foreseeable future. With the changes at my work, I don’t know how fast I can write a book now, and that really isn’t the point anymore anyway. I’ve been looking forward to my hockey duet for the past year, and I’m excited to write them. But publishing might mean something else. I’m not sure yet.

20booksto50k wasn’t a crazy idea. It was achievable to some. But now it feels like an outdated map that leads to riches that have already been found. Like Craig Martelle and Michael Anderle, it’s time to go out on my own. Who knows what’s out there.

Next week I’ll write up an author update, and then on May 18th, I have another installment of my editor series, so bookmark this site or subscribe! I’d love to see you again!

As always, thanks for your time, and I hope you have a great week!

Editor Q & A: Lennon K Riley

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Graphic for Lennon K. Riley’s Fiction Editing Series, featuring illustrated marked-up manuscript pages and a pink pen, with text describing a series that helps writers understand editing and find the right editor for their manuscripts.

Introduce yourself! How did you get into editing and what are your qualifications? What genres do you enjoy editing most?
Hi! I’m Lennon. I’ve been editing for 10 years, covering a variety of genres and author working styles. I began professional developmental editing during a workshop for the literary organization in Portland called Literary Arts. Before that, I copyedited for online magazines. I enjoy editing fantasy, romance, and mystery most – in YA and adult.

What is the biggest mistake you see indie writers making right now? (For example, info dumps at the beginning of their book, not enough conflict, too much tell vs. show, etc.)
Lately, I’ve seen structural issues, such as a whole book basically being Act I, either delaying the adventure (Act II) and resolution (Act III) too long or forgetting them completely. I’ve also seen a lot of dialogue that could use improvement. Dialogue that doesn’t sound realistic or consistent with the character.

How do you keep the author’s voice intact while also guiding them with suggestions on how to make their book the best it can be?
When I make a recommendation, I always include “I recommend…” and an explanation for my recommendation. For example, it could be I recommended a change because something with a character was inconsistent, something came off to the reader in a way that the author didn’t intend and I want the author’s intentions to come through on the page, or something was unclear and difficult to follow and I want to help the author clear it up. I ensure the author knows this is a partnership and I only want to help make their work better. I am their biggest fan and none of my edits come from a place of “I think this is bad.” All my edits come from a place of “I love this and I know we can make it the best it can be.”

Is there ever a time when a book requires too much work? What do you tell a writer whose manuscript isn’t ready for a professional edit? What resources do you refer them to?
I just had an author hire me for scene and line edits, but they really needed a developmental edit. I did complete the job for the manuscript, and I included some dev editing suggestions to help them get started on their own – at no extra charge. I also gave them resources on outlining, pacing, character development, how to raise stakes, etc. to help them work on their self-developmental editing.

What advice can you offer an author who can’t afford a professional edit? Are there things they can do to sharpen their own self-editing skills?
Pinterest is a great place to go for free editing resources. Writing blogs have a lot of great information to help authors self-edit, and Pinterest is a centralized location for all of the blog posts out there to be found in one place.

I also offer affordable editing services and payment plans, for those who can’t afford to pay a full sum when they hire me. I recommend getting an editor for at least one round of edits, as there are things that a second pair of eyes will see that no author will be able to. I’m a self-published author and a professional editor, and even I hire an editor for my completed manuscripts. There are just some things I know I won’t see because I am too close to it.

Have you noticed AI writing tools affecting the manuscripts you edit? What are your thoughts on authors using them in the writing process?
I don’t take on any clients who have used AI in their work.

As an editor, it’s important you’re honest and give critical and actionable feedback. How do you offer this feedback so a writer doesn’t take it personally?
I never say “I don’t like this” or “This doesn’t work” or leave any comments that don’t have an explanation and a recommendation. My feedback is always kind, justified, and labeled as a Recommendation. All my edits are simply suggestions. The author has the right to ignore my edits if they disagree, and I don’t take that personally either.

Are there any other tips or thoughts you would like to add about editing or publishing?
Publishing is a rough world right now. If you’re struggling, just know that it isn’t you. If you’ve gotten feedback from professional editors, writing groups, and others in the industry that your story and your writing are good, listen to those voices. It’s really difficult to get published these days as a debut or indie author looking to break into traditional publishing. Things have changed a lot in the last six years. It’s the industry, it’s not you.

And lastly, where can readers find you online?
Readers can go to my website at lennonkriley.com for information on my books, other writings, and my blog giving writing advice and reading recommendations to visitors. They can also find me on Instagram, Threads, and YouTube at @lennonkriley.

Editor Q & A: Sara from Write Way Edits

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Promotional graphic for a fiction editing Q&A series featuring Sara from Write Way Edits. Pink headline text reads “Editor Q & A: Sara from Write Way Edits,” with an illustration of edited manuscript pages and a pen representing the editing process.

Introduce yourself! How did you get into editing and what are your qualifications? What genres do you enjoy editing most?
Hi! I’m Sara, fiction editor and owner of Write Way Edits. I work with authors at different stages of the editing process—from big-picture developmental feedback through to copyediting and proofreading. I love working with fantasy, romance, soft sci-fi, historical fiction, and women’s fiction—and all the subgenres and spice levels. I’ve also worked with authors writing thrillers and memoirs.
I’ve always loved stories and language and dreamed of working for one of the Big Five publishers. In college, I interned with a professor and helped research and edit a political process textbook. After graduation though, life took me in a different direction and I ended up managing a classic car restoration shop.
Editing still found its way into my life. I volunteered with nonprofits and edited business materials, but eventually felt the pull to officially work with words. In 2019, I applied for UC Berkeley’s Professional Sequence in Editing instead of pursuing a master’s program, and I officially launched Write Way Edits in 2024.
I’m committed to continuing my professional development because editing—like writing—is a craft you keep refining over time. I’ve completed multiple courses through organizations like the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) and Club Ed, and I aim to complete one to two professional courses every year.

What is the biggest mistake you see indie writers making right now? (For example, info dumps at the beginning of their book, not enough conflict, too much tell vs. show, etc.)
Honestly, editing and writing are pretty subjective. What one reader loves another reader hates. What one writer excels at another writer struggles with. What one editor prefers another editor avoids.
That said, a common developmental issue I encounter often is a weak opening.
Whether you’re querying or self-publishing, the opening pages are your chance to hook the reader and give them a reason to keep reading. If those early chapters are overloaded with background information or focus more on setting the world than introducing the main character, you risk losing your reader before the story really begins.
Another common issue is when the story problem isn’t introduced early enough. The reader doesn’t need to understand everything right away, but they do need a sense that something is happening and that it matters to the main character.
A strong opening usually gives the reader three things fairly quickly: a character to connect with, a sense of the situation they’re in, and the hint of a problem or tension that will drive the story forward.

How do you keep the author’s voice intact while also guiding them with suggestions on how to make their book the best it can be?
One of the most important rules an editor should be following is to never change an author’s voice.
Author A, Author B, and Author C could all write the same story—a gallant knight on a quest to save the beautiful princess from her evil stepmother—and each version would feel completely different. Our life experiences, education, and writing styles shape how we tell stories: the words we choose, the punctuation we favor, how emotions appear on the page, and where we lean more toward showing or telling.
An editor’s job isn’t to rewrite a story but to strengthen it. Before I make any suggestions, I take a step back to understand my motivation for that particular change. Is it simply my personal preference? Is it rooted in my experience and training, industry standards, or reader clarity? Oftentimes what a reader labels as an error is actually a stylistic choice. A good editor recognizes that and makes sure those choices are intentional and consistent throughout the manuscript.
I also try to explain the reasoning behind my suggestions. When authors understand why and how something might be improved, they can better decide whether that change fits with their vision for the story.
At the end of the day, it’s always the author’s book and the author’s decision.

Is there ever a time when a book requires too much work? What do you tell a writer whose manuscript isn’t ready for a professional edit? What resources do you refer them to?
One of the first things I ask authors is what stage their manuscript is in and whether anyone else has had eyes on it yet—alpha readers, beta readers, critique partners, or another editor.
If a first-time author comes to me requesting a developmental edit on a first draft, I’ll usually recommend they go through a few rounds of self-editing first then get feedback from a few beta readers. That outside perspective can help identify bigger story issues before a professional editor comes in. Sometimes I’ll also read a sample and suggest a few areas the author can focus on in their self-edits.
I’m a big believer in focusing each revision pass on a specific element of the story. For example, one pass might focus on structure and plot. Another might focus on the characters, ensuring their choices make sense and their motivations are clear. A later pass might look at pacing or tension. Breaking revision into smaller goals can make the process much more manageable.
I also try to point authors toward helpful resources whenever I can. Over time I’ve built a collection of articles, craft books, and guides from other editors, writers, and organizations that I’m happy to share.

What advice can you offer an author who can’t afford a professional edit? Are there things they can do to sharpen their own self-editing skills?
Self-editing is super important, even when you’re planning to hire a professional editor.
I’m sure everyone is sick of hearing this, but practice really does make perfect. The more you write, the more you learn—not only about writing but about your own habits, strengths, and patterns as a writer.
Another helpful strategy is stepping away from your manuscript for a period of time before revising. Distance helps you come back to the story with fresher eyes and notice things you might have missed before.
Reading your work aloud is also effective. Whether you read it yourself or use tools like Word’s Read Aloud feature, hearing the text makes it much easier to catch awkward phrasing, pacing issues, and repetitive language.
These are some great craft books that focus specifically on revision: Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and David King; Intuitive Editing by Tiffany Yates Martin; 5 Editors Tackle the 12 Fatal Flaws of Fiction Writing by C. S. Lakin, Linda S. Clare, Christy Distler, Robin Patchen, and Rachel Starr Thomson.

Have you noticed AI writing tools affecting the manuscripts you edit? What are your thoughts on authors using them in the writing process?
I don’t think generative AI has any place in creative spaces, so the authors I interact and work with are also anti-generative AI. I include a section in my contract that states I reserve the right to refuse to work on a manuscript written with the help of a generative AI tool, and I will never use generative AI in my editing process.
But just because I want nothing to do with generative AI doesn’t mean that there aren’t authors using these tools to aid them in their writing. Some use them for brainstorming ideas or organizing their thoughts. I have mixed feelings about this, honestly. On the one hand, I understand these authors’ arguments for needing something to help them organize the creative jumble in their brains. On the other, scientific studies are proving that a reliance on generative AI tools like ChatGPT is leading to intellectual laziness and a decline in reading comprehension, literacy, and logic skills.
I’ve also seen some authors use ChatGPT in place of beta readers or editors. The issue with this is that generative AI has no capacity to actually understand human emotions. It bases “revisions” on other authors’ works—aka, theft—and doesn’t have the ability to make editorial decisions based on stylistic choice vs grammar “rule.” As much as people tout that ChatGPT can “learn your voice / style,” it always reverts back to generic styles and specific patterns of language. It also hallucinates “facts” and sources. (And it’s killing our environment and targeting marginalized communities, but that’s a rant for another time.)
Now assistive AI, on the other hand, is a great asset. (Think spellcheck, basic Grammarly, and Speechify and other accessibility tools.) And if a generative AI tool enters the landscape that sources its information ethically and doesn’t contribute to the doom of our planet, I’ll give it a try and see if it’s up to the task of actually helping writers. Until then, I’ll stick to human writers, artists, and editors.

As an editor, it’s important you’re honest and give critical and actionable feedback. How do you offer this feedback so a writer doesn’t take it personally?
When I was in college, I briefly considered becoming a teacher—until I realized my tendency to say the word “fuck” in every other sentence would probably slow down my career advancement.
Even though I didn’t go into teaching, that instinct to explain and guide people stuck with me. I’m also a mother, which involves a lot of teaching (and learning) every single day.
Those experiences shape the way I approach editing. Whenever possible, I ask authors how much explanation they’d like during the edit, whether they prefer deeper comments and guidance or a lighter touch. Editing isn’t about tearing a manuscript apart or telling an author how to write their story better; it’s about working with an author toward the same goal: making the story stronger.
My feedback is always specific and actionable. I don’t just say “fix this” or “this is wrong.” That’s not helpful for anyone. Instead, I explain what the issue is (or might be) and suggest ways it could be improved or strengthened. When it’s helpful, I’ll even include an example revision to demonstrate what I mean—though the author is always free to ignore it or take the idea in a completely different direction.
I also make a point to highlight what’s already working well. Every story has strengths, and it’s important for authors to know what readers are likely to connect with just as much as where the manuscript could improve.

Are there any other tips or thoughts you would like to add about editing or publishing?
Editing is part of the creative process, not a sign that you’re doing something wrong.
Even NYT bestsellers go through multiple rounds of editing before publication.
The most important thing is to stay curious about the writing and editing process and remember that every draft teaches you something new about the story you’re telling and the craft of writing itself.

And lastly, where can readers find you online?
You can find me at:
Website: www.writewayedits.com
Instagram / Threads / Pinterest: @writewayedits
I’m also revamping my blog, Coffee-Stained Pages (https://writewayedits.com/blog/) and sharing thoughts and resources via my newsletter, The Editor’s Brew (https://writewayedits.kit.com/posts)

Book Review: The Truth About Book Reviews by Joe Walters

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the truth about book reviews book cover on tablet. background is purple and gold. white letters. additional text on graphic says book review! plus giveaway.

When Joe Walters, editor-in-chief of Independent Book Review, told me he bumped into one of my blog posts scrolling the WordPress reader and asked if I would be willing to review his book, I said sure. Why not? If you know me, you probably know if you ask me to do something, I’ll do it. Whether that’s a flaw or an attribute, who knows, but I downloaded his book that was free when he contacted me, and during slow times at my work (not many which is why it took me so long–he emailed me back in September!) I read it. Even though it took me a while, I wanted to finish since I said I would, and besides, I wrote about reviews not long ago and thought maybe there would be some advice I could follow in my own book business.

Did Joe’s book deliver? Yes.

Is getting reviews a lot of work? Yes.

Did he offer to do that work for you? Unfortunately, that answer is no, though writing the book in the first place is a big help all on its own.

There are lots of different kinds of reviews, and I think the kind indies think about the most are from readers who put their reviews on platforms like Amazon and Goodreads. You can’t do much about those–all you can do is sell a lot of books and hope readers review when they’re done reading, or pay for a review service like Booksprout and hope the readers who pick up your book follow through. Joe focused a lot on editorial and trade and media reviews and gave you several examples of what to say when you reach out to them.

That was probably one of the best parts of the book. Unless you’re having Al write your requests for you–and I would advise against that being all the AI spam that authors have been getting lately–it’s difficult to figure out what to say that doesn’t sound smarmy, like you’re begging for a favor, or flat because you’re scared to reach out. He gives you plenty of examples of what to say, taking the guesswork out of it.

Not only does he tell you what to say, he tells you how to find people who review in the first place, which is a godsend if you have no idea where to start looking.

But, I’m not going to lie, and he doesn’t either. Finding people to read and review your book is a lot of work. You have to make a list of the reviewers who read your genre, write the email (follow their submission guidelines!), and wait. Do that over and over again, and be prepared to follow up if they don’t answer you. He even says in his book that the majority of his reviews come from the followup email, and that’s how it was with me too. I forgot I said I was going to read his book and he nudged me a couple months later. I emailed back and apologized, showed him a picture of his book on my Kindle Fire as proof of life and intention, and even left his email in my inbox to remind myself that I said I would review. (Even that has been a while, so he’ll probably be shocked I followed through.)

Another thing I liked about reading his book is that he speaks indie, and that helps a lot. He knows what Bookfunnel is, knows about sites like Booksprout, and understands Kindle Unlimited limitations if your book is enrolled. He has a sense of humor that keeps the material from becoming too dry, and I appreciated that very much. He also has a thing for ghosts, and though he says dead people can’t review your book, the next time you go to Barnes and Noble, grab a ouija board out of their games section. Every little bit helps!

One last thing that I really liked was not only does he tell you where and how to get reviews, he includes a short section on what to do with them once you have them. He explains how to access your book’s editorial reviews section on Author Central, how to use Canva to create A+ content for your book’s Amazon product page, and how to make graphics to feature reviews on social media and in your newsletter.

Overall, if you’re at a loss as to where to look for reviews and how to go about getting them, this book is very useful, but also keep in mind that there is a lot of content out there and chances are good you won’t be the only one asking. Tenacity and patience are key, like a lot of areas of indie publishing.

With my release of Wicked Games coming up soon, I’m going to try a different review service and also, I take back what I said about Booksprout. I wasn’t going to use them anymore, but I felt bad not giving the readers I have there a warning that I was leaving. I do have a few people who enjoy my books and leave real reviews, not just plot summaries or generic AI commentary, and I would hate to disappear without telling them how to find me in the future. So, in the “Notes to the Reader” section, I’m going to tell them this will be the last book I put up and if they want access to other ARCs, to follow my social media or blog. With Loss and Damages, I just got so disheartened, and it doesn’t seem like something I need to keep paying for.

Anyway, I’ll keep Joe’s book as reference if one day I decide I want to chase reviews written by other people than just readers, like Joe and his review team over at the Independent Book Review. If you want to read Joe’s book, The Truth About Book Reviews: An Insider’s Guide to Getting and Using Reviews to Grow Your Readership, you can find it on Amazon. It’s available on Kindle, in Kindle Unlimited, and Paperback. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F7C3WFM5

I also purchased a paperback copy as a giveaway to go along with this blog post–and in true Amazon fashion, it came a little banged up. I know giveaways aren’t popular anymore, but if you’re in the United States, comment below and I will draw a name next week.

picture of the truth about book reviews book lying on the amazon bubble mailer. black background.
I love my nonfiction resources in hardcopy.

If you want to follow Joe online, you can look for him his website here: https://independentbookreview.com/ and sign up for his newsletter here: https://subscribepage.io/45z9I4

I hope you all had a great weekend, and I will talk to you next week!

Thanks for reading and entering! 📚 🍀

My Complicated Relationship with Social Media

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laptop on blue background with red and white heart emojis above it. text on laptop screen says: My complicated relationship with social media

I don’t hate social media. In fact, I enjoy it a lot. I like to scroll Threads for current events and book, or writing community, news. Although, I limit how many platforms I’m willing to spend my time on, and I don’t always jump on the new thing. For example, I claimed my username on BlueSky but I don’t scroll or post there. I don’t have it on my phone. I haven’t done anything with UpScrolled. Or Mastodon. Or Tumblr (honestly, I don’t even know what Tumblr is), and most everything else that’s out there. Reddit. I have an account there (I give my reader magnet away on a free book subreddit) but I don’t have the app on my phone and don’t regularly spend time reading and/or posting there.

I update my personal Facebook profile maybe twice a month, if that, and that could be just me sharing a post or joke I liked. Half my “friends” aren’t really friends anyway, and I should just clear them out. They don’t care what I’m doing. My Facebook author page fares a bit better, but not by much. I try to keep it updated so that if a reader lands there, they can see that I do post and I do have books coming out. A dead Facebook author page could say more than “This author hates social media” so if I’m going to keep it up, I know I should keep it up to date.

I also post sporadically on Instagram, and I’m trying to do more there because it seems like the most friendly in regard to posting book content. I boost posts every now and then and for the first time in many years I have over 500 followers. That was a big accomplishment for me, especially since after leaving Twitter, a huge following seems like a thing of the past. When I left Twitter, I walked away from 13.5k followers (and 2k accounts that had mine blocked LOL). Just because of how little time I put into social media these days, that was probably my “peak,” and because having that many followers didn’t sell books, I didn’t mind leaving that account behind.

I thought I was doing pretty good on Instagram, but then they sent me my January insights, and I regret to say that I posted only four times in the whole month. I can probably do better.

screenshots of instagram insights. on the left, grey calendar with four purple squares. text reads: in january, you shared 4 posts. keep it up. consistently creating reels, posts or both is the best way to help your content get seen more regularly. On the right is a line graph. pink line gradually goes up. text says: your view have room to grow. you've shared fewer reels and posts lately. if you're looking to grow, sharing new content each week is the best place to start.
Thanks for the pep talk, IG!

So, I can say that I do like social media. I scroll Threads a lot and I added Substack to my phone, even though I don’t plan to blog or post there. It’s a place where I can get book news without the state of the United States thrown in and I like reading longer-form posts because lately that’s where the real news is.

What I have a problem with is engagement. Not getting it, because for as little as I post, I do get some. Responding to it. If someone tags me on Threads or Instagram or maybe replies to a post on my Facebook author page, I’ll see it, because my phone is attached to my body like almost everyone else’s, but I don’t respond right away. I catalog the tag or response, remember it, and don’t acknowledge for days or even weeks after. That . . . isn’t good. Not that everyone expects to have an instant answer–some of us watch TV without our phones or have jobs where we can’t be online–but it doesn’t look charming or mysterious (even though I’d like to think so). It looks rude. It looks rude not to return someone else’s energy. It’s rude not to acknowledge that they were thinking about me and gave me their time.

That’s the struggle I have, and I’ve been this way for as long as I’ve been active on social media in the book community. On Twitter, I’d answer all my notifications once a week, and when people saw that I was online, they answered my responses and I was stuck for hours. And I don’t want to say “stuck” like it’s a bad thing. I had lots of friends that I truly enjoyed talking to, but writing, even as far back as 2015 when I was writing my fantasy books that I would never publish, always came first. That doesn’t happen anymore. Nowadays I trade actual emails or DMs with a friend or two, sometimes what will be all-day chat if I have the time between errands and chores. I don’t get as many notifications on Threads as I used to on Twitter, mostly because I don’t post on Threads very often and the writing community there isn’t the same as what Twitter used to be.

There’s something strange, I think, to be told that someone is reading one of my books, stranger still for someone to tag me in a post and say they enjoyed it. Not odd in the fact that happens, but odd in the way I perceive it, and I wonder if this comes from not having confidence in my books. I’m proud of them, and I know I wrote them as well as I could for that time of my life. Someone on Instagram just tagged me in a post that said she was re-reading an old third person book of mine. A re-read implies she liked it enough to read it again, and of course I don’t want to say anything bad about that book because that would insult her taste. I’ve re-edited it a couple of times since I published it, but I feel like the plot is flimsy and a reader has to suspend their belief quite a bit–especially since what’s been happening recently with police activity and social media. It was just one of those books that I didn’t think through because I was so damned happy writing it. I replied back thanking her, because there wasn’t anything else I could do, and I am thankful and humbled she read anything I wrote, took time to make a graphic and add my name and book title to it, and tag me when she posted it.

I don’t mind putting myself out there–I do it here every Monday on this blog. Sometimes I get comments, and I take just as long to reply. Sometimes I see my blog posts out in the wild, like once I saw someone post my Canva tutorial in a Facebook group I’m in. That was surreal because I responded as well, just a watered-down version of the instructions she was asking for (most groups think it’s bad manners to self-rec). I can see in my referrers where some of my traffic comes from, and I tracked down a couple of people who shared my posts on Threads. I didn’t respond to those because I feel like that’s intruding on reader territory and I never want people to be afraid to talk about me or disagree with me. I’m a big girl and like discussion. I’m always open to learning and hearing other people’s opinions. I also have kind of a snarky sense of humor and not everyone can tell when I’m trying to be funny, so they don’t always take my blog posts in the spirit in which they’re meant. I could defend myself when that happens, but there’s really no point to that.

You would think then, that if I have such a terrible time responding to people, that I would just not post anymore, but I have to get over the uncomfortable feelings I get when people reach out. I don’t know why I wait to respond, especially since it wouldn’t take more than a minute when I see the notification on my phone. I don’t want people to be hurt or think they did the wrong thing. Also, sharing their content gives me content and my four times a month posting schedule on Instagram proves I could use more of it.

I think, overall, at the risk of sounding like Al, that I work quietly, and besides writing about my updates here, I don’t talk a lot about my process or how much I get done. I don’t post word counts or any kind of progress like that–not where fiction readers can see it. The posts that are about my books require a different kind of creative brain and when I open up Canva, I usually have no idea what to make. I have several books to choose from, but I just never know what kind of post to create. A snippet post? A one-liner? Then what background to choose? A character sketch? A video? A carousel? I mean, all of them at some point, obviously, but I get sucked into the technicalities and just go back to what I really want to do: write.

So, yeah, I have a complicated relationship with social media. I’ve made a lot of resolutions in the past, but I can never stick with anything. I don’t depend on social media for sales, which is a good thing, I think, since it cuts out the desperate urgency of having to post, but I admit that it could help me too, if I could commit.

I need to try harder to have better response times on social media and reach out to people who reach out to me first. I like social media, but that doesn’t mean I want to participate.

And lurking is okay, but I can’t be so content in the shadows that I can’t step into the light.

Because, after all, that’s what social media is for.

My readers and characters will thank me.

A Culture of Distraction

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1,720 words
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a woman washing dishes while watching something on a tablet text says a culture of distraction on green box

I used to watch Sullivan’s Crossing. I say “used to” because I kind of bailed on the show like I do most shows I watch. I get bored or I’d rather work on my books. I might go back to Sullivan’s Crossing at some point, if there’s nothing else to watch, but I mostly stopped because I hated the way Maggie and Sydney treated the men who liked them, or, in romance-novel speak, their love interests. I know the show writers just wanted to devise drama for the plot, but even knowing that didn’t stop me curling my lip whenever one of their scenes came on.

I went into that because everything in the universe is connected, and I started getting emails from Reddit about people talking about that show. I engaged a little bit, enough to know that I’m not alone in my dislike and my reasons why. But there was also one exchange that I’d like to show you here:

r/SullivansCrossing icon Go to SullivansCrossing r/SullivansCrossing • 11d ago Squishy1011 Does anyone else wonder why they are still watching and press next episode anyway? This show has some of the laziest writing, ever! One of my pet peeves is how often the characters say ‘besides’ - no one actually says it in real life. It’s like neighbours reproduced by an amdram group! All of the actors are beautiful but the make up is all the wrong shade for all of them! Then I find myself singing ‘time and time and time again!’ As the next episode blares out. I am also acutely aware I’ll be so sad when it’s finished. I’ve never had such conflicting feelings for a show before! ndftba It's really comfy to watch, like you don't have to focus so much, or make up theories. It's just relaxed drama. pearly1979 i like shows sometimes that are mind of mindless. The scenery is gorgeous and there is serious eye candy as well. I do a lot of crafting and knitting hats, so its a show i can watch while doing that and not be bummed if I miss something lol.

My mind went in a couple of different ways when I read that. The first was, why are you watching something you really don’t want to watch, and second, as a romance author, I felt bad for Robyn Carr (who wrote the books Sullivan’s Crossing is based on) and the producers of this show. No one wants to be told that their content is “kind of mindless” or is made up of lazy writing.

We’re living in an age where our attention is constantly split between two or even more things. TV shows turn into background noise while we do chores or cook, we scroll on our phones when we shouldn’t like at a movie theater and behind the wheel, or we have a conversation with someone on speakerphone or FaceTime while we shop. It’s almost like if you do one thing at a time you’re failing at life.

I think what bothers me the most when it comes to talking about distraction and split attention is the lack of respect that goes along with it. What do I mean by that? I’ll tell you a little story.

Two years ago I hired my last beta reader. I didn’t pay her very much, but I was supposed to be helping her set up a beta reading service, so it was a win-win situation for both of us. I paid her and emailed her my manuscripts. She was an avid reader and I had known her for a long time, so while I felt a bit apprehensive because we’d had some conflicts in the past, I pushed them aside. She did read, but occasionally I’d get messages like, “At the auto shop waiting with my husband and reading your book,” or “On a road trip with the family, reading your book,” and I started to wonder just how much attention was she giving my story. It turns out she missed an important callback that resulted in some skewed feedback. Meaning, she forgot what a character said, or possibly missed it completely, which made what another character said later in the book not make sense to her. I didn’t need a math degree to put two and two together. She was reading while she was distracted.

Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed. Since then I haven’t bothered to find other beta readers or give my manuscripts to anyone else. I realized that no feedback is better than bad feedback and we can’t always guarantee that our money is going to pay for quality.

When you’re a new writer, accurate feedback is really important. You’re still learning and leveling up your craft depends on useful, thoughtful, and relevant critique. What is a new writer going to do if they can’t find someone who’s willing to actually sit down in a quiet space and give their words the attention they deserve? And why offer to beta read or help someone if you’re not going to do the work that’s required and expected? I’ve seen other beta readers say they’re settling down to beta read a client’s work and that they’re reading with the TV on for background noise. I can understand if that’s part your process, but not everything needs to put online. If you’re charging the going rate to beta read or edit for someone, it might be better to keep that kind of detail to yourself.

When people don’t pay attention while reading they can come back with questions, accusations, or even complaints, and an author can lose confidence that their writing is good and that plots and character arcs make sense. Books require a person to be present while they consume those words or the meaning, nuance, and themes can get missed entirely. Is that going to be the author’s fault? Was the plot too complicated? Were the characters too complex? Was the prose too purple? How is an author going to know? Maybe the real reason that reader couldn’t follow what was going on was because she was playing Bingo with her grandma at the VFW. I mean, things happen.

Distraction is also bad news on the author side. I used to be able to listen to music while I wrote, but I can’t do that anymore. I start listening to the song instead of writing, and now when I have a writing or editing session, I do it in silence. Sometimes I’ll pick up my phone and scroll, and I’ll ask myself if I’m going to write/edit or scroll because I can’t do both. That’s enough to get me to put my phone in another room and focus on the task at hand. Editing while distracted is just an invitation to edit more typos into your manuscript rather than fix what’s already there. Readers deserve respect because they invest in an author’s work twofold: they pay to read and give hours of their time as well. The last thing an author needs is a reader saying, “What was that?” at the end of their book because a main character had five careers, her hair changed colors six times, and there’s a plot hole big enough for the Grand Canyon to fall through. The setting of Sullivan’s Crossing is beautiful, but it’s not that important.

That’s not to say that a comfort watch is invalid. In these times finding comfort and a little peace where you can is more important than ever. Being able to sit and watch something relaxing is critical to mental health. Our brains aren’t meant to work twenty-four hours a day, seven days week, and authors and writers are often encouraged to take a break and fill their creative wells. Maybe that means doomscrolling while sitting through bland dialogue and watching a shirtless and sweaty Chad Michael Murray chop wood. But that doesn’t mean every show on TV needs to be that way and dumbing down scripts and books isn’t the answer to a culture that’s becoming used to doing two or three things at once.

What is the answer then? I’m not sure. I’m at a place in my career where going without feedback isn’t ideal, but having beta readers who will read with only one eye on the paper isn’t any better. We can’t police how people live, and putting a clause in a contract asking people to please don’t beta read or edit while watching TV or playing Bingo probably won’t work. People will do what they’re gonna do. But I don’t think it’s wrong to expect the service providers you pay to give you quality. Important callbacks, breadcrumbs, twisty plots, and complicated character arcs demand attention, not someone singing the theme song to Sullivan’s Crossing under their breath while they read.

What made me think of this topic was the Substack article I read a couple of weeks ago, https://thecreativegood.substack.com/p/what-is-second-screening-and-why, about screenwriters at a certain streaming service being asked to dumb down their writing. People scroll on their phones while they watch TV causing them to miss important details during a show. This article reinforced what has already been circling in my brain for a while now, especially when it comes to long serials and series where it’s imperative that readers pay attention from the very first page so the very last page makes sense.

In the article Jamie Feldman argues that dumbing down isn’t the answer, and of course it’s not. We can’t dumb down everything to appeal to the people who can’t put down their phones because that means people who do want to invest time and attention in a murder investigation or kidnapping case will get left behind. There will always be people who want to turn their phones off and get lost in a world to forget their own for a little bit, and those are the people who we should create for. If that’s who you want to create for. Maybe Robyn Carr doesn’t care the show based on her books is considered “mindless comfort.” She’s getting paid either way regardless.

I’ll keep writing my twisty books and it will be a reader’s loss if they’re distracted and can’t connect the dots. I’m not going to take responsibility for someone’s lack of focus and I won’t take feedback personally. Maybe one of the most important rules in writing craft is to trust your reader, and I will. I will trust them to remember what a character said on page 100 so the callback on page 300 makes sense. And if a reader decides my books are too complicated, they can self-select out and find lighter fare. That’s completely reasonable and won’t hurt my feelings at all. There are an unlimited number of readers out there and an author for everyone to enjoy.

There’s a time and a place for split attention, and only you can decide when and where that is. I’ll keep my attention on things that matter: my books and projects and the books and projects I help other people with. No matter how tempting Sullivan’s Crossing‘s eye candy is.

If you read Jamie’s Substack article, tell me what you think of it. The idea of dumbing down content to appeal to distracted consumers is interesting and I’d love to start a conversation in the comments.

Have a great week, everyone. See you next Monday!

Ten Years in the Industry. Reflections and Lessons

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pink bokeh background. cupcake with yellow frosting. candles that have one and zero . the text says in script: ten years in the indie publishing industry

This year, 2026, marks the tenth anniversary of the first book I ever published. The Corner of 1700 Hamilton is a speculative contemporary romance told from his and hers POVs–the first novella in his, the second novella in hers. I wrote it specifically to publish, and beyond that, I’m not quite sure what I was thinking. Well, I know what I wasn’t thinking. Genre, building an audience. What my brand was going to be moving forward. I had discovered indie publishing where everything is made up and the points don’t matter. (H/t to Whose Line is it Anyway where their slogan fits what indie publishing used to be pretty accurately.) I made the cover myself in Word and formatted the manuscript using a KDP Word template to get the margins, gutters, and page numbers right. Since then I’ve edited it a couple of times and redid the cover probably about five times now. I always cringe when I see someone reading it and I should probably just take it down since it’s not worth selling–it still has some telling and a strange plot–but I guess it’s not hurting anything. A reader will know real quick if they want to keep going after the first paragraph.

Anyway, I don’t need therapy to figure out why I wrote it or why I keep it up for sale. I wrote it to feel part of the writing community and I keep it on Amazon for nostalgia.

You’d think after ten years I’d have something meaningful to say about it all. Some deep philosophy about writing and passion and how much it means to me that my books carried me through some of the toughest times of my life, namely, a divorce, a health issue that fucked me up for a good five years, and breaking up with a man who said he loved me and wanted to marry me but then treated me like garbage. Writing was the one thing that was with me through all of it, and honestly, I’m a little surprised that I don’t have any triggering feelings toward my pen name. I started publishing under my initials in 2021, a year after I started having health problems, and those problems pressed down on me while I wrote and published every single one of my first person books. Luckily, that isn’t the case, and I can reread my backlist without feeling anxious, only regret that my health issues took away from the experience of writing them.

I’ve seen a lot in the past decade, but no, I don’t have anything deep or profound to say. I’ve made plenty of mistakes, and of course, anyone who does make mistakes wonders what their career trajectory could have been like if those mistakes hadn’t been made. Doing my own covers, not working with an editor when an honest one was a lot easier to find. I’m sure publishing subpar books hurt me in ways that can’t be measured. Even now, though I’ve gotten better at doing covers and self-editing, taking every step of the publishing process upon myself is probably slowing me down. Changing how I do things would take a lot more money and a lot more work now than say, six years ago. COVID changed the publishing landscape in many ways and with AI, finding an honest editor who won’t just run your manuscript through ChatGPT or ProWritingAid is its own nightmare. Then after you find one, or hope that you have, you need the money to pay, and with no money coming in, it’s harder to find the money to go out.

I thought I’d write about all the things I’ve learned in my ten years of publishing, but I’ve written about that in some way, shape, or form, for years and I don’t know if it’s worth repeating those lessons. Mainly, because, well, writing a good book doesn’t ensure success. Writing an amazing book, putting a fabulous cover on it, and writing the most enticing blurb is only the first entry on a very long list to find readers. Luck plays such a huge part in an author’s success, and for a long time I pushed back against that, saying stupid stuff like, “The harder you work, the luckier you are,” and “Be prepared to take advantage of opportunities that may come your way.” Those two things are true, up to a point, but they don’t take into account pure luck, like an influencer getting a hold of your book or word of mouth by the millions. Luck like that happens, we see proof of it every once in a while, but no matter if the stars align or what your horoscope says, you can never predict or manufacture it for yourself.

So, what have I learned during my ten years writing and publishing? I’d say….

Trends last longer than we think. (If you wanna chase vampires or write something like Heated Rivalry to get in on the action, go for it!)
One of the most common pieces of advice I hear for authors just starting out is not to chase trends. Write the book of your heart then figure out the rest later. The problem is, writing a trendy book could be the book of your heart. Every book I decide to write is the book of my heart or I wouldn’t write it. If you want to write something that’s trending right at this very moment, do it! Trends take years and years and years to fade, if they do. E. L. James put billionaires on the map and that was fifteen years ago. Take a look at any top 100 romance list and you’ll see that billionaires still sell. Hockey isn’t going anywhere. It’s not merely sports romance anymore, it’s its own romance subgenre. Write what you want because the more people who pile on a trend, the longer it will stay. Just make sure you include what readers are reading the trend for. Keep up with reader expectations but add your own twist to stand out.

Why I started thinking about marketing before writing.
This one might get some flack too, but it’s true. After you write your book, It’s too late to try to figure out tropes, categories, genre, and who your readers are. You’re not going to rewrite it if you realize mashing four genres together wasn’t a good idea or you have no idea what your tropes are. Or if you think your audience is older but your characters are barely out of their teens. Deciding genre, what tropes you’re going to include, what the ages of your characters are and who they’ll appeal to before you write will help you position marketing efforts once your book is done. Knowing your genre and category will also help you create your cover so it fits in with other books. I understand why this gets pushback–thinking of your book as a product instead of art first puts a bad taste in people’s mouths–but I’d rather think of reader expectations than be disappointed after I publish because no one wants to read it.

What ads taught me.
It takes a lot of honesty and market knowledge to admit when a book isn’t working. The cover’s off, the title’s weird, and the blurb is bland because you were too afraid of revealing spoilers when you wrote it. You don’t have enough social proof–reviews, a series not finished–to make your book look desirable, and you lose money on clicks or even worse, you don’t get any clicks at all, just a low number of impressions that make it look like the ad platform was trying to show your book to someone.

Probably the biggest complaint I have ever seen in my ten years in the industry is people saying, “Ads don’t work for me.” They don’t for a reason but it’s not for reasons anyone wants to hear. I’ve lost money on ads, and I don’t blame it on anyone but myself. The blurb could have been better or the cover wasn’t right. Over the past ten years, I’ve learned that my covers didn’t always hit the genre mark and blurbs need a hook, motivation, stakes, and consequences. Your keywords need to be on target as well as your categories so the ad platform knows who to show your ads to. If your ads don’t work, it’s fixable. You just have to be honest with yourself about what needs fixing and do the work to make the changes.

What people really want when they complain.
If you know me, you know I’m a fixer. I’ll happily redo your cover if my skills allow or help you brainstorm a new blurb or look at your product page and tell you what’s keeping readers from clicking that buy button. Unfortunately, it took a lot of people telling me to mind my own business to realize that when they complain about sales they don’t want a solution, they want validation that their choices are solid so they can blame something else. I see it a lot on social media– “Why aren’t my books selling?” “Why aren’t I being invited into author book promos on Bookfunnel?” “I made this cover, tell me what you think!”–and I have learned to scroll by. I only hurt myself when I try to give an honest opinion to someone who doesn’t want it. I’ve learned to mute perpetual complainers and to keep scrolling past people wondering why their $8.99 ebook isn’t moving. I’m not going to lie to someone to make them feel better. They don’t want to hear the truth so I’ve stopped trying to say it.

You never get time back.
Probably the saddest lesson I’ve learned is that you don’t get time back. You don’t get a book launch back. You don’t get the time back you used helping someone who didn’t appreciate it. Making mistakes is how you learn and the lessons you learn making those mistakes need to compensate for the time you lost. Anyone who hears that I’ve been writing and publishing for ten years and not making a living wage would have a right to be confused and baffled. That’s why there are days I take my success, or what there is of it, so hard. I’ve been consistently writing books and publishing them for ten years. But they weren’t always written to market, they weren’t always well-written or well edited, and they didn’t always have good covers on them.

During the past ten years I’ve moved forward in other ways. I know how to make a nice cover-to-market in Canva now (depending on the genre and what I can find for stock photos). I know how to format with Vellum. I know how to edit–just ask the last couple of people I’ve edited for. I know what goes into a nice-looking graphic. The knowledge I’ve picked up since I started self-publishing is priceless, and the number of people I’ve been able to help writing this blog for the past ten years means a lot in a different kind of way. There are many authors who don’t touch the nonfiction side of indie publishing. They don’t blog about the process, they don’t speak at indie cons like NINC and Author Nation. It wasn’t a path I consciously chose for myself either, but I wouldn’t do it over. If I felt like that I would take my blog down and stop giving my time to it. What I can do is measure my time and use it differently. Use what I’ve learned to put out books that don’t need work after they’ve been published. Choose more carefully who I help. Guard my time and don’t waste it doing things I don’t want to do like post on social media. Don’t watch that webinar if I don’t think I’ll get something out of it.

I like to look ahead and plan, but ten years is a bit out of my depth. I’d like to say in five years I wrote my breakout book that turned things around. Maybe I will. If I do, I’ll have long, nicely edited backlist holding me up.

I’ve had a lot of fun these past ten years and my writing saw me through a lot of turmoil and trauma. Now I’m easing back into a life that’s not so bumpy and I’ll keep writing.

If you just found me, hi, and welcome. Let’s keep learning together. And if you’ve stuck with me, thank you. Let’s hold each other up for the next ten years.

I’d like to thank a lot of people who have helped me in some way, especially at the very beginning. They aren’t all around anymore, some taking their books down and pursuing other things. I’ve lost track of quite a few people who wrote under a pen name then faded away. You can’t keep tabs on someone who never quite existed. But here they are in no particular order and their Amazon links if their books are still available:

Joshua Edward Smith: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Joshua-Edward-Smith/author/B0144PO138
Jewel E. Leonard: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jewel-E.-Leonard/author/B01APTIMY6
Alia Stephens: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Aila-Stephens/author/B0775W5X84
Gareth S. Young https://www.amazon.com/stores/Gareth-S.-Young/author/B005L7YH2E
Mollie Wallace (unpublished)
S. Hunter Nesbit (delisted)
Thomas Jast (delisted)
R R Willica (published under a pen name she kept private but is now delisted)
D. D. Syrdal https://www.amazon.com/stores/D.-D.-Syrdal/author/B00VTVDKNS
Lexi Miles https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0196OSLBU
Brickley Jules https://www.amazon.com/stores/Brickley-Jules/author/B01M1Y9DIB

Then the few that wrote or had social media under pen names I can’t remember or who have disappeared: Al, Holly, Tori, and Mr. Blackthorne whose naughty writing prompt actually inspired what turned into A Heartache for Christmas. SMH.

Thanks for playing!