Tag: publishing
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Dear Editors: Big city hair
Dear Editors, I was 25 when I landed an editorial internship at Knopf Canada, an imprint of what is now Penguin Random House Canada. I had recently finished my master’s in literature, and was having the time of my life in Vancouver: working at a cafe, biking around the city at all hours, going to […]
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The long game
“I’m planning on writing a novel,” she told me. “But I have a bunch of ‘life’ things to sort out at the moment. I’ll be in touch in September about working together in the fall.” “You can absolutely take your time,” I said. “But in my experience, booking an editor in September leads to pushing […]
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Editors, time to blow your own horn
There’s a tendency in writing and publishing to think of editors as “invisible.” It’s the author’s book, and the editor is working in service of the author and reader, but in some cases the editor is co-creating the idea and the words with the author. I’ve long advocated for editors to speak up about the […]
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So, you want to be a writer?
Too often, writing posts focus on the toil of being a writer. The rejections. The late nights and early mornings. The bleary eyes and sore shoulders. Writing on your lunch break, or while your kids nap. Stealing time away from life to write as if writing weren’t life itself. What these posts miss: The look of happiness […]
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Is this a book?
I live in a log house that was built in the 1970s. What I love about my house is that it’s so easy to see the bones of its construction. The contractors established a foundation, and then they started stacking logs. They followed a plan, and knew exactly which logs to place where—the slightly larger […]
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Editorial case study: Big Enough
When leading entrepreneur Lee LeFever set out to write his second book, it made sense to appeal to the business readership he had captured with his first book, The Art of Explanation. Lee and his wife and business partner, Sachi LeFever, are best known for their business Common Craft, one of the earliest e-commerce companies. […]
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How to pick your editor
Choosing your substantive editor may be one of the most important decisions you make in your publishing plan. A substantive editor is the editor who digs into the manuscript with you, shaping your idea, suggesting changes to tone or content, and asking questions on behalf of the eventual reader. Stereotypically, they’re the editor you see […]
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Should I write my book now, or wait?
As a book editor, I get this question a lot. The background is usually: I’m establishing my following, developing my voice, and building my expertise in a specific subject. I feel that a book will be a great way to become better known, to express my unique position, and to drive clients to my business. […]
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Emerging from sabbatical
Hi, I’m Amanda Lewis, and you might remember me from such places as the internet. I’ve spent the past four months on sabbatical from my day job as a book editor and all-around creative fixer. Now I’m emerging and slow-blinking like the raccoon I spotted sneaking out of a storm pipe, while I was walking […]
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How to chart your energy
Are you judging your skills by how they measure up to the status quo? I know I’m skilled at organizing, but then wonder why I fall down at things like schedules. Why did I succeed as a managing editor, but fail as a project manager? Using a prompt from Kerri Twigg, for a couple of weeks, […]