PEN Tips
3 Tips for Being More Productive in Your Home Office
by Karin Beery Lots of people dream of working from home – trading in a morning commute for a leisurely stroll to your home office … in your pajamas and slippers. I felt the same way when I started writing full time but it didn’t take long for me to realize the dark...
Dear Editor: How Do I Find a Literary Agent?
by Iola Goulton I often find my clients asking questions that go beyond editing or proofreading, and I know I'm not the only one hearing these questions. Today I'm going to offer my answer to a common query. I hope my answer will help if you're asked a similar...
Spotlight on an Excellence in Editing Award-Winning Book: Alara’s Call
This Excellence in Editing Award spotlight is Alara’s Call by Kristen Stieffel, edited by Jeff Gerke, and published by Love2ReadLove2Write Publishing, LLC. Irene Chambers, EIE Coordinator, interviewed author Kristen Stieffel and editor Jeff Gerke Author...
7 Ways to Add Tension without Ruining Your Story
by Karin Beery Have you ever been in a restaurant when the people next to you started arguing? Talk about tension! Putting a fight or argument into your story is a great way to add tension, but if you rely solely on personal confrontation, you’ll end up with...
Long-Term Planning Must Include Faith
By Ken Walker Editors, what would you do if you found yourself unable to work? I found myself staring down the barrel of that possibility last November when a tumble down the stairs left me with what proved to be a moderate concussion. That resulted in two trips to...
Stepping Out In Faith
by Sue A. Fairchild As freelancers, we almost all experience the Feast or Famine scenario at one time or another. For me, it's usually around the Christmas/New Year holiday, but this past season, it lasted quite a bit longer than normal and it began to worry me. I...
Three Tips to Take Your Editing to the Next Level
by Dori Harrell As editors, we’re always searching for ways to take our editing to the next level, beyond just developing our style-guide skills (though that’s always a focus.) Bottom line, when we return a manuscript (MS) or article, we want it in the best shape...
Redefining Success
by Karin Beery How many books do I have to edit before I’m a successful editor? Someone asked a similar question at the faculty panel of this year’s PENCON. I don’t know who wrote the question, but I’m pretty sure I know what kind of answer that person was looking for...
Dear Editor: Will You Review My Book on Amazon?
by Iola Goulton I often find my clients ask questions that go beyond editing or proofreading. I see from the various editor groups I'm involved in that I'm not the only one hearing these questions. Today I'm going to offer my answer to one of the questions I often...