But wait, you say. Isn’t self-publishing just vanity publishing? Not exactly. Self-Publishing is not Vanity Publishing Self-publishing is when an author pays for the expenses of having their work published – editing, cover art, formatting, etc. That’s a pretty broad category, and it includes a number of classic works. You see, publishing has always been subject to the whims of a number of gatekeepers – agents, editors, publishers, and bookstore owners, to name a few. Sometimes those gatekeepers hit a homerun – they identify and back a truly worthwhile book by a magnificent author. That’s great! But sometimes, for whatever […]
beta readers
3 posts
I’ve been asked several times how my stories move from idea to polished story. Every author’s writing process is a little different. Often, every book’s process is different! However, the overall process tends to follow the same patterns, even if the details differ from book to book. Inspiration and Pre-writing A story can be inspired by nearly anything. Generally, my stories start with a scene. Sometimes it’s a conversation between characters, or a critical decision being made, or even just an impression. I’ll write out the scene, and no matter how it turns out, I’ll have questions. Who are these characters? […]
Every writer needs beta readers. But sometimes, finding the right beta readers can be a challenge. The best critiquers and beta readers catch the vision of the story you want to tell and help you tell it better, rather than fundamentally changing the idea. There are a few critical steps to identifying the right beta readers for your work and using them well. 1 – Know what you need from the beta readers. When you show a piece of writing to someone, it’s best to know what kind of response you’re looking for. If you need encouragement, show it to […]