editing - Ayers Edits

Early Readers Provide Critical Feedback

Most writers are aware they need to enlist the help of early readers to get critical feedback for their books, but it can be confusing to know what kind of reader you need and when you need them.

To be clear, having people read your manuscript before you publish it is an excellent idea. Not only will you receive valuable feedback, you’ll build your capacity to be vulnerable when you share your work.
Let’s dive into the different types of early readers you may need, when to utilize them, and the best strategies for ensuring the feedback you receive will be helpful.

Numbers in Books

The “rules” about how to style numbers still trip up veteran writers (and editors). There are a lot of rules, and numbers is one of the topics that style guides often have very different ways of handling, which adds to the confusion.

In the US book-publishing world, we use the Chicago Manual of Style to determine how to treat numbers in text, whether fiction or nonfiction.

Self-Edit: Trim Unnecessary Words

Tighten your writing by trimming unnecessary words and let your verbs do the heavy lifting.

Filter Words Manipulate POV

Writers can use filter words to manipulate point of view.

Filter words “tell” readers what a character is experiencing, often via their senses.

Optional Commas

Commas seem to be one of the greatest stressors for writers, including my clients. It makes sense–the comma is the most versatile punctuation mark and is used in so many different ways.
Adding to the confusion: there are instances where you–yes, you the author–get to decide whether or not to include a comma.

Said Is the Best Dialogue Tag

If a writer sticks to speaking words (said, asked) for their dialogue tags, then the tags will fade into the background for the reader, keeping their attention on the good stuff, the actual dialogue.

Growth Mindset for Writers

While having a growth mindset is applicable to so many areas, I love its implications for our writing practices.

Don’t Use This Word Like That (Word Usage, 1 of 3)

Why do we confuse words and conflate their meanings?

Words to Retire (Word Usage, 2 of 3)

Our words impact our readers, so it’s important that we choose them with care.

Words That Are More Exhausted Than These Puppies (Word Usage, 3 of 3)

Let’s dig into some worn-out, tired, exhausted words, words that have become bereft of their actual meanings based on usage.