self-editing

A laptop with "The End" in focus on the screen

Writing a First Draft: Ten Top Tips for First-Time Novelists

If you have never written a full-length novel – whether that’s because you’ve only ever written fanfiction or short stories, or even because you’ve never written anything! – the prospect can be pretty daunting. Taking an idea from that first moment of inspiration to a fully-fledged First Draft can seem like a huge undertaking, which … Read More

A laptop, a coffee, and an open notebook

How to Edit on a Budget (Or with No Budget at All)

In my last blog post, I discussed why I feel it’s worth paying for good editorial work; my opinion (unsurprisingly) still stands, and if you are wavering at all on whether to pay for editing, please do read it before deciding. However, as I mentioned, I’m fully aware that some writers just literally don’t have … Read More

Handwritten notes on a page

Seven Top Tips for Self-Editing: A Guide for New Authors

You’ve finally finished that novel or short story collection. It’s taken you months… maybe even years! Hooray! …WHAT NOW? Before you consider professional editing and publication, it’s always worth going over your work at least once. It can be tempting to just hand your work over to someone else, and self-editing often feels like the … Read More