I hate to do this to you guys, but I’m in a rough spot on my edit (whhhhhyyyyyy) and I need to focus on that. So today, you get alpaca. Specifically, you get these alpaca: So apparently these are a
Why It’s Important to Hire an Editor
You hear this advice all the time, but a lot of people seem to wonder why. And this is especially important for people who are self or indie publishing their work, where the press you’re working with may not have
Pi Day, What’s In a Name, and a ROW80 check-in
Happy Pi Day, squiders! As an ex-engineer, it is one of my favorite random math holidays. (I am also fond of Talk Like a Pirate day. Less math-related, though. But with more parrots.) As you guys know, I’m working on
Writing Process Blog Hop
I like you people. Sometimes you make blogging really easy. (Which is sometimes necessary, because you occasionally have days where you’re crockpotting dinner and it’s been in there for two hours before you realize you never turned the crockpot on.)
Why Self-Published Books Get a Bad Rap
I always mean to read more self-published books. I’ve meant to for years. I feel like it’s important to be aware of what’s out there on the self-pubbed, indie, and traditional levels so I can be more informed and not
When the System Breaks Down
We’ve talked in the past about compartmentalization–where you somehow separate what you’re working on from other things you’re working on to train your brain to get into the right frame of mind faster. Normally this is excellent. But, as you
The Pros of a Day Job
When I tell people what I do, they say, “Oh, that must be nice, doing what you love for a living!” Well, Squiders, now that I’ve worked both sides of the line, I’m here to tell you why you shouldn’t
Tips for New Freelance Editors
I’ve been working as a freelance editor for almost two years now, and I found myself wandering to the coffee shop a few days ago, mulling over things I’ve learned and what I wish I’d known when I started. So
Research Makes a Story Richer
Ah, research. I know it doesn’t necessarily sound fun (unless you’re one of those people, like me, who goes, “Oh, I don’t really know anything about evil spirits. Time to go to the library! Glee!”) but a little realism can
How to Finish a Novel
As you may or may not know, March is traditionally National Novel Editing Month (NaNoEdMo). If you participate officially, you need 50 hours of editing throughout the month to win. I find it’s easier for me to participate unofficially (and
