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Book Editors: Which Type Do You Need…and When?

What many writers, especially first-time authors, don’t understand is that there are different types of book editors, and which type you need is dependent on where you’re at in the writing process.

Technically, there are five types of book editors, but since the focus of this website is on self-publishing, I’m going to skip acquisitions editors (those who acquire manuscripts for publishing companies) and focus instead on the remaining four types that every independent author should consider. Along with a description of what each type does, I will also mention when they’re best utilized.Read More

Why You Should Hire a Book Editor

Do you really need to hire an editor?

Yes.

You’ve probably heard me say it before, but it bears repeating: Every book should be thoroughly edited, and if you plan to sell your book, then it is critical to have it professionally edited.

Yet many people balk at acquiring editor for one of two reasons: either they feel they are competent enough to edit it themselves or they simply don’t see the value of paying for an editor.

Here’s what they’re not taking into consideration.Read More

What Exactly Is Life Story, Anyway?

Although the name itself appears self-explanatory (the story of one’s life), the term “life story” nevertheless evokes many questions from individuals who attend my life story presentations.

For example, what exactly does a life story include? Should you incorporate every last detail of your life, from your birth to the present day? How does life story differ from memoir…or is it the same thing? Where does autobiography fit in?

If you’re reading this article, then you probably have similar questions. Let’s break it down to discover the differences.Read More

Nonfiction Authors: Let’s Get Real

Nonfiction Authors: Let’s Get Real – Most authors know that building a platform (an audience) is critical to their success. And in today’s world, that means you have to have an online presence through social media as well as a website and email list.

Yet becoming visible is an uphill battle. We tend to follow every guru we discover, attend as many webinars as possible, and try every tactic known to man.

And before we know it, we’re overwhelmed and confused.

Despite all of this chaos, maybe we’ve begun to attract a small following. Suddenly, we realize that these people think that we are gurus. So, we have to act like one, right?

This often leads us to become prideful. Maybe we do know more about a certain topic than the people on our lists, based on our work experience and length of time in the field.

But the fact is, we don’t know everything.Read More

Piecing Together the Content Puzzle: How to Write Your Nonfiction Book

Writing a book is similar to completing a puzzle. I love puzzles, and growing up, I believed everyone else did, too. After all, everyone in my family looked forward to our annual holiday gatherings, where we often caught up on family news while piecing together a puzzle in the sitting room. But I have since come to realize that many people find puzzles boring, overwhelming or downright frustrating.

The same is true when piecing together the content of a book. I’ve written several books, and I enjoy the challenge of figuring out which piece of information belongs where. But what comes naturally to me, doesn’t necessarily come easily to others.

This was revealed to me recently in a survey I conducted among my subscribers. I assumed that they were struggling with the writing process itself. As it turned out, their biggest challenge was organizing their existing written content.

So, to help those of you who have books stagnating on your desktop because you’re bored or overwhelmed with the process of organizing your content, I’ve put together the following tips:Read More

What My Dinner Fiasco Taught Me about Writing

The other night I decided to make something different for dinner. My family had drifted into a summer rut of eating whatever was quickest and most convenient, not necessarily what was actually tasty or healthy. So, I determined to make something from scratch.

After searching through some recipes (yes, I actually looked through the old recipe box, not online), I found two that I thought would fit the bill. One was for the main meat course and the other for a side dish. Both sounded delicious and, most importantly, included ingredients I knew my family members, for the most part, would enjoy. Oh, one or two would prefer the meat over the side dish and vice versa, but at least everyone would appreciate the extra effort of a quality meal.

Or so I thought.

The meat that I thought everyone would love was not a hit with the kids. My fourteen-year-old suffered through it and ate it because he was really hungry (when isn’t he hungry these days?) but my nine-year old wouldn’t touch it.

As for the side dish, let’s just say it got a little overbaked. Some of the noodles became quite crispy, resulting in the unexpected and disturbing sound of crunch, crunch, crunch at intervals around the table.

And to top it all off, the brownies I made for dessert were flat and oily because I forgot to add an egg to the batter. That remains our little secret. My family never asked why the brownies didn’t look – or taste – like regular brownies (maybe they were afraid to ask), so I never shared my faux pas with them.

Needless to say, it was not a dinner I would have wanted to serve a guest.Read More

About Dalene


Dalene Bickel is an author, book coach and ghostwriter of nonfiction and historical fiction who loves to help beginning writers become established authors.

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