A first draft is great, but seldom good enough.
by Andy Scheer
The author’s eagerness shone through his email. He’d just finished a manuscript, a 40,000-word nonfiction piece. He’d written it to encourage and inspire others in his occupation.
In two months, he’d attend a writers conference. He hoped I’d edit his manuscript — before the conference. To give me a sense of … Continue reading
Do you worry about what you capitalize and hyphenate?
by Andy Scheer
For hardcore word nerds, there’s big news from Chicago. When they heard it at the recent meeting of the American Copy Editors Society, people cheered.
An editor with the Chicago Manual of Style said their seventeenth edition, to release this fall, will advise that Internet be lowercased, not … Continue reading
Instead, target specific readers.
by Andy Scheer
Two words to avoid when you describe your book’s intended readership: all and everyone.
Yes, authors should radiate optimism. But claiming your book will appeal to everyone marks you as naive.
Consider just a few of the differences among potential readers:
• Men/women
• Age bracket
• White collar/blue … Continue reading