How long should your book be? That depends on your genre, story, budget, and marketing plan. Word count matters in publishing and to readers.
Counting Words: How Long Should Your Book Be?
Laurel Kallenbach
Laurel Kallenbach is a book editor and a writer who has far too many words in the current draft of her novel. She has a master’s degree in creative writing from Syracuse University and is a graduate of the Lighthouse Writers Workshop Book Project. She can be found online at LaurelKallenbach.com.
Caution: This Article Contains Sensitive Content about Trigger Warnings
Writing a memoir, novel, essay, magazine article, or blog post sometimes requires authors to tackle some tough topics, including content that might be psychologically or emotionally difficult to read, especially to those who have experienced a trauma. How do we balance realistic depictions or discussions of challenging content with the needs of readers who could potentially be traumatized? Trigger warnings might—or might not—help. Here’s how.
How to Minimize Gender Bias in Your Writing
In the distant future, gender-associated words may no longer exist, but until then, wordsmiths should be keenly aware of common gender connotations and terminology that could be offensive.
What Proofreaders Do (and Don’t Do)
Many authors confuse the job of the proofreader with that of the copyeditor. Both are vital for helping create a polished version of your writing, yet these word experts work at two completely different stages of the editing process. After the copyediting stage—when overall content plus grammar and style are addressed—comes the proofreading stage. Generally, […]