All coaching strives to teach specific aspects of an art and elevate the apprentice. Novel coaching is no different. It provides a unique and highly individualized approach to your particular needs as a writer. Novel coaching is designed to help you achieve your writing goals by helping you organize your thoughts and ideas into a coherent, logical format that will then help you plan and write in a constructive and focused way.

Unlike with editing (which happens after you have written and self-edited your novel), coaching often happens while the writing is still in progress or before it’s even begun. If you have lots of ideas, but a hard time putting them on paper, coaching may be for you.

Coaching may also be for you if you are ready to:

• Learn how to make your writing goals a reality
• Push the boundaries of your craft
• Explore different styles and techniques
• Empower your writing life
• Immerse yourself in the writing world

I have many one-on-one coaching options available and I also offer group coaching packages.

One-on-One

This type of coaching is just you, the author, with a writing project or idea, and me, the coach, helping to identify your strengths and build your skills where necessary.

One-on-one coaching can be a super flexible service. It can be just about whatever you need it to be. My goal as a coach is to help you write a novel, to empower you, and to provide you with the tools you’ll need to actually get that idea on paper.

It can be difficult to know what sort of support you need, which is why I have created multiple coaching packages. In my experience, there are a few specific areas where I see authors needing or wanting some extra support, so those are the areas I have created my coaching packages around. Even within these pre-set packages there is plenty of flexibility. Every author has a different approach to writing and one-on-one coaching strives to accommodate whatever style or approach you take.

Group Coaching

This is one of my favourite groups and one of my favourite services.

Unsurprisingly, group coaching involves a group! The meetings include myself and up to five authors rather than just the two of us. That may sound scary, but I promise you this group is a thing of beauty. It’s the meeting of many creative minds with a common goal: to harness the power of positive peer pressure.

This group is for people with a decent grasp of what they want their story to be but are struggling to execute their ideas. It’s less about bouncing story ideas around and more about getting you to sit down and actually write the damn thing (whatever it may be).

Unlike with one-on-one coaching, group coaching has a fairly rigid structure that involves goal setting on a bi-weekly basis.

Group coaching is a good place to start because it is cheaper than one-on-one coaching, you’ll get to crowd source different approaches to overcoming your writing hurdles, and you get to experience the joy of being part of a close-knit writing community.

Novel coaching, whether you prefer a one-on-one or group setting, is a great way to make progress on your writing dreams. If you have any questions about coaching in general, drop them in the comments. If you think you’d like to try coaching, get in touch with me directly to set up your free 30-minute consult call.

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What is It?

A style sheet is a document that lists all the story details and style choices an author has made that need to be kept consistent. Story details a style sheet may track are character names and descriptions, place names and descriptions, and made-up words (since I often edit fantasy). Style choice refers to decisions made about capitalization, hyphenation, italics, spelling, punctuation, and formatting to name a few.

Why is it Important?

The main purpose of a style sheet is to help ensure consistency. By keeping all the decisions in one document, it’s easier to ensure the style remains consistent throughout a novel.

A style sheet also helps an editor remember the particulars of an author’s voice. As I’ve mentioned before, an author’s voice is distinct in word choice and syntax. Taking notes helps an editor mimic the author’s voice in instances where some rewriting may be in order. It also makes it easier to spot areas where the voice has changed unintentionally.

And finally, a style sheet saves time and trouble. Not only in terms of checking suspected inconsistencies but also by explaining why certain aspects of a novel were changed. Rather than the editor adding an explanatory comment every time they, for example, italicize a character’s thoughts, the author can see by looking at the style sheet that interior monologue should be italicized.

What to Do Once You Have One

I always recommend reading through the style sheet and editorial letter before delving into the edits in the manuscript pages. Doing so will help you understand the foundation on which the edits and notes are based. This, in turn, will help you understand why certain changes were made.

The style sheet provides a great reference when you are going through an edit, especially if you are rewriting, expanding, or adding a new scene. Referencing the style sheet will help ensure consistency within the newly written scenes. It is also a great reference for ensuring consistency throughout a series.

Sometimes authors and editors will work together on every level of editing but not always. There are many reasons for an author to seek out different editors for different types of editing. In that case, your style sheet should be passed along to each editor working on the manuscript. This will ensure each editor understands why certain choices were made and can save them time and trouble as well.

Now that you know what a style sheet is, you should know that you don’t have to wait for an editor to make one for you. If you feel it would be helpful to have while still writing (and in my experience it definitely is), then go ahead and make one for yourself. Here is the template I use to make my style sheets.

Drop me a comment if you have any questions about style sheets.

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So how long should a novel be? The obvious answer is that a novel should be as long as it needs to be to tell the story. If that’s what you thought, you’re not wrong, but there is more to it.

When we speak about novel length, we always use word count as the marker. This may seem odd because as readers we speak in terms of pages. But the key difference is that readers have a complete and formatted copy of the novel. The format of the manuscript and the format of the final novel may result in vastly different page counts. This could be due to a number of things including the font used, the size of the font used, the line spacing, and the size of the pages.

Your word count can tell editors (and agents) a few very important things:

1. whether the novel is too short and therefore still in need of a lot of work to tell the full story
2. whether the novel is too long and likely stuffed with extraneous words and unnecessary scenes and therefore in need of trimming
3. if the word count is far outside the standard range for a genre, it may be an indication that the author doesn’t understand or adhere to genre conventions or reader expectations

Rough Word Count Standards

Now that we’ve covered why word count is important here is a quick (and fairly loose) summary of ideal word counts for various genres:

• Fantasy: 90,000 – 120,000 words
• Science Fiction: 90,000 – 120,000 words
• Horror: 75,000 – 90,000 words
• Young Adult: 50,000 – 80,000 words
• Literary Fiction: 70,000 – 100,000 words
• Mystery: 75,000 – 90,000 words
• Romance: 55,000 – 95,000 words

Don’t be alarmed if your manuscript is outside of the range listed for your genre. You still have lots of options. There are many techniques for shortening a novel without having to cut entire scenes or chapters. Sometimes, if a scene or chapter does need to be cut it can still be used as, say, a short story or teaser for your newsletter or as bonus content. Likewise, if your manuscript needs to be lengthened an editor can suggest ways to do this without adding content that doesn’t support the story you are trying to tell.

For further reading on the topic of novel length here are a few helpful links:

• Writer’s Digest
• The Write Life
• Thoughts on Fantasy

If you have any questions about novel length, drop them in the comments.

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The short answer: editing is cheaper than the price of magic… probably. If your magic costs your first born or your sanity, then editing is definitely cheaper. But if magic just makes you a little tired than I’m sorry to say editing will probably make you a little tired and cost you some coin.

Seriously though, this question is very easy to ask but remarkably difficult to answer. Especially if all I know about your novel is that it does exist in some form. The reason it’s so difficult to answer is that there are many variables to take into account before anything close to an appropriate quote can be decided.

Here are four of the most important variables that need to be considered before settling on a quote:

Type of Edit

Different types of editing require different skill sets, different levels of intervention, and take different amounts of time to complete. And since some types of editing are more specialized than others, they are also more expensive. Applying each type of editing to the same manuscript will result in different quotes.

Length of the Novel

Simply put, the longer the manuscript the more it will cost to have it edited. This is why one of the first things most editors will want to know is your word count. More than this though, your word count can tell the editor if they can expect an over- or under-written manuscript. This, in turn, can indicate what sort of work will have to go into the edit.

Level of Editing Intervention Needed

The level of editing intervention required is not the same for every book. More experienced writers may have cleaner manuscripts than novices and therefore don’t need as much editorial assistance. In that case, the job may be more a matter of tidying the story up as opposed to restructuring the narrative.

Deadline

How quickly you want the edited manuscript returned can have a big impact on price or no impact at all. If you are asking for a short turnaround time, the cost can easily double. But if you are in no particular rush and are willing to work within the editor’s schedule then deadline isn’t of much concern.

While those are four of the more important variables an editor needs to work out with the author, they are by no means the only ones. Rate of pay is tricky to figure out and talk about because every editor is different. Some charge by the hour, some by the word or page, and some will give a flat rate. According to Editor’s Canada, freelancers charge between $30-$100 per hour which isn’t very helpful if you have no concept of how many hours it takes to edit a novel. Depending on the many variables, a fantasy novel of 90,000 words could take me anywhere from 30-55 hours to edit.

So that’s the long answer (that I freely admit isn’t actually an answer) to the question how much does editing cost.

If you have any questions about the cost of editing, drop them in the comments.

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Some writers worry an editor will change or bulldoze their author voice. But a good editor wouldn’t do that.

A good editor skulks in the background and quietly places your glass onto a coaster when you forget. Or leaves notes in your lunch box telling you you’re great but don’t forget to eat your vegetables.

What I’m saying is a good editor is kind of like your mum or dad (assuming your parents worried about coasters and left you lunch notes).

You see, your parents spend years laying the foundation. They teach you right from wrong, take you to do fun things like a day at the beach, and make you do things for your own good like go to the dentist. Then you become an adult and you’re on your own.

Your parents don’t abandon you but they do step back, no longer telling you what to do but instead offering advice and support when necessary.

A good editor is like that too. If they blog, teach workshops, or hold seminars, that’s their way of laying the foundation. Then you become a novel-writing adult seeking a good editor. And the good editor offers advice and support. They suggest ways to improve your writing and explain why the change may be of benefit to your story.

Occasionally the good editor will rewrite a sentence, paragraph, or scene, but they will try to mimic your voice while doing so. To do this, editors pay attention to how you use language and make notes about your style choices. They will be sure to preserve the original version so you may revert back to it if you don’t like their suggestions. And, again, they will explain why they think the rewrite is necessary.

A good editor is like a writing parent, all they want is to see you grow, improve, and succeed. And of course to help you tell a great story.

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Here are four things to consider after you’ve put your beta team together.

Provide Direction

Ideally, you want to avoid responses like “it was good” or “I liked it.” While it’s nice to know your book is being well received, those sorts of responses aren’t helpful at this stage. Your aim should be to get constructive criticism. To do that, be sure to provide clear instructions specifying the areas in which you want feedback.

It is a good idea to send a cover letter outlining key feedback areas along with the manuscript. I have provided a template for you to use. Feel free to download and change it to better suit your project needs.

Delivery of Feedback

How do you want to receive the feedback? Are you looking for a report summarizing what works and what doesn’t? Would you prefer comments inserted into the manuscript? Maybe you want to meet up with your beta readers (either as a group or individually) to discuss and take your own notes on their feedback.

Whatever your preference, be sure to discuss this with your prospective beta readers before they get started to make sure they are comfortable giving feedback in the way you’d like.

Delivery of Manuscript

Think about how you want to present your manuscript to your beta readers. Will you print them out a hard copy or email them a word file or pdf? Will you give them the whole manuscript, or only a couple chapters at a time to avoid overwhelming them? Remember, there is no right or wrong way, it all depends on what you hope to get out of the experience and how best you’ll take in the information.

Again, this is a discussion you can have with your betas to figure out which approach works best for both of you.

Time Frame

Always be sure to give people a deadline. There is nothing worse than handing over your manuscript thinking you’ll get notes back in a week and then not hearing anything for months.

When choosing a deadline, remember to respect your beta reader’s time. They probably aren’t going to drop everything to do this favour for you. If you think they should be able to read it in a week, tell them you’d like to hear from them in two weeks and halfway through send them a quick message to check in.

It is also a good idea to consult them on the time frame. Rather than demanding they get it back to you by a certain time, tell them what date you’d like it back and ask if that would work for them.

One final point: remember that beta reading comes after you have self-edited. Just as hiring an editor for your first draft is not the best idea, giving your beta readers an unrevised manuscript is asking too much of them.

Do you have any thoughts about other ways to get the most out of your beta readers? Leave them or any questions you have in the comments section.

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Often, beta readers aren’t trained (or paid, though you should compensate people for their labour in some agreed upon way) and they aren’t necessarily writers or editors. They are just people who like to read. Most writers will (and should) have many beta readers. If multiple betas point out the same issue, it’s worth addressing, but if only one beta points out an issue it may just be a personal preference and not worth fussing over.

Critique partner is another term that comes up a lot. Critique partners are similar to beta readers except that they are writers as well. As the name implies, this is more of a tit for tat relationship, in which you swap manuscripts and provide a critique for each other.

It is also worth noting that many editors do now offer beta reading as a service, but if you are not yet ready to work with a professional editor here are some ways to find the non-professionals.

Finding Them Online

Now that you understand what beta readers and critique partners are, I bet you’re wondering how to find them. Here are a few links to get you started:

• Critique Circle
• critters.org
• Fantasy-Writers.org
• Scribophile
• Goodreads — a search through the Goodreads communities shows there are many active editing and writing groups where beta readers abound.

More generally, go where the writers are. Places like Facebook, Bluesky, and writing blogs or forums.

Finding Them in Person

Another way to find beta readers and critique partners is through local writers groups. This is a good option if you prefer in person interactions, but sometimes finding a group you are comfortable in, whose meeting location and time works for you, can be tricky.

While not commonly advised, a final option for beta readers and critique partners is friends and family. I advise caution if going this route. It is difficult for people close to you to give an honest, objective opinion. Also, the potential for this to cause tension in your relationship may outweigh the benefit of the critique. Only you can evaluate your situation and level of sensitivity. If you’re unsure, play it safe and don’t ask this favour of friends or family.

Let the search for beta readers and critique partners begin! And once you’ve found some come back and check out my next post: You’ve Found Your Beta Readers, Now What?

The post What Are Beta Readers and Critique Partners? appeared first on Clovis Editorial.

I find the most effective way to self-edit is to do at least two passes on your manuscript.

The first pass is to identify and resolve any big picture issues, the second is to address sentence level problems.

Before you start self-editing, make sure you’ve let your manuscript sit untouched for at least a month. Opinions differ about how long your manuscript should sit, but the important thing is to put it away long enough that it’s not constantly on your mind. The goal here is to create distance between yourself and your manuscript so you can look over it with fresh eyes.

First Pass

The first pass is like a substantive self-edit. Read through your manuscript quickly (meaning don’t stop to fuss over wording or rearrange sentences). At this point, you want to focus on the big picture problems:

• Beginning – Does your story start in the right place? If you find there is not much happening at the beginning of the story or there is a lot of backstory throughout the manuscript, this may be an indication you haven’t started in the right place.
• Point of view – Is the point of view appropriate for the story? Is it consistent throughout?
• Plot – Are there any holes in the main plot? How about the sub-plots? Do the sub-plots add to the story or distract from the main plot? Can you identify the inciting incident, turning points, crisis, climax, and resolution?
• Characters – Are your characters fleshed out enough? Do they have believable motivations to suit their actions? Are their goals and desires clear? If you cut the character from the story, would it change drastically? If cutting the character doesn’t change the story, do they really need to be there?
• Scenes – Does every scene serve a purpose? Does it help to move the plot forward or develop a character in a crucial way?
• Ending – Does your story end in the right place? Are all the plot lines tied up? Is the ending satisfying?

When we write, we have to make a lot of decisions. Often we end up forgetting where we landed with certain aspects of our story. This quick read through reminds us what decisions we made. Thinking critically about each of the big picture aspects above shows us how each element of the story functions and lets us hone in on the areas that need improvement.

Second Pass

The second pass in a self-edit is like a combination stylistic edit and copy edit. This time you can go through your manuscript at a slower pace to focus on the sentence level issues and tidy up any grammatical or spelling errors along the way.

Sentence level issues you should look out for are:

• Repetitive sentence starts and word choices
• Run-on sentences
• Redundancies – for example, she smiled happily. In this example, happily is redundant. She smiled is enough to indicate to the reader that she is happy.
• Wordiness – this ties in with the previous point about redundancies, but more specifically I’m referring to instances where a writer has used many words where one will do. For example, saying in close proximity to instead of near, or owing to the fact that instead of because.
• Filler words – Cut down on filler words. These are words that take up space but don’t add to the story. Everyone has different filler words but some common ones to watch out for are: a bit, a little, almost, just, kind of, only, quite, really, seem, slightly, so, sort of, somewhat, that, very
• Filter words and phrases – similar to filler words, filter phrases serve to distance the reader from the character. Some common ones to look out for are: heard, felt, saw, noticed, realized, wondered

That’s it for self-editing. Once you’ve completed your two (or more) passes, the next step is to hand your story over to some beta readers.

Any questions about self-editing? Let me know in the comments.

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Editing is expensive. Unless you have an excess of money (wouldn’t that be nice?) you want to be sure that you haven’t skipped steps, and that you are ready for a professional edit.

Here are three examples of when it’s too early to hire an editor:

As soon as you’ve finished the first draft

It’s exciting! You’re proud that you’ve finished an entire manuscript, and you should be! But, at this point, you’re too attached to the work. Give it (and yourself) some space to breathe before you revise. Few people other than yourself need to read the first draft. In fact, no people other than yourself need to read the first draft.

Before you go through the self-editing process

Be sure to review your manuscript several times before sending it to a professional. You’ll want to make it as clean as you can and get it as close to finished as you can on your own before you start spending money on it.

Before anyone else has looked at your manuscript

Ideally, even after self-editing your manuscript, you’ll have beta readers go over it before handing it to an editor. Beta readers give feedback from the perspective of the reader. This can be extremely beneficial and can help identify issues you didn’t see because you are too close to the work.

Writing and editing a novel is a long process, but the benefits of taking your time and going through all the preparatory steps should not be ignored. You’ll thank yourself for it in the end and your readers will thank you too.

Is there anything else you think should be done before you hire an editor? Let me know in the comments.

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For every stage of editing (other than proofreading), standard manuscript format should be applied. Why? Because standard manuscript format is easy to read. It’s that simple.

Presenting an editor with a clean, well formatted manuscript, allows them to focus on their main task: reading every word, thinking about every piece of punctuation, and evaluating if it all works together properly.

A search of “standard manuscript format” will tell you pretty quickly what it entails, but not all of it is important for an editor’s purposes. Below are the areas you should address at this stage of the process.

Key Formatting Steps:

1. Use 12-point Times New Roman (my personal preference) or Courier font, you can also ask your editor if they have a preference and use that
2. Align text to the left
3. Double space your lines (no additional space between paragraphs necessary)

   

4. Use three asterisks (or something of the sort) to separate scenes
5. Use only a single space after a full stop

   

6. Indent paragraphs and make those indents the following way: Open the paragraph tab. In the indentation section, select “First Line” from the drop-down box. Never use the tab key or space bar to create your paragraph indents

   

Adhering to the first four bullet points will ensure an editor can easily read and spot typographical errors in your document. Following the last two will save time (and therefore money) because fixing every indent and double space between sentences is time consuming.

I’m sure by now you’ve noticed my instructions are geared toward a manuscript written in Word. This is not a coincidence. Regardless of what program you have used to write your manuscript, send it as a Word file. I edit in Word, as do most editors.

There’s one final thing you should consider doing before you send along your manuscript: Self-edit.

I look forward to receiving your appropriately formatted manuscripts if you decide I am the editor for you.

If you have any questions about manuscript formatting, leave them in the comments.

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