The Book
Agents and Publishers don’t accept caterpillars;
they want butterflies,
and Buyers demand quality of self-published works.
Transform your manuscript into a salable book.
- Introducing a unique editing paradigm that elevates your manuscript.
- Self-publishing: How to create a KDP account plus all the word processor settings to do it yourself on Amazon.
- Traditional Publishing: How to Query an agent with Query Manager and more.
- How to find and vet effective Beta readers.
- Designing an alluring cover, scripting an inviting content blurb, and tailoring an author bio.
- Creating a simple, affordable website.
FREE BONUS: the complete text of William Strunk, Jr.’s original classic, The Elements of Style.
Table of Contents
About the Author vii
A woman walks into a bar… viii
Preamble 1
• Dispelling Fables 1
• There’s Writing! And Then There’s Writing. 2
• How Does Producing Differ from Writing!? 3
Unlocking Your Manuscript’s Potential 5
Producing a Novel 7
• Scientific Editing 7
• I – Separation Anxiety: You’ve Gotta Walk Away! 8
• II – A Slow, Deliberate Read 8
• III – Edit with the Word Frequency Counter 9
• IV – Rinse, Lather, Repeat 9
• V – Word Processor Spell and Grammar Check 9
• VI – Read Aloud! 10
• VII – Beta Readers 10
• VIII – Seek Professional Help 10
The Word Frequency Counter 13
• How is Word Frequency Used? 13
• Challenging a Paradigm, an aside 13
• Editing with Word Frequency 14
• Detoxing with the Word Frequency Counter 19
Grammar & Punctuation Redux 23
• Sentence Structure and Clauses 31
• The fewest number of words 31
• Clichés & Hackneyed phrases 32
• Dead Metaphors 32
Beta Readers 33
• Finding Beta-Readers 34
• Preparing the Manuscript for Beta-Readers 36
• Interviewing Beta-Readers 37
• Post-Interview 40
• The Rewrite 41
• Armageddon 41
Traditional Publishing 43
• Some Hard Truths 43
• Finding an Agent or Publisher. 44
• Genre 44
• Preparing to Approach an Agent 46
• Find an Agent 47
• Query Manager 49
• Query Tracker 51
• The Long Wait 51
Self-Publishing 53
• The “Self” in Self-Publishing 53
• Creating an Amazon KDP account 54
Cover Design, Blurb, & Bio 55
• Cover Art 55
• Blurb 55
• Author Biography 56
Author and Book Websites 57
• Domain Names 57
• Webhosting 57
• About SEO 59
• Author vs. Book Website? 59
• The Blog 60
Marketing 61
• The essence of marketing 61
• KDP Categories 61
• KDP Keywords 63
• Amazon Search Tools 63
• Personal Contacts 65
• Platform 66
• Facebook Publishers – Caveat Emptor 66
Extra Topics 67
• Are You an Outliner or Pantser? 67
• About Research 67
• Names 68
• About Plagiarism 68
• How Do You Know When You’re Finished? 69
• Beware of the Abyss of Endless Editing 69
• Editing to Perfection 70
Formatting a Manuscript in Word 71
• Using this Guide 71
• Standard Novel Format 72
• Word’s Home Menu 73
• Setting Line Spacing 74
• Setting Paragraph Indents 74
• Setting Normal 74
• Setting Margins 75
• Chapter Headings >> Heading 1 75
• Removing TABs from Document 76
• Orphan Control 77
• Setting Line Spacing After Paragraphs 78
• Special Indentation 78
Further Formatting for Amazon KDP 80
• Page Size, Margins, and Other Settings for KDP 81
• Section Breaks 83
• Setting Page Numbers 84
• The Visual Edit 87
• Orphan Control 87
Preserving Your Manny – File Backup 89
• About the Cloud 89
• The Writer’s Ultimate Back-up 90
Library & Resources for Writers 93
The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr.
I. INTRODUCTORY 3
II. ELEMENTARY RULES OF USAGE 4
III. ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSITION 11
IV. A FEW MATTERS OF FORM 28
V. WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS COMMONLY MISUSED 31
VI. SPELLING 43
VII. EXERCISES ON CHAPTERS II AND III 45
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