Why a Cookbook Needs More Than Great Recipes: The Reader’s Experience
A cookbook can contain excellent recipes and still offer readers something beyond instructions for preparing food.
Not everyone ...
Blog
Does Your Picture Book Have Too Many Words?
One question I hear from new authors again and again is, “Does my picture book have too many words?”
It's a reasonable concern. ...
What Does My Editor Mean by “This Isn’t Clear”?
You're reading through your edited manuscript when you come across a comment in the margin:
“This isn't clear.”
You read the ...
Why Didn’t My Editor Just Fix It?
Why didn’t my editor just fix it?
If you’ve ever opened your edited manuscript and found a comment like “I’m not sure this is cl...
What Does a Good Author-Editor Relationship Look Like?
We've spent the last several posts looking at what happens when you put your manuscript in an editor's hands.
How does an editor...
Why Does Editing Feel So Personal?
Have you ever received feedback on something you wrote and felt your stomach drop?
Maybe you thought you'd done a good job. Mayb...
Can An Editor Be Wrong About Your Manuscript?
Yes. An editor can be wrong about your manuscript.
I know that may sound like an odd thing for an editor to say. After all, you ...
Why Do Two Editors Give Different Feedback?
You’ve received feedback from two editors, and they don’t agree.
One says your opening works. The other says it needs work.
O...
How Does an Editor Know What Your Manuscript Needs?
An editor doesn't just open a manuscript and know what it needs.
At least, I don't.
I have to read it. I have to pay attentio...
What Should Authors Expect From Editorial Feedback?
If you've never worked with an editor before, you may have some idea of what editorial feedback looks like: comments in the margins...
Why I Don’t Read Every Manuscript the Same Way
The questions I ask before editing, and why they matter to your manuscript
When an author sends me a manuscript, they may assume...
What Are You Missing When You Read Your Own Manuscript?
You’ve read your manuscript so many times that you know what comes next.You know the sentence you’re about to read. You know what the c...
What Happens After You Send Your Manuscript to an Editor?
What Authors Can Expect After Taking the First Step Toward Professional Editing
You finally did it.
You sent the email.
Af...
Should You Accept Every Editing Suggestion? What Every Author Should Know
Should you accept every editing suggestion? No, but you should understand why your editor made the recommendation before deciding w...
The Hidden Cost of Skipping a Manuscript Evaluation Before Editing
Why Understanding Your Manuscript Before Editing Can Save Time, Money, and FrustrationMany writers assume that once they've finished re...
Clear Instructions Matter More Than Beautiful Photos: What Every Craft Book Author Should Know
A beautiful photograph may inspire someone to pick up your craft book.
Clear instructions are what help readers succes...
The Most Common Organizational Problems in Cookbook Manuscripts (and How to Fix Them)
Writing a cookbook is about more than collecting recipes. It is about creating an experience that guides readers from one recip...
9 Questions Every Writer Should Ask Before Hiring an Editor
Hiring an editor is one of the biggest investments you'll make in your writing journey—but hiring the wrong editor, or hiring one t...
Picture Book Revision: Why Every Manuscript Needs Multiple Drafts
If you're wondering why picture book revision matters, the answer is simple: every word counts.
Revising a picture book isn't ju...
Why Your Manuscript Still Feels Flat
What Children’s, Cookbook, and Craft Book Authors Often Miss During Revision
You’ve revised your manuscript.
You’ve tightened...
Beta Readers vs. Revision: What Beta Readers Can Tell You (and What They Can’t)
Beta readers and revision serve different purposes.
Beta readers report how a manuscript feels from a reader’s perspective. Revi...
How to Evaluate Your Manuscript Like a First-Time Reader
A Children's, Cookbook, and Craft Book Editor's Perspective on Revision and Reader Experience
Learning how to evaluate your manu...
What Do Readers Notice That Writers Don’t
A Children’s, Cookbook, and Craft Book Editor’s Perspective on Manuscript Clarity, Structure, and Reader Experience
Writers ofte...
What Are the Stages of a Manuscript? A Guide for Writers
The stages of a manuscript typically include drafting, early revision, structural revision, readiness for feedback, and editing. Ea...
Why Understanding Your Audience Is the Key to Stronger Revision
When I taught college English, I often repeated the same lesson:
You need to know your audience.
Not as theory. Not as a clas...
What Does It Mean to Americanize a Manuscript? (US Editing Explained)
What “ to Americanize a Manuscript” Means in Editing
Many writers assume English works the same way across every market. In publ...
Have You Revised Enough—or Are You Stuck in a Revision Loop?
How to Know If You’ve Revised Enough (Before Seeking Professional Feedback)
You’ve rewritten and revised the same section more t...
What Happens After a Manuscript Evaluation? A Step-by-Step Revision Guide for Writers
Receiving a manuscript evaluation is often a turning point for writers.You finally have structured feedback—but then a new question imm...
Manuscript Evaluation vs. Developmental Editing: What Authors Need to Know
If you’re preparing your manuscript for professional feedback, you’ve probably seen two terms: manuscript evaluation and developmen...
How to Market Children’s Books: Interview with Author S.P. Brown (Part III)
Marketing children’s books as an indie author is often misunderstood. Many self-published authors don’t realize how different it is...
What Makes Writing and Editing a Craft Book Different (and Why It Matters)
Craft books are more than creative inspiration.They’re teaching tools, visual guides, and invitations for readers to make something wit...
Working with an Editor: Author S.P. Brown Shares Her Experiences (Part II)
What is it really like to work with a professional editor on a children’s or middle-grade manuscript?
In Part II of this author ...
What Is a Manuscript Evaluation? Why Writers Need One Before Editing
A manuscript evaluation is a professional review that focuses on structure, clarity, and overall effectiveness rather than grammar ...
The Most Common Mistakes New Writers Make in Children’s Books (and How to Fix Them)
The most common mistakes new writers make in children’s books include writing from an adult perspective, overexplaining e...
How to Write a Children’s Book: A Practical Guide for New Authors
Many people say they want to write a children’s book.Some have a story from their childhood they want to share. Others want to create ...
What Does a Book Editor Actually Do? A Clear Guide for Writers
Many writers eventually ask the same question: what does a book editor actually do?In simple terms, a book editor helps writers improve...
Writing for and Truly Knowing Your Young Audience
Why Word Choice and Voice Matter in Children’s, Middle-Grade, and Young Adult (YA) BooksWhen writing for young readers—whether picture ...
Is Your Manuscript Truly Ready? An Editor’s Perspective for Children’s, Cookbook, and Craft Book Authors
If you’re preparing to submit to agents or planning to self-publish, you’ve likely asked:
Is this manuscript ready?
Serious a...
Writing for Young Readers: An Interview with Author S. P. Brown
As part of my ongoing questionnaire series designed to support and guide emerging and established authors, I invited author S.P. Br...
What Makes Writing and Editing a Craft Book Different (and Why It Matters)
Craft books are more than creative inspiration. They’re teaching tools, visual guides, and invitations for readers to make something wi...
Interview #3: Children’s Book Marketing Questions and Answers With Author Stephanie Riley
Marketing children’s books is often misunderstood—and many authors don’t realize just how different it is from marketing novels until t...
The Children’s Book Editing Process: An Interview with Author Stephanie Riley (Part II)
In the second part of this interview series, children’s author Stephanie Riley shares what she learned about the editing process, worki...
Interview with Children’s Author Stephanie Riley
When thinking about subjects for a series of blog posts for my MorningStar Editing LLC website, I decided to interview a children’s aut...
My Writing Coach Journey
I’ve always been a word nerd. It started in high school and followed me to college. I wanted to be a teacher and majored in English...
Why I’m a Writing Coach
If you visit my website and see that I offer editing services besides coaching writers, you may wonder why I decided to offer coach...
When should you start marketing your book?
You’re probably focused on writing your book, and you should be, but you keep thinking about marketing your book. You wonder: When ...
Why You Need a Writing Buddy and Where to Find One
You might think it interesting that a writing coach and book editor is writing a blog post about finding a writing buddy. It isn’t....
Manuscript Evaluations and You
When I talk to authors about editing their manuscripts, they often jump to proofreading. They never mention manuscript evaluations ...
Why You Should Work with a Beta Reader
You’ve been working hard on your manuscript. You’re almost finished writing it and you’re wondering what you should do next. If...
Which editor is right for you?
A lot of writers I talk to think their manuscript needs proofreading. Their reasoning is simple: They had a family member or friend...
What is the difference between a Writing Coach and Editor?
You might be wondering about the difference between a writing coach and an editor. Both help writers with words and ideas and help ...
Working with a Writing Coach
Have you ever reached a point in your writing where you thought you might need a writing coach’s help? Have you taken this a step f...
Coaching Writers
It's my pleasure to announce that I'm offering coaching for writers who may need more help. Originally, I offered this service for chil...
Preparing Files to Send to an Editor
Have you wondered what you need to do to prepare your manuscript for editing? If you need guidance, Sue Littleford's post on preparing ...
Thanks for Stopping By
My website has been live for a few months now. I've been tweaking its content and thinking about interesting things to post. That i...
03
Nov
Why a Cookbook Needs More Than Great Recipes: The Reader’s Experience
A cookbook can contain excellent recipes and still offer readers something beyond instructions for preparing food.
Not everyone ...
27
Oct
Does Your Picture Book Have Too Many Words?
One question I hear from new authors again and again is, “Does my picture book have too many words?”
It's a reasonable concern. ...
20
Oct
What Does My Editor Mean by “This Isn’t Clear”?
You're reading through your edited manuscript when you come across a comment in the margin:
“This isn't clear.”
You read the ...
13
Oct
Why Didn’t My Editor Just Fix It?
Why didn’t my editor just fix it?
If you’ve ever opened your edited manuscript and found a comment like “I’m not sure this is cl...
06
Oct
What Does a Good Author-Editor Relationship Look Like?
We've spent the last several posts looking at what happens when you put your manuscript in an editor's hands.
How does an editor...
29
Sep
Why Does Editing Feel So Personal?
Have you ever received feedback on something you wrote and felt your stomach drop?
Maybe you thought you'd done a good job. Mayb...
22
Sep
Can An Editor Be Wrong About Your Manuscript?
Yes. An editor can be wrong about your manuscript.
I know that may sound like an odd thing for an editor to say. After all, you ...
15
Sep
Why Do Two Editors Give Different Feedback?
You’ve received feedback from two editors, and they don’t agree.
One says your opening works. The other says it needs work.
O...
08
Sep
How Does an Editor Know What Your Manuscript Needs?
An editor doesn't just open a manuscript and know what it needs.
At least, I don't.
I have to read it. I have to pay attentio...
03
Sep
What Should Authors Expect From Editorial Feedback?
If you've never worked with an editor before, you may have some idea of what editorial feedback looks like: comments in the margins...
25
Aug
Why I Don’t Read Every Manuscript the Same Way
The questions I ask before editing, and why they matter to your manuscript
When an author sends me a manuscript, they may assume...
18
Aug
What Are You Missing When You Read Your Own Manuscript?
You’ve read your manuscript so many times that you know what comes next.You know the sentence you’re about to read. You know what the c...
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