The Motivational Editor

Helping Writers Go from Unpublished to Published

Writing Skills

A Checklist of 10 Basic Steps for Self-Editing Fiction

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self-editing, red-lined edit of printed pageIf there’s one thing in the writing community that seems to cause overwhelm and confusion, it’s self-editing one’s manuscript.

Many new writers have the false belief that the first draft of their story is supposed to be publication ready, clean of errors and a gripping read—a home run, a slam dunk, a touchdown (plenty of sports analogies for you to pick).

Let me squash that belief right now.

Dead.

Like a bug.

Your draft is just that, a draft, the first writing of your story with your inner editor turned off. Some people call it [Read more…] about A Checklist of 10 Basic Steps for Self-Editing Fiction

The Pros and Cons of Independent Publishing

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independent publishing, doberman looking at a laptopIn today’s world of technology, independent publishing is easier than ever. Almost so easy, a dog could do it.

Let’s take a quick look at the basics involved.

First let’s define a few terms.

Traditional publishing: a publishing company contracts with you to publish your book. They pay all costs of production and pay you varying royalty rates that average around 10 percent.

Self publishing: you hire and pay upfront a company to create your book cover and interior book file. They generally also distribute the book to various platforms.

Independent publishing: you are “the company.” [Read more…] about The Pros and Cons of Independent Publishing

Your Draft Is Done, Now It’s Time for Self-Editing

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self-editing, red-lined edit of printed page

Updated May 2025

Many beginning writers mistakenly believe that the first draft of their book is also their finished book. Nothing could be farther from the truth!

Your draft is not even something you want to send to a professional editor—a writing coach, yes, but not a professional editor.

After the draft comes self-editing, but many writers seem confused (and overwhelmed) about what this involves. It’s so much more than fixing punctuation, grammar, and typos. In fact, those are the last items you want to correct.

[Read more…] about Your Draft Is Done, Now It’s Time for Self-Editing

Making Time to Write When It Feels You Have None to Give

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Author Jennifer SlatteryMaking time to write in our busy schedules is common to many writers, even moi. But our obstacles are more than just busyness or the day job.

Please welcome guest Jennifer Slattery as she discusses making time to write. Jennifer is a writer and international speaker who’s addressed women’s groups, church groups, Bible studies, and other writers across the nation. She’s the author of six contemporary novels and maintains a devotional blog. She has a passion for helping women discover, embrace, and live out who they are in Christ. As the founder of Wholly Loved Ministries, she and her team partner with churches to facilitate events designed to help women rest in their true worth and live with maximum impact. When not writing, reading, or editing, Jennifer loves going on mall dates with her adult daughter and coffee dates with her hilariously fun husband. Connect with her on Facebook or Instagram.

Making Time to Write

Do you often find yourself overloaded and out of time? [Read more…] about Making Time to Write When It Feels You Have None to Give

How the Hero’s Story Goal Equates to Nonfiction

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mountain with rainbow story goalLast week I discussed the hero’s story goal in fiction, but if you write nonfiction, especially self-help, you may feel a story goal doesn’t relate to your book.

But story goals do relate to nonfiction in a way many people don’t realize.

People read nonfiction for various reasons, sometimes for the sheer entertainment, but often to learn and grow in a particular area.

More often than I can count, I’ve heard, “God has given me a book to write,” from my blog readers and from writers at conferences.

God has given you a message to share that will help others.

In writing that kind of nonfiction, the hero of your book is your target reader! They want to… [Read more…] about How the Hero’s Story Goal Equates to Nonfiction

Your Hero’s Story Goal and the Problems in Obtaining It

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lion in midst of antelope creates a story goal for the lionEarlier this year I looked at 4 important elements in fiction writing. Here’s a quick review:

  1. What does the hero want? (This is the story goal.)
  2. Who or what is opposing the hero getting what she wants?
  3. What will the hero’s life look like if she does (or does not) get what she wants?
  4. Who is the guide who helps our hero get what she wants?

Today, I want to dive deeper into the hero’s story goal. [Read more…] about Your Hero’s Story Goal and the Problems in Obtaining It

How to Find a Publisher, Fiction or Nonfiction – 3 Beginning Steps

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Book Proposal Accepted find a publisherIn the past couple weeks I’ve received questions from my subscribers about where and how to start to find a publisher for nonfiction.

The wonderful thing about nonfiction is that you can query publishers before you have your book completed. But aside from that, the process is the same as when you submit fiction.

Whether you are a nonfiction or fiction writer, keep reading. This post outlines 3 beginning steps to find a publisher. [Read more…] about How to Find a Publisher, Fiction or Nonfiction – 3 Beginning Steps

8 Simple and Creative Blog Post Ideas for Fiction Authors

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book cover Blogging for Authors by Rebecca LivermorePlease welcome bestselling author and blogger Rebecca Livermore to the blog today.

8 Simple and Creative Blog Post Ideas for Fiction Authors

As the author of Blogging for Authors, it should come as no surprise that I’m a fan of blogging. I see blogging as a great way for authors to build their platform. However, this is easier said than done, particularly for fiction authors. Some of the difficulty is due to the challenging nature of coming up with blog post ideas. Sure, nonfiction authors have an abundance of things to blog about, but coming up with blog post ideas for fiction authors is a bit more challenging.

If you’re a fiction author and you’ve ever struggled with knowing what to blog about, keep reading to discover eight blog post ideas for fiction authors.

[Read more…] about 8 Simple and Creative Blog Post Ideas for Fiction Authors