The Motivational Editor

Helping Writers Go from Unpublished to Published

The Ins and Outs of Book Layout

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Book layout options in MS Word

Have you finished writing your book but are now wondering how to do the book layout?

With self- and indie-publishing many more people are entering the world of book publishing. And many writers may find writing their book the easiest part of getting their book to the virtual bookshelf.

Today, I’d like to take a look at book layout. It’s not complicated, but can seem that way if you don’t know the process involved. Three parts compose the physical design of your book: the book cover, the book interior, the digital conversion.

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How to get your book from your head to the virtual bookshelf

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architect with tools of the trade

(Updated from a previous post)

Are you writing your first book?

Do you plan to indie-publish or seek an agent and traditional publisher?

Have you started building your author platform? Maybe you’re not sure what an author platform is.

I’ve heard many first-time writers say they want to finish their book first before they think about anything else. But if you do that, you are already behind in getting your book launched.

And often once the book is done, they don’t know what comes next.

If you’re planning on publishing a book, keep reading to discover what it takes to get that book from your head to the virtual bookshelf.

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What’s Involved in Publishing a Book?

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I am a writer. What's involved in publishing my book?

I just want to write. I hear that often from writers I work with.

That’s great, and it’s not hard to do at all. Simply sit down at the computer (or with pen and paper) and write.

But be honest with yourself. You want to publish that book. And now we enter the arena of what’s involved in publishing a book.

What you really mean to say is you want to write and let someone else do the work to get your book published and marketed.

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To Capitalize or not to capitalize

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To Capitalize or not to capitalize

When should I capitalize the word mom? What about sir or ma’am?

Today, I want to address some of the most common capitalization errors I see in the manuscripts I edit. When you know the basic rule, capitalization becomes much easier.

When to Capitalize Mom and Dad

We all know that proper names are capitalized. No one ever wonders whether to capitalize their name. But what about mom and dad? When do I capitalize them and when don’t I?

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Going from traditional to indie publishing

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Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to my author friend Kathy Nickerson.

This week Kathy launched the last book of her Glory Circle Sister series. I’ve read several books in the series (some more than once!). They are very entertaining and carry wonderful messages about life. I have featured her several times here on TheMotivationalEditor.com. Be sure and read her author interview with me over at my author blog.

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How Do Plot and Scene Work Together, Part 3: Moving from Scene to Sequel

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Moving from scene to sequel is easier than trying to jump a ditch.

Updated October 12, 2020

Last time we looked at scenes and how to build them.

Most writers don’t have trouble writing scenes, and moving from scene to scene can be accomplished with as simple a statement as “Later that day…” However, there are times when you want to provide your reader with more. The sequel is your answer.

Moving from scene to sequel is much easier than jumping that ditch above. But first let’s define what a sequel is because I’m not talking about book 2 of a series.

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How Do Plot and Scene Work Together, Part 2

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Updated September 14, 2020.

Working with scenes, defeat in the boxing ring

In my last post we looked at plot. Today we’ll look at working with scenes.

What goes into a scene? All the same things that go into plot.

Think of a scene like a mini plot. The character(s) has a goal, which represents a small step in achieving the story goal. In each scene the character meets with conflict and setbacks.

The key to remember about scenes is that they occur now. It’s moment-by-moment action playing out on the page.

Example:


“Here’s today’s mail, Miss Clark.”
Startled by the voice, I jerked in my chair. “Joey, one of these days I’m going to end up with coffee in my lap.” I turned from the computer and reached for the letters. “Do you sneak in here on purpose?”
“No, ma’am, I’d never intentionally try to scare you.”

This example shows the action playing out moment by moment.

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How do Plot and Scene Work Together? Part 1

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Updated August 2020

Many fiction writers struggle with what plot is and how to develop it, including me. We envision the end product and wonder how we’re going to get there.

Some writers develop their plot through first writing outlines (called plotters); some write by the seat of their pants (called pantsers). But much like a chef, our work has basic elements. The chef has meat, veggies, fruit, dairy, and spices. He combines these to create a delectable, unforgettable dish.

The writer has characters, goals, conflict, and setbacks, and blends them to create a riveting (best-selling, we hope) novel.

At its very basic, plot is characters attempting to reach goals, but who meet with conflict and setbacks along the way. Whether you are a writer who works with or without an outline, if these elements are missing from your manuscript, you do not have a story. So let’s look at how these elements fit together to build a plot.

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