Are you a first-time author who struggles to understand the book editing process? Gain a clear understanding from a professional editor.

For writers of fiction—my clients and potential clients—I recommend ProWritingAid to create an engaging, marketable novel.

Style sheets are mini style guides, and yes, you need one. Most professional editors, like me, create style sheets for their clients.

There are things I search for before the actual editing begins. Here are some valuable additions to include in your self-editing process.

Music is one of the oldest creations of man. Many writers prefer listening to music rather than writing in silence.

Exclamation points are one of the most controversial punctuation marks in the literary world.

The serial (Oxford) comma may be a matter of style, but it's still your friend.

A hyphen is needed between two words that function together as an adjective before the noun they describe.

What this means is that anything unrelated to your story's overall plot needs to be revisited with unsentimental objectivity.