As I come across articles, books, podcasts or anything else that I think will be helpful, I add them to this list. Let me know if there’s something you think I should include!
Books
- The Elements of Style by Strunk and White; there’s a reason this book has been considered *the* standard for writing for decades
- Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King; save a little money in your editing budget by learning how to do some of it yourself.
- Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody; a fantastic guide to pace your novel in a way readers will enjoy.
- The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman; the advice in this book will improve your entire book, not just the beginning.
Podcast Episodes
- Find the best discussion of how language changes and how that’s OK here: The Vocal Fries: Grammar Not-zi (this podcast contains explicit language)
- A very fascinating interview with editor/author Kia Thomas about what it’s like to be on both sides of the process The Editing Podcast: Point of View with Author Kia Thomas
Articles
- Writers, be wary of Throat-Clearers and Wan Intensifiers. Very, very wary.; Benjamin Dreyer offers advice on the correct way to use intensifiers.
- The 22 rules of storytelling, according to Pixar; Seriously, this is full of great advice.
- 6 Self-Publishing Myths That Need to Die by Kristina Adams; self-explanatory title and very good read.
- These veteran editors say it’s perception, not reality, that more errors are being published; A fascinating interview with a freelance book editor and a press reporter/editor
- Are Edits Suggestions or Demands?; This is geared more toward newspaper and magazine stories, but many good points are made that can be applied to all kinds of writing
- The Key Book Publishing Paths: 2021-2022 Jane Friedman briefly lays out all of your options, with links to more in-depth answers to some of the most commonly asked questions.
- The Difference Between Alpha, Beta, and ARC Readers; This article provides a fantastic answer to one of the most common questions in writing.
- Avoiding Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers; It’s so easy to place a modifying word or phrase in the wrong spot. This is my favorite description of how to identify and avoid doing so.
- The editing and revision flowchart for self-publishers; Getting your book ready for publishing is a long process.
- 10 Warning Signs of Amateurish Writing; Lots of good advice for identifying problems in your writing.
Rachel Shipp Editing 