The 6 Elements of Creative Writing

Creative writing is an art form that breathes life into characters, settings, and stories, drawing readers into worlds both imagined and real. At its core, creative writing is about storytelling — whether through poetry, fiction, or creative non-fiction. It’s a craft that involves not just a vivid imagination but also an understanding of the technical elements that make a narrative compelling and resonant. 

The journey to becoming an adept creative writer often begins with learning these fundamentals, which can be honed through dedicated practice and study, such as enrolling in creative writing classes. These classes are designed to guide aspiring writers through the maze of narrative techniques and stylistic choices that make a piece of writing stand out. 

In this exploration, we’ll delve into the critical components of creative writing, equipping you with the knowledge to weave intricate tales that captivate and inspire.

1. Character Development

The soul of any story lies in its characters — the fictional beings who carry the narrative on their shoulders. Creating characters that readers will love, hate, or feel intrigued by is a foundational element of creative writing. It begins with envisioning characters who are as nuanced and complex as real people. These figures should possess their own dreams, fears, backgrounds, and idiosyncrasies, making them relatable and memorable.

To foster a connection between the reader and the characters, a writer must craft a convincing character arc. This involves taking the character through a journey of change or growth, which is often the driving force behind the plot. Whether it’s a hero’s journey from insignificance to greatness or a villain’s descent into madness, these arcs give the story its depth and its stakes.

Character portrayal is another critical aspect, which involves showing rather than telling. This can be achieved through dialogue, interactions with other characters, and reactions to various situations. Creative writing classes often emphasize the importance of character-driven storytelling, encouraging writers to think deeply about whose story they are telling and why. In doing so, writers learn to create characters who aren’t just pawns in a story but the very essence of the story itself.

2. Setting and World-Building

The setting of a story is more than just a backdrop; it shapes the narrative, giving context to characters’ actions and anchoring the reader in a tangible world. Effective world-building involves meticulously crafting the environment where the plot unfolds, whether it’s the intricate map of a fantasy land or the claustrophobic confines of a single room. This element of creative writing is about creating a believable, immersive universe with its own rules, cultures, and histories that characters interact with and are influenced by.

In creative writing classes, writers learn to weave setting into their narrative organically, using sensory details to bring locations to life and integrating the world’s lore without overwhelming the reader with exposition. This balance allows the setting to become an active component of the story, influencing the plot and adding layers to the character development. A well-constructed setting enriches the narrative, making the story’s events more impactful and the characters’ journeys more profound.

3. Plot and Structure

The plot is the engine of your story, propelled by the sequential events that escalate tension and drive characters towards a climax. It’s not merely what happens, but how and why things happen that keeps readers invested. An engaging plot is a delicate dance of cause and effect, with each scene building upon the last to maintain a forward-moving narrative.

Creative writing classes often stress the importance of structure — the framework that holds your plot together. Whether you adhere to the classic three-act structure, the hero’s journey, or a non-linear narrative, the structure should serve as a roadmap for the reader, providing a clear path through the twists and turns of your story.

Balancing pacing is crucial; too fast, and the story feels rushed; too slow, and it risks losing the reader’s interest. Pacing is the rhythm of the story, and it should fluctuate, with moments of high tension (like a chase scene) followed by periods of calm (such as reflection or backstory).

Effective use of structure and pacing ensures that each plot point is meaningful and contributes to the story’s overall arc, culminating in a satisfying resolution that resonates with the reader long after they’ve turned the final page.

4. Point of View and Narration

The lens through which a story is told, the point of view (POV), significantly impacts how readers perceive and engage with a narrative. Creative writing allows for various POVs, including first person, which provides intimate insight into a character’s mind; third person, offering a wider perspective; or the less common second person, which directly addresses the reader. Choosing the right POV hinges on the story one wishes to tell and the emotional distance intended between the characters and the audience.

In creative writing classes, writers are taught to consider who is telling the story and why their perspective is essential. Consistency in narration is key — a story that shifts haphazardly between POVs can disorient the reader. However, when skillfully executed, changes in POV can add depth and breadth to the understanding of the narrative.

Furthermore, the reliability of the narrator can add layers of complexity to a story. An unreliable narrator may provide a distorted version of events, challenging readers to seek the truth between the lines. Mastery of POV and narration enriches storytelling by offering diverse ways to present a tale, each with its unique flavor and challenges.

5. Dialogue and Interaction

Dialogue is a dynamic tool in creative writing, serving multiple functions: it reveals character, advances the plot, and provides relief from narrative exposition. When characters speak, they should sound like real people, with distinct voices and speech patterns reflective of their backgrounds and personalities. Creative writing classes often emphasize the importance of crafting dialogue that feels authentic while avoiding the pitfalls of mundane conversation. It’s a careful balance between realism and purposeful writing.

Moreover, dialogue must do more than fill the silence; it should push the story forward, reveal key information, or deepen the audience’s understanding of a character. To avoid the dreaded ‘talking heads’ syndrome, writers learn to integrate action with their dialogue, using physical movements and reactions to add subtext and emotion to the conversation.

The use of dialogue tags and action beats can also pace a conversation and provide cues about the characters’ emotional states without explicitly stating them. Effective dialogue creates a rhythm in interaction that not only engages the reader but also breathes life into the narrative, making the characters’ interactions memorable and impactful.

6. Themes and Messages

Themes are the underlying messages or central ideas that run through a story, offering depth beyond the immediate plot. They can explore universal concepts such as love, power, or redemption, subtly influencing the narrative and giving it greater resonance. In creative writing, themes should emerge naturally from the characters’ experiences and the story’s progression rather than being overtly stated.

Creative writing classes teach writers to weave themes into their work by using motifs and symbols — recurring elements that underscore the thematic undercurrents without being heavy-handed. A well-articulated theme can elevate a simple story into a memorable exploration of the human condition.

As we wrap up our journey through the elements of creative writing, we reflect on the intricacies of crafting a compelling narrative. From the nuances of character development to the complexities of plot structure, each component plays a vital role in bringing a story to life. Remember, these elements are tools to be used creatively — there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Whether you’re a budding writer or a seasoned scribe, consider engaging with creative writing classes to refine these skills further. With practice, patience, and passion, the art of writing can become a boundless source of expression and discovery.

How a Ghostwriter Can Help You Share Your Story

A packed schedule. Dyslexia. Stage fright. The feeling that you never really had a way with words. 

All sorts of circumstances have the potential to get in your way when you have a meaningful, fascinating, or harrowing story that’s screaming to get told. Too many would-be memoir writers lay their pens down before they ever really get started and give up — reluctantly accepting that their stories will never fully be told. 

Others forge ahead, clueless as to what they’re doing, turning their moving or inspirational story into an incoherent word salad that can’t reach readers’ hearts, and resorting to self-publishing when major publishing houses won’t touch their manuscripts.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Do you have a story to tell, but you don’t know how? A skilled ghostwriter can come to your rescue. 

Some might regard “ghosts” as shadowy figures wading through murky waters, enabling their clients to pass the stories they tell off as their own — and think of authors who hire ghostwriters as cheaters. 

The truth is far more interesting. 

  1. Ghostwriters and Authors Work Together to Create Compelling Memoirs

Working with a talented and experienced memoir ghostwriter is a deeply collaborative process. The best ghostwriters don’t just tell your story, but they do so in your voice — based on the extensive research and fact-checking that is so key for autobiographies and memoirs. 

Each ghost has a unique process, but memoir authors working with a ghostwriter can generally expect:

  • Extensive interviews with the ghostwriter. The ghost has to get to know you deeply to tell your story and will seek to understand what you are hoping to achieve with your memoir before beginning the writing process as well.
  • Extensive interviews with key people in your life. People and experiences form the core of our life stories. Your ghostwriter will want to get to know the important people in your life and hear their angle on important events the memoir covers. 
  • Fact-checking. Memoir authors won’t remember everything correctly. Especially when it comes to early childhood, you’re more likely to clearly remember the feelings you had than factual details like the address of the home your family resided in or the name of a fifth-grade teacher. Factual correctness is crucial, including for legal reasons, and a skilled memoir ghostwriter can become an investigative reporter who ensures the memoir gets all the details right.

Armed with extensive research and an intimate understanding of who you are as a person, an excellent ghostwriter can then help you decide how to structure your story and get to work on writing it. Your ghostwriter will be the one doing the writing, but make no mistake — your memoir will have your voice and tell your story.

  1. How to Hire a Ghostwriter

Memoir writers often share their deepest feelings and most intense experiences with the world. This makes publishing a memoir an immensely vulnerable decision, and choosing a ghostwriter one of the most important steps you take. 

If you are not already deeply involved in the literary world, you may not know where to start. Reedsy’s memoir and biography ghostwriters are an excellent starting point, as the ghosts that make it into the platform are rigorously vetted. 

Even knowing that every ghostwriter on the list is experienced and talented, choosing the right ghostwriter is a complex task. Interviewing potential ghostwriters begins with a very normal chat that allows you to get a feel for the writer’s personality and energy. You’ll be able to assess how much of an active listener the ghost is and how well you think they can tell your story. 

Ghostwriters should be able to offer writing samples, too. These may not be examples of previously-published ghostwritten memoirs, due to the discrete nature of this process (you wouldn’t want your memoirs to be offered up as a sample, either!), but there should be something. You’ll be able to get references from previous clients in many cases, as well.

Don’t forget to make clear agreements about the payment before the ghostwriting process begins. It helps if you know approximately how long you want your memoirs to be and have a clear idea about the scope of the book  in advance. This enables the ghostwriter to lay out a plan, and estimate how long it will take to pen your memoirs. 

  1. Working with a Ghostwriter Is Beautifully Messy

If you are ready to take the next step in signing a contract with a ghostwriter, expect the process that follows to get messy — in the best way possible. Working with a ghostwriter isn’t a hands-off process; you’re the architect, and your experiences are the book’s building blocks. 

Send your ghostwriter all your thoughts, important events, timelines, chapters you wrote yourself and abandoned, memories that suddenly pop up, and anything else you think of. Answer your ghost’s questions, and add anything else you remember later to the pile of source material. 

You may imagine your life as a jumbled collection of events, people, and experiences, but in sharing everything that has made you who you are now with the ghost, a coherent and compelling story can begin to emerge.

Don’t be scared to be honest, even if you think you’ll scare readers off — celebrity memoirs have plummeted in popularity because nobody wants to read perfectly-curated stories about fake lives. Modern readers want to get to know you, warts and all, and highly value authenticity.

As the research stage of the memoir-writing process comes to an end and the writing part is in full swing, your ghost will send you periodic updates and chapters to offer feedback on. Depending on the relationship you build with the memoir ghostwriter, you may be deeply involved in the writing. 

Ghostwriters have an undeservedly bad reputation. Think of yours not as a cheating tool but as a midwife, and you instantly get a better idea of what they really do. Ghostwriters ensure that you don’t need to be a good writer to publish a moving memoir — you just need a fascinating story.

3 Things to Know Before You Advertise Your Books on Amazon

Self-publishing your book means you’re in charge of the marketing process. You don’t have a publishing house or agent working on your marketing plan, so it’s up to you to promote and sell your work. Amazon presents self-published authors with the best platform for reaching their target audience.

Amazon ads for authors allows you to take the reins of your marketing campaign. Launching a marketing strategy on the site might seem intimidating if you’re new to the platform. Fortunately, it’s not as challenging as you think.

Consider these three things before designing your first amazon marketing campaign. They’ll help you better understand the platform and the objectives you need to achieve for a successful marketing plan.

#1 Educate Yourself on Marketing with Amazon Ads

Two primary considerations play a role in the success of your Amazon ads campaigns.

Relevance – How relevant is your ad to the search terms targeted in your campaign?

The bid – Amazon charges you when prospects click your ads. You won’t pay for the platform serving your ads to browsers, i.e., your impressions. So, the bid is how much you’re willing to pay for the click.

Conduct Keyword Research

You need to understand your primary search keywords to get the best reach for your target audience. Changes to the Amazon Ads algorithm in 2019/2020 saw the system placing more relevance on optimal keyword choices relating to your book.

Typically, you’ll choose anywhere from ten to 30 keywords to target in your campaign. So, knowing which keywords give you the best bang for your marketing buck is vital. Here’s a step-by-step process to uncover the right keywords for your campaigns.

Step 1 – Download the Amazon Ads Targeting and Tracking Tool.

Step 2 – Choose ten to 15 targeted keywords relevant to the theme and genre of your book and its content. Add them to the tracking tool. For instance, “American Crime Thriller.”

Step 3 – Choose ten to 15 more general keywords and add them to the tracking tool. For example, “Thriller” or “True Crime.”

Step 4 – Look for keywords with monthly search volumes over 500, don’t choose anything with fewer results.

Use Your Keywords in Your Targeting Strategy for Amazon Ads Campaigns

Now that you’ve inputted your keywords into the tracking tool, it’s time to build out the rest of your Ad. You’ll be creating three separate campaigns.

  1. Automatic Targeting Campaign
  2. Broad Match Campaign
  3. Exact Match Campaign

The Broad Match and Automatic Targeting Campaigns act as your discovery, and you use the Exact Match to scale your ads using the 80/20 rule (20% of keywords deliver 80% of results).

The Automatic Targeting and Broad Match and Campaigns feed into your Exact Match Campaign. We’ll add a fourth campaign targeting individual books (ASINs) after starting the initial three when we get conversions from the Automatic Targeting Campaign. Essentially, the Automatic Targeting Campaign targets ASINs and keywords.

If you need help following all that, it’s a good idea to research videos on YouTube to get a comprehensive understanding before launching your first Amazon Ads campaign.

#2 Build a Promotional Platform

Promoting your book is as important as running a successful Amazon Ads campaign. Follow these tips to get the best value out of your marketing budget and as many eyeballs as possible on your book and ads.

Social Media

Social media offers a fantastic way to promote your work online. Like Amazon Ads, Facebook and Instagram provide advertising models using similar concepts. Once you master Amazon Ads, you’ll find it easy to set up the same campaigns on FB and IG to promote your book further.

Twitter and Pinterest are two other important platforms for advertising and promoting your work. Create accounts on all these platforms and reach out to your target audience. Remember, engagement is everything on social media. Ensure you rely on every comment and like to get more eyeballs on your social post and your book.

Website

Every indie author needs a website. Your site forms a hub where you drive traffic from your social accounts to a blog and landing pages selling and promoting your book. Your website presents fans with a value offer, such as a lead magnet or opt-in page offering them a free chapter from your new book or something they’ll want in exchange for leaving you their name and email address.

This strategy keeps your email list growing. Your website should have an automated sales funnel where you feed the email list details and send an automated email campaign to your fans, asking them to buy your book. Pay attention to the email campaign and look at where your fans convert and where they drop out of the funnel. Keep optimizing the funnel until you see your conversion rate climbing.

Search email marketing tutorials on YouTube and the internet to uncover strategies to improve your email marketing and conversion strategy.

#3 Plan Your Promotional Strategy

Promoting your book requires an air-tight strategy. We’ve already discussed the benefits of implementing social media and email marketing, and now it’s time to harness the power of CTAs and ad reviews to supercharge your results.

Prior to launch

Before launching your book, research and reach out to 25 to 50 reviewers; these people can be individuals from your social circle or industry contacts. Send your book to them and ask them to leave you a Google and Amazon review.

If you send out 25 to 50 books for review, you can expect to get between 10 and 30 reviews. Only some people will be bothered to do it. That’s why staying in touch with them in the weeks leading to the book launch is important.

Receiving reviews on your book triggers the Amazon algorithm to recommend your book in organic search results to people searching the platform for your keywords. Reviews also establish credibility with prospective readers.

In Closing – Include a CTA

Include a call-to-action at the end of your book, asking the reader to leave a review of your work. Run a promotional campaign, such as a free signed copy for every user that leaves a review. This tactic might cost you a few bucks to send them the book, but the marketing advantage you gain is priceless.

The Proof is in the Proofreading

Proofreading is one of the most essential jobs within the publishing industry, and it’s a career that draws thousands of freelancers each year – as well as hundreds of thousands of writers, who all need to hire from the worldwide pool of professional proofreaders.

Almost all articles and blog posts have been through at least one proper proofreading by the time they are published. The majority of books will have seen several rounds of proofreading before it makes it to print.

If you are a writer who wants to know where to find the best proofreaders to hire, read this complete guide that will tell you everything you’ve ever wanted to know (but were probably afraid to ask) about the proofreading industry.

What is Proofreading?

Proofreading is a specific type of editing, just like copywriting is a specific type of writing. 

Editors are brought in for developmental, large, or final changes to a manuscript. Proofreaders are brought in to check for sentence structure, grammar, and spelling mistakes – and of course, it’s the proofreader’s job to eliminate these mistakes in the final draft.

A manuscript can be proofread once, but might also be proofread several times during the writing or editing process.

Proofreaders are trained in language skills for their job, and most proofreaders have prior experience in proofreading, editing, and/or writing.

What’s the Difference Between Proofreading and Editing?

As most of the readers might have guessed at this point in the article, proofreading and editing is not the same thing – and they each have their own task in the process of publication.

A proofreader focuses on grammar, spelling, and sentence structure. 

Editors might make more drastic changes to a manuscript, and prepare the bulk of the text. Editors will make changes to the storyline or draft, whereas a proofreader is less likely to make plot or storyline changes  – while they can make recommendations, that’s not what a proofreader does.

If you would like to make sure that your manuscript is perfect, you’ll need a proofreader to do it.

Who Needs Proofreaders?

Freelance proofreaders might be hired by any number of different clients, including writers and bloggers who would like to make sure that they always release the best quality work into the world.

Proofreaders might be hired by writers, but also their editors. 

Publishing houses and larger corporate copy agencies also make use of professional proofreaders, which can sometimes be different to their team of writers.

If you are a proofreader who is looking to get hired, a good portfolio is an essential part of it and you will need it to approach new clients.

Where Can I Hire a Proofreader?

If you are someone who needs to hire a proofreader, then platforms like Reedsy are one of the best ways to get in touch with a professional list of freelancers who are at the height of their careers.

Reedsy allows clients to list their needs, and allows proofreaders and other creatives to advertise their services and connect.

Some of the biggest names in the industry can be found on Reedsy, and they’re all for hire.

What Are Specialized or Niche Proofreaders?

Proofreading isn’t just a general job title, but it can also become more specialized or complicated when there is a need for it.

A specialized or niche proofreader has added experience, and often qualifications, which allow them to proofread within the tech, medical, or legal field.

Legal, medical, and other niche proofreading can often fetch higher rates than standard proofreading just because these jobs require experience, more detail, and sometimes the added guarantee of complete confidentiality for sensitive information.

What About General Proofreading?

General proofreading can be divided into two categories: fiction and nonfiction.

Some proofreaders do both, though there are also proofreaders out there who choose to specialize in fiction or nonfiction just because they are more comfortable with their direction – and thus, stick to their guns.

If you want to hire a proofreader online, it’s a good idea to check out their profile on a platform: their profile should tell you what kind of proofreader they are, and most of the details about the kind of clients they seek.

If there is more you want to know as their next possible client, get in touch.

How Much Do Proofreaders Make? 

A proofreader can charge (and thus make) anything from $20 to $50 per hour, while some proofreaders charge a rate depending on the size of a writing project and the amount of work that will need to go into a finished proofreading.

Specialized proofreaders can often earn more per word, page, project, or hour than standard proofreaders.

How Long Does Proofreading Take?

It depends on the project, the amount of work, and the speed of the proofreader that you’ve hired for the job. There is no single answer to how long a professional proofreading might take, though an individual freelancer should be able to tell you how soon their turn-around-time is.

As a proofreader’s client, you are allowed to ask for regular progress reports.

Should I Hire Any Proofreader? 

No.

Hire the proofreader that has the right amount of experience in the right field, and find the one that charges the rate which matches your budget (or save up until you can afford the freelancer you’d like to hire for the project).

Work with a shortlist, and speak to several proofreaders before you decide on the final one.

How Can I Become a Proofreader?

If you are a writer who wants to give proofreading a shot, the first thing you should know is that it can take language and grammar skills – often ones that are far more refined.

There are many excellent courses that can teach you how to proofread well, and that will teach you how to proofread better. Specialized proofreading courses for the medical, legal, and other fields also exist.

Finding the Right Editor For Your Book

Editors play a vital role in improving your writing once you have done all that you can and are happy with your manuscript. Having an editor is liking have an unbiased “you” on your team. Editing involves far more than proof reading and correcting grammar and spelling, so it is important to understand what editors do before choosing one. Always be mindful that editing is not a quick and instant process.

What an editor does

Apart from proofreading and copy editing, an editor will also:
Assess story plausibility.
Assess story development, climax and denouement quality.
Fact-check where required.
Ask questions and make suggestions.

Furthermore, an experienced, professional editor may be able to help you publish your work through their contacts in the publishing industry or guide you as to how to self-publish. Let’s talk about how you can find an editor for your book.

Short list Editors

Editors tend to specialize in fiction, non-fiction, medical and academic writing. Look for editors with experience in the genre you have chosen. Furthermore, if you are writing about romance, for example, look for an editor who edits romance stories instead of science fiction. If possible, ask around for recommendations and compile a short list. Call or email the editors with a view to finding out from them what they would need from you to consider helping you. Have an “abstract” of your story at hand to read or email to them. Once you have had a response, choose those who have commented on your abstract, as that will show they have listened to or read the abstract with interest.

References

When you hear back from the potential editors, Comply with their information requests and ask them to provide contactable references for writers they have helped. You also need to ask them for an overview of their experience and how many years they have been an editor. You might also ask them to explain how they see their role and how they prefer to work. If they claim to have worked for or do work for a publisher, ask the publisher to confirm.

Trial Edit

You will probably have to pay for a trail edit, but it is a good way to make your final selection. Send one or two potential candidates the first couple of chapters for them to edit. This will give them a chance to assess your writing, and will give you an opportunity to assess their interest in your work and their professionalism.  Look out for an editor who doesn’t just say all the rights things, but asks questions and makes suggestions as well.

Be Brave

The job of an editor is to correct and critique your work.  A critique involves giving criticism. Criticism can be positive or negative. Hopefully it will always be constructive. So have a thick skin. Criticism is never meant to be, or at least shouldn’t be, personal. That said, you can’t be over sensitive or sentimental if, or when, your work is criticized. Be prepared for an editor to occasionally tread on your toes. Reflecting on their feedback is key to your success. Finally, make sure you get your book a round of proofreading.

Be You

Part of looking for an editor is selling yourself. You need to stand out as a person and as a writer. This means being humble and a little vulnerable. You need to talk a little about yourself as well as your writing. Be prepared to share personal information about yourself, your hopes and aspirations. Above all, if you are writing from personal experience, say so and why. It will give your candidate editor some insight into you, and, hopefully, want to work with and for you.

Do you know what ghostwriters are?

Ghostwriters may sound like something out of a bad fiction novel, however, they are actually rather common and utterly mundane. A ghostwriter is someone who is hired to produce written content, such as a book, script, or article without being listed as the author. This seems unethical and overly complicated, but in actuality, it is more common than you might think. Let’s delve a bit deeper into ghostwriting, how it works, and some of the most common reasons it’s used.

How Does Ghostwriting Work?

In a ghostwriting arrangement, there are usually two parties; the freelance writer/independent writer and the client seeking the writing. In some cases there may be a third party involved such as a publishing agent, but this is not as common.

The client will hire the ghostwriter to produce content on their behalf. They will pay a set fee for the work and take credit for the work once the fee is paid. The ghostwriter, depending on the size of the work ordered will either get paid upfront or at certain milestones for their writing. They understand going in that they will not be listed as the author or get credit for the work they produce other than their agreed-upon payment. This is basically a typical “work for hire” arrangement.

Who Typically Hires A Ghostwriter?

Anyone can hire a ghostwriter to create content on their behalf. Big companies who launch ad campaigns, regular people who need help creating a perfect resume, or even lectures who are great at delivering verbal content but just can get things on paper are all common types of clients. Most websites and blogs you see on the internet are populated with content generated by ghostwriters. A lot of biographies you read are also written by ghostwriters. In fact, there are even full-length novels from notable authors that were actually ghostwritten.

How Common Is Ghostwriting?

Ghostwriting is one of the most common types of writing out there, but also one of the least talked about. Consider it the dirty little secret of publication. There is nothing wrong with ghostwriting and in many cases, it is the only way to obtain professional, targeted content for a brand, business or idea. When a company wants to upgrade its website, a ghostwriter will often be called in to rewrite all of the existing content to help it better reflect the company’s current ideas.

There is a lot of content out there, but not as many people available to actually create professionally high-quality copy that generates conversions. This is where ghostwriters come in handy. They get paid to get a brand or person’s message across in a way that will draw in readers. Be it commercial copy or literature, capturing the attention and the minds of those reading the content is critical.

What if becoming a book editor is the right idea for you?

Do you love reading? Do you always have your nose in a book? Is the library your favorite place on the planet? Do the shelves in your home rival the shelves at your local bookstore? Are you a linguist and have a healthy understanding of all components of the written word? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may be thinking about becoming a book editor. 

Books have long been and always will be invaluable assets. They encourage free thinking, answer questions, spark creativity, and open doors to new worlds and endless opportunities. Historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, adventure, romance, mystery, biographies and autobiographies, health and fitness, history, health and fitness; the list of genres goes on and on. Whether you’re just starting out in the working world or you’re looking to make a career change, the idea of becoming a book editor is certainly exciting. But how do you go about making your dream of editing books become a reality? Read on for some handy tips that you can use to guide you to a fulfilling career. 

Book Editor Job Description 

First, let’s take a look at the job description of a book editor. In this position, you will have the all-important job of editing the words, punctuation, formatting, and the overall stories and/or information presented in authors’ manuscripts. You’ll need to have a keen eye for details and have to be proficient in the written language and fact-checking. 

Book editors can be either traditional or freelance. Traditional editors assume formal roles with traditional publishing houses and once they’re established, they can even decide which books they publish. Freelance editors advertise their services online, in printed publications, through networking, and by establishing relationships with publishers, and are offered jobs on an as-needed, often non-contractual basis. An editor can work alongside an author and make suggestions that will improve the overall flow and presentation of the book, or they may serve as the final set of eyes that overlooks a book before it is proofread and sent out to be published. 

As a book editor, your duties and responsibilities can include, but aren’t limited to, the following: 

  • Accept manuscripts from authors looking for an editor
  • Deliver work by a deadline 
  • Improve writing so that it’s more appealing and easier to read by the intended audience
  • Confirm any facts presented in the books
  • Work with authors to develop the story, dialogue, prose, voice, style, and so on

How to Become a Book Editor

In order to become a book editor, while it isn’t always necessary, having a degree in higher education – a Bachelor of Arts or a Master of Science, for example – can certainly be beneficial. Of course, you’ll also need to be highly proficient in the written language and should compile a list of samples to showcase your editing skills, and include those samples, as well as a CV, references, and any other helpful credentials, in a portfolio. 

Once you have a portfolio assembled, the following tips can help you land a gig or a career as a book editor: 

  • Establish an online presence. Develop a website, and create profiles on social media platforms and job boards, such as LinkedIn, Upwork, and Indeed. Include information pertaining to your editing experience in your profiles and accounts. 
  • Network. Join associations that are dedicated to editors, such as The Society for Editing and the Editorial Freelancers Association. Connect with people in these organizations to put your name out there and to collect tips about jobs. 
  • Clearly establish your services and your rates. Make sure you clearly state the services that you intend on offering, and that you establish fair and affordable rates. 

Summing It Up

With the above-mentioned information, you can set yourself up for a fruitful career as a book editor. 

Explaining the Three Act Structure for Writing Fiction

If you’re a fiction writer who finds yourself stuck trying to figure out the plot of your next story or book, a three act structure offers a way to plan your story ahead – with a beginning, middle and end as one of the most popular quotes about writing dictates. The three act structure is seen in thousands of movies, books and short stories (and it doesn’t have to cut out the possibility of a damn good twist). 

Here are the steps to applying three act structure to your fiction for better planning, better plots and better stories. 

Aren’t Acts Just for Movies? 

Acts aren’t just for plays and movies. They can also be useful when they’re applied to fiction. Most fictional stories – no matter what form they take – will have scenes and acts just like plays, these are just expressed in a different form (scene breaks, for example, usually mean separated by a new paragraph). 

Three act structure has been in use since mankind has been re-telling stories from one person to another. Stories have to start somewhere, progress somewhere and end somewhere – and most stories do. This is why  three act structure is ever-popular and even appears in almost every TV episode that you could choose. 

What’s Three Act Structure? 

The work of mystery writer Agatha Christie is a good example of three act structure. There’s a beginning (usually the murder), then the middle (where the detective interrogates and asks) and then the end (where the murderer is entrapped into a confession or simply ousted as the guilty party – and always caught).

The first act sets the scene and introduces most leading characters.

The second act winds up the tension and builds up the plot.

The third act brings together plot points and plot twists to a confrontation (and then finally a conclusion thereafter). 

You’ll see it in a lot of movies, TV shows and other stories, especially when you know to look out for it. It’s used in Star Wars, it’s used in episodes of Bones, it appears in classic cartoons like Courage the Cowardly Dog, you’ll see it in CSI, Sherlock Holmes, Scooby Doo, Rick & Morty. There’s Die Hard, there’s Rambo, there’s Bruce Almighty. 

See why three act structure is so popularly used? It’s used because it works. 

Planning according to three act structure can also eliminate the chances of writer’s block because you already have a good idea of where your story will end up if you’ve planned it well. 

The Three Acts Explained

Planning your story according to three act structure means that you can take a step back after you’ve done your outline and see your story at a glance. Here, you can see what works, what fits, what’s best moved around and what doesn’t work at all. You can even throw a few twists into your outline – it doesn’t help, of course, if your conclusion at the end is obvious to anyone who reads it. 

Three acts doesn’t have to mean linear, either. You can stick to three act structure and still mess around with the time-line of your story as much as you like. (Want to see an example? Twelve Monkeys – the movie, not the series.) 

Here’s a quick look at how to approach each of the three acts.

o Act I: Just Getting Started…

Introduce settings, scenes, characters and important plot points here. The beginning of the story (whether long or short) offers a solid background or starting point. (It doesn’t have to be a linear starting point, but ask yourself where your story really kicks off.)  

o Act II: Building Up the Plot

Act II gives you a better idea of what your characters are doing and how they are all connected. This is the  middle part of the story where the tension or story builds up. Readers’ attention should be captured in the third act, and then held well throughout the third. This is a good place for your story’s side-plots and twists. 

o Act III: Bringing It Together

Act III allows for the build-up to the conclusion. Here is where you’ll place the main confrontation (think of stories like The Stand; it even applies to Spider-Man). What does it all come to? What have the characters been fighting for or working towards? Never end a story on an anti-climax (e.g. “She realized that it was a dream.”) – cliffhangers are OK, even some loose ends are great for tension, but anti-climactic ends never are.