You may have already heard this if you follow me on Twitter or on the forum: As of next Monday I will be going back into the workforce. I accepted the position of Lifestyles Digital Content Manager with The Cincinnati Enquirer. I can’t tell you how fortunate I feel to have landed in this role, which seems to be an ideal fit for me. I’ll be helping to create and build content and communities for the Cincinnati.com Living site, which includes Moms, Home & Garden, Fashion, Relationships, Health & Fitness and savings so far. I have been so impressed with […]

I know many writers have a special fondness for the classic writing guide The Elements of Style. After all it’s de rigeur in most college writing classes. But writer and editor Mark Garvey took his Strunk & White affection to a whole new level for his new book, Stylized: A Slightly Obsessive History of Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style. Here, Garvey answers shares what he learned about Strunk & White while researching and writing Stylized. And he also offers some sound advice to writers who want to get their books out into the world. 1. When did you […]

Following are the rules for the “Why I Write” essay contest which launches today! All are welcome to enter. No entry fee. 1. If you’re new to the Editor Unleashed forums, welcome! Please introduce yourself in the Introductions Forum. 2. Entries may not exceed 750 words. This word length will be strictly enforced and entries that exceed word length will be removed. 3. Only one entry per person. 4. Please give your entry an original title, not “Why I Write.” 5. You must be the original creator of the essay. 6. No comments on specific entries until the contest is […]

by Joel Friedlander The first book my son ever got truly captivated by as an early reader was Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. We had read the earlier Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone together, with me doing most of the reading since he had just learned to read. By the time the second book came out, he was determined to read it himself. It was a remarkable experience to watch him drop into the world of witchcraft and wizardry, to be completely absorbed by the world created by J.K. Rowling, waiting every day for the chance to […]

By Emma Newman At the time of writing this, fifteen chapters of my novel have been published on my site as podcasts. I love recording and publishing them now, but it was daunting at the start. I’d like to give you a hand with some of the basics if you are considering taking the podcasting plunge. Technology Let’s get the scariest bit out of the way first—the technology. I’m going to explain the process I use to podcast, but please note that my initial set up may be different to yours. The process will always be record, format correctly and […]

An all-new writing contest sponsored by two great online resources for writers: Editor Unleashed and Smashwords! You help choose the $500 Grand Prize winner. No entry fee! The Dates: • Post Your Entry on the Forum: Monday, November 9 – Thursday, December 31 • Popular Ranking: Monday, January 4 – Friday, January 29 • Winners Announced: Monday, February 1 How to Enter: • Writers post their essays of 750 words or fewer on the Editor Unleashed forum. Contestants must be registered members of the forum to enter. (Membership is free. Only one entry per writer please.) You Help Choose the […]

So I’m editing a manuscript for a woman who wants to self-publish her book. She signed on with a self-publishing company and has been considering their various packages. This outfit quoted her rates for their services—including $5,000 to edit her manuscript. And $150 more just to make the book available on Kindle. These are just two of the large array of services offered. $5,000 is an exorbitant rate for editing a manuscript of fewer than 300 pages. I know for a fact that there are great freelance editors out there who charge far less. And $150 to upload the book […]

Last week, Michael Hyatt, CEO of prominent Christian publishing house Thomas Nelson, made an announcement on his blog with this post: Should You Consider Self-Publishing? I encourage you to read the post in full. But to summarize, Thomas Nelson is starting up a self-publishing imprint called Westbow Press. Now even if you aren’t writing for the Christian market, this is a significant development and should be paid attention to because it’s most likely telling of what’s ahead for the publishing industry at large. Publishers are strapped for cash and looking for new ways to shore up their businesses. And soon […]

By Bonnie Bartel Latino Several years ago I heard Winston Groom speak at the annual kick-off dinner for the Alabama Writers Symposium held in Monroeville, hometown of our state treasure, Nelle Harper Lee. Groom said the most important trait a writer can possess is, “Imagination! Imagination! Imagination!” Mr. Groom went on to reveal how imagination inspired the name of his best known male protagonist, Forrest Gump, arguably one of our generation’s most lovable literary characters. Groom is an avid Civil War buff. His latest work, published earlier this year, was “Vicksburg, 1863.” Groom’s imagination borrowed the last name of Confederate […]