What is Creative Writing? A Definition.

Creative writing is an elusive term that often evokes images of brooding novelists and eccentric poets. Yet, the essence of creative writing stretches far beyond the worn-out trope of the tormented artist. It’s a vibrant, living form of expression that finds its home in the hearts of those who dare to put pen to paper, or fingers to keys, in pursuit of crafting something utterly unique. 

Creative writing is the art of storytelling, the craft of encapsulating emotions and experiences in words, and the act of weaving narratives that resonate with others on a profound level. In this exploration, we’ll dive into what constitutes creative writing, the myriad forms it can take, and how it stands apart from more utilitarian forms of writing. Whether you’re a seasoned scribe or a curious newcomer, understanding the contours of creative writing is the first step on a journey filled with imagination, discovery, and the joy of creating worlds from words.

The Essence of Creative Writing

At its core, creative writing is the art of using words to craft stories, evoke emotions, and paint pictures in the minds of readers. It is an expression of the writer’s inner world, a dance of imagination and reality spun into a web of narratives. Unlike technical or academic writing, where objectivity and factual information reign, creative writing invites subjectivity and the play of creativity.

This form of writing is not bound by the rigid structures of reports or the dry precision of business communication. Instead, it thrives on the writer’s ability to create, to delve into the nuances of human experience and emotion, and to bring forth a tapestry of characters, settings, and plots that captivate and resonate. Whether it takes the shape of a poem, a novel, a screenplay, or a memoir, each piece of creative writing is a unique exploration of the human condition.

Creative writing is also distinguished by its emphasis on narrative craft. It demands a mastery of language, a deep understanding of story structure, and the ability to infuse a tale with tension, theme, and texture. It is a discipline that requires both talent and skill, a pursuit where the meticulousness of word choice and the flow of sentences can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. In the realm of creative writing, the writer is both an architect of worlds and a sculptor of words, building bridges between the imagined and the real.

Types of Creative Writing

Creative writing blossoms in many forms, each with its own rhythm and soul. The novel, grand and sweeping, offers writers a vast canvas to explore complex plots and deep character development over hundreds of pages. Its shorter cousin, the short story, demands brevity and economy of language, delivering impact and resonance within a limited space.

Poetry, the art of rhythm and meter, distills language to its most potent form, often encapsulating profound meanings in a few stanzas. It invites readers to linger on every word, every image, and to find the layers of depth within.

Drama and screenplays come alive in performance, where dialogue and action intertwine to tell a story meant for the stage or screen. These forms are unique collaborations between the writer, directors, actors, and audience, creating an immersive experience through spoken words and visual storytelling.

There are also the personal essays and memoirs, where writers draw from their own lives to share stories that are both individual and universal. These pieces connect with readers through shared experiences, emotional honesty, and personal reflection.

Each form presents its own challenges and rewards, allowing writers to express creativity in a manner that suits their individual voice and message. Whether capturing the human experience through a poem or painting an epic saga across the pages of a novel, creative writing in all its forms invites both writer and reader to embark on a journey of discovery.

​​Benefits of Engaging in Creative Writing

Engaging in creative writing is not just an artistic endeavor; it offers a plethora of benefits that enrich the writer on multiple levels. Personally, it serves as a powerful outlet for self-expression and self-discovery, allowing individuals to process their thoughts and emotions in a reflective and often therapeutic way. It hones the ability to empathize, as writers inhabit the lives and minds of their characters, and strengthens critical thinking through the construction of coherent narratives.

Professionally, creative writing sharpens communication skills, essential in any career. It enhances one’s ability to persuade and inform through compelling storytelling, an invaluable asset in the marketplace. Moreover, for those who pursue it with fervor, it can open doors to opportunities in publishing, entertainment, and media.

On a societal level, creative writing contributes to the cultural landscape, fostering empathy and understanding by sharing diverse perspectives and stories. It becomes a vehicle for social commentary, a platform for unheard voices, and a means to preserve the human experience across time and place.

Getting Started with Creative Writing

​​Embarking on the creative writing journey can seem daunting, but the secret lies in simply beginning. Start with small, manageable writing exercises that spark creativity—like journaling, crafting short stories, or experimenting with poetry. Let go of the pressure to create a masterpiece and instead focus on the process of writing itself. Reading widely is also a crucial step; it exposes you to different styles, voices, and genres, offering inspiration and insight into the mechanics of good writing.

Remember, there’s no ‘right’ way to start creative writing. Some find their muse in the quiet of dawn; others are night owls. The key is to find what stimulates your imagination and to make writing a regular practice. Don’t hesitate to seek feedback from writing groups or workshops, as constructive criticism is invaluable for growth. Above all, be patient with yourself—every word you write is a step forward on your creative path.

Creative Writing Techniques and Tools

Creative writing is not just about what you write, but how you write it. Mastering several techniques can enhance your storytelling significantly. Show, don’t tell: paint scenes with words to allow readers to deduce emotions and meanings. Use strong, active verbs to create a sense of action and urgency. Dialogue should be natural and reveal character or advance the plot, not fill space. Metaphors and similes enrich writing, infusing it with depth and imagination.

Writers can also employ various tools to aid their process. Outlining software helps in plotting, while word processors can be invaluable for editing and formatting. Digital note-taking apps are perfect for jotting down sudden inspirations, and thesauruses are a writer’s best friend to avoid repetition and enrich language. Leveraging these techniques and tools, writers can craft compelling narratives that capture the intricacies of their vision and the nuances of the human experience.

Improving Your Craft: Creative Writing Classes

Creative writing classes offer a structured environment to refine your writing. They provide expert guidance on narrative techniques, character development, and plot structuring, crucial for elevating your work. Instructors offer personalized feedback, helping you to identify your strengths and areas for improvement. Additionally, these classes connect you with a community of fellow writers, creating a support network for sharing ideas and receiving encouragement. Whether in-person or online, these courses are a valuable investment in your writing journey, offering the resources and mentorship needed to grow and succeed as a storyteller.

Embracing the Journey of Creative Writing

In conclusion, creative writing is a multifaceted art that opens a world of possibilities. It’s a craft that allows for the exploration of the depths of human experience, the testing of imagination’s bounds, and the shaping of profound connections with readers. We’ve traversed through its essence, forms, benefits, beginnings, and the techniques that enhance it. As you embark on or continue your creative writing journey, remember to embrace your unique voice and the stories only you can tell. Let the pages be your canvas and words your brush as you create, inspire, and transform through the power of your writing.

Continue Reading

How Illustrations Can Immerse Readers in Your Fantasy Novel

Have you heard the old adage “a picture is worth more than a thousand words”? If you’re an aspiring fantasy writer, that saying might make you breathe a sigh of relief. Most fantasy novels are, after all, at least 80,000 words long. This length gives authors plenty of time to engage not only in plot and character development, but also in expressive world-building. 

Some readers love to immerse themselves in long novels with plots supported by rich verbal world-building, but make no mistake — plenty will feel more at home in your novel if you feed their imagination with vivid images. 

Read on to discover how illustrations can liven your fantasy novel up, and build a loyal audience if you’re planning to pen a whole series. 

Feeding the Visual Thinkers in Your Audience with Illustrations

Have you never even considered adding illustrations to the fantasy novel you’re in the process of writing? Do you suspect that illustrations may even rob your audience of the ability to form their own ideas about what your characters and world look like?

In that case, you may be what’s referred to as a verbal thinker — someone who primarily processes ideas through language rather than pictures. Many of your future readers will be visual thinkers, however. 

Famous autistic scholar Temple Grandin explains that visual thinkers come in two further sub-types in an interview with the Guardian newspaper. Object visualizers think in concrete pictures, while spatial visualizers think in abstractions. 

These are precisely the types of readers who readily agree that a picture is worth a thousand words. Rich illustrations help them understand what your world, and its characters, really look like. Illustrations help these readers connect with your characters and ensure that your world is fully immersive. 

Allowing Your Readers to See Your World Through Your Eyes

Authors who write rom-coms about characters working at a bakery in New York won’t have too much trouble getting their readers to imagine what that world really looks like. Even if they don’t happen to live in New York, they’ll definitely have seen the city in TV shows and on the news. 

Fantasy authors are different in that their worlds have sprouted entirely from their minds. Admit it — you have a mental image of what your protagonist looks like, and you know exactly how you’d paint that meadow or elven city if you had the skills to paint. 

Adding illustrations to your fantasy novel allows your audience to see the world not just through their eyes, but through yours. You’re the author, so why shouldn’t you get a say in how your readers picture your universe? 

Don’t worry if you can’t draw or paint. You’re a talented writer. Working hand-in-hand with an equally gifted illustrator is a dream. The fantasy illustrator you hire can run with any short but vivid description and send you multiple mock-ups, allowing you to decide which direction to take with the illustrations. 

Illustrations Can Explain Some of Your Book’s More Complicated Ideas

You can’t explain everything with words — no matter how talented you are. The popular novel Metro 2033 is a great example. Primarily set in the winding, twisting, and interconnected Moscow metro network, it is impossible to visualize the route protagonist Artyom takes on your own. You need a map for that, so the novel offers one. 

Complex family trees, tribal affiliations, or past wars may benefit from being illustrated, too, because illustrations allow the reader to understand what’s going on at a glance more readily. These illustrations can be basic and text-based, or they can be visually beautiful.  

Not all illustrations in fantasy novels serve merely as decorations, in short. Some have a practical purpose. If your novel is calling out for something like that, hiring a talented fantasy illustrator could result in an illustration that’s not just useful but also striking.

You Have to Have a Book Cover for Your Fantasy Novel

Have you already decided that your fantasy novel isn’t going to have any illustrations? OK. You’ll still need a book cover. A boring text-based cover won’t cut it if you’re a first-time author, and a rich illustration that conveys your fantasy novel’s setting at a glance will increase sales even if you’re an experienced author. 

What image perfectly captures the spirit of your fantasy novel? You may not, in fact, know until a talented illustrator shows you. You may know whether you want to portray a key place in your novel, or show your readers what your main character looks like, but you won’t truly feel it until you see for yourself. 

When the right illustrator runs with your world and visualizes it, something clicks in your mind. “YES!,” you’ll think, “that’s her.” Or maybe “that’s what my underground city feels like.”

Potential readers will see that image before they open your book. Your book cover plays a critical role in helping them to decide whether your novel is worth reading. Once they decide that it is, that image will always influence how they think about your world. 

Who knows? Once you see what an amazing book cover does to contribute to your world-building efforts, you may decide you would love to add more illustrations to your fantasy novel. Don’t underestimate their power. 

How Illustrations Create an Immersive Environment: A Final Word

Here’s a little challenge. Go to Google and look up written descriptions of the Mona Lisa. Try to immerse yourself in the experience and form a mental picture. Even try to draw or paint it if you can. Is she anything like the real thing? 

Fantasy novelists have a hard job — they create a world from scratch. Including illustrations in your work allow your readers to see your universe and characters through your eyes, and talented illustrators can make it happen for you.

Continue Reading

What You Need to Know About Query Letters – The Dos and Don’ts 

Query letters are your best bet if you’re an up-and-coming writer looking to secure an agent to land you a publishing deal for your novel.

Query Letter Do’s

Do – Research the Agent or Publisher

Whether an agent is a right fit for you would entail some investigation on your part. Always research your market. It’s a good idea to source agents who represent published authors with a similar writing style to yours. Educate yourself on their involvement and history with traditional publishing houses and with whom they affiliate within the publishing industry.

Do – Create an Engaging Pitch

The query letter is your 30-second sales pitch on paper. Your job is to captivate the agent with an outline so enticing that your book proposal will reach reputable publishing houses as soon as humanly possible. You need to keep the book pitch brisk and tantalizing. Your letter should indicate mood and genre, define the protagonist, and the basic silhouette of your narrative.

Agents are busy individuals, so get to the point and keep the synopsis epigrammatic. Aim for around 200 words. An impressive query letter will have a summation that expresses crucial information, resulting in the intrigued agent requesting a follow-up.

Do – Personalize the Query Letter

By now, you’ve done your research about the agent you want to pitch your book to, “to whom it may concern” seems too rigid for someone you’ve spent time “getting to know.” Your query letter should have a lively fascinating tone and appeal to individual agents, making it more noticeable.

Drafting a query letter is taxing, and you’re likely forwarding a substantial number of letters, don’t be ashamed to cut and paste most of it. Still, you’ll want to incorporate some personalized features for each agent. They’ll enjoy the attention. Edit the first paragraph and use it to present yourself, reveal any associations, and strategically place a personalized line or two distinctive to the agent.

Do – Sell Your Personal Brand

Not only are you selling your novel’s storyline with a query letter, but you’re also selling yourself and any successes you’ve achieved. Take pride in your work. Reference your applicable publishing credits and any qualified or educational awards; this gives you huge brownie points and gets you seen.

Should your query letter promote your first book, mention any short stories you’ve published. You may have stepped out of your comfort zone and ventured from a fiction to a nonfiction novel. Think about what you’ve published in the nonfiction realm and showcase it.

Mention your Master of Fine Arts in creative writing or reputable accolades, bolstering your widespread literary presence.

Do – Check the Agent or Publishers Contact Information

You’re excited about the incredible query letter you just wrote, proving to yourself that you’re a writing genius capable of anything. You attach your personalized masterpiece to the email and hit send. After you’ve slept on it, you check your inbox, and there’s no reply. 

What? You’re certain that your letter warranted a prompt response. Upon frantically checking your sent items, you blush, realizing you’ve entered the incorrect email address. Always confirm you’ve entered the correct contact details.

It’s a great idea to call the company’s receptionist or assistant to confirm the email address. We’re so blessed these days to have access to the internet because we can easily search for the company’s phone number. We also don’t have to rely on the postal service to deliver the query letter to the agent who’ll change your fate. Don’t let a misspelled word or carelessness rob you of your destiny; check the address carefully.

Do – Mention Your Referrals or Industry Connections

If you’ve done some networking and established connections with agents, use it to your advantage and play them up against each other, that’ll catch your chosen agent’s attention. You might have other things in common, a mutual friend or the same alma mater. Drawing upon areas of camaraderie helps get your foot in the door. If an agent has referred you to them, make them aware your query letter may spark more interest.

Do – Review Query Letter Examples

As an author, a creator of literal masterpieces, sometimes it’s good to take a step back from your creation and open yourself to the opinion of people you trust. Request to read query letters colleagues have sent, specifically if said letter scored them the representation required to land a publishing deal.

Query Letter Don’ts

Don’t – Address the Agent or Publisher Personally

We’ve previously mentioned that personalization is a fantastic tool; remember, less is more. You don’t want to appear infatuated or too casual in your writing. This could give the appearance that you’re not a serious author. Unless you’ve met the agent, you could appear slightly obsessive. There’s no need to be profusely diffident; rather, find a healthy balance between friendly and excessively intimate.

Don’t – Write a Long Query Letter

Understanding agents are very diligent individuals who often read through an excess of 10 query letters daily, which will help you keep in mind that time is precious and keep your letter brief. If you can stick to a one-pager or even shorter, it makes their task easier.

Don’t – Write in the Wrong Font

In most cases, when people buy, they do so with their eyes. You’re selling a piece of written art, so there’s no need to satisfy your craving to explore bold new hues and fonts. You’re not marketing graphic aesthetics, so should you have doubts stick to Times New Roman.

Don’t – Include Invalid Credits

In the spirit of sticking to the point and keeping your query letter as short as possible while selling yourself, it’s best to avoid a drawn-out list of your accomplishments. They will get lost in a sea of boasting, and nothing will stand out or be remembered. Emphasize the work and recognitions you feel present you the best.

Don’t – Avoid the Editing and Proofreading

Proofread, proofread, and proofread some more. Read your piece out loud to see how it flows off the tongue. You’re bound to locate typos you glanced over before. Only amateur writers allow people to read grammatically incorrect pieces, so write like the skilled author you are.

Continue Reading

What is a Manuscript Editor and Why Do I Need One for My Project? 

Are you working on a manuscript for a book, movie, or play? Who’s handling the editing of the finished draft? If you don’t have a manuscript editor reviewing your work, there’s less chance of it being published.

A professional manuscript editor will help you produce an error-free document ready for publishing. You get a polished final product you can be proud of. This post unpacks everything you need to know about manuscript editors and why you need one working on your project.

What Is a Manuscript Editor?

It’s common for writers to make mistakes in their work and send their manuscripts for publishing without proofreading or editing for errors. Despite sometimes spending hundreds of hours on the writing, many don’t put the same amount of effort into reading through it before sending it to the publishing house or agent.

If you’re a writer, you know what we mean. When was the last time you read through your work before submitting it? If you hire a professional editor or editing service to complete the review, you remove this risk from your manuscript. You get a professionally edited document ready to hit the publisher’s inbox and the best chance of them approving your manuscript for production.

What Do Manuscript Editors Do?

Manuscript editors read through your document using professional editing tools and a mind fine-tuned for perfection. They’ll correct any errors they find using cross-outs and comments to give you a complete overview of the issues with your writing.

The editor improves the document for spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes. They also make suggestions to improve the flow and structure, enhancing the reader experience. Simply put, the manuscript editors put the finishing touches on your writing to make it as palatable as possible or the publisher or agent.

There are three core functions involved in the manuscript editing process. Let’s unpack each individual role.

Phase 1 – Proofreading

The manuscript editing process starts with proofreading the document. This phase involves a surface-level scan for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and punctuation problems. They don’t have creative input; they merely look for formatting errors.

Phase 2 – Developmental Editing

Developmental editors look at the storyline; they’ll critique the writer’s plot, structure, characters, and style issues. Developmental editors work on broad aspects rather than specific details. They give you creative insight into where you can improve the flow of your storytelling to increase reader engagement.

Phase 3 – Copy Editing

Copy editing edits the text on a line level. It ensures your work’s grammatical correctness and consistent writing style and voice. This process doesn’t involve addressing larger problems like holes in the plot or character motivation.

Why Do I Need to Hire a Manuscript Editor?

Writers spend a long time creating their masterpieces. They often inadvertently become biased in their approach to reviewing their work. They may miss mistakes they made in the draft because they don’t know any better or have limitations on their wiring ability.

Getting a second pair of fresh eyes on the manuscript uncovers errors they were unaware of, adding value to the production process. The editor doesn’t play the role of a “told-you-so” corrective officer. They offer insight to the writer on where they can improve their work.

The manuscript editor’s primary goal is to correct basic mistakes in the copy process and to offer constructive criticism of the work. The best manuscript editors are insightful and patient, allowing the writer’s vision to flourish without pushing it in a new direction or dampening their creative process.

Manuscript Editors for Self-Published Projects

If you’re self-publishing your work, hiring a manuscript editor is critical to your success as an independent. Self-published authors must edit their work themselves. Hiring a manuscript editor ensures you publish an error-free, refined work with the best chance of getting good reviews from readers and critics.

Manuscript Editors for Traditional Publishing

While publishing houses have on-site editing teams, it’s still a good idea to hire a manuscript editor to review your work before submitting it. The editor helps you refine your book or script to perfection before turning it in. You’ll get a better story and finished product and a better chance of the publisher accepting your manuscript and working with you in the future.

What Does It Cost to Hire a Manuscript Editor?

The cost of hiring a manuscript editor depends on the length of the project and the quality of the editor or editing team you hire to work on the project. The more intensive the editing process and the more time they spend working on your manuscript, the higher the cost.

The quality of the editing team also plays a role in the cost. You could hire an editor from a gig work site like Fiverr or Upwork, and you’ll get mediocre results. Or you could hire a professional content firm to review your manuscript and receive a world-class review of your work.

The amount your spend on your editing depends on your budget. It also depends on what you want to achieve with your manuscript. Do you want a publisher to pick up your content? If so, hiring a top-rated editing team will provide you a return on investment that’s well worth the cost of the service.

How Do I Find a Manuscript Editor?

There are plenty of online services offering manuscript editors for hire. It’s important to spend time reviewing the quality of the company you want to work with on your manuscript. Choosing the right partner is vital to your success.

You also need to consider the type of editing you want for your work. If you’re confident in your storyline and structure, you might only require a proofreading or copy-editing service to correct grammatical and spelling errors.

Or perhaps you need in-depth editing to review every sentence in your manuscript? Every author or writer will have different requirements. When selecting your editing service, read their reviews and client track record. What are their past clients saying about the results they received with the service?

Use this feedback to determine if the editing team is the right fit for your project. The bottom line is that if you want the publisher or audience to view you as a professional, you need professional editing for your manuscript. It’s worth every penny you spend.

Continue Reading

Ways to Earn Money Even in the Middle of the Night

Time and again, we have been told to avoid debt because the interest never sleeps or goes on holiday but keeps building every other day. While this may sound crazy, you can actually do the reverse: Make your money earn more money every day. From investing to side hustles that will net you cash, you have many options to bring in cash in the middle of the night. Peer into this primer for some ideas.

1. Blogging

Many people agree that one way to earn income even in the middle of the night is by starting a blog of your own. It may seem trivial as you start, mainly because it may not pay much. However, as it grows and you get a considerable following, you will earn crazily through affiliate earnings, advertisement selling, and page sponsorships. 

Since the business world is pretty competitive, you need to establish your niche, write about exciting topics, and let cash flow. Remember, the earlier your page popularizes because of good content and attracts enormous followings, the faster you will start earning. 

2. Membership communities 

Are you an authority figure, and you have proven yourself to be one? Then, it’s time you start earning even when you are asleep in the middle of the night by creating a membership community of your own. You can offer members who have subscribed to your membership quality information and content that non-members cannot access on such a platform. Timothy Sykes is such a platform, allowing the owner to make passive income through monthly and annual subscriptions. 

3. Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

Although real estate and real estate investment trusts (REITs) may sound similar, they are different kettles and cannot be used mutually. REITs are organizations that obtain money from investors and use them to buy and sell properties. They then pay the shareholders dividends, which depend on your shares. What’s excellent about REITs is that you earn through real estate without buying and selling properties. Moreover, trusts mainly run the activities, and money keeps flowing into your account even in the middle of the night.

4. Autoresponders

The other way to earn genuine money even in the middle of the night is by installing autoresponders, especially if you have services or goods you are trading in. This is whereby you install a few apps that allow visitors to leave their email addresses on your web page. They will get links that direct them to the products you offer for them to buy. Again, this is a genuine way of earning cash, only that you need to install a few apps, including OptinMonster, and be a pro at your game.

5. Stock investments

The internet has steered many advancements and methods of earning passive income, including stocks. Once upon a time, you needed a broker to make your investments but today you can sign up on a robo investment platform like Stash app and make the calls. They are among the top ways of earning, but you need to be good at your game. All you have to do is to make good use of the internet and research well before investing. Then, if need be, undergo some training to be on the safer side.

6. Selling physical products 

Are you feeling left out since you don’t have much in your savings to invest in stocks or REITs and still want to earn money in the middle of the night? Worry not; you can still venture into selling physical products, including those junk products in your house that you no longer use through Amazon or eBay. 

7. Space renting

Do you have an office space, car parking, house, vacation house, or a basement that you are not using? Courtesy of Airbnb, you can now rent such properties and earn passive income without fretting or sweating. 

8. Peer-to-peer lending

Do you have some cash lying somewhere? Then use it to make more by venturing into peer-to-peer lending. You can do this by becoming a lender with companies like Harmoney, LendingClub, or Proper that allow you to become a lender then match you with someone in need of a bank loan. Since you will be dealing with the client one-on-one, you are free to raise the interest rates, earning income passively. 

9. Web flipping

My first suggestion was to create a blog. Once it has gained a considerable following, why not try web flipping by selling it to interested companies who want the traffic and recognition you built? You will be paid upfront, and you can still earn commission afterward.

The bottom line

With brilliant minds, you need not fret and sweat to earn cash but will get income following even in the middle of the night. This article explores several ways of doing so, and you only need to select your area of interest. 

Rose Rosie is a writer for the personal finance website, Joy Wallet, which provides readers with useful information, resources, and tools to help maximize their financial fitness. 

Continue Reading

What is an Audiobook?

Reading With Your Ears

Heard any good books lately? Audiobooks are books that have been read aloud and recorded, and have been around since the 1930s. An audiobook can comprise a full book (unabridged) or sections of a book. They are equally useful for those of us with time on our hands and those that don’t.

Who uses Audiobooks?

Audiobooks are listened to for pleasure. Some folks like to listen as they garden or when doing household chores like laundry, as it relieves the “washday Blues.” Audiobooks are also very handy when going on a long trip, especially for the kids. A book can be enjoyed by the whole family simultaneously. Long distance truck drivers find them very useful and many drivers are “well read.” Audiobooks also make books more accessible to poorly sighted and blind people. Audiobooks are also great for short time frames like driving to the store or waiting for the kids outside school, or when driving to and from work.

Educational Aid

In poor schools, an audiobook can be played to an entire class which means that poor learners don’t have to try and buy hard copies of the book. They are a valuable teaching aid for teaching listening skills and testing comprehension. Some audiobooks are specifically designed to assist second language learners. Audiobooks can help students, including blind students, with their studies. Regular students benefit greatly when they have the textbook in front of them and also listen to it, because it intensifies their concentration. Research has shown that having both increases recall.

 Researched Benefits

There are other benefits apart from improved recall. The benefits are for listeners and learners of all ages. Here is what else the research has found that audiobooks improve:

Reading accuracy (52%)
Reading speed
Vocabulary expansion
Improved fluency
Pronunciation
Reading comprehension (76%)
Multi-modal test scores (21%)
Recall (print and audio combined) (40%)
Reading level/age can improve by two grades.
First Language listening skills (85%)

It therefore explains why now 27% of Kindergarten to Year 12 students are auditory learners. Audiobooks are an excellent way of helping learners with learning difficulties to learn at their own pace, and support them when doing homework or reviewing lessons at home, away from the scrutiny of other learners in the classroom. 

Where to find an Audiobook

Gone are the days of audiobooks on cassettes and CDs. Audiobooks are now downloadable and can be used on most electronic devices, including mobile phones. Audiobooks are available to purchase online or to “borrow” from an online audiobook library. Most online bookstores have audiobooks available so go to their websites, type in “audiobook” and follow the prompts. There’s also lots of places that offer free audiobooks.

How to download an audiobook

If you are new to the electronic world, and don’t have a child handy to help you, don’t worry.  It really is quite simple to do. First decide which device you want to download to – a computer, phone, iPad or iPod, for example. The books come in different formats so that they can be downloaded on personal computers and Mac Books, iPhones, and smart phones. Once you have chosen your device, it is simply a matter of going online, downloading the correct format, and paying for it. Follow the prompts to download.

Are you listening?

Once you have discovered the convenience and joy of audiobooks, the next step is to invest in a pair of headphones, now called ear buds or ear phones, for home use, preferably a wireless set.  Then you can set about catching up on reading all those books that you never seem to get around to as well as read the latest and greatest.

Continue Reading

How To Find Editing Jobs

Are you interested in becoming a professional editor? Perhaps you already have a healthy editing career and are interested in expanding your client list? If so, there are many places you can take your efforts online that will help you earn a steady income and grow your client base. Working as an editor online will give you the freedom to work from home while setting your own hours and work pace. That being said, it can be hard to get started but thankfully we have some suggestions to help you become an editor.

Getting Started

There are a few different types of editing, if you are new in the field it is a good idea to choose one and build up your skills. If you have already been working in a specific field, then cultivating a client list on Reedsy will be second hat. It is a good idea to start out on Reedsy in a niche that you are comfortable with, and one in which you have a wealth of knowledge. Next, you will need to determine your hours of availability and also your desired rates. You can charge on a per-page basis, however, most editors on the platform prefer a per-word billing model. The rates usually range between $0.015 to $0.035 per word depending on the topic.

Setting Up A Profile

Once you settle on a rate, working hours, and the niche you want to target it is time to create a user profile. You will need to upload your basic details, payment methods, a portfolio if available, and a picture to start. Spend some time setting up your profile so that it looks professional and list all the information a client may need to know when considering you for a job. Try to keep blurbs concise yet informative. Your portfolio should contain a collection of work or reviews, but try to keep most of the current with a handful of older items only.

Searching For Work On Reedsy

Finding editing work on Reedsy is easy. The platform is made for authors and self-publishing professionals so there are always clients looking for people with your skills. As a new user, it will take a bit of time to build up your profile and experience on the platform even if you have been editing for a while. As such, keep an open mind to smaller projects or gigs that are not exactly top dollar. We are sure that a $5,000 book editing contract looks appealing, but it is not likely a client will hire someone with no reviews for their precious manuscript.

Consider Adding More Educational Experience

If you already have experience in the editing field but still seem to be struggling to build a client base, consider adding a BA to your skills. If you have a major in Journalism, Communication, or English, you can easily add editing, literary critique, or composition. This will help you land more clients and also improve your technique over time. Check job boards for postings and also consider internships to help bulk up your profile as needed.

Send Proposals & Start Editing

Perfecting your cover letter and proposal style will help you land clients. Make sure you list out what you have to offer and your experience in short form on your cover letter. Avoid using boilerplate applications, instead, tailor each cover letter to match the client’s needs. You can check out our post on proposal templates to help you get started. You can start making money through editing jobs in no time. We hope that you can put our suggestions to good use and start building your client base. Let us know how things worked out in the comments below!

Continue Reading

Feel Like Trying Out Some Creative Writing Exercises?

Even if you have a highly creative mind and you’re a natural wordsmith, penning creative pieces can be tough; in fact, it can downright stink when you’re first getting started. A creative piece of writing needs to be compelling and engaging, which can be a lot harder than it seems. 

If you’re interested in trying your hand at creative writing but you’re crumping up more paper than you care to admit, don’t give up hope! Creative writing classes aren’t necessary to be successful. With patience, persistence, and a few helpful tips, you can develop some truly creative pieces. Keep on learning to find out how you can get on the creative writing path. 

What is creative writing, anyway? 

First, let’s clarify what creative writing is. In short, it’s a form of writing in which creativity sits at the forefront of a piece of literature. It engages and encourages the use of the imagination. In order to craft a good creative piece, the text needs to convey strong visuals that illicit an emotional response via the written word. Examples of creative writing include short stories, novels, and poetry. It’s the opposite of informational writing, such as academic and journalistic, as it engages the sense and the emotions of the reader in order to create a strong visual in their mind. 

What elements does creative writing feature? 

In order to be successful at creative writing, you need to have a firm understanding of the elements that this genre of writing entails. To illustrate, let’s take the analogy of a building a car engine: in order to successfully build a car engine that will work, you need to know each of the parts and how each of those parts work. Well, the same is true with writing. 

With that said, here’s a brief look at the unique elements that creative writing needs to entail. 

A unique plot

What makes creative writing stand apart from other genres of writing is that it always has some type of plot; moreover, the plot is unique. A plot describes the chain of events and the significant role they play in a story as the story unfolds. Without a plot, there is no creative story, and without a story, you’re really only writing facts on paper, as in journalistic or informational writing. 

Character development 

Characters are also an absolute must in a piece of creative writing. While it’s true that you can write a creative piece in the second person point of view, in order to tell the story, you need to have characters, and you need to develop those characters. Character development can be described as the uncovering of a character and who he or she is, how they change throughout the story, and what their goals, wishes, wants, dreams, etc. are. From the beginning to the end, the readers of a creative piece should be able to develop a deep understanding of and connection with the characters. 

An underlying theme

It should also have an underlying theme or a message, regardless of whether or not you intended to do that with the story. However, creative writing requires that theme or message in order to be a complete piece. 

Visual descriptions 

Creative writing should paint a picture for the readers. The wording should describe the scenery, the experiences, the activities, and the feelings of the characters, thereby drawing in readers and fully engaging them. 

Creative language

To create visual descriptions, you need to use creative language. In fact, creative language is the very essence of creative writing. Without it, the writing wouldn’t be very creative, would it? Examples of creative language you can incorporate include similes, metaphors, and figurative language. 

Continue Reading

Finding literary agents

Literary agents handle the business aspect of publishing. If self-publishing is not for you and getting published is becoming hard – you can seek a literary agent to negotiate an ideal contract with a publisher.

So, how do you find a literary agent?

Doing the preliminary research

As with anything, hunting for the right literary agent starts with proper research. This involves searching both, online and offline, and preparing a list of service providers.

You’ll also find agencies with a workforce of multiple literary agents that work with different authors. These agencies might cost more but can be better in tackling more nuanced projects or when you simply need more expertise.

Choose a literary agent with the right experience. A literary agent who has helped authors in similar categories is likely to negotiate a better contract for you.

For example, if you’re publishing a romantic tragedy then it’s better to search for a literary agent that specializes in that market particularly and not a comedy.

Skimming through listings

The more you look through the listings, the more suitable candidates you’ll be able to find.

Once you have a list of ideal candidates, it’s better to do deeper background checks on them. A couple of key factors to learn for all these shortlisted literary agents:

  1. What commission do they charge?
  2. What books have they helped get published in the past?

Once you have enough information to make a decision, it’s now time to get in touch and tell them about your project. Hopefully, they will be able to lend some interesting insights that help you in improving the manuscript for publishers or perhaps improving it in a creative way.

How do you get in touch? That’s the third and final step to finding the right literary agent.

Form suitable queries

Even if you think you’ve found the perfect literary agent or agency, don’t give all the information away in your first communication. Form a compact query letter instead.

The query letter (not necessarily a letter – can be an email or even a pitch over a phone call) has to be brief. Think of it as a one-page pitch or proposal that includes all the relevant details.

Critical pieces of information to discuss here include:

  • Who’s the book for? In other words, who is the target audience?
  • Who are you? What’s your previous writing experience?
  • What’s the book or novel about?
  • Which publishers would you prefer, if any?

The query letter should ideally pique the agent’s interest. They might be interested in reading the full manuscript. Once you’ve discussed the financials and are okay with them, now might be a good time to send the final manuscript to them.

A word of caution: As literary agencies are first a business and then a source of guidance, it’s not rare that you’ll find literary agents asking for a manuscript pretty soon – perhaps sometimes even without going through your brief completely. Researching so that you find the right match (steps one and two) is extremely important to avoid sending your manuscript to agents that might not be the best fit for your book or novel.

Continue Reading

Can You Make a Living by Selling Your Ebooks?

The turbulent times ushered in by the covid-19 pandemic have forced most of us to reevaluate the way we live our lives, and no matter what happens next, we’re almost certain to be part of a continued trend of spending a lot more time at home and in the digital sphere. That means people are reading ebooks in record numbers — the global ebook market was worth a smashing US$18.13 billion in 2020, and, as readers grow used to the convenience of paying for a book one second and being able to get stuck in the very next, this market is projected to round out nicely in the coming five years. 

If you’re a writer of any kind, the growing popularity of ebooks, combined with the declining stigma around self-publishing, is also bound to mean that you’re wondering how to get a slice of this ever-growing pie by writing and publishing ebooks from the comfort of your own home. Realistic and well-written guides on how to publish an ebook join a myriad of articles with a distinct get-rich-quick-scheme vibe to offer you, too, hope that you can make a full-time living from your ebooks. 

Can you really? All the marketing tropes are, to some extent, certainly true. Almost anyone can write an ebook on any topic, from trade literature to steaming-hot fantasy novels, and a few prolific writers who put in hardcore hours can make it happen in almost no time, too. After a brief learning curve, almost anyone can figure out how they should format their ebook and where the ebook can be published. Unless you do count your time as money, it is, additionally, quite possible to publish an ebook extremely cheaply. 

None of that adds up to “yes, you can definitely and easily make a full-time living by selling your ebooks”, though! That friend who heavily advertises her single sci-fi novel for sale on KDP to her 20-strong social circle has very little in common with established and successful self-published authors like LJ Ross or Bethany Atazadeh. 

You might, in future, be able to make a living from your ebooks under a very specific set of circumstances, and if this is your dream, know that the process is a whole lot more like building a local restaurant from the ground up than it is like winning the lottery. 

Truth time — you may be able to make a very decent chunk of change, and even meet all your financial needs, by selling ebooks if you check all these boxes or can work toward meeting all these goals:

  • Career ebook writers will — depending on their genre — either be true authorities in their fields, or genuinely talented and skilled creative writers. They’ll be chronically devoted to perfecting their craft and boosting their skill set. 
  • Successful ebook authors understand that, to write an ebook that will sell, they have to be deeply familiar with market trends and craft a work that meets a genuine need — whether that be entertainment and escapism or practical knowledge.
  • Authors who can actually pay their bills from their ebook revenue do not expect to conjure a fortune from nothing. They pay for professional editors and cover designers so that the ebooks they self-publish are as polished as they can possibly be. They may decide to set up an LLC for their ebook business, and may hire a lawyer and virtual personal assistant. Successful ebook authors run their businesses professionally, and welcome the upfront expenses that make their success possible.
  • Financially successful ebook authors know how to market an ebook, and understand why marketing campaigns are an essential ingredient in their success. Even if their background is in marketing, they will almost certainly partner with professionals to raise their profile and boost their sales. If these authors don’t already have a devoted following, they are certainly willing to put in backbreaking labor to win new readers over.

In short, yes! Some ebook authors are able to rake in a handsome part-time income by writing, publishing, and marketing amazing ebooks — and a few can even make a full time living from ebooks. The more realistic you are about your odds of failing spectacularly, however, the more likely you are to treat the entire process like the all-in adventure that it is if you decide to go ahead. That, in turn, has you off to a promising start. 

Continue Reading