100 Ways to Buff Your Book
In celebration of Writer’s Digest’s 100th year, here are 100 tips, hacks, and mini tutorials on how to make your novel ready for the world.
1. Clear your work area.
2. Print out a copy and read it slowly. You’ll catch things your eye skims over on the screen.
3. Learn your word processing soft ware’s search-and-replace function. If you’re not good at it, force yourself to get better.
4. You’ve had a working title for months. Is it still brilliant? As you revise, if a word or phrase pops out with special meaning or satisfaction, you may have found your best title.
5. Get rid of things twice told.
“No,” he said, shaking his head.
Just have him say no or shake his head.
6. Write your back-cover copy early, then play with it as you write and revise your book. This goes for indie or traditional publishing.
7. Aim high. For anything. Words per day. Books per year. Sales per quarter. A top publisher. Or simply the satisfaction of having done your very best.
8. Crop out any narrative preachiness. Let your readers draw their own moral conclusions from your brilliant characters and plot.
9. Heed this peeve:
Reticent means reluctant to speak.
WRONG: She was reticent to talk about the divorce.
