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How many LGBTQ+ people are there in the UK?

As an LGBTQ+ friendly business, knowing how many LGBTQ+ people there are in the UK can help you guide your business. It can also affirm your dedication to the LGBTQ+ community to see how many people are really out there. I’ve compiled data from the 2021 censuses for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to give you an idea of how many LGBTQ+ people are in the UK. I’ve included data for sexual orientation and gender identity. I hope these insights help your business to be more inclusive. Consider how to support the LGBTQ+ community when marketing and creating products and… Read More »How many LGBTQ+ people are there in the UK?

Agent query letter tips for aspiring authors

Querying literary agents can be pretty daunting, especially when you hear horror stories of how many agents people reach out to. I’ve compiled some of the best agent query letter tips to help aspiring authors impress literary agents from the get-go. There are plenty of resources out there to help you when querying, and starting with a strong query letter is essential. This is your first chance to impress and intrigue a literary agent, so it needs to be as strong as possible. If this is your first time, you might want to read my post on how to write… Read More »Agent query letter tips for aspiring authors

Gender-neutral character names for your books

As a non-binary name nerd, I love searching for names, so I’ve pulled together some resources and lists of gender-neutral character names to help writers. Whether you’re writing an LGBTQ+ character or trying something different, like using an ambiguous name in a crime novel, I hope you’ll find a gender-neutral name you like below. Gender-neutral names can be used for any kind of character, and recent popularity in using more gender-neutral names can easily be reflected in fiction. You can find these names and even more in my gender-neutral name generator. Can any name be gender-neutral? Yes, any name can… Read More »Gender-neutral character names for your books

Vampire romance writing prompts

Romancing vampires has been a staple of paranormal fiction, from Carmilla to Twilight. These vampire romance writing prompts are set to get your blood pumping to write a fresh take on the genre. Looking for more inspiration? Just take a look at any of the top books in the paranormal romance sub-genre! Any acknowledgement or credit for using any of my writing prompts is always appreciated, whether it’s linking to my website from yours or a social media shoutout. 22 vampire romance writing prompts You can take just one prompt or combine any of the following for one story! Every… Read More »Vampire romance writing prompts

Ho, ho, ho: Christmas romance writing prompts

Christmas is a time for family, love, and presents. Mostly presents. So what better present to give than a romantic story revolving around Christmas cheer? These Christmas romance writing prompts might give you that spark you need to write a story for a loved one or to publish just in time for people to get into the Christmas spirit. All prompts are completely focused on the commercial Christmas season, without any religious references. Any acknowledgement or credit for using any of my writing prompts is always appreciated, whether it’s linking to my website from yours or a social media shoutout.… Read More »Ho, ho, ho: Christmas romance writing prompts

Should you hire a short story proofreader?

Whether your short story should be proofread is down to what you want to do with it. A short story proofreader corrects errors and inconsistencies before you publish it. So ask yourself: Do you want to publish your short story professionally (in a magazine, anthology, or in a writing portfolio) or are you just writing for pleasure? If the answer is the former, you might want to look into your options. Why should my short story be proofread? If you’re submitting to magazines or writing competitions, getting your short story in the best possible shape will help you win over… Read More »Should you hire a short story proofreader?

Should you bother to get business plan proofreading?

One of the first things I was told to do when I set up my freelance business was to start working on a business plan. The whole process lasted over a year and, while fun, meant I had to do a lot of revisions. If I’d had the money, I would have purchased a business plan proofreading service. Luckily, I wasn’t seeking investment or funding, so my business plan was mostly just for myself. Still, the amount of mistakes I’ve found in it since completion is ridiculous. That’s why I offer a business plan proofreading service. Biased or not, I… Read More »Should you bother to get business plan proofreading?

Why is proofreading important for self-published authors?

Many authors aren’t aware of all the steps involved publishing a book, because traditional publishing takes care of it all. When self-publishing, authors have to handle everything themselves. So many ask: Why is proofreading important? Proofreading is an essential step in the publishing process, the last quality check before a book is sent out to readers. So let’s explore why proofreading is important for self-publishing authors. What is proofreading? Proofreading is the last step before publishing your book. As a final quality check, proofreading looks for spelling errors, missing or incorrect punctuation, repetition (‘the the’), formatting mistakes, formatting inconsistencies, spelling… Read More »Why is proofreading important for self-published authors?

Romantic writing prompts set in spring

Spring is a season of blooming flowers and blossoming romance. These romantic writing prompts are all themed around the spring season. Many romance stories use spring motifs, especially when it comes to flowers, so why not take inspiration from that? You could start your story in spring, set it entirely in spring, or have spring as the backdrop to falling in love. Any acknowledgement or credit for using any of my writing prompts is always appreciated, whether it’s linking to my website from yours or a social media shoutout. 22 romantic writing prompts You can take just one prompt or… Read More »Romantic writing prompts set in spring

Query letter samples for fantasy novels

Writing a perfect query letter to a literary agent is difficult, especially if you don’t know where to start. I’ve written two query letter samples for fantasy writers to help inspire you on how to get started. I’ve also included a query letter template if you need a jumping off point to start drafting your own query. You can see how this leads into the two samples I wrote. All of the information in the samples is completely made up. I just wanted to give an idea of what your own query letter might look like. No query letter is… Read More »Query letter samples for fantasy novels