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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?

Writing prompts for romance stories set in spring

Spring is a season of blooming flowers and blossoming romance. These writing prompts for romance stories 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. Writing prompts for a spring romance You can take… Read More »Writing prompts for romance stories 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

Query letter samples for LGBTQ+ fiction

Writing a query letter is difficult for everyone, whether they nail it from the beginning or it takes many attempts to get it right. I’ve written some query letter samples to help you draft your own query letter for your LGBTQ+ novel. Below you’ll find a query letter template designed with LGBTQ+ fiction in mind. You can use this template as written, with your own information replacing the placeholders, or you can take it just as inspiration on wording your letter. No query letter is perfect, and every agent is after something different. I hope these help you when drafting… Read More »Query letter samples for LGBTQ+ fiction

Query letter samples for romance novels

If you’ve never written a query letter before, you probably don’t know where to start. Not many published authors will share the query letter that got them agent representation. While there are lots of templates out there, having some romance query letter samples can really help you figure out how to write about your novel. I’ve written a query letter template of my own that uses all the query letter tips I’ve heard about and used myself. Then I’ve created two fake samples of letters, making up details about novels and their fake writers. No query letter is perfect, and… Read More »Query letter samples for romance novels

Free agent query letter feedback for Trans Awareness Month

Every year, I offer free agent query letter feedback for trans and non-binary writers. I do this to support under-represented writers in getting published, because we need more trans and non-binary writers on our bookshelves. Writers who identify as trans, non-binary, or both can receive supportive, constructive feedback by emailing me with their query letter and synopsis. You’ll also receive free proofreading for both to catch any typos that might distract from your otherwise amazing descriptions. Read on for more information to get the most out of this offer! What does agent query letter feedback involve? If you’re a trans… Read More »Free agent query letter feedback for Trans Awareness Month

Gay romance writing prompts for your next novel

The romance genre is overflowing with stories, but gay romance is still just taking off. If you need ideas for short fiction or a novel, these gay romance writing prompts are for you. I’ve kept all but two prompts gender-neutral, but any prompt could be changed to be for a particular couple. You could use them for MM romance, sapphic fiction, or include non-binary characters as part of your gay romance cast. 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… Read More »Gay romance writing prompts for your next novel

Queerly Written UK | an LGBTQIA+ writers network

Finding a safe community online can be difficult, especially when some social media channels have been dominated with homophobic, transphobic, and otherwise bigoted people. As a queer writer, I realised I didn’t have a solid community, so I sought about setting up one. Enter Queerly Written UK: an LGBTQIA+ Writers Network on Facebook. Facebook isn’t my favourite platform by far, there are all kinds of issues with it, but for a free social media platform with the potential to meet others? It’s sadly the best we have, especially in setting up a group. I co-created Queerly Written UK to be… Read More »Queerly Written UK | an LGBTQIA+ writers network