Tag: self-editing

helena fairfax, steretypes Are you a racist writer? On the difficulty of recognising our own prejudices…
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Are you a racist writer? On the difficulty of recognising our own prejudices…

Helena Fairfax26 Comments

I’m a member of three writers’ bodies in the UK – the Society of Authors, the Romantic Novelists’ Association and the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading. I’ve been to numerous writers’ conferences and pitched to more literary agents than I can remember. From my experience, the world of publishing in the UK is predominantly…… Continue reading Are you a racist writer? On the difficulty of recognising our own prejudices…

helena fairfax freelance editor Editing Tips: How to Focus Your Story and Keep Readers Turning the Pages
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Editing Tips: How to Focus Your Story and Keep Readers Turning the Pages

Helena Fairfax15 Comments

In my work as a fiction editor I often give writers the same piece of advice: focus, focus, focus on your core story. There, I said ‘focus’ three times. And here’s an image of someone focusing, too. That’s how important I think it is! What do I mean by ‘focus on the story’? Well, a…… Continue reading Editing Tips: How to Focus Your Story and Keep Readers Turning the Pages

helena fairfax, diane drake Three of the best books for fiction writers on the craft of writing
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Three of the best books for fiction writers on the craft of writing

Helena Fairfax15 Comments

No matter what stage you’re at with your writing – whether still at the first draft, or with dozens of books to your name – there’s always something new to learn about the craft of writing. Besides writing, I also work as a freelance editor. (In fact, for quite a while now the editing has…… Continue reading Three of the best books for fiction writers on the craft of writing

helena fairfax, freelance editor 7 tips for self-editing your book
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7 tips for self-editing your book

Helena Fairfax42 Comments

It’s time for this month’s authors’ Round Robin, and author Robin Courtright has set us another excellent topic… How do you self-edit your books before submitting or publishing? When I wrote my first novel I knew very little about the editing process. In my naivety, I thought editing involved checking for spelling mistakes and picking…… Continue reading 7 tips for self-editing your book

helena fairfax, freelance editor How to edit the first draft of your novel (without crying and deleting it) #writetip
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How to edit the first draft of your novel (without crying and deleting it) #writetip

Helena Fairfax11 Comments

You’ve finished your first draft and typed ‘The End’. If you’re anything like me, you’ll feel a massive sense of achievement, along with relief. But then you start to read it over, and with a sinking heart you realise it’s utter rubbish. You force yourself to stop panicking. Of course it’s rubbish – that’s what…… Continue reading How to edit the first draft of your novel (without crying and deleting it) #writetip