Welcome Krystal

Hello everyone and happy Thursday! Jo here. I'm really excited to be announcing the final addition to the team. This lovely lady will be working with the wondersauce that's Tia Silverthorne Bach and the other two amazing editors you met last week, Eliza and Mollie. We're so excited to welcome Krystal to the IBGW family. We have some exciting stuff happening around here, and I can't wait to share it with you in the upcoming weeks. *claps hands* Let's get to it!

Meet Ms. Krystal Wade

When I first began writing, I never imagined becoming an editor. I mostly imagined posh residences, flash photography everywhere I went, zero money issues, and a departure from my 9-5 in the nation's capital. Boy, what an idiot I was. My first book was accepted for publication, and my editor threw ALL THE RULES at me. She taught me everything I know, and then some, using her little red notes and references back to the publisher's style guide. Since then, I've worked in several different arenas of the publishing world: from acquisitions, to marketing, to production, to full-scale edits. I love helping authors hone their craft, teaching them how to write clean manuscripts the first time, pointing out their usual flaws, and making stories sparkle like hot vampires--if you're into that sort of thing. My first love is young adult fiction, with strong interests in dark plots and twisted characters . . . and a little romance helps. And if you must know, I live in Virginia with my husband, three children, two dogs, two cats, three bunnies, and way too many chickens.


Here's what her clients are saying:

"Krystal provided tremendous insight into the publishing industry, particularly where young and new adult novels were concerned. She consistently made herself available to answer any questions, provide coaching, and offer moral support to ensure I stayed on track.

She routinely demonstrated that she had a keen eye for detail, performed well on a deadline, and was always willing to go the extra mile when needed. Her work was always completed before the deadline in a very satisfactory manner." ~ A.K. Morgan, FADE (2012)

"I’ve already learned so much from Krystal. She’s given great feedback not only on the technical aspects of sentence construction but also on content. Her advice and suggestions have made my book tremendously stronger already, and we aren’t even finished yet. Her comments are honest but kind. She not only shows what needs to change, but will explain why so I can understand what I need to do differently in the future.  She’s always very clear with her comments, which I very much appreciate. I am thankful to get to work with her and would definitely recommend her editing services to anyone." ~ Amy Bearce, FAIRY KEEPER (2015)

"Krystal always edited with enthusiasm and an innate understanding of the story and the book-selling market. She helped me produce the best version of my manuscript possible. She always worked on deadline and was very willing to provide additional information and clarify certain points as needed. I highly recommend Krystal as an editor. As an author and public figure herself, she takes great pride in her reputation, conducts herself professionally, and is easy to work with." ~ Jamie Ayres, My So-Called Afterlife (2012)

We'll be having the giveaway soon. Book titles will be randomly chosen from the editor's body of work. I didn't want to put it up this week because that would be bad service for the authors we already have giveaways running for.

Keep your eyes open for that. I know I told you it would happen with Krystal's announcement post, but I reconsidered. You'll have a chance to snag some great reads very soon.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Free PDF Checklist for Novels

Hello, everyone! Jo here today. Figured I'd share with you all a little PDF that'll help you improve your writing. It's a handy, downloadable, printable, sharable checklist that includes the following:

• Plot
• Deepening Plot
• Structure
• Deepening Structure
• Character Creation

Bonus: It has little tick-boxes and lines for you to write your thoughts/views on!

Simply follow this link and pick up your copy:
A Novel Checklist

This is part of the huge

I'm sending out to followers.

Go. Download. Enjoy. WRITE ON!

Jo

Editing vs Proofreading - Which Service do You Need?

Happy Monday, good people of the page! Jo here! Today, I'd like to go over the difference between an edit and a proofread; including what you should expect from each. These are just a couple of the services we provide here at INDIE Books Gone Wild. If you aren't sure what services you need, this post will help you decide and tell you how to prepare for each one. So grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

Editing

This is a service where you send your book to someone and they fix basic grammar and construction issues, punctuation, transitions, spelling, inconsistencies, and look to cut your word count. A good editor won't change your voice, they'll make it more legible.

Any editor you choose should give you a sample edit of your first chapter to see if you're a good fit. At IBGW, we use that first chapter to rate the quality of your writing and base our price from there. Why? Because if it doesn't take us as long to edit your book, you won't pay as much. You're paying your editor for their time and knowledge of the English language.

Be sure your editor uses a style guide so you'll know what changes to expect and have a reference.

An inline edit looks something like this:

Inline changes and notes in the sidebar are things you should expect. At IBGW, we strive to make you a better writer during our edits by providing education and noting things you should be watching out for. Every writer makes common errors; but if you know what they are, you're less likely to repeat them if you learn from your mistakes. This, I believe, is something every editor should do.

Proofreading

Different from editing, proofreading is all about looking for good transitions, proper use of punctuation, spelling issues, and redundancy. A proofreader should be able to speed-read your work and highlight issues without going into great detail. Your editor should be catching everything else. Many proofreaders will highlight things your editor may have missed and sling out a comment; but you shouldn't expect that. They're looking to give your manuscript a final once-over before it goes to print. All your T's should be crossed and your I's dotted after your manuscript is returned by a proofreader.

Your editor should never be your proofreader. They're too close to the work by the time the edit is done, and they'll miss things, just like you.

At INDIE Books Gone Wild, we use one person on our team to edit and another to proofread. Proofreading is included in the price of your edit. There's no need to shell out more money for someone else to do it. We even write it up in your contract and book your proofreading for you. That's part of the benefit of working with a team rather than a single person who tries to do it all.

No matter who you choose to work with, make sure you've read something they've written or edited and are comfortable with them as a person. Be sure you can respect their comments when your manuscript is returned. There's nothing worse than questioning every change someone makes. Trust is a huge part of the writer/editor relationship.

As a final note: Regardless of who you work with, be sure to have a contract. If your editor or proofreader balks at the idea of a contract, or won't let you read/look it over before you're expected to sign, run away. A contract is there to protect you both and shouldn't sway power one way or the other. Also, make sure it has an out clause.

I hope this helps you all in some small way.

That's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

One Heck of a Month

Hey there, happy people of the page! Jo here. It's been one heck of a wonderful month for us at INDIE Books Gone Wild! We're excited to announce the soon publication of Tia Silverthorne Bach's new title: Chasing Memories. We also have a number of upcoming jobs we'll be talking about soon! Don't forget to check the calendar linked at the top of the left sidebar to see if one of us is available for your editing needs.

Remember, it takes a team to publish a book! We'd love to be a part of your team.

Watch the site for updates, a cover reveal, and to see where you can get a copy of Chasing Memories!

What we've done for this title:

• Edited twice
• Proofread (proofreading services are included in the cost of editing, and are done by a separate member of the team, we believe fresh eyes never hurt)
• Cover design (not something we readily offer, but we did on this book)
• Formatted for print (I can't wait to give you a glimpse of the interior; you're gonna love it!)

And, after it's published, we'll help her market by giving her a link on the sidebar, a shout out on the Facebook page, and a cover reveal/synopsis post.

How many places do you get all that for your money? Very few.

In the upcoming weeks, we're going to run a couple of giveaways. Stay tuned to see what you could win!

If you're an author and are thinking of publishing a book soon, fill out our form and see what we can do for you!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

What to Expect

Hello, good people of the page! Jo here! Today, I'm editing the day away. I hope to get done with round two of Ms. Tia Bach's book, Chasing Memories, and get her to press by mid-month! We have a lot to do yet but great planning has been a huge help.

On that note, what does your editor look for? Well, here at IBGW, this is what we look for:

• Sentence construction. We make sure your story flows well and doesn't have off topic sentences or errant commas sprinkled throughout.
• Pronoun usage. This is something a lot of folks struggle with. We make sure every pronoun matches with the previously named person or item.
• Tension. We read your book for tension and note places it could be pumped up a bit.
• Grammar. Yes, We're grammar hounds. We search commonly misused words when we find them and provide you with a reference. You'll know why it was changed.
• Punctuation. We make sure dialogue tags are marked accordingly.
• Consistency. We look for the use of the S on the end of toward, backward, etc... and make sure you're using them the same way throughout. We also check your characters and make sure they're the same people all the way through.
• Conjunctions. This is a big one, believe it or not. Unless you're using a formal speaking/writing style, conjunctions are a must. Writers tend to spell everything out and forget the apostrophes.
• Repetitive words. We replace words used too many times in a sentence or paragraph so your writing stays fresh.
• Improving your writing. We like to educate our writers as we work with them. You'll emerge on the other side of one of our edits with new knowledge and new tools in your writer's box. Plus, the next time you use our services, it'll be less expensive because you won't be making the same mistakes.

When we're done with the second edit, we shoot the manuscript off to another member of IBGW for proofreading. That member will look over the manuscript with an eagle eye and let us know if we missed a period, comma, or misspelled a word.

It takes a team to create a book. Luckily, a team is what we are. Your one-stop-shop for all your editing needs.

Who do you use for your editing? Why not try us out? Fill out our form today and get started on the second step to becoming published. Love your manuscript enough to use the very best!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Time to Welcome Tia Bach

Hello, good people of the page! I'm excited for you all to help me welcome our fourth editor, Ms. Tia Silverthorne Bach, author of Depression Cookies, book reviewer, and long-time editor.

Without further ado, here's her bio:

Hi, my name is Tia Silverthorne Bach. Since I was a little girl, I either had a book or a pen in my hand. Guess the same is still true. Raised by a poet and an engineer, I found an equal love for words and structure. In college, I majored in Business but worked as a technical writer and newsletter editor for IBM. Throughout my career, I wrote and edited company newsletters and marketing materials.

Then, I had my first child and decided to write during the few hours she slept. I convinced my mom to co-author a coming-of-age story with alternating view points, teenage daughter and middle-aged mother. Our award-winning novel, Depression Cookies, debuted years later. All the while, I continued to edit and publish Moms Club newsletters and other materials. My second book, and first young adult piece, will be out by summer 2013 (thanks to the editing talents of the lovely Jo Michaels).

Between books, I started offering my editing services to friends with novels in the works. Thanks to word of mouth, I built my reputation and business. Last year, I edited two books that were indie published: Trinidad Express by James E. Keen, a nonfiction sailing book, and Gifts from a Muse by Lane Schroeder, a poetry collection. In addition, I recently finished editing a collection of short stories, a young adult paranormal novel, and a literary fiction novel. The latter two should be published within the year. An avid reader with varied tastes, I pride myself on finding diamonds in the rough. Few things bring me more joy than helping an author polish his/her piece.

Independent authors are rocking the book world, and I’d love the opportunity to help you take your manuscript from draft to published book. Go Indie!


Here's what Tia's clients are saying:

“Having a book that I'm proud of has given me much pleasure since its publication last summer. It was a great comfort to have Gifts from a Muse in Tia' s professional hands as she worked with me in transforming my manuscript to one that was ready for the publisher. Her calm demeanor and sound suggestions were truly a blessing. I have missed our phone consultations and will definitely request her help in any future publication.” ~ Lane Farmer Schroeder, author of Gifts from a Muse

“Through Tia Bach's work on my book, Borrowed Things, I learned the priceless contributions a good editor can give to an author. She provided formatting and polish that I, as a novice in the world of writing, knew nothing about. She did this with respect for my creativity and sensitivity, and made the book better than it would have been without her skill and objectivity.” ~ Doris Schneider, author of Borrowed Things (process of being published)



Welcome to the team, Tia!

I hope you'll all join me in welcoming Tia. Leave her some comment love.

That's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Ideas for proofreading your own work before sending it to an editor

Over the last few years, I’ve chatted with other authors and followed them on twitter and their blogs to learn more about the craft.

There are so many ideas on how to self-edit and proofread, so I’m going to share a few with you that have worked well for me. Keep in mind, it’s not a perfect process, and there are still a few minor errors, but around 80 – 90% of mistakes can be caught by using these methods.

These are in the order I usually do them, but you can do them out of order and it would still work.

·         I write my stories in Scrivener, so I first scroll through the entire document and look for anything underlined in red, blue or green. Make the necessary corrections.

·         I switch the document over to Word, and do the same. Sometimes Scrivener and Word disagree on how to spell certain words or on what’s okay and what’s not in terms of grammar. If that happens, then I’ll refer to my two favorite resources: The Elements of Style by William Strunk and The Chicago Manual of Style, 16^th ed. If they don’t have the answers then I turn to online reputable resources like Grammar Girl, for instance. Make the necessary corrections.

·         Let it sit for a week or more if possible. At least 3 days minimum. I can usually get away with this because I have Dory’s memory (sorry, I have kids, so you may find occasional Disney references in my blog posts ;D).

·         Put it into an e-pub and read it out loud on my phone to myself with my laptop in front of me and the story up on Scrivener. I make changes as I read along. If I’m out and about and reading it, I avoid reading it aloud, but I do note changes, highlight and bookmark what I need to fix and then the adjustments are made once I’m home. I think this is the most critical step because I need to see my story the way my readers’ are most likely going to view it. They’ll probably read it on their phones as well. It’s amazing how many mistakes I catch this way, and how I’ll find clunky phrasing or poor dialogue. The flow can be improved because when I’m reading it objectively this way, I’m thinking about how a new reader might take the story and how it might sound to them. I also find weak spots that maybe need more, so new sentences and paragraphs will develop, along with previously wordy ones, limited or eliminated altogether.

·         Let it sit again if possible. A week is good here, too. Even better would be two weeks to a month if I have the time to do this.

·         Reread it again on my phone and make the last few changes required and if possible, this is when I try to keep myself from constructing a whole slew of new sentences or paragraphs, since those might possibly have more mistakes.

Now it should be ready to send to an editor.

I know this might sound extreme, but it’ll save your editor or proofreader from finding minor mistakes you can get rid of on your own, which hopefully means a faster turn-around time for you to get your product back.

Hope this helps. Looking forward to sharing more tips in the future!

Crystal

Our Numbers are Growing

Hello, good people of the page! I'm proud to introduce you to the newest IBGW editor, Estrella Merrill (who prefers to be called Star)! Please take a moment and drop in a comment to welcome Star to the IBGW team. We're excited to have her and her edits are some of the best I've seen. You'll be very satisfied if you choose her to work with you on your manuscript!

My name is Estrella Merrill, but I go by Star. An Arizona resident, I was transplanted from New Jersey. I attended ASU, and graduated with a BS in Nursing. I worked at Gateway Medical Center in Gilbert AZ, as a Clinical Nurse Manager, overseeing  65 beds on two floors and about 45 nurses and nurses aides. Needless to say, the stress got to me, and I'm now doing what I enjoy: writing, and editing works for other writers. I currently have penned 45 stories, all fanfiction, but hope to turn one into the real deal, as it is very personal to me.

I was introduced to fanfiction by my youngest daughter and decided to write some stories myself. It's become an obsession. Along with my own writing, I've had other authors who requested my help with editing. I like to encourage writers, not tear them down. I point out the good features of the story and fold in my opinions on how to make it better; grammatically, and character-wise. I have an eye for dialogue, and can help greatly in that department.

I enjoy most genres especially humor and romance. Mystery is not my cuppa, nor is erotica. Anything else is fair game. Bring it on.

There you have it! Keep your eyes on the blog because I'll be running some awesome contests over the next few weeks!

Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

New Editors on Staff

Hello, good people of the page!

This week, I'll be adding a couple of new editors to the staff here at IBGW. I hope you'll pop on by to help me give them a very warm welcome! I can't wait to introduce you.

We have only the best editors here at INDIE Books Gone Wild and we strive to keep it that way. When you see our logo on a page, that means we've vetted that person and you can hire them with a clean mind and the guarantee you'll get a great edit on your manuscript.

Look for the IBGW logo whenever you consider hiring someone to edit your book.

This logo means quality.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Bogged Down by Social Media

Hello, good people of the page!

As an impromptu surprise, I've created a rather helpful post over on my Jo Michaels blog to help you manage your social media and book advertising.

Since this is a site where we help Indie authors in every way possible, I found it relevant to share here.

Without further ado:

Social Networking Schedule

I hope you all enjoy it! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Dark Premonitions Second Sight Book Three

I'm pretty excited about what I have for you today. Some great screenshots of the book I formatted for Ms. Heather Topham Wood. She won the formatting in a giveaway I did on my author blog not too long ago. With her permission, I'm showing you the front matter of her book and a chapter opener.

You can buy the Kindle version of Dark Premonitions over on Amazon (as of today!) for just $3.49. Cover design isn't mine, but it sure is pretty. Check it out! When the print version goes live, I'll be linking it from the sidebars here on the site.

Now, that's something to write home to mama about! If you're interested in this service, you can find prices on our Print Book Formatting page. If you're ready to contact us, fill out our Contact Form.

Wouldn't you love a book that looks like this?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Welcome our New Editor!

Please help me welcome our new editor to the team: Crystal Lee. She's edited all my books and I can't say enough about how wonderful she is! Never one to mince words, she lets me know when I've repeated something too often, mixed up my words, or made my sentences too difficult to follow (she also rocks at chasing commas).

Visit the About Us page and read more!

Before long, you'll be enjoying posts from her, too!

Also, I may have a new client this week. After the contract is signed, I'll be back to tell you about the amazing author I'll be working with! She's written a Young Adult Paranormal novel and from what I've seen so far, it's rockin'!

I can't wait to share more news about it!

Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

50k Now What?

If you're a NaNoWriMo winner, let me say, "Congratulations!"

Now you have a 50k+ word manuscript. What's next? Well, if you're like other authors you either A) Stick it in a drawer and worry about it later B) Start looking for a publisher C) Start on the re-write or D) Begin to think about self-publishing.

If you're type A or B, this isn't the place for you. But if you're type C or D, you've come to the right venue.

We can help you get your book ready to be seen by the world and put you on the right path toward successful self-publishing. You need a dynamite product and we have the tools and know-how to get you where you need to be.

Take a look around and you'll find lots of ways to contact us if you'd like to talk about that book you just wrote. We offer a lot of services and are a one stop shop for an indie author.

If you're interested in joining INDIE Books Gone Wild, shoot me a message and let's talk about it.

Until next time!

Welcome!

Welcome to our indie author services! As a blog, this is where books we've edited or proofread will be featured. It's where author interviews will be posted as well. All other pages are for informational/contact use only.

We're here to help indies become better. Indies are getting a bad rep out there! Yes, our services are paid. No, it's not out of greed. Would we love to be able to give our services away for free? YES. Is that realistic? NO. Just like you hope to sell a lot of books (otherwise, you wouldn't be here), We hope to help you sell a lot of books.

Unfortunately, we have mouths to feed other than our own. We've looked around and our prices are comparable to those that provide the same services. What's the difference? Jo has been trained in the art of layout. We've been here, we've done what you're trying to do. We have the experience.

I'm hoping to add some folks (editors, proofreaders, etc...) to our numbers eventually, and perhaps even begin offering reviews for indie authors, but I need time to vet potentials and make sure their moral compasses are on par with my own. Until that time comes, what you see here is what you get.

If your book is going to be free, fill out the form and let us know. We'll do our best to get your book in the sidebars on the days its free. We're limiting to 20 per day so get it in early!

We look forward to hearing from you! May the muse grace you with her light every day!

Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo