Authors Electric

Editing   If you’re considering the self-publishing route, you need to be your own editor which is very hard work. Always remember that writing is about communicating; if you cannot express yourself adequately, without waffling, you won’t achieve the impact you want. In the commercial world, word-count is very important, and children’s books may be part of a series with a house style that doesn’t vary. If you know the age-group for whom you are writing, have a good look at the word length for similar books.  It is always possible to cut, even if it doesn’t feel like it. For the first pass, look at ways of eliminating repetitions, condensing what you say, and cutting out unnecessary adjectives and adverbs. It’s surprising how much you can get rid of this way. For the second pass, look at the order in which you present information. Would it be more economical to do it another way? Do you have any superfluous characters? If they’re necessary for furthering the plot, can you com...