How to Write Your Novel

Publishing a book yourself is difficult. Publishing a book when you’re at the mercy of a huge organisation can make self-publishing even more difficult, especially when that company uses automated systems. In case you’re wondering what I’m on about, I’ve recently had the “joy” of trying to get through KDP’s identity verification system. This year I plan to publish a charity anthology and all royalties will go to Invest in ME. Submissions have been selected, copyediting and proofreading is ongoing, albeit behind schedule, ISBNs have been purchased, the book has a title, and a cover is in the works. The authors are incredibly talented and absolutely lovely (and patient). I honestly thought the set-up of the KDP account and eventual uploading of the book would be one of the straightforward aspects of this project. After all, I've walked authors through this. Bloody hell, was I wrong! Initially, all went smoothly. I set up the account, filled in my tax details, blah, blah, blah. One of the more mundane but essential jobs ticked off the list. Or so I thought. I received an email from KDP asking me to log in and verify my identity. They say on their website that they are now asking people to do this ‘To better protect those who publish with us and buy books from Amazon . . . This is to ensure an account is genuine when using our services’. This is, of course, completely understandable and I’m more than happy to comply. The first stumbling block was the type of ID they require. For the UK they accept a passport, driver’s licence, national ID (I’m still not actually sure what that is), and residency permit according to their help page. As a UK citizen from birth, I don’t have a residency permit or a national ID (what is that??) and as a non-driver (seriously, I’d be a liability on the roads), I don’t have a driver’s licence. I have an out-of-date passport that I haven’t renewed because it’s expensive and I’m not planning on going abroad. Anyway, I logged on to my account and clicked the dropdown box of accepted ID for the UK and was pleased to see voter ID as one of the options.

…ask them to explain their reason behind a suggestion. To reduce the amount of Track Changes you’ll have to deal with, editors don’t always explain why they have marked something up. It is okay to ask if you want to know why that particular change has been recommended. There is no such thing as a stupid question. …disagree with them. Editors have you and your manuscript’s best interests at heart but also need to consider your future readers. That doesn’t mean, though, there aren’t times when we get it wrong or miss a particular nuance. Contrary to popular belief, it is okay to disagree with your editor (unless it’s a major grammatical error). Using Track Changes to edit your document means you retain full control over your words and your manuscript. I only ever make changes with TCs turned off when it has been agreed with the author and is for simple things such as replacing double spaces with singles. …count on your manuscript being stored securely and not shared with anyone outside of your editorial team. I’ve heard terrible stories of authors basically having their story stolen or the premise shared on social media. The author—editor relationship has to be one based on trust and mutual respect. …expect them to treat you with kindness. The editorial process always involves a degree of learning (on both sides, I think). Within every manuscript there are strengths and weaknesses – and I literally mean every manuscript. The comments you receive on your manuscript should never make you feel bad about your writing or knock your self-confidence. And while we’re on the subject, it’s never a good look to call someone out for a typo publicly on social media. Shit happens and no one's perfect, especially when typing at speed on a phone’s tiny keyboard. Add to that, you don't know if the person has dyslexia. Send them a DM instead. It takes courage to send your manuscript to an editor for the first time. Don’t rush into choosing your editorial team. Some things are worth taking your time over.

Head-hopping Head-hopping refers to a switch in point of view within a scene or paragraph and, yes, it’s problematic even when writing in third person. Example: James was really pleased with Thorin. He was so calm around that other dog, he thought. Thorin was sitting patiently at his owner’s feet. Is James going to give me a treat for being good? he wondered as he wagged his tail. As you can see, we jump from James’s thoughts and perspective to Thorin’s. Why is this an issue? It throws the reader off and discombobulates them, bringing them out of the text. We want to keep the reader gripped, not send them away because they’re confused. It can prevent the reader from connecting fully with your characters and cause narrative distance. To resolve this, keep each chapter or scene from one character’s point of view. If you really need to switch perspective within a chapter, make it clear with an ornamental or paragraph break. Inauthentic dialogue Ensuring your character's dialogue sounds authentic is incredibly important. Stilted, formal, and unnatural dialogue can impact on a character's relatability and that, of course, impacts on the reader's experience. Common issues I see are the overuse of names and a lack of contractions. If you listen to a conversation, you'll notice how we rarely refer to each other by name. We don't need to because we know we're addressing each other. Names tend to be used when we are trying to get someone's attention. We also tend to talk in an informal way and will shorten our sentences. We use contractions such as 'won't', 'didn't', etc., rather than 'would not' and 'did not'. Switches in tense Again, this is something I see on a regular basis. When you’re in the throes of writing and concerned with getting the story down, it can be easy to jump from present to past tense and vice versa. If you’ve had a break from writing, take your time to reorient yourself before you start putting words on the screen. This is what tense switches look like: She walks across the room and gets a treat for Thorin. ‘Who’s been a good boy?’ she said. It should be: She walks across the room and gets a treat for Thorin. ‘Who’s been a good boy?’ she says. Write in the tense that feels the most comfortable to you. It’s probably more difficult to write in present tense than past, but this isn’t the case for everyone. Showing every action There can be a tendency to show every single action a character does and I sometimes think this comes from a misunderstanding of the expression 'show don't tell'. It is okay to leave some things 'off-page' and readers will pick up on the fact that certain actions have happened without them being told about them. Of course, I'm referring to the mundane everyday stuff, not the action. An example of this would be a character travelling to get to a destination. Rather than charting the entire journey from A to B, it is acceptable to have your character arriving at the destination without the reader being privy to them getting there (unless something interesting and integral to the plot happened). Cutting out stage directions will help with the pacing of your novel and keep readers interested. I often use the following quote from Elmore Leonard when completing a manuscript critique or developmental edit: 'When you write, try to leave out all the parts readers skip.' Point-of-view character overload There is a temptation to ha ve loads of p oint-of-view characters to create interest, I guess. It does the opposite, though, and prevents the reader from getting close to any character. Remember that narrative distance we talked about earlier as a result of head-hopping? This causes the same thing. It also leads to choppier, convoluted, and messy plots. You don’t need a million points of view and readers will thank you for keeping it simple. That doesn’t mean you can’t have more than one, just don’t go crazy.

Remove unnecessary words When you’re self-editing carefully think about the individual words you have used within each sentence and assess if you really need them. I have a shit list pinned up on my corkboard and it includes, among others, the following: ‘that’, ‘just’, ‘now’, ‘back’. Why are these on the list? Because a lot of the time, they aren’t necessary. Let’s take the word ‘now’. Consider this sentence: The dog reacted to her command and she now smiled. Yes, the narrative is in past tense, but we know the character is smiling because the dog has reacted to what she said and both actions (the dog’s response and the character’s smile) are taking place at the same time. So, we don’t need the ‘now’. If we remove it, it reads like this: The dog reacted to her command and she smiled. You have reduced the word count and the sentence is punchier simply by removing one word. Other examples include: She nodded her head. We only nod with our heads so She nodded will suffice. He waved with his hands . Again, the reader will know he is using his hands unless you state he is waving an object. Reduce filter words I have talked about filter words before (find that article here ). They are the words that filter the action through the character and include: ‘realised’, ‘felt’, ‘knew’, ‘hear’, ‘saw’, ‘noticed’, etc. Compare She could hear the dog across the road barking and felt her corgi’s lead tighten as he reacted. Realising she was going to be pulled over, she reined him in. to The dog across the road barked and her corgi’s lead tightened as he reacted. She reined him in to prevent being pulled over. The word count has reduced from thirty to twenty-three and the writing is more dynamic. Consider the order of your words Is there a shorter way of saying the same thing? Could She walked into the waiting room of the surgery be changed to She walked into the waiting room ? If the reader has already been told the character is in the surgery, absolutely. If not, changing the sentence to She walked into the surgery waiting room will also reduce the number of words used. Keep an eye out for repeated and unnecessary action beats We all have crutch words – even editors! These often take the form of action beats (what the characters do while they are talking). Smiling, nodding, looking at the other character, shrugging, and chuckling are all examples. They tend to be used far too often and become repetitive. An easy way to assess if you’re using a particular word too much is to use the Find function in Word: Highlight the word. Click on Home at the top of your document. Click Find. You’ll be presented with a list on the left-hand side that shows you every instance of that word. Ask yourself if that adverb actually adds anything ‘Don’t you dare!’ he shouted angrily. Look at this piece of dialogue. We are effectively being told three times that the speaker is shouting: the use of ‘shouted’, the added ‘angrily’, and the exclamation mark. In this case, he shouted is sufficient and the adverb isn’t necessary. As you self-edit, think to yourself, does this adverb convey information to the reader they won’t have already picked up? Making simple changes such as I’ve suggested not only improves your writing, making it more active and vital, it also helps to reduce your word count. If you’re self-publishing, this will also help to reduce the cost of editing and proofreading as many editors, including me, charge per 1000 words.

It’s never too early to start marketing your book Work on establishing your author brand before you’ve finished your work in progress. Selling a book is more difficult than writing and producing it. The book market is saturated (and full of celeb “authors”), so you need to plan a sales strategy from the get-go. Use social media and also set up a newsletter. Building a community of loyal readers is so important and will pay off in the long run. This advice is also useful for authors going down the traditional route as publishers (yes, even the Big 5) rely more on authors doing their own publicity. Don’t leave searching for an editor until the last minute I make my living as a freelance editor and the money I earn pays the bills, keeps a roof over our heads, and ensures Thorin the corgi always has a full tummy. For that reason, I plan and book up my diary months ahead so we don’t end up on the street! If you’re going to publish a book, you also need to plan in advance. If you want your copyedit to start in March, it’s no good getting in touch with me in March as I’ll probably not be available. Start the search for your editor early to avoid disappointment as the majority of reputable editors will have full diaries. Don’t underestimate the power of a good cover Readers do judge a book by its cover. It’s the first thing they see so your book has to make a great initial impression. It will literally be competing with millions of other books, so this is an area it’s worth investing in. Without meaning to be rude or disrespectful, you can often tell a book has been self-published by its cover and, as wrong as it is, it will put people off. At the end of the day, you need to turn browsers into buyers, it’s as simple as that. If your graphic design skills are crap (like mine), please don’t try to knock up a cover yourself. Save up Publishing a book is an expensive endeavour if you want to do it in such a way that your book stands up against its traditionally published counterparts. Editing, cover design, formatting, the purchase of ISBNS, etc. all adds up, so put money aside while you’re writing. Have realistic expectations Don’t go into self-publishing thinking you are going to make loads of money from your first book. The reality is, you may not make any money initially. Or even from your second book. This also relates back to the first point and you have to go into self-publishing thinking of it as a business. All businesses take time to get off the ground and self-publishing is no different. I may have put you off and that is not my intention at all, however, I pride myself on being realistic and honest with authors setting out on their self-publishing journey. These are all things I would urge you to consider before you take the hard but wonderful leap.

What is a filter word? It’s a word in a piece of text that filters the scene through the character. What’s the problem? Filter words can create narrative distance and impact the reader’s ability to become fully immersed in the text. Rather than experiencing the character’s world and emotions, the reader is told about it (you have probably heard the phrase ‘show don’t tell’), which lessens the impact. This creates a problem as the story becomes something that is done to the reader rather than it being something they are involved in. Filter words include: Realised Felt Knew Saw Heard Noticed Watched Thought Looked Seemed Tasted Smelled Believed Removing filter words tightens up the text and makes it more dynamic. Going through your manuscript and getting rid of them will also lower your word count and make your copyedit cheaper! Compare She could hear the dog across the road barking and felt her corgi’s lead tighten as he reacted. Realising she was going to be pulled over, she reined him in. to The dog across the road barked and her corgi’s lead tightened as he reacted. She reined him in to prevent being pulled over. Immediately the narrative voice becomes more active and less passive. You feel (ironic, eh?) more involved in the action simply by removing hear , felt , and realising . And the word count has reduced from thirty to twenty-three. Of course, in fiction writing nothing is ever black and white and there will be times when filter words are useful to draw the reader back from tension and add texture to the narrative. But as a general rule, the majority of these words can be cut from your manuscript.

I celebrate five years of Abbie Editorial in January, and I have loads of plans that I think you’re going to love whether you’re a new or returning author to my services. If you follow me on X, you will know that one of those plans is the publication of a charity anthology. I’ve been thinking about this for ages and 2025 seems like the perfect time to do it. So, I’m asking authors to donate words in the form of short stories for a book I plan to publish in June. All profits will go to Invest in ME. This charity is very close to my heart as I have lived with the condition for over twelve years. It isn't something I talk about because I worry about people's perceptions of me. Research into ME is scarce and there are hardly any services for those suffering with the condition (my clinic has recently closed down), so if I can help raise funds for one of the charities carrying out research, that would be ace. To have authors along with me for the ride will be bloody brilliant. Want to take part? Here are the details: Genre: crime Theme: stories to be set in summer. If you want a challenge, I’d love some locked room mysteries Word count: 2,000 to 7,500 words Stories should be submitted via Word document, 12pt font, and 1.5 line spacing Email to: aecharitybooks@gmail.com Closing date for submissions: 1 February 2025 Please only submit original stories that haven’t been previously published. No AI generated stories, please. Those chosen will be edited and proofread by myself and my mate and ace proofreader, Lorna Hinde. I have asked for some locked room mysteries because many people with ME are effectively imprisoned in their homes due to their illness. I realise, though, that these can be challenging to write, so stories about crime, mystery and murder set in the summer months are also great. I really hope you will consider submitting. Of course, I have the fear that no one will, so I'll be keeping my fingers (and toes) crossed.

Book formatting is a relatively new service that I’m offering, so I thought I would tell you a little more about how it works and what you can expect at the end of it. Initial discussion The first thing we will do is have a discussion about your book. This can take place via email, Zoom or a good old-fashioned telephone call, I really don’t mind. We will discuss the genre, preferred size, and formats required (print, KDP, Kobo, etc). We will also talk about any special elements (text/messenger service messages, newpaper articles, etc), ornamental breaks, chapter headings and drop caps. This allows me to make up the pages of your book to fit with genre and add those elements you want to make your book yours. If it is the second (third or fourth) book in a series, I will match as closely as I can the previous books so they are all consistent. The checklist I will send you a checklist of what I need from you. These include: E-book cover – I need this to add to your e-book. ISBN Any publishing logo you want included in the front matter (optional) Dedication (optional) Also by information (optional) Acknowledgements (optional) About the author including photo and social media/website links (optional) Author’s note (optional) And, of course, the final version of your manuscript as a Word document Typesetting begins Once all of the required information has been given and papers handed over to me, I begin the process of typesetting your book. Author check through Once it is complete, I will send you the print PDF or e-book file for you to go through (this is the most exciting part, I think). After you have checked it, you tell me of any changes that need to be made. Amendments I make any amendments and return the e-book and print files along with a paperback jacket template for you to send to your cover designer. I can support you through the process of uploading your book to KDP if you need it. Voila! At the end of this straightforward process, you have a beautiful book you can be proud of. I offer a 25% discount on formatting if it is booked with an editorial service. Why? If I work on your book as an editor or proofreader, I am already familiar with it and this helps to speed up the formatting process.

Self-publishing still gets a lot of stick and, I think, there continues to be the idea that they are of inferior quality to those traditionally published. This is unfair and I know a lot of independent authors take great care over their books and treating the process in much the same way a publishing house would, especially when it comes to the editorial process. Unfortunately, I often see signs in the layout of a book that immediately marks it out as being self-published. The contents of the book may be brilliant, but formatting errors can immediately put readers off and give rise to the assumption that it will be of low quality. One of the ways I help authors is through the creation of their e-book and print books, and I thought I would share five common formatting errors that immediately scream “self-published”. The title, copyright and dedication are listed in the contents Fiction books don’t really need a contents page, however, many e-books have them and as the chapters have hyperlinks, they can be useful. I regularly see the front matter listed in the contents. What is the front matter? It’s the information that comes before the body of the book. Given the contents are part of this, the title page, copyright and dedication don’t need to be included. Chapter one starts on page five It is the main body of the book – the content – where the page numbering begins and page one is always on the right-hand side. The front matter should not be included in the numbering and chapter one should start on page one. First paragraphs are indented The first paragraph of chapters – and the first paragraphs following a chapter break – should be full out. That means they should not be indented. Inappropriate use of drop caps Drop caps are those fancy flourishes when the first letter of a first paragraph is larger than the rest of the text. They can be nice touch to a book’s look (although I know a lot of authors find them old-fashioned and I think whether you use them depends on the genre), but I have seen examples when a chapter’s subheading has been accidentally interpreted as the start of the first chapter and therefore have been assigned a drop cap. Page bottoms are unbalanced Bottom balancing involves ensuring the final lines on each page are level with its opposite counterpart. This makes the book easier to read (a short page can be misleading and look like the end of a chapter), looks more professional, and is aesthetically pleasing. I have talked about readers looking at samples and the importance of creating a good first impression before (albeit briefly) and this is another example of when first impressions count. Taking time over the formatting and creation of your book is worth it.