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    The 5 Lessons My Beta Readers Taught Me

    • June 16, 2020
    • 2 Comments
    • by Hannah Bauman

    Hello, writers! Hannah here. This week, author and editor Lewis Jorstad of The Novel Smithy is sharing his beta reader experience with us. These lessons are fantastic, and I hope they help you as you begin to self-edit! You can learn more about Lewis at the end of this post. Just a few months ago…

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  • Publishing Tips

    Indie Publishing Roadmap: Designing Your Book’s Cover

    • May 26, 2020
    • 0 comments
    • by Hannah Bauman

    Hi, writer! Welcome back to the Indie Publishing Roadmap series. This week’s topic is all about cover design decisions you’ll need to make for your novel. But I’m an editor and writer, not a cover designer. So, I reached out to the team at MoorBooks Design and asked them a few questions to get you…

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  • Publishing Tips

    Indie Publishing Roadmap: What to Consider Before Formatting Your Book

    • May 19, 2020
    • 0 comments
    • by Hannah Bauman

    Hi, writer! Welcome back to the Indie Publishing Roadmap series. This week’s topic is all about formatting decisions you’ll need to make for your novel. But I’m no formatter, so I’ve asked my friend and colleague Ines to write this post! More information about Ines’s work and where you can find her will be at…

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  • Publishing Tips

    Indie Publishing Roadmap: Why You Need to Identify Your Ideal Reader

    • May 14, 2020
    • 0 comments
    • by Hannah Bauman

    Welcome back to the Indie Publishing Roadmap series. If you haven’t read the first post about indie publishing, be sure to check that out. Getting your book from the first draft to publication is time consuming. And when you spend all of this time writing and editing, getting your novel just how you want it,…

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  • Publishing Tips

    Indie Publishing Roadmap: Why You Should Self-Edit AND Hire a Professional Editor

    • May 6, 2020
    • 0 comments
    • by Hannah Bauman

    Hi, writer! Welcome back to the Indie Publishing Roadmap series. If you haven’t read the first post about indie publishing, be sure to check that out. This week, we’re talking about editing your novel for self-publication. We’ll tackle both self-editing and hiring a professional, including why you need to do both. What is editing? Editing…

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  • Publishing Tips

    Indie Publishing Roadmap: Choosing the Indie Path

    • April 30, 2020
    • 1 Comment
    • by Hannah Bauman

    Hi, writer! Welcome to the Indie Publishing Roadmap series. This new collection of blog posts is going to highlight what you need to consider on your indie publishing journey.  Topics will include, but will not be limited to: Choosing the Indie path Editing and formatting basics Identifying your ideal reader Pre-publication tasks Today, we’re talking…

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About Me
About Me

I'm Hannah, an editor, author, and writing coach. I love helping writers like you polish their stories, enhance their craft, and chase their publishing dreams.

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Editorial Assistant Grogu popping in to remind you Editorial Assistant Grogu popping in to remind you to stop letting the pursuit of "perfection" become one more reason to procrastinate putting your book out there. Should you do your due diligence in creating a polished manuscript for readers? Of course. Should you take the time to edit, revise, and revise again? Yup, we *all* need multiple rounds of revisions. Put in your time self-editing, gathering beta reader feedback, and working with an editor. Once you have a solid story and have done your due diligence in creating that polished manuscript, should you spend months and months and months tinkering with every sentence? Every word? Probably not. You'll always find *something* to change on every single editing pass. You'll never be done if you let yourself go through endless drafts. At some point, you've got to ask yourself, "Are these changes making the story and reading experience better, or am I just making it different?" Or perhaps, "Is this change actually making the language clearer, or is it just different?" 🙉🙊🙈 I see so many authors doing this. The endless tinkering. The constant tweaking. And I know it firsthand because I'm so tempted to do it with my own books. I have to put a cap on how many editing passes I do on my own work. Next time you find yourself going in for another round of revisions, just have a little check in chat with yourself. Ask yourself those tough questions. And be honest. Happy writing and revising! 😜 QOTD: How many drafts do you usually go through before you feel like your book is “ready” for consumption (or ready to go out for some kind of edit/review)? #writershelpingwriters #bookeditor #writingcoach #copyeditor #lineeditor #proofreader #writingtips #writingtipsandtricks #indiesareworthit #indiepublishingcommunity #amediting #amrevising #fictionwriter #amwritingfantasy #novelwriting #amwritingromance #amwritingscifi #fantasybookeditor #fantasyeditor #indieauthorsofinstagram
📚SCHEDULE UPDATE 📚 Hey, writers! I’ve alre 📚SCHEDULE UPDATE 📚 Hey, writers! I’ve already got projects on my calendar in June. Yes, June! And it’s still only January. 🤯 Here’s where my availability currently stands: 🌱 March: 1 spot 🌻 April: BOOKED 🌹 May: 2 spots 🌼 June: 2 spots I offer robust editing and coaching packages at varying price points to suit your needs and budget. Payment plans are also available. If you want to get on my schedule for a full edit, please reach out ASAP! Spots are booked on a first come, first served basis. DM me or go to the link in my bio and fill out the contact form to get started. Not ready for full edits but still looking for the input of a professional editor? 📚 Ignite Your Novel Session: This mini critique looks at your first 5,000 words to help kickstart your revisions. Coaching call included. Booking just two spots in December, and I’ll re-open them at some point in the new year. 📚 One-time coaching call: Sometimes we just need to sit down with a pro to get our questions answered. These one-hour calls are great for talking about all kinds of things: plot, character development, worldbuilding, beta feedback, self-publishing, and more. My areas of expertise are fantasy, sci-fi, and romance, but I also work in other genres. Let’s chat! Happy writing! #writershelpingwriters #bookeditor #writingcoach #copyeditor #lineeditor #proofreader #writingtips #writingtipsandtricks #indiesareworthit #indiepublishingcommunity #amediting #amrevising #fictionwriter #amwritingfantasy #novelwriting #amwritingromance #amwritingscifi
❤️‍CRASH COURSE IN CREATING ROMANTIC TENSION ❤️‍CRASH COURSE IN CREATING ROMANTIC TENSION IN YOUR NOVEL❤️‍ Is there anything as satisfying as creating perfectly tense scenes between the love interests in your novel? Or as a reader, actually reading those scenes and feeling all the feelings as you hope the love interests (LIs) finally get together, especially amid epic fantasy and sci-fi plots? Romantic tension doesn’t just stem from one thing. It’s a mix of chemistry, conflict, and tension that builds in intensity over the story between LIs. How do you build romantic tension? 😘 Chemistry. Banter and flirting are great, but so are nicknames, backstory/memories, and growing trust/comfort. Physical attraction can also help. (Note that ace spectrum characters also exist and can fall in love without the physical/sexual attraction, so this isn’t 100% necessary 🫶) ⚔️ Conflict. In what ways do your LIs align in their goals, and in what ways do they differ? Thinking specifically about sci-fi and fantasy storylines, what kind of major external conflict are they navigating together? What kind of internal conflict are they going through? And how do all of these conflicts intertwine? 🥵 Build-up. Insta-attraction can be a thing, but if you’re wanting to get that *chef’s kiss* tension, build up these things over time. Start off small/sporadically, then build up the frequency and intensity of their interactions until you’re DYING for them to kiss. 👀 Show, don’t tell! Your characters can definitely acknowledge their feelings/attraction through dialogue, but showing works miracles for this tension. Think lingering looks, accidental touches, nicknames, forced proximity, etc. When you weave all of these things together, you create an ebb and flow of romantic tension. Exactly how you do this will depend on your story and characters, but keep these tips in mind as you write! QOTD: What’s your favorite slow burn you’ve read recently? #indiepublishingcommunity #amediting #amrevising #fictionwriter #amwritingfantasy #novelwriting #amwritingromance #amwritingscifi #indieauthorsofinstagram #nanowrimo #instawrimo #tipsforwriters
🌌 WHAT I’VE BEEN UP TO 🌌 I’ve been quiet 🌌 WHAT I’VE BEEN UP TO 🌌 I’ve been quiet on Instagram the last couple of months. My blog’s been quiet. My email newsletter has been quiet. And part of that is because I got burnt out on content creation, but part of it is that I’ve been one busy lady. Cool stuff I’ve been working on as an editor: 📚 Two different YA fantasy novels 📚 MG fantasy novel 📚 Contemporary romance coaching 📚 Memoir coaching And then there was Manuscript Magic, the 6-week program @editsandrevisions and I hosted from October to December! That was so much fun. Upcoming stuff I’m excited to work on (a non-exhaustive list): 📚 More fantasy novels… always! 📚 Lit fic edits 📚 Murder mystery edits 📚 Continuing working with my coaching clients For my editing calendar, I’m booking into spring & summer. If you want to grab a spot, send me a DM or visit the link in bio to get the process started. But that’s not all I’m working on. I’ve talked about it a bit on this account, but I’m self-publishing my new adult fantasy series… starting this year! Yup. I’m right there with you, indie authors. I’m officially on both sides of the process. I’ve hired my own editor. I’ve worked with my cover designer. I’m building an ARC team. I’ve been busy revising and streamlining and self-editing. I’ve got three novels coming out in 2023. And three more planned to be out in 2024 🤞 I’ll be sharing more about what I’ve learned about this process over the course of the year. Tell me what you’ve been up to in the comments. Happy Friday! #indiepublishingcommunity #amediting #amrevising #fictionwriter #amwritingfantasy #novelwriting #amwritingromance #amwritingscifi #indieauthorsofinstagram #nanowrimo #instawrimo #tipsforwriters #indiesareworthit #fantasywriter #amwritingfantasy #writingtips #writingtipsandtricks #writershelpingwriters #bookeditor #writingcoach #copyeditor #lineeditor #proofreader
Will your book appeal to readers outside of your t Will your book appeal to readers outside of your target audience? Short answer is YES, absolutely! 💃 Long answer is… it’s a little more complicated than that. 👀 As an editor who works largely in sci-fi and fantasy, I talk to a lot of authors who write YA books. They’re often concerned about appealing to both teenagers—the intended audience of the YA category—and adults who like to read YA. When thinking about your target audience and the age group you’re writing for, remember that adults often “read down” into “younger” categories. Many adults read YA books not because they’re the target audience but because they enjoy the themes and storylines. Don’t try to shove adult themes and characters into a YA book just to appeal to adults. Adults who read YA are looking for the things they like about YA. When you’re thinking about your manuscript and where it fits, remember that there’s more to it than just your main characters’ ages. Themes, tone, and even writing style all play a role in this. I can’t spell it all out in a short Instagram caption, but just think about what’s appropriate for each age group. For example, Middle Grade readers are usually aged 8-12, so they certainly don’t need to be reading about adult themes such as existential angst, sex, and marriage problems. MG readers would, however, be ready to read about things like puberty, first crushes, and even changing family dynamics. And yes, some of these themes overlap between that various ahre groups. That's where tone, the storylines, and overall content come back into play. I promise, if you’re telling the story you want to tell and you’re doing so in an engaging way, readers outside of this target audience will still find and enjoy your book! QOTD: Which of these categories does your manuscript fit into? What do you like about writing for that audience? #indiepublishingcommunity #amediting #amrevising #fictionwriter #amwritingfantasy #novelwriting #amwritingromance #amwritingscifi #indieauthorsofinstagram #tipsforwriters #indiesareworthit #fantasywriter #amwritingfantasy #writingtips #writingtipsandtricks #writershelpingwriters #bookeditor #writingcoach #copyeditor #lineeditor
Happy Holidays! ⛄❄️🎄🎊 I'm out of offi Happy Holidays! ⛄❄️🎄🎊 I'm out of office today, December 23, through Monday, December 26 for a much-needed break. I'll be back on Tuesday the 27th ♥️ Cheers! #editorsofinstagram #copyeditor #storyeditor #developmentaleditor #proofreader #lineeditor #indieauthors #indieauthorsofinstagram #indiesareworthit
Rewrites can be disheartening. Frustrating. Emotio Rewrites can be disheartening. Frustrating. Emotionally taxing. I know; I’ve been deep in revisions on the second novel in my fantasy series this month. Some of that has included rewriting whole chapters. Trying to combine two chapters into one. Scrapping scenes. I’ve had to step away from it more than once to ground myself and remind myself the magic is in the rewrites and revisions. I can already see the difference in the draft, and it’s not like I’ve even changed much about the plot. I’m just shaping the manuscript into its best self. Next time you’re doing rewrites or heavy revisions, try reframing to this perspective. That your hard work is going to elevate your manuscript. Every writer, at some point, goes through this. I’d argue most of us go through it on almost every project, too. It’s just part of the creative writing process. Don’t be afraid to rewrite. But a word of caution, too. Don’t rewrite *just* to rewrite. Sometimes, we get into our own heads and start rewriting as we chase elusive and impossible perfection. Ask yourself, does the change: 📚 Serve the story in some way? For example, does it tighten up pacing in an area where you want to speed things up? Or is it just different from what you already wrote? 📚 Help you align with a genre expectation you’re trying to meet? 📚 Clarify something for readers? You’ve got to find a balance between trusting your gut and trying to fix something that’s not broken. Things that make us feel like we need to rewrite, when really we just need to take a step back: 📚 Negative reactions from beta readers and/or negative comments from other feedback partners 📚 Negative self-talk 📚 Perfectionism At the end of the day, you know your manuscript, your story, and your goals better than anyone else. And only you truly know how to fix the problems in your manuscript. Others might offer guidance and opinions, but it’s up to you to figure out what’s going to work in the long run. Trust yourself, writer! You’ve got this. QOTD: What’s the biggest rewrite you’ve ever done? How did you tackle it? #writershelpingwriters #bookeditor #writingcoach #copyeditor #lineeditor #proofreader
Sometimes, when I tell people in the real world th Sometimes, when I tell people in the real world that I’m a book editor, I get looks of amazement and comments like, “How do you remember all of the grammar rules? They were so hard to memorize in school!” Well… spoiler alert: editors definitely don’t have all of that stuff memorized! Just like authors have reference and craft books, so do editors. The ones pictured above are mostly ones about writing, not grammar, but an editor’s education never stops! One I’m hoping to have time to read soon is Craft in the Real World: Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping by Matthew Salesses. I’ve heard great things about it, and my paperback copy is eagerly awaiting some free time in my schedule. 💃 In my day-to-day work, though, my main point of reference is usually the Chicago Manual of Style. Over 1000 pages of style and grammar guidance! Mine is full of tabs for all of the sections I reference most commonly as a fiction editor. I also have the online version, which I don’t like as much, and my editing software also has a built-in connection to CMOS to make things that much more efficient as I edit. Pretty cool! Because while us editors do know a lot of stuff just from experience and study, our brains can’t hold it all. And no, your editor isn't judging you for imperfect copy. Language is weird and hard! That's why things like CMOS—and trained editors—exist! #writershelpingwriters #bookeditor #writingcoach #copyeditor #lineeditor #proofreader #writingtips #writingtipsandtricks #indiesareworthit #indiepublishingcommunity #amediting #amrevising #fictionwriter #amwritingfantasy #novelwriting #amwritingromance #amwritingscifi #indieauthorsofinstagram #nanowrimo #instawrimo #tipsforwriters
It’s impossible to write a book that appeals to It’s impossible to write a book that appeals to every reader. You cannot. You will not. Stop trying to create something with universal appeal. I get it, though. Sharing our art is so scary. Our books carry pieces of our heart in them, so to think that someone might *not* like it is really fucking uncomfortable. It makes us vulnerable. And to think they’re going to then assign a certain star value or reject us from publishing entirely is almost worse. Literally no author is free from this, though. Go pick a famous modern novel or a classic, then look up reviews and critiques. There will always be readers who don’t connect with or like a given story no matter how “great” it is or how “universal” it seems. And that’s okay! There are any number of reasons readers don’t connect with stories. Maybe they… 🖊️ Don’t love the author’s style and can’t get into the book 🤔 Have specific critiques that pull them out of the story 🥸 Don’t like the tropes, or on a bigger scale, the genre 🚫 Can’t connect with the characters 🤷 Aren’t interested in the plot Or maybe the story just wasn’t meant for them. Sometimes people just don’t vibe with certain books. Your story is going to have all kinds of readers over its lifetime, and they’re going to react in all sorts of ways. No matter how much work you put into your story, you cannot control how readers will react to it. Every reader is an individual bringing all sorts of stuff to their own reading experience: preferences, traumas, life experiences, opinions. All of that informs how we read books and engage with story. The only thing you can control is the effort you put into telling your story, polishing your manuscript, and pursuing your vision. That enthusiasm and passion will come across the page to the right readers. Let go of the need to please every reader and creating a “universal” book. Follow your vision. Handle your manuscript with care. And know that someone out there wants and needs the story you have to tell. #writershelpingwriters #bookeditor #writingcoach #copyeditor #lineeditor #proofreader
Editing doesn’t have to be a mysterious process. Editing doesn’t have to be a mysterious process. In fact, it’s pretty easy once you find the editor you want to work with! Here’s how things work at Between the Lines Editorial: 📚 Contact me for a free consultation and sample edit. After I get some information about your project, I’ll do a free sample edit on a section of your work. This helps us get a feel for each others’ work. I’ll also send you a price quote(s) at this stage. 📚 We both sign a contract. If we think we’re good fits to work together after the consultation and sample edit, we’ll both e-sign a contract that outlines our responsibilities, including the work I’m doing, deadlines for both of us, and payment. 📚 You pay a deposit. After the contract is signed, you pay your deposit, and you’re locked into my editorial calendar. 📚 Editing begins. You’re officially on vacation from your manuscript! I’ll get to work. This is also when you’ll pay another invoice or, if you’ve opted to use a payment plan, you’ll be receiving bi-weekly invoices. 📚 I send bi-weekly project updates. I like to keep in touch with my authors while I work on their books. I send email updates every other Friday to let you know how things are going and keep communication lines open. 📚 You receive the final edits. Once I’m done editing, I’ll send everything back to you. Depending on what type of editing I did, this might be multiple files. This is also when you’ll also receive your final invoice. 📚 Schedule your coaching call! Every editing package includes coaching time to ask questions, discuss the edits, and pick my brain. You also get continued email support after the project is done. And that’s the process, start to finish! Simple. If you’re interested in working with me in 2023 on your fantasy, sci-fi, or romance project, my earliest availability is in late February. Use the link in my bio or DM me. #bookeditor #writingcoach #copyeditor #developmentaleditor #mansucriptcritique #indiesareworthit #indiepublishing #amediting #amrevising #fictionwriter #amwritingfantasy #novelwriting #amwritingscifi
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