Working with an editor is life changing for a book project. Authors can only take their titles so far before they need an outside perspective to ask new questions and to help flush out plot lines. It can be confusing to figure out what type of editing you need, especially if this is your first book. Each genre is going to be slightly different on how editing works, so for this blog’s purpose we will be talking about fiction books.

There are many different ways to publish a book, but the top three are traditional, hybrid, and self-publishing. My background is in all three as I worked for both traditional publishers and hybrid publishers, and I self published a novel when I was sixteen (don’t ask). With the rise of eBooks and social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, it’s been easier and easier for authors to connect directly with readers. Despite self-published books getting more of a following, bookstores are still hesitant to put those titles in their bookstore. Here are some reasons why:

Last night I had the privilege of being the guest speaker for the Book Authors of Southeastern Pennsylvania group. These authors, both unpublished and published, were wonderful to chat with and I so enjoyed sharing the publishing knowledge I’ve accumulated over the last ten years. While I put together a full presentation, I thought I would highlight an area here that the authors found very helpful.

I have a sixth sense when it comes to snuffing out story plots. 

It’s true! 

Most times when my husband and I sit down to watch a television show or a movie, I can predict exactly what will happen, even if it’s far-fetched. For instance, in Only Murders in the Building, I’ve been able to predict the murderer in the last few episodes of each season before they do the reveal. I can almost always tell when a character is pregnant and they haven’t announced it yet, and I know which characters are going to end up together from the beginning (think Nick and Jess).

Some might say that it’s lazy writing if I’m able to figure things out so easily, but it’s actually the opposite. I’ve studied creative writing and storytelling for over ten years at this point so my eye is trained for the formulas writers use and how to detect plot lines. This means I can tell if a book is going to be a good book within the first three chapters of reading it, which is a skill I use for choosing titles for the bookstore. It took time to hone this sixth sense so let’s start at the beginning: