Description

Intro to Becoming a Professional Beta Reader

Want to add beta reading to your list of services but unsure where to start? Stumped by how to differentiate between beta reading and developmental editing in terms of pricing and scope? Heck, unsure exactly what beta reading entails? Beta reading has traditionally been a free service exchanged within writing groups, but it has gained traction as a professional service in the last few years—one that requires a different approach than editing. In this intro-level webinar, I’ll walk you through the basics of beta reading, how it differs from editing, and deciding if it’s something you want to offer. At the end of the 60 minutes, you’ll have the tools to structure your beta reading service, including pricing, scope, and setting expectations (both for yourself and for clients).

Developmental Editing of Fiction: Beginning

Developmental editors (DEs) are all about the big picture. They assess how a manuscript hangs together as a whole, how a story moves and unfurls, how characters drive the story forward. And above all, DEs are the author’s collaborating partner—they hone the writer’s unique voice and make the author’s vision their vision. This self-paced introductory course is meant for anyone who wants to help authors shape their stories, develop their storytelling grit, and conquer the boring in their manuscripts. It covers what every DE needs to know to start working in the industry.

Four-week traditional course, beginning October 16: Developmental Editing of Fiction: Intermediate

If you have experience in fiction developmental editing (or if you’ve completed “Developmental Editing of Fiction: Beginning”), this four-week class will take your skills to the next level. We’ll expand on the fundamentals of developmental editing, including structure, beats, pacing, and character development; address legal and ethical issues in character development; and talk about how to manage developmental edits for authors at various levels of ability.

Listen to the Music: Introduction to Line Editing

If developmental editing helps shape a story and copyediting polishes it, line editing is what makes the writing come alive. Line editors listen to the music behind the written word. This webinar will challenge developmental editors and copyeditors to approach editing from the middle distance, connecting with the writing while detaching from the big picture or the small cleanup issues. We’ll talk about authorial voice, discuss how to work with writing on a line level, and work through a few examples comparing line editing to other editorial phases.

Copyediting Fiction

Fiction copyeditors not only look for misspellings and punctuation errors, but edit for voice and technique. This self-paced class will explore the differences between fiction and nonfiction editing, where copyediting ends and developmental editing begins, and common manuscript errors. We’ll examine style issues particular to fiction, including the mechanics of dialogue and interior monologue, narration flaws, and authorial voice. The course also provides information on breaking into fiction editing and working with indie authors or new writers.

Romance for Editors: Working with Archetypes, Tropes, and Genre Conventions

Romance is full of character archetypes and story tropes that need to be wielded purposefully to build an engaging story. This 90-minute workshop will introduce you to common archetypes and tropes found in romance subgenres, from the bad-boy billionaire to the second chance at love. Learning these story fundamentals will give you new tools to use when it comes time to break out your red pen, while also helping you support authors in finding surprising, fun ways to introduce readers to their favorite tropes and archetypes. This webinar is suitable for both new and experienced romance editors, and it’s a great introduction to editing this genre if you’ve been curious about it!

Five-week traditional course, beginning October 2: Editing Romance

This deep dive into romance will help developmental editors build genre toolkits. Though being familiar with the romance genre is a plus, it’s not required. Students should have experience with developmental editing and a strong understanding of story structure fundamentals. All the basics of romance—story beats, tropes, and even the history of the genre—will be covered. We’ll read a wide array of romance excerpts and one complete novel, and you’ll get direct instructor feedback on several short assignments and then a complete developmental edit (including editorial letter) of a short novella. You should expect to spend up to 5–7 hours per week on classwork and forum discussions with the instructor and other students. You’ll come away from this class knowing everything you need to begin providing developmental editing services to romance writers.

Six-week traditional course, beginning September 18: Editing Children’s Picture Books

Picture books are a child’s first impression of reading, but they are essentially books for an audience who cannot read. This is why picture book manuscripts have “rules” to follow for them to be engaging to both the children who listen to them and the adults who read them out loud. Editing picture books requires specialized knowledge and techniques specific to this type of fiction. If you’d like to begin editing children’s picture books, this course is a comprehensive guide ensuring you can help your client to produce a properly structured manuscript with a forward-moving plot, essential obstacles, and memorable characters.

Editing Young Adult Fiction

The stories told in young adult fiction are as unique and varied as its young audience. Developmental editing of a YA novel is a specific task requiring a different approach from editing adult novels. The secret to editing YA fiction is being able to place yourself into a teen’s head and experience, identifying with teen characters and how they express themselves. Can you remember the wild highs and lows of your teenage years? Be ready to time travel back to the teenage you! This self-paced class will teach you: what YA is and how it is unique; the popular genres in YA; how to ensure a book is teen-centric, particularly through editing for authentic and realistic teen voice and dialogue; and much more.

Working with Indie Authors

With an author-centric approach, this workshop-style course gives you context by showing you where you are in the industry, helps you develop a marketing strategy to target the indie authors you want to work with, and guides you through developing tools that allow you to communicate effectively with prospective clients, pitch your services, and ensure your clients are on the same page as you.