February 4, 2012

About Carolyn Madison

Carolyn is the Editorial Coordinator at Self Publishing, Inc. Having a background in research analysis, she has spent more than twenty years writing, editing, and consulting. While director of editing and quality assurance at the Gallup Organization, Carolyn helped to establish Gallup Press and led its editorial staff in preparing such bestsellers as First, Break All The Rules; Now, Discover Your Strengths; How Full Is Your Bucket?; and Vital Friends.

Don’t Pay for Editing Until You Know What Kind of Editing Your Manuscript Needs

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You’ve worked through several drafts of your manuscript, and you think you’re ready to have it professionally edited. You have a local friend who does editing, and you know of a local college professor who edited something for another friend recently. You’ve come across several different editing services on the Internet, and you wonder about … [Read more...]

Four Tips to Enhance Your Credibility as An Author

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Nonfiction writers are justifiably concerned with how their voice and tone will affect the audience. They want to portray themselves as credible without coming across as a “know-it-all.” They want to seem authoritative on their topic but not “preachy.” While there are several techniques to accomplish this, some strategies may undermine your … [Read more...]

Unleashing the Power of Limited Third Person Point of View

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Have you ever considered that your story might be begging to be rewritten from a different point of view? That was the case in a recent manuscript I edited. Here’s what happened. I’ve seen a lot of manuscripts, and few of them move me to tears; but this one did. I attributed much of its appeal to the beautiful simplicity in the writer’s … [Read more...]

Are You Going to Write the Way You Speak?

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If you consider yourself a better speaker than writer, you would be wise to do some intentional thinking about how you will prepare your manuscript for publication. As you plan your book project, begin by considering your audience. Ask yourself some basic questions. Who is the audience of your book? Is it the same audience as the audience for … [Read more...]

Writing Tips for Public Speakers

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Public speakers need to produce books that will sell. But before launching your book writing project, evaluate how your book will function within your total business model. Consider the objectives of your book. What role do you need it to play as a part of your overall goals? Write down your objectives for your book in terms of the role it will … [Read more...]

One-Step Editing and Design—Such a Deal!

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So you’ve found a designer who will edit as he lays out the interior of your book, huh? That should save both time and money, as you’ll be completing two steps at the same time! Uh huh. Let me know how that works out for you. I have heard from several authors after they have tried to do it that way—and I’ve seen the results of that … [Read more...]

Phantom Books May Lurk Within Your Book Concept

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Many times as I am working on a manuscript I see the untapped potential within that one book concept. Do you have a great book concept? Have you already published a book? You may be surprised to discover other phantom books lurking within that one book concept of yours. Who is your target audience? Your manuscript should be directed to one … [Read more...]