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By Olivia – Editorial Director

WELCOME to the first blog of the Book Brilliance Publishing website!  My name is Olivia Eisinger and I am a freelance editor with over 13 years’ experience in the publishing world. I am honoured that Brenda Dempsey, CEO of Book Brilliance Publishing, has asked me to share some hints and tips about the writing process with you.

TAKE YOUR TIME

The first and important piece of advice is DO NOT RUSH your writing, or your hard work and effort will not be rewarded. You have poured a lifetime of experience into the manuscript so the text needs to be the best it can possibly be.  You want to be able to call yourself an Author with Authority and Pride, having honoured both the time and effort you have spent writing the book, as well as the writing itself.

THE PUBLISHING PROCESS

Not only does this mean that you should take your time to write as well as research, but it also means that the publishing process itself should not be rushed. There are several stages that a manuscript has to go through, including a reader’s report, edit, layout, cover design, proof and final approval. This all takes time – depending on the manuscript, this can take from 3-6 months. For your book to be the best that it can be, do NOT cut corners.

GETTING THE MANUSCRIPT READY

Once you have finished writing, to ensure that your manuscript is as good as it can be, run it through Grammarly or a similar writing tool programme – but remember to make sure you are using UK spelling rather than US spelling.  This does NOT replace a professional edit, but it will pick up some typos and grammatical mistakes. Then ask a friend or family member to read through the manuscript – as an author, you are so immersed in your book that sometimes you miss something that is obvious to a fresh pair of eyes.

APPEALING TO YOUR READERS

Have you thought about your market? Who will buy your book? Research your niche market; in 2019 there were approximately 187,000 titles published in the UK, so what is going to make your book stand out? What’s your USP? You need to find something that will ‘hook’ your prospective reader. What categories would Amazon and bookshops put your book in? It is worth spending time researching other books in your genre – what does the cover look like? What is the hook that has pulled you in? Has the author offered the reader a solution to their problem?

LAYOUT & DESIGN

Now to the layout. Try and ensure that the book is laid out in interesting and appealing way for your prospective reader. Do you have clear sections, chapters and headings? Make sure your text is not too ‘busy’ or hard to read – no one wants to read page after page of dense text. Your manuscript needs to be broken up into readable chunks, interspersed with headings, images and diagrams. In addition, consider adding quotes from experts in the field, perhaps at the beginning or end of each chapter.

EXTRAS

I would also suggest you draw up a further reading/bibliography section to be added at the end of the book – to get your reader engaged in further reading on the subject and a broader view.

I hope this advice helps you at whatever stage you are in the writing process of your book. Good Luck!