Avoid Clever-Author Syndrome – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Feb. 10, 2026

Craft of Writing: Avoid Clever-Author Syndrome
When we’ve mastered some skill – say ball handling in basketball – we often like to show off. So when we’re on the sidewalk with the neighbor kids, we’ll spin the ball on a finger or perform some gravity-defying dribbling trick. While showing off may earn you points as a kid, when writing it’s not a great idea. READ MORE

NOW ON AUDIOBOOK! Storytelling 101 Quick Read Series
Need tips on plotting your novel? Starting your story? Selecting the best point of view? Writing more engaging dialogue? Showing not telling? Formatting your ebook or paperback? Creating a book cover? Setting up an author’s platform? Your author’s website? Arranging and delivering a book reading? Running an Amazon ad campaign for your books? My Storytelling 101 Quick Read series covers these topics and more – and now they’re all available on audiobook, perfect for your commute or when doing chores around the house. SEE AUDIOBOOKS

Writing Tip: Write a Great Narrative Hook for Your Fiction Story
One sign of a good opener is that it makes the reader want to continue with the story. Using a fishing metaphor, a good opener “hooks” the reader. READ MORE

Self-Publishing Tip: Tax Forms Self-Published U.S. Authors Must File
As a published author, you’ll have to pay taxes on your earnings from book sales. If a self-published author in the United States, you are a self-proprietor, and that means you’ll need to fill out some additional forms with the IRS. READ MORE

This Week’s Podcast: Include These Pages on Your Business Website
Whenever creating a website for a business that springs from your books, you’ll want to include certain pieces of information on it. LISTEN TO PODCAST

Book Marketing Tip: Some Guidelines for Reviewing a Book
Once you’ve asked someone to write a review for your book, you might be peppered with a few questions: How long should it be? What do you want me to say? When do you need it by? READ MORE

Client Spotlight: “Adventures in the School Drop-Off Line” by A.S. Huffman
A recent editing client of mine has published her second children’s book! Adventures in the School Drop-Off Line, by A.S. Huffman, tells the story of a school’s morning drop-off line that runs perfectly. Move. Stop. Move. Stop. Move. Stop. Everything in perfect timing. Then one day a family slows the line with antics that get wilder and crazier with each passing morning. Can the principal, Mrs. Tack, get this family to behave so that the line moves again in an orderly, efficient manner? The book is available in paperback at Amazon. CHECK IT OUT

$25 Off Your Next Edit!
For being a newsletter subscriber, please take $25 off your next edit with Inventing Reality Editing Service. When scheduling your edit, be sure to mention you’re a subscriber and give the email where you received this newsletter. Minimum order of $200. Offer expires Feb. 17, 2026. SCHEDULE EDIT

My name is Rob Bignell. I’m an affordable, professional editor who runs Inventing Reality Editing Service, which meets the manuscript needs of both aspiring and published writers and offers a variety of self-publishing services. During the past 15 years, I’ve helped more than 425 novelists and nonfiction authors obtain their publishing dreams at reasonable prices. I’m also the author of a novel, the Storytelling 101 Quick Read series, four children’s books, more than 25 bestselling hiking guidebooks, and even a book of poetry. Several of my short stories in the literary and science fiction genres also have been published.