Craft of Writing: Generate Tension by Leaving Reader in Doubt
Any story you tell by definition has a plot, characters, setting, point of view and theme. But to really make a story pop, an author has to interweave and play these elements against one another so that the story has tension. READ MORE

How to Format Your Ebook
The best way to construct an ebook is as a unique document rather than running your paperback through meat grinder software. Fortunately, you can construct it right on your laptop without buying expensive software or hiring someone to code your ebook into a mobi or epub format. My Storytelling 101 book Format Your Ebook takes you through those steps. Among the many topics covered are your table of contents, headers, footers, page numbers, text, designing the cover, and uploading the ebook. Information is presented in brief, easy to understand explanations from someone who has formatted hundreds of ebooks. SEE BOOK

Writing Tip: Score Story Plot Points with Head Fake
Many readers enjoy books in which they attempt to solve the story’s central problem before the main character does. To add to such readers’ pleasure, authors sometimes will create “diversions” when plotting the book. These diversions are known as head fakes. READ MORE

Self-Publishing Tip: Ebooks: The Now of Publishing
I originally had titled this entry “Ebooks: The Future of Publishing” but after editing changed it to “Ebooks: The Now of Publishing.” My original title might have been accurate in 2010, but since then digital books have come to be a major portion of the book market. They are now the primary way a sizable number of people read books, whether it be a classroom text or the latest airport novel. READ MORE

This Week’s Podcast: Appeal to Sense of Sound when Writing
When writing descriptions, one of the five senses that you can appeal to is sound. LISTEN TO PODCAST

Book Marketing Tip: Utilize Online Storefronts to Promote Your Book
One way to promote your book is to sell it on as many different websites as possible. While most people interested in purchasing a book will go to Amazon.com, you need not limit yourself to that one website or “online storefront.” READ MORE

Client Spotlight: “How the Gods Feast” by Robert Grains
The renowned British YouTube channel HorrorBabble recently published one of my editing clients’ short stories. “How the Gods Feast” is the opening story in Robert Grains’ horror anthology “Ossuary of Dreams.” You can catch the YouTube story here or see his anthology here.

$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 June 23, 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.

Craft of Writing: Create an Uncertain Outcome for Your Main Character
If you’re story feels flat, you may want to look at the plot and ask yourself, “Do my readers have a sense of anticipation yet uncertainty about what will come next?” If the answer is “No,” then your story lacks suspense. READ MORE

The Ultimate Guide to Self-Publishing Your Book
You’ve written a book that’s languishing on your computer hard drive. You don’t have time to pitch it to a literary agent or a major publisher … work or school is hectic, the house needs to be cleaned, the kids demand your attention … But we bet you can find just seven minutes a day to achieve your dream of getting it published. If you can, my book 7 Minutes a Day to a Self-Published Book is for you. This practical, how-to guide takes you step-by-step through the self-publishing process – with just seven minutes of work required a day. You’ll complete short, skillful exercises that allow you to self-publish your novel or nonfiction title as you read the book, all the while getting the encouragement and motivation needed to keep you going. SEE BOOK

Writing Tip: Consider Using Man vs. Nature Conflict in Story
When developing your story, you’ll want your characters to face a number of challenges or conflicts. One of the most basic of them is man vs. nature. In this conflict, the characters find their goals jeopardized by the natural forces of the universe: the cold of an ice age, dangerous plants and animals in an alien jungle, or the vacuum of space. READ MORE

Self-Publishing: Common Questions about Publishing Ebooks
As a book editor, I get a number of questions about publishing ebooks, especially since this is such a new field. Here are the answers to a few that have been asked a lot of me during the past few weeks. READ MORE

This Week’s Podcast: The ‘Thinking Step’ when Writing Your Book
If you’re putting your pen to paper or fingers to keyboard for the first time on a story, you really aren’t starting at all. You probably “started” writing the piece some time before – in your head. That “thinking step” is known in the ⁠writing process⁠ as brainstorming. LISTEN TO PODCAST

Book Marketing Tip: Entice Readers with Excerpt from Next Book
If you’ve already started writing the next book you plan to publish, the back of the one you’re about to release is a great place to promote it. You might do that by offering readers an excerpt of your next book. This is particularly popular among novelists. READ MORE

“The Zen of Kata” by Alex W. Tong
A recent editing client of mine, biomedical scientist and sensei Alex W. Tong, has published what without doubt is the book on traditional Shotokan Karate-dō. Chockful of photos, easy to follow instructions, and contemporary scientific insights, “The Zen of Kata” details all of the health benefits of this Eastern practice and explains how to do it. CHECK IT OUT

Get a Coloring Book for Your Kids – or Yourself!
My latest writing project is coloring books! I’ve just released 21 mostly nature-themed books about California, Arizona and Wisconsin. Books range from national parks to wildlife and wildflowers. There’s even one for my hometown, which I did just for fun! Thirty-three accurately detailed drawings wait to be colored in each book. Beneath every drawing is an interesting fact about the picture. They are intended for older elementary school children (grades 3-7) and adults who still have a little kid in them. All books are available on Amazon and for retailers at Ingram. I’ll be at Dragon Tale Books (Menomonie, Wisconsin) later this month to promote them. 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 June 16, 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.

Craft of Writing: Sustain Dramatic Tension through Good Pacing
As developing your story, maintaining a sense of tension is vital. Without dramatic tension – a feeling of uncertainty in the reader about how the main character will solve (or even if he will resolve) the central problem – the story will be flat and vanilla. READ MORE

Writing Advice: Using a Writing Process When Writing Nonfiction
One of the biggest mistakes aspiring authors make is denying that they’re following a process when writing a book. These writers often say they write “from the seat of their pants.” Yet, every writer goes through five basic steps if they finish and publish their nonfiction book. Understanding those five basic steps can help authors identify why they’re having trouble writing. Maybe their book idea isn’t very good. Possibly they haven’t thought through it enough. Maybe they’re not revising it efficiently. My book Following a Writing Process for Nonfiction takes you through the five steps of the writing process. Among the many topics covered include brainstorming story ideas, outlining the book, drafting it, revising, and formatting. SEE BOOK

Writing Tip: Some Plots about Search for a ‘Macguffin’
Not all stories are about restoring order in the universe or overcoming some personal conflict. Sometimes the plot revolves around the search for an item that will elevate the main character’s position in the world or will prevent an evil force from gaining the upper hand. This item is called a macguffin. READ MORE

Self-Publishing Tip: What is an ASIN (And Other Useful Things to Know)
Writers new to self-publishing often run into the abbreviation ASIN and find themselves confused. Is it the same as an International Standard Book Number (ISBN)? Does one need an ISBN if you have an ASIN? READ MORE

This Week’s Podcast: Submitting Do’s and Don’ts for Magazines
So you’ve got a story written and are about to send it to a magazine or a publisher. Congratulations! One of the largest barriers preventing beginning writers from becoming established is that they never finish their work. LISTEN TO PODCAST

Book Marketing Tip: Draw Attention to Book Via Article Directories
One way to draw attention to your book is by writing an article related to it, then getting it published. Fortunately, you don’t have to play the freelancer game to get the article published as you can post it for free at online article directories, such as Ezine Articles. READ MORE

Client Spotlight: “Dawn of the Cosmic Soul” by Gary German
An editing client has published his book that I edited this past spring. In Dawn of the Cosmic Soul, Gary German, presents a spiritual approach for embracing current world changes and challenges. He emphasizes that to navigate meaningfully and purposefully in the mundane world, embracing cosmic vision and a cosmic spiritual journey is vital. 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 June 9, 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.

Craft of Writing: Give Your Story Oomph! with Narrative Drive
Ever read a story before bed and find it so gripping that you stay up far later than you should just to find out what is going to happen? If so, you’ve been a “victim” of narrative drive. READ MORE

Writing Advice: Using a Writing Process When Writing Nonfiction
One of the biggest mistakes aspiring authors make is denying that they’re following a process when writing a book. These writers often say they write “from the seat of their pants.” Yet, every writer goes through five basic steps if they finish and publish their nonfiction book. Understanding those five basic steps can help authors identify why they’re having trouble writing. Maybe their book idea isn’t very good. Possibly they haven’t thought through it enough. Maybe they’re not revising it efficiently. My book Following a Writing Process for Nonfiction takes you through the five steps of the writing process. Among the many topics covered include brainstorming story ideas, outlining the book, drafting it, revising, and formatting. SEE BOOK

Writing Tip: Substantive Edit Needed Early in Writing Process
A substantive edit generally is needed after the writer has taken the manuscript through at least one draft. That is, the manuscript is “completed” with no missing parts. A substantive editor may find that additional parts need to be written, but before the edit begins, at least in the writer’s mind, the manuscript is “complete.” READ MORE

Self-Publishing Tip: Pros and Cons of Using Draft2Digital for Book Sales
A number of self-publishing companies exist, and most are rip-offs. Yes, they may turn out a quality-looking product, but they don’t get you an Amazon.com landing page for your title or you’re unable to sell your title across several platforms such as iBook or Nook. Worse, they are extremely expensive. So what about Draft2Digital, especially with its new fees? READ MORE

This Week’s Podcast: Top 5 Habits All Writers Should Possess
Despite widely varying writing styles, almost all writers share several common habits that help ensure their success. Drawing upon my experience working as an editor with hundreds of authors and having read far more interviews of or essays by writers, I’ve noticed five common habits among them. LISTEN TO PODCAST

Book Marketing Tip: Sell More Books via Email Marketing Campaign
The key to selling books is to “make contact with” or reach potential readers of your titles. After all, if a reader doesn’t know about your book, she can’t purchase it. Among the best ways to reach readers is through email marketing. READ MORE

Client Spotlight: “Universal Intelligence” by Mike Steinle
A recent client of mine has published his book that I edited in spring, Universal Intelligence. Mike Steinle’s book posits that there is a universal intelligence that underlies everything that exists, and that you by accessing it, you can:
• Discover who you really are and why you are here.
• Achieve all of your goals and aspirations.
• Gain the knowledge you need to build and live your best life here and now.
• Protect yourself and the people you care about from the mayhem in the world.
• Find the answers to your questions about life and its true meaning.
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 June 2, 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.

Craft of Writing: Watch for Verb Tense Shifts
A common mistake among novice writers is shifting within their story so that events occurred in the now but then in the next paragraph happen in the past. This is a sign that the writer is changing verb tenses. READ MORE

Following a Writing Process for Fiction 
One of the biggest mistakes aspiring authors make is denying that they’re following a process when writing a short story or a novel. These writers often say they write “from the seat of their pants.” Yet, every story goes through five basic steps if the author finishes and publishes it. Understanding those five basic steps can help authors identify why they’re having trouble writing a story. Maybe their story idea isn’t very good. Possibly they haven’t thought through the story enough. Maybe they’re not revising it efficiently. Following a Writing Process for Fiction describes the five steps of the writing process. Among the many topics covered include brainstorming story ideas, outlining the story, drafting it, revising your drafts, formatting, and how to troubleshoot your story to find which step you need to spend more time on. SEE BOOK

Writing Tip: Finding Writer’s Holy Grail: ‘A Place to Write’
One of the obstacles facing beginning writers is finding a place where they actually can write. Too often our responsibilities and modern civilization’s many distractions don’t allow for a moment – or place – of peace and quiet in our lives. Yet, just such a place where we can put our fingers to keyboard or pen to paper for a while is necessary if we are to write. READ MORE

Self-Publishing Tip: How to Line up Page Numbers in Table of Contents
One of the most annoying problems self-publishing authors encounter when formatting their book in Microsoft Word is lining up the table of contents. Fortunately, it’s actually quite easy to do, an after you’ve done it a couple of times, you’ll have it memorized. READ MORE

This Week’s Podcast: What is Self-Publishing and Should I Try It?
What is self-publishing? How does it differ from mainstream publishing? Should you self-publish or go the traditional route. Longtime book editor Rob Bignell answers these questions and more. LISTEN TO PODCAST

Book Marketing Tip: Offer Readers a Sample Chapter Page on Website
If the book you’re promoting is the first one you’ve published, readers most likely will be unfamiliar with you or your writing. Further, given the vast number of other authors out there, a potential reader might decide to pass over you for another one who is slightly better well known or who has more writing credits to their name. READ MORE

Client Spotlight: “Senior Agent” by William Rose
A recent client has published his book that I edited. William Rose’s Senior Agent is a firsthand expose of discrimination, widespread dishonesty, and retaliation within a federal law enforcement agency. The book reveals how experienced agents, particularly older employees, are subjected to age discrimination and workplace retaliation, often as a means to push them out of the government. At its core, Senior Agent illustrates a modern-day Metian Dilemma, where employees who challenge authority must choose between submission or fighting a war – which they likely will lose – against a system where the government has all the advantages. 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 May 26, 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.

Craft of Writing: Pep Up Your Writing: Replace Overused Verbs
Even when using active verbs, sentences still may sound flat. More than likely, that’s because those active verbs are also overused. READ MORE

How to Write Engaging, Natural Dialogue in Your Story
One of the most important tools in your writing kit is dialogue. It can help develop your characters, move the plot forward, increase tension, and establish a scene’s mood. Unfortunately, sometimes novice writers write dull dialogue. Like a flat tire that slows your vehicle to a near stop, so dull dialogue can quickly bring your story to a near halt. My guidebook Write Engaging, Natural Dialogue is all about helping beginning writers better understand how to pen conversations between characters. If you’ve already written a story and know the dialogue is weak, the tips in this book can help you diagnose and fix the problem. SEE BOOK

Writing Tip: How to Create Suspense in Your Story
Conflict – the competition a character faces as attempting to achieve a goal – always is the core of a story. But a good story is more than just a fight between a hero and a villain or an inner monologue in which one struggles what to do. Good storytelling involves suspense, that tension in which the reader is uncertain how the conflict will be resolved. READ MORE

Self-Publishing Tip: 22 Awesome Tips on Formatting Ebooks
When self-publishing, formatting your ebook often is a challenge, especially for first timers. Here are some tricks, hacks and tips for ensuring the process goes smoothly. READ MORE

This Week’s Podcast: Why You Need to Market Your Book
It’s the rare book that somehow goes virulent and captures the public’s attention and admiration all on its own. Indeed, more than 900 books are published daily in just the United States alone, so no matter how good yours is, the odds of it even being noticed are nil at best. The reality is that indie authors and those who self-publish need to market their own books. LISTEN TO PODCAST

Book Marketing Tip: Use Hashtags to Sell your Book on Facebook
These days hashtags are ubiquitous on social media platforms. Most social media now use hashtags (sometimes simply referred to as tags), and Facebook is among them. READ MORE

“Hot Scenes” by Michael J. Sahno
A recent editing client, Michael J. Sahno, has published his fifth novel, Hot Scenes: A Satirical Novel About Sex, Cinema, and the American Double Standard. Aghast at American cinema’s descent into boundary-pushing violence, famed Hollywood director J. Edgar Schnatz decides to move in the opposite direction-a celebration of sexuality. But making the world’s first mainstream adult film comes with its own unique set of challenges, from finding a willing cast and sufficient financing to getting that all-important NC-17 rating. Hot Scenes is a darkly comic satire in the tradition of Kurt Vonnegut and Hunter S. Thompson, a novel about art, censorship, and the particular kind of chaos that follows when someone in Hollywood actually means what they say. 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 May 19, 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.

Craft of Writing: Turn Passive Passages into Active Writing
So you’ve written a scene packed with action, ripe with conflict, and filled with tension – but every time you read it, the writing feels flat. The problem may be that you’re writing in passive rather than active voice. READ MORE

How to “Show Don’t Tell” 
Read any writing tip article or book, and one piece of advice you’re sure to see is “Show don’t tell.” For many new writers – and even established ones – showing rather than telling is downright confusing. Just what does an editor mean when she notes “Show don’t tell” on your manuscript? Mastering Show Don’t Tell looks at how to identify and fix all the places where telling – or exposition – rears up in your writing: backstory; info dumps; backfill; vague descriptions; irrelevant character details; emotional states; motivational tells; narration; summarizing; poorly written dialogue; and more! BUY BOOK

Writing Tip: Place Dialogue Attribution in Right Spots
During my years of editing, I’ve found that dialogue often gives beginning fiction writers trouble. In an effort to make clear who is speaking, the writer often ends up slowing the story’s pace and making for a clunky read. READ MORE

Self-Publishing Tip: Commonly Asked Questions
Here are the answers to a few questions about self-publishing that I often receive from clients and readers of this newsletter. READ MORE

This Week’s Podcast: Finding Writer’s Holy Grail: ‘A Place to Write’
One of the obstacles facing beginning writers is finding a place where they actually can write. Too often our responsibilities and modern civilization’s many distractions don’t allow for a moment – or place – of peace and quiet in our lives. Yet, just such a place where we can put our fingers to keyboard or pen to paper for a while is necessary if we are to write. LISTEN TO PODCAST

Book Marketing Tip: Potential Locations for Book Presentations
Once you’ve decided that a public presentation is a good way to promote your book, you’ll need to find some spots to hold your event. Identifying those locales can help you determine what kind of presentation (book signing, topical presentation, etc.) you’ll make and place you on the path for contacting the right people to set up such an event. READ MORE

Client Spotlight: “Common Sense Inventing” by Roger Brown
I edit nonfiction as well as fiction manuscripts, and one of the former that I recently handled was Roger Brown’s Common Sense Inventing. Written for inventors, the book delivers a practical, no nonsense approach to getting your product licensed and on the market that works. Roger Brown is a successful national award winning Serial Inventor with numerous products on the market. Most of them he invested less than $100 and in some cases as little as $10. Using only an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) and a sell sheet, he found success in the toy, tool, kitchen, eyewear and nuclear industries. This book is a practical guide that explains how you can do the same without going into debt. 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 May 12, 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.

Craft of Writing: Scour Fragments from Your Writing
Fragments should be used rarely. While they can be used for rhetorical effect, for that to be successful, the fragment needs to stand out from the rest of the text – and it won’t if your manuscript is full of incomplete sentences. READ MORE

Writing Advice: Mastering Point of View
For beginning writers, point of view often is the most difficult element to master. Without really understanding the role point of view plays in storytelling, aspiring authors frequently select the wrong one. Sometimes they prefer to write or read a specific point of view, so they just go with that, even though it’s not the best choice for their story. My book Mastering Point of View addresses those and many other issues writers face with this element of fiction. It examines the three main points of view – first, third and second – and the different forms each one can take. It looks at when using a specific point of view is to a story’s benefit and when it’s to the story’s detriment. It also discusses how to select your viewpoint character and why a consistent point of view is vital. SEE BOOK

Writing Tip: Strengthen Story with Man vs. Himself Conflict
Perhaps the most profound conflict a character can face is coming into conflict with himself. Conflicts in which the protagonist faces off against other individuals or society often result in characters that represent ideals and concepts. But the character that first must deal with his own foibles to overcome a villain or oppressive values has learned something. He has grown as a character and become a better human being. Ideally, your readers will grow with this character, making his triumph more lasting in the readers’ minds. READ MORE

Self-Publishing Tip: Create a Document to Build Your Ebook Cover
Just as construction workers follow blueprints, so should you when creating your ebook cover. Begin by establishing the cover’s size. READ MORE

This Week’s Podcast: How to Avoid Copyright Infringement
Though you’ve finished writing your book, it still might not be ready for self-publication, if only for legal reason, specifically copyright infringement. LISTEN TO PODCAST

Book Marketing Tip: How to Improve Quality, Sales of Your Next Book
There’s no doubt that marketing and the quality of a book’s content go hand-in-hand where book sales are concerned. Yes, marketing can turn a bad book into a success and clearly a lack of marketing can mean a great book goes unnoticed. But at least in the case of the former, even a bad book eventually will suffer as customer reviews pile up against it. READ MORE

Client Spotlight: “The Glorification of Sarah Furano” by Sammy Juliano
A long-time editing client, Sammy Juliano, has published his latest novel, The Glorification of Sarah Furano. In this fourth novel of his critically-praised northern New Jersey series, a vow made in a 1901 Jersey City tenement echoes through five generations to reach Sarah Furano’s son: Never be weak again. 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 May 5, 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.

Craft of Writing: Vary Syntax to Give Writing Flavor, Texture
When writing, you’ll want to vary the syntax, which is the pattern of the sentence’s words – that is, the order of the parts of speech within a sentence. READ MORE

Writing Tips: How to Create Your Story’s Characters
Successful stories require characters who face some challenge or conflict. While coming up with such story ideas is easy enough, many writers struggle with ensuring their characters are interesting so the reader will want to follow them on their journey. My book Create Your Story’s Characters is all about making that process easier for writers. It examines how characters fit among a story’s basic elements then discusses the different kinds of characters. Next, it hones in on those types of characters that make great protagonists – three-dimensional, dynamic characters who gradually grow so that by the end of the story they are better, wiser people who can overcome the challenge they face. Lastly, it looks at some common pitfalls that beginning authors stumble into when creating characters. SEE BOOK

Writing Tip: There’s No Need to “Want” to be a Writer. Simply Write.
All too often, struggling writers sabotage themselves without even realizing it. They do this by labeling themselves as an “aspiring novelist,” or as a “wannabe writer.” Perhaps they even say stuff like “I wish I were a writer” or “Someday I’ll publish a book.” Such terminology highlights not the writers’ vision but their failure. Rather than focusing on what they are – writers – they concentrate on what they are not – unpublished. READ MORE

Self-Publishing Tip: Five Tips for Taking a Book Cover Photo
The truth is you’re probably a better photographer than you realize. We live in a very visual society, and with the advent of avatars, selfies, and Instagram, we constantly take photos. Still, there are some basic guidelines that professional photographers follow that you’ll want to consider when taking a photo for your book cover. READ MORE

This Week’s Podcast: How to Arrange a Public Book Reading/Signing
Just because you’ve published a book, don’t expect to get invitations to do book readings. You’ll have to arrange them yourself. The good news is you’ll find a lot of venues will be willing to have your speak. LISTEN TO PODCAST

Book Marketing Tip: 6 Tips for Authors Creating a Marketing Campaign
Trying to start a campaign to market your book? Here are six great tips for doing so. READ MORE

Client Spotlight: “Under the Broccoli Canopy” by Barbara Peterson
A recent editing client of mine has published her first book! Under the Broccoli Canopy, by Barbara Peterson, is an imaginative, young adult fantasy where the peaceful flow of forest life—festivals, friendships, and the quiet wisdom of ancient trees—is interrupted by an imminent, unsettling danger. In this extraordinary forest, animals talk, roots whisper secrets, and butterfly fairies sent by Mother Nature disperse healing mists to mend animals and plants after hard winters. 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 April 28, 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.

Craft of Writing: Eschew Clichés Like a Toxic Waste Dump
A quick way to strengthen your writing is to replace (or just avoid altogether) overused expressions and phrases. Such expressions and phrases are known as clichés. They include terms such as “avoid like the plague”, “beat around the bush” or “kiss of death.” READ MORE

Writing Tips: How to Create Your Story’s Setting
All too often, writers give their story’s setting short shrift. Setting – the place and time of your story – can establish mood, tone and milieu. It can drive conflict in a story and develop your character. It can highlight themes and even be a “character” in your story. My new book, Build Your Story’s Setting, aims to help writers think of their story’s place and time in ways that elevate the tale to a new level. It begins by defining setting and its role in a story. From there, it moves on to the craftsmanship of describing a setting. Lastly, it looks at incorporating setting into your story’s plot and using it to reveal character while establishing theme. SEE BOOK

Writing Tip: Writing Heals My Heart Like No Pill Ever Could
All too often in our modern day and age, we attempt to cure every ailment with a pill or capsule. That might be fine for our physical aches and for the most serious of mental illnesses, but it’s not so wonderful for the moments when we just feel down or stressed out. READ MORE

Self-Publishing Tip: If Using MS Word, Don’t Place Tabs in Your Ebooks
When formatting your manuscript for conversion to ebook, don’t use the tab key to indent paragraphs. Doing so usually results in your manuscript being declined for publication…or worse, being accepted for publication while looking like a mess. READ MORE

This Week’s Podcast: How Self-Awareness of Your Writing Process Boosts Your Creativity
Looking at how published authors of novels and nonfiction books and other writers, such as journalists, write their books, there does seem to be a general writing process that every one of them uses. LISTEN TO PODCAST

Book Marketing Tip: 45+ Fantastic Marketing Ideas for Authors
Looking for some great ways to market your self-published book? From article directories to web widgets, here are 45 of them! READ MORE

Client Spotlight: “Ossuary of Dreams” by Robert Grains
German horror writer Robert Grains delivers 25 fantastic tales set in H. P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu universe. Originally written in German, I edited his English language translation. It has been a big seller in my wife’s bookstore. 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 April 21, 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.