Every Novel Needs a Dynamic Opening
If you read “how to” guides on writing novels, they all agree that your story should open with some sort of action that represents a change for your protagonist. The scene should be dynamic, not static. There should be a … Continue reading
Editing Fiction and Non-Fiction: Two Different Approaches
In my nearly two decades of professional book editing, I’ve had the pleasure to serve hundreds of authors of non-fiction (self-help, business, health) and fiction (novels). I’ve found that the two genres of authors have very different expectations, greatly affecting … Continue reading
Line Editing or Copy Editing? Is There a Difference?
Creating a book manuscript involves many steps, from the initial concept to the final proofreading before publication. To a new author, these steps can seem bewildering – especially when we’re talking about editing. If you go online to learn about … Continue reading
The Importance of the Topic Sentence
Writing is a form of communication. Its structure is linear, like a path. That means the reader intakes the first word, remembers it, and then intakes the next word. As the reader progresses through the words, sentences, and paragraphs, the … Continue reading
Developmental Editing: It’s All About Baby Steps!
Clients will often send me a finished manuscript of 40,000 or 60,000 words, which, for various reasons, they’re not happy with. A non-fiction manuscript may be outdated, not well organized, incomplete in its arguments, or just plain boring. A novel … Continue reading
Why Do People Who Use a Ghostwriter Need to Hire a Second Ghostwriter?
On Upwork the other day I saw a job posting entitled “Book Edit/Rewrite.” Part of the job description read, “I’m looking to hire a ghostwriter/editor to rewrite my completed manuscript. Rewrite would include add, delete, and recreate scenes. I worked with … Continue reading
Beyond Grammarly – How a Pro Editor Will Elevate Your Book Above the Ordinary
In the past few years, various software applications have emerged that automatically correct basic issues of spelling, punctuation, and grammar. The most popular is Grammarly, an online grammar checking, spell checking, and plagiarism detection platform developed by Grammarly, Inc. First … Continue reading
“The Profit Formula” by Anthony Woods – Edited by Thomas Hauck
Congratulations to my valued client Anthony Woods on the publication of his powerful and insightful book, “The Profit Formula: How to Multiply Your Profits and Transform any Business.” Published by Keystone Business School, this easy-to-read guide shows you how to … Continue reading
“Total Value Optimization” by Steven Bowen, edited by Thomas Hauck
Congratulations to Steven Bowen on the publication of his powerful and groundbreaking new book “Total Value Optimization: Transforming Your Global Supply Chain Into a Competitive Weapon,” now hitting the lists on Amazon.com. A leading supply chain and business consultant, Steve … Continue reading
Word Count and Page Count – Advice from Thomas Hauck, Ghostwriter and Book Editor
I often receive inquiries from potential clients asking me to write a nonfiction self-help book for them, and they want to know how much time it will take to complete. My response is always that before we can determine how … Continue reading