A Step-By-Step Plan to Making Your Novels Publishable
Who is this course for?
- Beginner novelists who have finished a draft of their manuscript, are in the middle of writing it, or have an idea for a book and want to get on the right track.
- Intermediate fiction authors who have had books published, but their editors keep sending them back to the drawing board for multiple rounds of rewrites and the editing process still feels overwhelming.
What you’ll learn
- How to evaluate theme, characters, plot, dialogue, description, and pacing.
- The most common point of view mistakes and how to go deep into your narrator's mind and heart.
- What "show, don't tell" really means and how to identify and fix too much "telling".
- Line editing, copyediting, and proofreading tips and tricks.
- What to expect when hiring professional editors and why submitting your best work will save you time and money.
- How to use a 25-page checklist to do a thorough self-edit before hiring an editor.
About the course
For most writers, doing your own editing feels like stumbling in the dark without a flashlight. You’re so close to your own book that it’s impossible to see the flaws.
Hiring a freelance editor is a big help, but unfortunately, most novels need several rounds of editing—an expensive endeavor, especially since it’s impossible to know if you’ll ever make that money back in royalties.
But what if taking one online class could make you less dependent on editors, sharpen your skills and instincts, and help…
For most writers, doing your own editing feels like stumbling in the dark without a flashlight. You’re so close to your own book that it’s impossible to see the flaws.
Hiring a freelance editor is a big help, but unfortunately, most novels need several rounds of editing—an expensive endeavor, especially since it’s impossible to know if you’ll ever make that money back in royalties.
But what if taking one online class could make you less dependent on editors, sharpen your skills and instincts, and help you to save time and money?
In Book Editing Blueprint, your mission is to learn how to do a thorough developmental, line edit, and copyedit and to create a solid action plan. By the end of this course, you’ll have prepared a detailed editorial report for your manuscript and will be armed with a simple self-editing checklist to guide you through your revisions.
You’ll learn through 10 easy-to-understand modules that get straight to the point. This self-paced course includes examples, practice quizzes, and bite-sized action steps that nudge you closer toward your goal.
It’s a proven system that outlines what every fiction author should do BEFORE approaching an editor. That way when you’re ready to hire an editor, you’ll get much more value for your money and should receive a high-level edit rather than one filled with general beginner advice.
Inside the course, you’ll get 28 short video tutorials, 200 pages of transcripts, 7 quizzes, and a 71-page workbook. If you’re like most writers, you have lots of responsibilities and limited time to spend on your manuscript. Let’s get that book finished as efficiently as possible.
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Course Content
10 Modules
Lesson Name & What’s Included
Welcome and Introduction:
30 minutes
Getting Started Tips
How to Navigate This Course
Choose Your Own Adventure and Workbook Download
Bonus: How to Apply Creative Techniques to Your Nonfiction Book
Module 1: Character Blueprint
4 lessons - 90 minutes
Your novel needs a strong backbone with well-rounded characters. We’ll determine your protagonist’s character arc, evaluate whether you have worthy antagonists, and make sure your supporting characters are doing their job.
Lesson 1: Thematic Statement
Lesson 2: Character Arcs
Lesson 3: Antagonists
Lesson 4: Supporting Characters
Book Action Steps: Worksheets to evaluate your theme, character arc, antagonists, and supporting characters.
Module 2: Structure Blueprint
2 lessons - 1 hour
All novels need a rock-solid beginning, middle, and end. We’ll analyze your plot structure and make sure your story builds toward a powerful climax that will keep readers glued to the pages.
Lesson 1: Three-Act Structure
Lesson 2: Time Elements
Book Action Step: Three-Act Structure Worksheet
Module 3: Point of View Blueprint
4 lessons - 90 minutes
We will delve into the point-of-view mistakes that plague the manuscripts of both new and experienced writers. You’ll learn what pitfalls to avoid and how to make your viewpoint characters come alive as you’re rewriting your novel.
Lesson 1: Point of View
Lesson 2: Third-Person
Lesson 3: First Person
Lesson 4: Omniscient and Second Person
Practice: POV Quiz; Third-Person Editing Practice Worksheet; First-Person Editing Practice Worksheet
Book Action Step: POV Analysis Worksheets
Module 4: Show, Don't Tell Blueprint
4 lessons - 2 hours
You’ve probably heard the famous writing advice “Show, Don’t Tell,” but what does it really mean? Here you’ll find the common stumbling blocks that writers experience and gain tips on how to edit the “telling” out of your book.
Lesson 1: Description
Lesson 2: Backstory
Lesson 3: Nonverbal Communication
Lesson 4: Microsoft Word and Google Docs Find Tutorials
Resources: Field Trip Article; Free Way to Find Experts
Practice: Show Don’t Tell Quiz
Book Action Step: Show, Don’t Tell Analysis Worksheets
Module 5: Dialogue Blueprint
3 lessons - 1 hour
Good dialogue looks effortless, but it takes strong self-editing skills to make conversations come alive. We’ll examine the most common dialogue flaws and learn how to tighten your dialogue scenes.
Lesson 1: Basic Dialogue
Lesson 2: Advanced Dialogue
Lesson 3: Dialect And Internal Monologue Practice: Dialogue Quiz and Dialogue Editing Worksheet
Book Action Step: Evaluate Your Dialogue Worksheet
Module 6: Pacing Blueprint
3 lessons - 1 hour
What makes a page-turner? It’s time to hone in on which details will make your readers snore and which ones will keep them riveted at midnight.
Lesson 1: Purpose
Lesson 2: Tension
Lesson 3: Chapter Endings
Practice: Pacing Quiz
Book Action Step: Pacing Analysis Worksheets
Module 7: Line Editing Blueprint
4 lessons - 2 hours
Line editing is where the magic happens. You’ll learn how to improve your content, writing style, and language use at the sentence and paragraph level.
Introduction: What is Line Editing?
Lesson 1: Word Choice
Lesson 2: Wordiness
Lesson 3: Style & Clarity
Lesson 4: Line Editing Recap
Resources: Overused Words Cheat Sheet; Line Editing Checklist
Practice: Line Editing Practice Worksheet
Book Action Step: Line Editing Analysis Worksheet
Module 8: Copyediting Blueprint
4 lessons - 2 hours
We’ll review, the most common grammar and punctuation mistakes, assess your copyediting strengths and weaknesses, and get an introduction on how to start cleaning up your manuscript.
Introduction: What is Copyediting?
Lesson 1: Spell and Grammar Checks
Lesson 2: Tricky Words and Phrases
Lesson 3: 10 Common Grammar Mishaps
Lesson 4: The 4 Cs of Copyediting
Resource: Microsoft Word Spell and Grammar Check Tutorial
Resource: Google Docs Spell and Grammar Check Tutorial
Resource: Demo of Grammarly Free Version
Resource: Demo of ProWritingAid Paid Version
Resource: Copyediting Tools and Resources Guide
Resource: Tricky Words Quick Tips Cheat Sheet
Resource: Copyediting Checklist
Practice: Tricky Words Quiz; Grammar and Punctuation Quiz; 4 Cs of Copyediting Quiz
Book Action Step: Copyediting Analysis Worksheet
Module 9: Hiring Editors and Final Proofreading
3 lessons - 45 minutes
This module will cover when you should start looking for an editor, where you can find editors, the different types of editors, how to know which ones you need, questions to ask, and what to expect. We’ll also cover final proofreading tips.
Lesson 1: What You Should Know About Hiring Editors
Lesson 2: Microsoft Word and Google Docs Track Changes Tutorials
Lesson 3: What You Should Know About Proofreading
Resource: Proofreading Checklist
Module 10: Putting It All Together
2 lessons - 1 hour to digest
You made it to the finish line! If you’ve finished your first draft, now you’re ready to start editing. If you’re still writing your first draft, now is the time to catch some big mistakes to save you rewrites later. Here are your self-editing checklist and helpful resources to guide you on your editing journey.
Putting It All Together Examples Books Excerpted in This Course Y
Our Book Editing Blueprint (25-page checklist)
Resources Selection:
1 hour+ - Regularly updated.
Workbook
Transcripts
Recaps
Helpful Blog Posts and Videos
Shortcuts for Writers Facebook Group Bonus Forum
Promo Opportunities
Bonus: Foil the Frustration: Motivation Strategies for Authors
3 Lessons - 15 minutes
Before sitting down to edit your novel, it’s important that you’re in a positive mindset. This bonus module will arm you with plenty of motivation tips to help you persevere and reach the finish line.
Lesson 1: 13 Ways to Motivate Yourself Through Your Rewrites
Lesson 2: Foil Your Frustration: 10 Tips to Persevere As A Writer
Lesson 3: Final Thoughts
Instructor
Stacy Juba
Stacy Juba published her first novel at age eighteen, and over the years has written sweet and sassy chick-lit novels, mysteries about determined women sleuths, and action-packed YA ice hockey novels. She is also a freelance developmental editor, creator of online courses for writers, and an award-winning journalist who has published more than 3,000 articles in newspapers and magazines. Stacy is the founder of Shortcuts for Writers, and her goal is to take the writing and editing tips she learned in the trenches and simplify them for her clients and students. Her signature course, Book Editing Blueprint: A Step-By-Step Plan to Making Your Novels Publishable, empowers fiction writers to think like an editor so they can save time and money. She also runs the Shortcuts for Writers: Editing Made Simple group on Facebook, an international community connecting writers of all levels, and is the creator of the Energize Your Writing Toolkit: Cheat Sheets for Character Emotions. A past recipient of the Avon Flare Young Adult Novel Competition and the William F. Deeck – Malice Domestic Grant for her fiction, Stacy has also won over a dozen journalism awards including the American Cancer Society New England Chapter’s Sword of Hope Media Award. She has made bestseller lists including GalleyCat’s Barnes & Noble Bestsellers, GalleyCat’s Mystery and Thriller Bestsellers, and multiple Amazon Top 100 lists.
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