Holiday Sale on Editing Services for 2021

Hi, everyone! 

I already shared this news on my mailing list and social media, but I thought I’d announce it here as well. This month, I’m running another holiday sale on book editing services! So if you want to work with an editor on your book next year, this is the perfect time to inquire about my offerings and save money on the editorial fee. (You can also review my offerings at the Editing page of the Heart of the Story website.)

Here’s how this works: Email me about your 2021 editing project by Thursday, December 31, and you’ll receive a 10% discount on the price estimate. This discount applies to all editing and critique projects, including bundle packages for multiple rounds of editing. And it doesn’t matter if your manuscript would be ready for editing in January or next December. So if you want to work with a freelance book editor next year, then this sale is for you.

Interested? Then send me a message at sara [at] heartofthestoryeditorial [dot] com with the title of your manuscript, a 2- or 3-sentence blurb about your project, the genre and target age range (YA, adult, etc.), the word and page counts, your projected timetable or deadline, the type(s) of editing desired, the holiday sale password (HOLIDAY2020), and where you found it (my blog). If you’d like a sample edit so you can see my editing style, you may attach a 6- to 10-page excerpt from the manuscript (MS Word only) to your email. This will also help me create an accurate pricing and timeline estimate for your project.

Don’t wait too long, though! The sale ends on Thursday, December 31. So if you want to take advantage of this, or if you have other questions about my editing services, email me at sara [at] heartofthestoryeditorial [dot] com so we can start the conversation.

Win a Critique of Your First Three Chapters from Me via Writers Helping Writers

Happy Holidays, everyone! This morning I’m excited to share a special December contest for writers:

Starting today, you can enter to win a critique of your manuscript’s first three chapters from me, thanks to Writers Helping Writers!

It’s part of Angela and Becca’s annual Advent for Writers giveaways. I’m so honored that they asked me to be part of this year’s festivities, and I already can’t WAIT to read the winner’s chapters!

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And the Big Secret Project Is… Heart of the Story Editorial & Coaching Services!

Hi everyone!

This is the Big Secret Project I’ve been working on since September: my own freelance editing and writing coaching business! I know I’ve been teasing about it for a while, but I’ve been reluctant to say much publicly before things were truly ready. And now, it’s Launch Day for…

Heart of the Story Editorial & Coaching Services

So what kinds of services does Heart of the Story offer? Who is the business designed to help? And, what does the business mean for this website? This post will go over all of that. So, without further ado…

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What’s Making Me Happy: August 2017

As I write this, I’m battling a cold (which should be gone by the time this goes live), so I can barely grope for words to summarize my August. Except for “awesome.” Yes. I still dealt with lingering anxiety in my offline life, but as the month comes to a close, I’m utterly delighted with what happened and what I accomplished during that time.

So, yes, it was an awesome August. Say that alliteration ten times fast. 😉

Since today is the last day of August, it’s also time to share some of the joys of the past month. I’m taking a slightly different approach this time, too. Instead of mostly material items, I included two accomplishments (or, rather, “to-do list” items that I completed) and one experience. And feel free to share your August joys in your comments. I always love hearing what’s made you happy, too!

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The Creativity Corner: Spring 2017

Can you believe that summer is here? 😮 It still feels like I was in Iceland last week. How on Earth has time zipped by so quickly??

Since a new season has begun, it’s time for an update on the past season’s creative happenings. And after a winter where I struggled with anxiety for a few weeks and my confidence in my writing hit rock-bottom, I’m happy to say that spring was a more productive, inspiring, and emotionally healthy season. It wasn’t free of bumps, but I’m moving forward and focused on new projects.

New projects?? What about The Keeper’s Curse? Or the novella? Yeah… I’ll explain what’s happening with them, too. But first…
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The Creativity Corner: Winter 2017

It feels weird to post a wrap-up of a winter’s worth writing, reading, and other creative happenings on the second day of spring. (This is the new “writing monthly update” series I had mentioned last month, btw.) But the truth is, I’ve procrastinated on this post for a couple weeks now, and not due to lack of time. Instead, I’ve been feeling anything but enthusiastic or confident about writing lately.

(Btw, my latest DIY MFA post went live last week. Something funky happened with the blog post announcement, so click here to read the article at DIY MFA.)

The good news is, I’m now taking steps that can hopefully help me regain that confidence and lead to a better, more productive spring. I’ll touch on that, as well as the progress I’ve made so far with The Novella (my new writing project) and the books I’ve read so far this year. Also, since this is the first Creative Corner, any feedback on the content and/or setup will be greatly appreciated. 🙂
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New #5onFri Article at DIY MFA, Plus Final Reminder for the GoFundMe Campaign

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What’s this? Another DIY MFA article already? 😉

It’s been a while since I last took part in DIY MFA’s weekly #5onFri series; and with Maria V. Snyder’s guest post on Tuesday, I wasn’t able to promote it here until now. So, here’s last Friday’s #5onFri post, where I shared a little more of my “beta-reading preparation” stage by sharing five of the questions I posed to my beta-readers to get specific feedback on aspects of my novel.

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GoFundMe Campaign for Iceland Writers Retreat Begins Today

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I’m sharing some AMAZING news with you today – and asking for your help in making a dream come true, and an incredible learning experience be within reach.

(*takes a deep breath*)

Today I’m starting a GoFundMe campaign to fund a trip to the 2017 Iceland Writers Retreat, with the hopes of raising $3,500 USD by February 4, 2017. After the jump, I’ll share links to the retreat and the campaign page so you can see the cost breakdown, perk levels (yes, PERKS!), and so on. But first, let me explain why I want to go and why I need financial assistance to do so.

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Chronicling The Craft: A Conversation About Beta-Reading, From Nailing Your Critiques to Finding Good Candidates

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Chronicling The Craft is a series where I share my experience with working on my YA fantasy novel THE KEEPER’S CURSE, which is now in its third draft. These articles alternate between a) progress updates and fun “TKC-related” content, and b) revising / editing tips. Today it’s the tips-oriented post to celebrate 80% completion of Draft #3.

I had trouble thinking of a subject to cover this time. The past three tips-driven Chronicles (word-cutting strategies, planning changes to one’s writing routine, and wrestling writer’s doubt) were inspired by challenges I experienced at different points during Draft #3. Lately, though, no one single “issue” with editing has stood out to me. Yet I’ve started giving serious thought to the next stage: beta-reading.

Yes, that terrifying yet exciting phase of sharing your writing for feedback is the topic of today’s Chronicle. I’ll share lessons and advice based on my past experience with beta-reading for other writers. I’ll also touch on how to decide who might be a good beta-reading candidate, and give you a peek inside my plans for my WIP’s beta-reading stage. So, let’s dive in!
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Another “Thank-You” Giveaway!

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Yay! It’s giveaway time again!

An Unexpected Party animated

Thanks to everyone, I recently passed 500 blog subscribers and 800 followers on Twitter. Maybe I could say “thank you” 1,300 times in response… Though that would be a bit much, right? 😉

So, I’ll say a great, big THANK YOU once again with a gesture. Last year’s belated blogoversary giveaways went really well, and I’m always happy to offer something that readers can benefit from. This time, I have two international giveaways. In other words, everyone will be eligible to participate – and you can choose to enter one giveaway, or both!

All rules and other details can be found after the jump. First, here are the prizes:
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