Francesca T. Barbini's Blog

The Joining enters pre-order!

We are very excited to announce that Nina Oram's first YA novel, The Joining, is ready for pre-order! The Carrowkeel series is YA Fantasy trilogy steeped in Irish lore. The cover art for the whole trilogy will be by Bede Rogerson, who was shortlisted for the BSFA awards this year, for his cover art of The Troutespond Series by Elizabeth Priest. We are very proud to work with so many talented people!The Joining will be available at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, this August, though the official publication date will be the 13th of August. If you are coming to Dublin Worldcon, come see us in the dealers' room and get your signed copy - you may even get a chance to meet Nina!Nina says:"Looking back, it was almost inevitable that the very first thing I would write would be 'The Joining'. My desire to write comes from my childhood, and so does my love of ancient history, legend and folklore. As a child, I was enthralled by the books of Susan Cooper and Alan Garner, British and Welsh folklore woven into modern tales of dark, sinister adventure. I grew up in a countryside rich in ancient British history; coming to live in the west of Ireland, surrounded by another ancient history, maybe it was natural to write a YA fantasy trilogy, to start with the child within.'The Joining' began with a visit to local Neolithic stone tombs. Perched on a hill, I walked up the track towards them, gazing at the granite towering high above me, and thought of my childhood walks with my best friend, the two of us making up stories. At the top, I was able to slip inside one of the circular tombs and sit, quiet and alone, in the centre of something man had built five thousand years ago. The very next day, I began to write."Pre-order now!

C4P: Jason Gould - Rewriting Evil. An Alternative to Personification: Portrayal, Presence and Purpose in the Short Fiction of M. John Harrison

Luna's third Call for Papers, A Shadow Within: Evil in Fantasy and Science Fiction will be released on Wednesday the 14th of August, at Dublin Worldcon. Explore the 21 brilliant papers you will find in the book.Today, we would like to introduce you to Jason Gould (UK). Writer of fiction and non-fiction, genre and non-genre. Graduate in Creative Writing at University of Hull. Shortlisted for British Fantasy Society Award.Presenting the paper: Re-Writing Evil: An Alternative to Personification: Portrayal, Presence and Purpose in the Short Fiction of M. John Harrison.Jason says:"Evil in literature has often struggled with its identity. Early attempts to capture what is essentially an abstract concept triggered a preference for personification that persists to the present day. From John Milton’s Satan in his 1667 Paradise Lost through to Clive Barker’s Pinhead in the series of late twentieth century Hellraiser films, the embodiment of evil in a human or human-like vessel has proved to be the prevalent technique by which to enfold a slippery and subjective idea inside narrative structure. My paper observes how personification, as a narrative device, can be both gift and curse. It considers recognised examples of evil personified and questions why each succeeds in forging an emotional connection between text and reader, and yet, despite that success, appears to attract criticism for reliance on, what might be said to be, an aged, stale and arguably pedestrian device. If the personification of evil in literature is, indeed, overused, the paper goes on to ask if the writer M. John Harrison might have developed an alternative, specifically in short stories such as The Incalling, The Ice Monkey, and Egnaro. It examines how some of Harrison’s short fiction conveys not just a mood suggestive of evil but an inescapable sense of saturation, a world in which evil feels present but not in expected form.In the hands of M. John Harrison, evil in literature seems to be taken to an entirely new and different level …"M. John Harrison is the author of several collections of short fiction, including The Ice Monkey, Travel Arrangements, and Things That Never Happen. From science fiction and fantasy, to space opera, magic realism and horror, Harrison’s award-winning work has been described as ‘between genres’, from where it has held readers spellbound since the 1960s. His most recent collection, You Should Come With Me Now, was published in 2017 by Comma Press, and longlisted for the 2018 Edge Hill Prize.Jason Gould is a writer of fiction and non-fiction, a British Fantasy Society Award shortlistee, and a Creative Writing graduate. He first encountered the work of M. John Harrison through the novel Signs of Life and is in wholehearted agreement with Ramsey Campbell when he describes Harrison as “a master of enigma, whether human or supernatural”.Follow the progress of A Shadow Within: Evil in Fantasy and Science Fiction on the "Books in Progress" page!

C4P: Sean Fitzgerald - The fictional scientist as a dichotomy of good and evil in contemporary realist speculative fiction

Luna's third Call for Papers, A Shadow Within: Evil in Fantasy and Science Fiction will be released on Wednesday the 14th of August, at Dublin Worldcon. Explore the 21 brilliant papers you will find in the book.Today, we would like to introduce you to Sean Z Fitzgerald (UK). PhD in Creative Writing Practice, University of Winchester. MSc in Science Communication, The Open University. University Lecturer in Media Production and Creative Writing. Published writer of fiction and non-fiction.Presenting the paper: The fictional scientist as a dichotomy of good and evil in contemporary realist speculative fiction.Sean says:"This article stems from a combination of the current critical work for my practice-based PhD thesis in the area of science-as-fiction in contemporary society, for which I have written a collection of (lightly thriller-based) fictional tales involving scientists and scientific processes in the field of genetics. In both the practice and accompanying critical work, I characterise professional and amateur scientists as both altruistic and selfish, as they display both elements of ‘good’ and 'evil'. The article—written for Academia Lunare—concentrates on this aspect of science and scientists in fiction and whether these characters or their actions can be described as ‘evil’. Through my academic and creative practice, I consider the background of scientists in fiction, specifically speculative fiction (which best describes my own work). The context of the article considers scientist characters in a range of texts (mainly within contemporary novels) and how science and the process of science is shared with a readership, all framed against whether or not a reader would naturally wish to empathise with a main character if they are deemed evil or have evil intent."Originally from Liverpool, Sean Z Fitzgerald now lives in the southwest of England. He holds a PhD in creative writing practice from the University of Winchester, England. His thesis topic: ‘Writing Genetic Science-Inspired Fiction in Contemporary Society’. This concentrates on the contextualisation and practice of writing genetic-fiction (‘gene-fiction’). The main focus of the creative practice element of his research has been to produce a collection of novelettes and novellas that explore and speculate through contemporary and near-future fiction, the possible impacts and consequences of manipulating genetic code.Follow the progress of A Shadow Within: Evil in Fantasy and Science Fiction on the "Books in Progress" page!

Incomplete Solutions Enters Pre-Order!

The day has arrived! As promised, Incomplete Solutions by Wole Talabi is officially ready for pre-order!AND, if you are coming to Cymera, this coming June, you can select this option at checkout and bag yourself a free delivery!The book will be out on the 4h of June, so if you cannot wait for Cymera, just choose your preferred delivery and you will receive the book on the release day, if not a little earlier.As always, you will find the pre-order special price on our website only, and our subscribers will also find an extra special voucher in the newsletter which goes out on the 1st of each month - which means you are still in time to join the Luna monthly newsletter group.Enjoy the harvest and visit the store now!

Welcome to Michelle K Jamieson!

We are delighted to welcome into the Luna Family, Michelle K Jamieson. Michelle will be the first author to publish in our non-genre non-fiction project, still a branch of Academia Lunare.We've asked Michelle to introduce herself to our family and friends:"Hello! I’m Michelle Jamieson, a working-class, Glaswegian, community psychologist, and current PhD Candidate in Urban Studies at the University of Glasgow. I have personal experience of living with complex mental health difficulties, as well as caring for others, and it has been this that has driven and informed my work. I am active in my local community, and in my spare time, I like to think of myself as an amateur artist, true crime sleuth, and semi-outdoor person, and now a writer. If I can make even a tiny improvement in the community, then that’s a start."And we believe wholeheartedly that Michelle is in fact making a difference. Through her studies and her research Michelle has been looking at very important issues of our society.It was one of her dissertations that caught our eye.‘You’ve got the Mark of Cain on you’: A Psychosocial Exploration of Benefit Sanction Impact on Mental Health in Austerity Scotland.We believe it is the kind of research that can help our society, as it allows us to reflect on where we are and how we view our fellow humans.Michelle explained about her dissertation:"The impact of benefit sanctions on mental health and self-care been little debated, yet there is clear evidence linking to mental, physical, and social damage. Talking to people who have experienced this situation can provide useful information, including the factors that compounded poor mental health, and subsequent self-care choices. This information may help others in the same position."Michelle's work will be published next year, and you can follow the progress on our "Books in Progress" page.Discover more about Michelle and her work through her social media sites:Website: www.michellekjamieson.comTwitter: @themichjamInstagram: shell.does.science

C4P: Tatiana Fajardo - The Bloodlust of Elizabeth Báthory: From the Brothers Grimm to American Horror Story

Luna's third Call for Papers, A Shadow Within: Evil in Fantasy and Science Fiction will be released on Wednesday the 14th of August, at Dublin Worldcon. Explore the 21 brilliant papers you will find in the book.Today, we would like to introduce you to Tatiana Fajardo (Spain). MLitt in the Gothic Imagination at the University of Stirling. Researcher and Writer.Presenting the paper: The Bloodlust of Elizabeth Báthory: From the Brothers Grimm to American Horror Story.Tatiana says:"This article aims to depict the evolution of the historic Hungarian Countess Elizabeth Báthory through her presentation in various pieces of fiction over time. To do so, four main characteristics of the Countess will be analysed in comparison to examples from popular culture: her notorious vanity and how it is echoed in the Brothers Grimm’s Little Snow White (1812), her alleged bisexuality connected with Sheridan Le Fanu’s Gothic novella Carmilla (1871-1872), her means of torture as illustrated in Alejandra Pizarnik’s La Condesa Sangrienta (The Bloody Countess) (1965), and her role as a mother captured in season five of the TV series American Horror Story (2015-2016). Despite the fact that each characteristic emerges in all of the aforementioned fiction, each will be scrutinised separately with their corresponding narrative. In the context of Báthory’s domains of wealth, authority and vampirism, a Jungian approach will be developed to examine the Countess’s persona and the diverse archetypes she embodies.Countess Elizabeth Báthory was born in the Kingdom of Hungary, Habsburgh Monarchy, in 1560 as a member of the Báthory family, one of the most powerful dynasties in the region. She was the niece of Stephen Báthory, the king of Poland and grand duke of Lithuania as well as prince of Transylvania. Despite this aristocratic background and wealth, the clan was feared for its cruelty, and some of Elizabeth’s relatives created a dark legend around their figures. For instance, Lady Klára Báthory, Elizabeth’s aunt on her father’s side, has been remembered in the histories as an insatiable bisexual adventuress, and may have been the person who introduced Elizabeth to sadomasochism.The alleged mental disorders in the family may have been the result of inbreeding among the kin, since they did not wish their blood to be fused with that of others. Elizabeth is thought to have suffered from epilepsy and to have been deranged. The Countess is remembered as the most notorious of the Báthorys, primarily due to the rumour of her vampiric tendencies, a perspective this article will analyse. This version of her persona is based on the belief that she murdered more than 650 young girls, allegedly to obtain blood from the virgins in order to restore her youthfulness. She was condemned for her atrocious crimes and imprisoned in her own castle, where she died in 1614. But who was Elizabeth Báthory in reality? Was she the monstrous devil portrayed in novels, films and TV series? The legend of her persona has been employed in numerous narratives, yet there is little information about the historical figure behind them. This article will begin with the study of a popular fairy-tale by the Grimm Brothers, one of the earlier presentations of Báthory, and how she emerges in it."Tatiana Fajardo completed her MLitt in the Gothic Imagination at the University of Stirling (Scotland), writing her dissertation on the employment of art and science in Patrick McGrath’s novels. She began a blog in which she discusses her literary, cinematic and artistic interests in 2017. Passionate about Gothic literature, her blog post on Dracula’s ‘‘Bloofer Lady’’ was published by Sheffield University. Some of her essays have been translated into Swedish and published by Rickard Berghorn, both on his online Weird Webzine and in his printed books Studier I vart (2018) and Två fantasistycken (2018). These include her analyses of Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982) and Ingmar Bergman’s Hour of the Wolf (1968). She presented her study of the employment of Romantic poets in the TV series Penny Dreadful (2014-2016) at the IGA conference in Manchester in August 2018. Tatiana combines her work as a researcher with her job as an English teacher in Spain. Follow her at http://tatianafajardodomench.blogspot... and on Twitter @Tatiana19796Follow the progress of A Shadow Within: Evil in Fantasy and Science Fiction on the "Books in Progress" page!

Tolkien's Library is Now in Pre-Order!

Italian scholar Oronzo Cilli, is ready to see the results of years of hard work, come finally to life. On the 8th of August 2019, Tolkien's Library: An Annotated Checklist will be released.The book is now in pre-order and here is what you need to know:Paperback and Hardback are discounted and ready to pre-order now on the Luna Store.In a week or so, the Paperback and Hardback will also be available to pre-order through all regular distribution channels.The digital version is also ready to pre-order on all usual online sites (Kindle, Kobo, etc.)Remember: the pre-order discount and the free shipping option to the Tolkien 2019 conference, are only available through the Luna store.Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey, author of the Foreword of Tolkien's Library, has this to say about the book:“A combination of circumstances means that we know more about J.R.R. Tolkien than about almost any other author, from any period. Nevertheless, in spite of all the efforts, there remains a certain opacity about Tolkien, both professionally and personally.As this book shows, there is a way to bridge that gap which has not been previously attempted: a fact which makes this work by Oronzo Cilli arguably the work with most potential for giving us a truer understanding of Tolkien; a work which, besides its own immediate effect, points the way for many further studies. What Oronzo has done is, quite simply, to collect what is known about the books Tolkien owned and read.The best guide to an author’s mind is through his books, and in the work of Oronzo Cilli we have now the best and most valuable guide to Tolkien’s books. It is a devoted, enduring, and above all inspirational work of scholarship, but not, as Oronzo knows, a final one. It joins that very select group of works, the most useful of all: a book we should keep, update, and write notes in the margin of, for the rest of our lives.” “This book is a labour of love and will surely prove to be an important research tool for established and new Tolkien scholars alike.”Dimitra Fimi“Drawing together a wide range of information about Tolkien’s reading, Oronzo Cilli has constructed a library which never wholly existed, or did not wholly exist in one place or at one time, but represents the foundation of the work of one of the twentieth century’s greatest writers and scholars. Tolkien’s Library is an impressive, fascinating, and useful essay in bibliography.”Christina Scull & Wayne G. Hammond“From the thorough research of the untiring Tolkien scholar Oronzo Cilli, here is a unique guide to Tolkien’s Library which will catch your breath: more than 2,000 entries, ranging from the expected several editions of Beowulf to the complete surprises, such as Agatha Christie’s At Bertram’s Hotel. If you are doing research on Tolkien, you simply cannot miss Oronzo’s work.”Giovanni C. CostabileTolkien artist, Jay Johnstone, is the talent behind the magnificent cover for Tolkien's Library. You can see more of Jay's work on his website. Oronzo has created a Facebook page where you can read all the latest about the book. A new website dedicated to the book will also be launched on the 1st of May.As Tom Shippey says, this book is a work in progress, and as more entries are discovered, they will be added to Oronzo's website, with the view of collecting them in the future. The link to this website will be available on the newsletter of the 1st of May.We are looking forward to the release of Tolkien's Library this summer. If you attend Tolkien 2019 conference, you can collect your copy there and, if you wish, get it signed by Oronzo Cilli, Tom Shippey and Jay Johnstone.To the Luna Store!

The Ozone Diary is now in pre-order!

We are delighted to announce that The Ozone Diary is now in pre-order!Writer Tero Mielonen and artist Pentti Otsamo, have created an original comic exploring the life post-PhD. Academia Lunare is always keen to explore science, and our Finnish duo has helped us do just that!“For the first time the everyday life of a young scientist is described with honesty…high-quality work.” saysDr. Tiera Laitinen, from the Finnish Meteorological Institute.You will be able to pre-order through our website at discounted price, and, if you are a subscriber, you will find an extra discount code on the newsletter of the 1st of May.Tero Mielonen (@tmielone) works as a senior scientist at the Atmospheric Research Centre of Eastern Finland of the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Currently, he is using satellite observations and climate models to study the interplay of biogenic and anthropogenic fine particles in the atmosphere. He has been awarded an adjunct professorship in the field of spaceborne observations of the atmosphere. The Ozone Diary is Tero’s first script for a graphic novel, but his reviews on comic books created by other authors have been a feature at kvaak.fi for many years.Tero says:"I'm a huge fan of graphic novels/comics and I have always wanted to write one but, as the world is full of great stories and storytellers, I didn't see the point in trying to compete with them. Then I moved to the Netherlands for a postdoctoral visit and realised that now I had found all the pieces for an original story. By telling a story of a scientist working in a foreign country, I could tell about my research topics, what is it like to work as a scientist, and what it is like to live in a foreign country. By combining all these pieces, I hoped to create something which has not been done a thousand times before. As I had no experience in writing scripts, I wanted to collaborate with a professional and contacted Pentti. I didn't know him beforehand but I liked his books and thought that his drawing style would be perfect for my story. Then we applied for funding from foundations and were lucky enough to get some. As a scientist I had written several applications for scientific research, but hadn't been successful with them. So, I was quite surprised when I got funded to do something that I didn't know how to do. All in all it's been a challenging but fun project and I hope the readers like the book."Pentti Otsamo (@potsamo) has been working as a freelance illustrator and comics-maker for more than 25 years. His illustrations have been published in numerous newspapers and magazines, books and textbooks. His comics include Kahvitauko (Like, 2012) and Pieni Olento (Otava, 1999), which have been published, in addition to Finland, in Sweden, France, Italy and Canada (The Fall of Homunculus, Drawn & Quarterly, 1998). Pentti is the recipient of the Puupäähattu Award for Finnish comic artists. "I have always been interested in science and the popularisation of science, so when Tero suggested collaborating on his book idea, it was easy to say yes. I had read about climate change, in the news and in fiction, so I was familiar with the topic and it was interesting to see what kind of angle an atmospheric scientist would choose for a story in this field. The combination of everyday science and international collaboration was a refreshing way to approach a topic that has received a lot of coverage in the media. In his scripts, Tero gave me free reign for the illustrations, but we also wanted to depict the venues accurately. We had taken some photos from the venues for reference but, as the story is set in several cities in different countries, I also had to use photos from the Internet. In a graphic novel, the illustrations and text can be used to tell separate stories, so we used this to combine scientific content with descriptions of everyday life. It was challenging, but we hope that readers are happy with the end result. To add some sound to the book, we made a Spotify playlist based on the chapters of the book. You can find it here."PRE-ORDER NOW!

C4P: Sharon Day - Through the Veil of the Digital Revolution and into the Abyss of Artificial Intelligence: The Insidious Desensitisation of Humanity

Luna's third Call for Papers, A Shadow Within: Evil in Fantasy and Science Fiction will be released on Wednesday the 14th of August, at Dublin Worldcon. Explore the 21 brilliant papers you will find in the book.Today, we would like to introduce you to Sharon Day (USA). Occult Researcher, Writer, and Historian. Creatrix of the Alexandrian Witchcraft Historical Timeline website. Alexandrian Witch & Priestess. J.D. in Law.Presenting the paper: Through the Veil of the Digital Revolution and into the Abyss of Artificial Intelligence: The Insidious Desensitisation of Humanity.Sharon says:"As the ‘Silent Generation’ (b.1929-’49) is gradually enfolded in the rapture of the afterlife, it is their issue, the Baby Boomers (b.1946-’64) who are the last generation to straddle the precipice between the pre-Digital Revolution and the abyss of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The Boomers’ issue, ‘Generation X’ (b.1964-’84) were born into the abyss by a USB umbilical cord and could be argued to have activated the dissolution of fundamental social norms and manners-of-being upon which the bedrock of the cliff-face from which they were ejected, was established. For all the virtues of millisecond data search results and apps that calibrate every aspect of daily life, the ebb and flow of the collective consciousness gives way to an insidious, permeating ‘evil’ that ripples through Gen X and their progeny, the Millennials (b.1984-’04) to the point that their, and their offspring – ‘Generation Z’s, brain patterns are ‘rewired.’ Further assimilation into the abyss of AI, an initialism which also aptly translates into ‘artificial insemination,’ spawns the question of exactly what is gained or lost in this new breed of human. Whilst the benefits of shifted brain patterns are readily extolled through a plethora of commentary, the erosion and sometimes wholesale stripping of the essential human element of ‘empathy’, is overlooked. Max Tegmark, President of the Future of Life Institute, who encapsulates the ideals of many an end-of-alphabet generation, identifies three separate misconceptions about AI – that of concerns about ‘consciousness, evil, and robots.’ (2016) Herein lies the crux of the ‘evil’ – making AI the scapegoat rather than focusing on a contingent of humanity dispossessed empathy. In order to acquit oneself of the lack of empathy, it must exist in the human psyche in the first place. Remove it via a rewired brain from the individual consciousness, which has exponentially mushroomed into the collective, and that, I propose, is the true evil."American by birth and British by marriage, Sharon began her international academic career as an exchange student to Japan in 1980; returning for college and then again after graduating law school in New York City, as an expat to Tokyo with her British husband. After repatriating to London in 1997, Sharon was drawn to the Occult and joined The Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons (Freemasonry for Women), thereby becoming the fourth generation of Freemason in her family.In later years, she discovered a vocation in Alexandrian Witchcraft and her search for training and experience took her from London to Australia, to the United States, and back to London, where she became the personal student of Maxine Sanders, a prominent Witch and co-founder of the Alexandrian Tradition. She was initiated in 2013, took her higher degrees in 2016, and currently leads The Coven of the Stag King in London with the benefit of Mrs Sanders’ guidance.Sharon’s ongoing endeavours include Craft teaching; giving talks and interviews; authoring several publications; and evolving her brainchild, an online historical archive and timeline of Alexandrian Witchcraft (alexandrianwitchcraft.org). She is also a Trustee of the ‘Friends of the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic’, a charity which supports the Museum in Boscastle, Cornwall (friendsofthewitchcraftmuseum.co.uk).Follow the progress of A Shadow Within: Evil in Fantasy and Science Fiction on the "Books in Progress" page!

The True Hero’s Journey

I love editing. Working with an author, or on my own creations, to elevate a story from a first draft to a finished piece of literature brings me joy and satisfaction like nothing else does. I’m currently on a Publishing MSc after getting a first class BA in Creative Writing with the intent to make editing my career, either a freelancer or for a publishing house.In my discussions and experience with authors, there is a common theme of feeling intimidated by editing or, more specifically, editing a manuscript for submission. For the latter, I cannot recommend enough making sure you know the guidelines and expectations of whatever publisher, big or small, you are submitting to. If they specify that submissions should be a Word 1.5 line-spaced document in Times New Roman 14pt, all words stressed in italics should be underlined for the submission, and references should be in MLA, then that’s what you send them. If you submit a PDF in Arial with italics all over the place referenced in Harvard-style, they’re not going to give you a second glance. Most magazines, online publications, and publishers have submission guidelines; go and dig around their website or send a polite email enquiry for the specifications and the job is already half done. All that’s left to do is actually to edit.From experience, I know how painful and drawn-out editing can be. However, I’m here to discuss a few tips and tools you can use to make it easier if this is your first rodeo.Firstly, it’s important to recognise what stage your manuscript is at:Is it the rawest first draft? You’ll need a substantive or developmental edit to focus on your story, character, narrative progression, and internal logic.Have you already given a few rewrites to work out the big problems? Time for a second, lighter developmental edit to catch anything you missed last timeAre you happy with the big picture but the nitty-gritty needs some attention? This is the realm of proofreading and line edits for grammar, punctuation, syntax, spelling, and, if applicable, formatting for manuscript submission.Once you’ve worked that out you, you have options, a ‘chose your own adventure’ story, if you will. You can:Edit it yourselfHire an editorStare at it from across the room for the next 12-18 monthsOption 1Welcome brave soul.Editing your own work is tough. It can be a struggle to get perspective of the problems when you’re so close to the story or essay or whatever it is you may be working on. I highly recommend joining a writers’ group, an online workshop, or any other way you can get some different eyes on your work.Avoid asking friends and family unless you trust their judgement; you’re not looking for an echo chamber of flattery, but for someone to help you pick out the flaws. The delicate part of the balancing act is to not take on board every piece of feedback someone gives you. Remember: ultimately, you know your story best. There are times to stick to your guns.There are also plenty of online resources for when you get into the technical aspects. I’ve used the premium version of Grammarly for the past several years, and it has most certainly been worth the investment (when I’ve been working on academic projects the plagiarism checker has been particularly useful) although the standard version works well too.There are various online courses, from the fancy Masterclass (where your teachers are the likes of Neil Gaiman and Margaret Atwood) to courses run by universities or writers’ associations. Do your research and find the one that works for you.Try to remember why you wanted to create this masterpiece in the making. Map out your story arc, find the plot points. Sites such as Literary Devices can help you map some of the more technical aspects. There are also plenty of books on editing for a variety of experience levels.Even with help, editing will be a long process and occasionally soul-destroying. Step away for a break if you need to, be it ten minutes, ten days, whatever. It’s likely that this creation is a labour of love, so hold that to you when the going gets tough.Option 2There are various routes available to you here.While you will still be involved in the editing process, it can be helpful to have a more experienced editor assess your work. They can find the issues and suggest edits that you will then need to approve or veto, likely a less intense and time-consuming process than having to make all of those edits yourself. However, editors (especially good ones) cost money, so you need to decide early on if you are willing to invest in your work financially.Literary consultancies, such as Cornerstones (whom I met at the London Book Fair a few weeks ago and who have a blog on editing), can provide professional advice and services. The bonus of using a professional service is industry recognition and experience, but as previously mentioned, it comes with a price tag.Alternatively, you could hire a freelance editor. Sites such as UpWork, PeoplePerHour, or independent freelancers can provide substantive editing and proofreading services. Prices will vary and may be cheaper than a formal agency. However, experience and quality may also vary. Finding freelancers with a decent portfolio of work or who are verified by a professional body (for instance, I am part of the Society for Editors and Proofreaders) can help ensure you are working with someone knows what they’re doing. That’s not to say don’t trust anyone who doesn’t have these things; they may just be starting but are capable of excellent work. All that ultimately matters is if you work well together on the project. Do they understand what you’re trying to say and do in your piece? Do they raise valid points and help you identify your bad writing habits? Asking for a freelancer to do a test edit of an excerpt can help you figure some of this out (some freelancers will charge for this, others will not) and let you both get a feel of each other’s style.Working with a freelancer can be exciting and inspiring, leading to your work being something of which you are both proud.There are lots of resources out there about working with freelancers, some of which are included in this presentation given by the Society of Editors and Proofreaders at the 2019 London Book Fair .Option 3Good luck with that.I hope this little introduction can help some more nervous writers to begin the editing process, taking those magnificent stories, essays, and non-fiction works one step closer to being sent out into the world.If you want to see more of me, you can find me on Twitter, Instagram, on my blog, or indeed to you can email me (eamcivor@gmail.com) to ask about my freelance rates.