Catherine’s Comments (group member since Feb 21, 2017)

Catherine’s comments from the Navigating Indieworld Discussing All Things Indie group.

Marketing self-published books is a challenge. What are some ways that you've seen successful marketing translate to fans and sales? Are in-person events better than online methods?

Advanced or existing review copies available for NA Paranormal/Urban Fantasy:


and YA Fantasy:



Email agent@catherinemilos.com or DM if interested!

You shouldn’t do it all alone. As a self-published author I know. You can't reach your goals and turn that manuscript into magic without the right team behind you. Let my expertise as an editor, best-selling author, business owner, and self-publisher help polish your work.

Whether it is finding the right combination for your first draft or perfecting your last, I can help. I have over ten years' experience in the industry and can offer editing, coaching, beta or alpha reading, writing coaching and more.

I love reading and editing paranormal/urban fiction, coming of age stories, mystery, dystopian, romances, sci-fi, and fantasy in general for young, new, and adults. I also enjoy pet stories/guides, travel memoirs, unique personal memoirs, feminist literature and stories, psychology, and fiction stories geared at middle grade readers. I do not read or edit horror or erotica (but some of my team members do).

I keep my rates low and work within your budget because I know the struggles an author faces and what it takes to get from your spirit to the final product. You make enough sacrifices for your craft. Don't punish your wallet.

I have recently partnered with a few very talented Beta Readers and have a promotion where myself and one other reader will offer a joint Beta read of your manuscript up to 90,000 words for $120 USD.

Jesse reads erotica and horror, and loves world building stories, fiction, crime dramas, and also reads non-fiction. She does not read religious themed texts or stories.

John enjoys literary fiction and stories with strong character development. He does not read sci-fi, high-fantasy, romance, or erotica.

Nicole enjoys non-fiction, psychology, fiction: dystopian and post-dystopian, general fantasy, mystery (not true crime), sci-fi, especially ones with happy endings and animals.

All services come with a report. Check out my website https://alchemy.catherinemilos.com for more details and additional pricing. All services are customized to the needs of the author and manuscript.

Contact me directly by emailing agent@catherinemilos.com

As an author and editor, I definitely agree that copy editing matters. That being said, we all make mistakes! There are lots of famous books with errors. This quote did make me wince a weensy bit though.

L.E. wrote: "I happen to have a novel that really needs a beta reader. But it is probably around 96,000 words."

HI L.E. I'd be happy to consider it for a spot here, are you looking for the dual beta reader promotion or just having one person beta read?

Please email me at agent@catherinemilos.com and send a chapter of the book, your deadline, and any additional questions/concerns you may have to me.

Hello all,

I am seeking interviews with author pets and their authors for a new site called whiskersreads.com. It will be a means of promoting authors, their pets, and their work.

It will be in the same vein as @whiskersoftheninerealms on Instagram Topics include book reviews, author pet and author interviews, and author pet life. Reviews and interviews will be cross posted or linked to across multiple sites and social media.

Please send an email to whiskers@whiskersreads.com should you be interested in having your author pet and/or yourself interviewed for this site.

Take care.

Does anyone else feel like they are spread too thin? There is so much to do as an Indie - writing, publishing, editing, sourcing professionals, business operations, financial procurement, marketing and communications, networking, websites and social media, research, recording, formatting, printing, distribution, legal requirements and licensing, memberships, events and signings, purchasing supplies and equipment, consignment....

How do you manage?

Great article. There are a number of companies like this, including some vanity presses that can leave the enthusiastic writer jaded. Be careful when promoting your literary babies out there, but not so careful you never get around to promoting them.

Promotional rate for Goodreads authors now to December 31 2017. 50 000 words to 150 000 words manuscript $300 a read through or any three editorial read throughs for $900

All beta/alpha readings $66 up to 150000 words (excluding promotion where reading combined with one from Nicole)

You can't do it all alone. As a self-published author I know. You also can't reach your goals and turn that manuscript into magic with the wrong people. Let my expertise as an editor, best-selling author, business owner, and self-publisher help polish your work.

Whether it is finding the right combination for your first draft or perfecting your last, I can help. I have over ten years' experience in the industry and can offer editing, coaching, beta or alpha reading, developmental work and more. I edit blog posts, social media posts, and help guide you to get you ready for marketing your book with worksheets and consultations.

I love reading and editing paranormal fiction, coming of age stories, romances, sci-fi and fantasy in general for young, new and adults. I like nonfiction and middle grade. I do not take horror or erotica.

I keep my rates low because I know the struggle of an author and what it takes to get from your spirit to the final product. You make enough sacrifices for your craft. Don't punish your wallet.

I have recently partnered with another Beta Reader and have a promotion where we will both read your manuscript under 90K words for $88 plus tax.

All services come with a report. Check out my website for more details and a price list. All services are customized to the needs of the author and manuscript.

Contact me by comment, private message, email agent@catherinemilos.com, or through the website below.

http://alchemy.catherinemilos.com

That being said, I have tentative bookings in July and September already.

Hi Eldon, congratulations on your new book and thanks for your question. I am booking 3 weeks out currently.

Hello,

I am a published author and an editor with over 10 years experience across industries and genres. I am able to provide resume and client references. I favor fantasy, don't do horror or erotica, but am open to all other fiction and non-fiction works. My mission is to help you produce the best possible work while helping you hone your skills and recognize common errors. Confused about what type of editing you might need? Try: http://alchemy.catherinemilos.com/edi...

I offer professional writing and editing services including:
~Coaching (manuscript, general writing, industry and marketing) ( package price negotiated)
~Editing, proofreading, copy editing, Alpha/Beta-Reading, manuscript evaluation
~Freelance writing projects (Business writing. resumes, web content, academic writing, ghost writing, Fiction, collaboration, and more)

I prefer Young Adult or Adult Fiction (except erotica or horror) Paranormal, Fantasy, Crime, Sci-Fi, but have experience and enjoy editing Middle Grade as well.

I have experience editing academic thesis, assignments, publications and essays. I am experienced with non-fiction works (writing and editing); and, have experience editing and writing business documents, reports, proposals, and more.

I rely on my expertise and the right published and recognized style guides suited to your requirements to offer editing services customized for you and your work in US, UK, AUS, CAD English. If you are stuck or seeking to improve a manuscript through coaching, I have customized worksheets and conduct one-on-one sessions by email or skype. Prices are negotiable and kept low. See http://alchemy.catherinemilos.com/pri... for more details.

For more information or to discuss your writing or editing needs DM me, email me agent(at)catherinemilos(dot) com, or check out my website http://alchemy.catherinemilos.com/

'had' should be on that list too.

Beta readers can be hit and miss. I wrote a blog post listing some of the pros and cons http://alchemy.catherinemilos.com I used to be free, but now I am paid (a nominal fee, but still) because I used to have authors expecting free editing from me. I am a professional editor(and author). Beta reading is not editing. I like to believe this is because some authors just don't know what to expect sometimes and so I outlined what an Alpha and Beta reader are in my article as well. I have a mix of paid an unpaid but I give all unpaid Beta readers thank you gifts. I know a lot of authors who take that approach now too

Hi Elina,

There is great advice here already. Some additional things to consider are the style guide and preferences of an editor. Some editors use Press style guides, some use Chicago, some use other guides. Some editors swear by the oxford comma, semicolons, or M and N dashes and hyphens, some refuse to use them.

Also, the country an editor is located in can affect what style an editor assesses a manuscript from or issues the editor will be concerned with. Education and research can be widely varied. As differing as patterns of language and writing style or artistic preferences.

While there are some hard and fast rules in English, it's a very exception-based and creative language. That is both a blessing and a curse. It's best to request a sample edit and do your research into the editor - get references, resumes, and interview. You're hiring someone!

You're welcome. I agree. I use a team of editors, readers, and proofers. Someone always catches something we all missed :). I found there wasn't a whole lot of content out there for folks easily defining what stage in the writing process goes with what type of editing and a lot of my clients didn't realize there were different types of editing! I hope my blog posts can help clarify for folks. I'm always willing to answer questions too! Take care.

Hi All,

In the business of writing, it can be difficult to figure out who the right editor is for you. Did you know that there are different types of editing and editors? As an author, editor, self-publisher, ... with over 10 years in the industry, I seek to share my lessons with other writers in various stages of their journey.

"Authors seeking an editor can find themselves in a world of possibilities to bring magic to their manuscripts. The difficulty lies in knowing what type of editing is needed when and for what manuscript. It’s important to clarify the type of editing you require and communicate that with your editor. Editors will often ask questions to clarify and assess manuscripts to determine the type and depth of editing required. Below I’ve listed the stages of a manuscript and the types of editing appropriate at each stage.

PRE-DRAFTING OF A MANUSCRIPT OR PREPARING A QUERY

That’s right. Before you actually have a manuscript, you can involve an editor. You’ve got an idea, you’ve got an outline or multiple outlines, you might have a few scenes drafted out.

YOU COULD BENEFIT FROM:

Developmental/Project Editing. A Developmental Editor works with you kind of like a project manager or mentor/coach. They coordinate, set schedules, review and offer constructive feedback, and guide you as you’re writing the first draft. This can be informally through one-on-one discussions, or formally through an established project schedule. You’ll receive mentorship on areas you get stuck on, plot structure and character construction issues, genre and audience, marketability, and more. They can nip common and major problems in the bud before they make to a full draft. They can also offer feedback on your ideas and proposals for queries you’re sending to publishing agents and publishers. This is the type of editing I specialize in and get the most satisfaction from because you get to immerse yourself along with the author in their creative brainstorming. Starting early has huge benefits and can cut down on the number of revisions and rewrites.



FIRST DRAFT, UN-EDITED WORK

You’ve written out your first draft, or decided to stop writing at a certain point. You are seeking assistance to guide your focus and story early on, but haven’t read through and revised or edited the manuscript yourself...."

Continue reading more at : http://alchemy.catherinemilos.com/edi...