Category: Life
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Unboxing Ferrishyn: A Bookish Gift Box
Wordies, I am so excited about the bookmail I received today. I first saw this book when the author reached out for sensitivity reading on a very early draft and I’ve had the pleasure of seeing that baby manuscript grow from a rough draft to a published book. Although I’ve worked with well over 600…
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Behind on Your Reading Goal? Here Are 10 Ways to Finish the Year Strong
December is upon us, and while many people have their minds on festive activities and luxurious foods, some of us in the reader community are staring at that super-ambitious reading goal we popped on Goodreads so optimistically back in January with a growing sense of dismay. With only weeks left and a holiday season that…
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Author Interview: Five Questions with Vladimir Stefan, Author of What to Eat During the Apocalypse
Hey Wordies! I’m so excited to kick off this new series, ‘Five Questions, One Author’, where we spotlight new, indie, and underrepresented authors. I wanted a way to celebrate the amazing talent in our writing community, and what better way than to hear straight from the authors themselves? Each post in this series features the…
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Book Community Key Terms and Abbreviations List
Last week, I was reading a Threads post that contained a bookish acronym that I just couldn’t work out. I was floored. I’ve been on Bookstagram and Facebook reading groups for six years now. The acronym in questions wasn’t even new; I simply hadn’t come across it before because it was about a sub-genre I…
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My Laptop Was in Repairs for Two Weeks – Here’s How My Life Changed
As a freelancer working from home, my laptop is a major part of my business and daily life. I use it to read, annotate, research, play, connect, and manage my life… I’m also a Millennial who likes to think of herself as someone who uses a computer and doesn’t get used by it. Meaning, I…
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I’ve Helped Over 600 Authors – Here’s What They Told Me About Writing a Winning Query Letter
As an alpha, beta, and sensitivity reader, I often get asked if I review query letters. While I don’t currently offer a specific service for this (though people are welcome to include their query letter along with their manuscript), I’ve picked up useful tips from authors who have stayed in touch throughout their writing journeys.…
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Akan Books – A New Publisher for Underrepresented Readers and Writers
Akan Books, a new imprint from HarperCollins led by June Sarpong, aims to uplift underrepresented voices in publishing. The gift box received included a tote, pin, notebook, and three books, including a biography of Una Marson. Akan Books is open for submissions and embodies a commitment to diversity in literature.
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Baffled by Beta Readers? Wondering if you need ARCs or Alphas? Read This Guide for Writers
As a professional alpha, beta and sensitivity reader who also happens to enjoy writing about books, I often encounter writers who are uncertain about the roles and types of early readers. Misunderstandings can take precious time away from writing, so I have created this guide to demystify the roles of alpha, beta, sensitivity, and ARC…
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Spotify Premium Audiobooks: My Thoughts as an Audible User
This post contains affiliate links. If you click any of these links and make a purchase within a certain timeframe, I may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. Spotify recently started offering 15 hours of audiobook listening time to their Premium subscription benefits. As a Spotify Premium and an Audible subscriber, I…
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No Spare Time: A Book Seller, an Octogenarian, and a Blogger Give Their Thoughts on Prince Harry’s New Book
If you have come into contact with any sort of media in the last two weeks, it is highly likely that you would have heard about Prince Harry’s newly released memoir, Spare. Fresh rounds of memes and fierce debates have been sparked after portions of the book were leaked, several years into increasingly public tensions…