The last sentence I wrote back in December was "I hope to be more consistent with my emails in 2024." Well... that didn't exactly work out. 😅

Here we are, my first newsletter of the year, halfway through the year. But I'm back and although I can't promise perfect consistency, I can promise to use my curator brain to bring you useful stuff I've scavenged from around the internet on a monthly basis. And to put my digital hoarding tendencies to somewhat good use.

The first half of 2024 has been a great one, with a mix of fiction and nonfiction. I got to line edit a YA fantasy novel with civil wars and epic battles, proofread an urban horror thriller with massive insects from a parallel dimension, and copyedit a bitcoin technothriller with loads of global conspiracy and intrigue. This is how I love to spend my days, and as it gets hotter I take my work out to the balcony, where my container 'chaos garden' is doing its thing. I'm no gardener, but I aspire to tend to some greenery this summer. 🌱

On to some resources!

On the Blog

Why you should get a sample edit before hiring an editor​
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In the world of writing and publishing, finding the right editor for your manuscript is crucial. A sample edit is a portion of your manuscript that an editor will edit as they would the entire work. It serves as a preview of what to expect from the editor's approach, feedback, and communication style. In this blog post, I dive into why sample edits are essential for authors and how they can help you make an informed decision when selecting an editor. Read more.​

Resource Round-Up for Authors

Here are a few resources in no particular order that I found shareworthy:

• Fantasy Maps Software: I went down a rabbit hole on map-making for fantasy novels. You're welcome! Note: I haven't actually explored any in depth, but I really like the look of Inkarnate (subscription) and Wonderdraft (one-time $). But the link lists several other options, including some free ones.
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• Life-Changing Keyboard Shortcut: Windows logo key + . (period) No, seriously! A fellow editor shared this and it's amazing. It brings up a panel with emojis, gifs, symbols/punctuation, and even your clipboard history. 🤯
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• Sci-Fi Beach Reads: My client Kate is in this cool selection of SF books, some prequels, short stories, and series starters. I love the idea that beach reads can be whatever we want (including space ships on the cover), and not just the aesthetics of a 'beach read'...
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• Ursula K. Le Guin on How to Become a Writer: Basically write until you know how to write. 😑 "If you feel you need rules and want rules, and you find a rule that appeals to you, or that works for you, then follow it. Use it. But if it doesn’t appeal to you or doesn’t work for you, then ignore it; in fact, if you want to and are able to, kick it in the teeth, break it, fold staple mutilate and destroy it. See, the thing is, as a writer you are free. You are about the freest person that ever was." Read full post on LitHub.​

What I'm Reading

Just started on Neon Nights and I'm really enjoying it. Anna Mocikat truly is the Queen of Cyberpunk, and if you like the genre you should definitely give her Behind Blue Eyes and Space Punks series a look as well. Neon Nights is a spin-off with two detectives that work in Olympias City who appear in BBE.

What I'm Making

I've been getting back into my collage habit, slowly but surely. It's just so fun to cut up random tidbits to make something new. This one is from a Setting Course art session I did with my friends over at The Writer's Helm.

That’s it for this month. Reply and let me know what you've been up to, and what's on the horizon with your publishing goals.

P.S. I'm booking for Q4 spots (line, copyediting, and proofreading) if you're looking for an editor. Apply here to work together!

- Erika

Erika Steeves ​
Fiction & Nonfiction Editor
​www.erikasteeves.com​

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