I Edited 51 Novels Last Year. These are 9 Things EVERY Writer Should Know.

i like that you tell the writer what they are doing well instead of just dumping all the bad on them watch this very popular book editor bragging how he tears the writer apart because that's the only way they will get better

writers who hire editors probably take feedback well. i ran a writers group for 4 years and i'd say it's 50/50 at that level

don't write expecting to become a millionaire or have a lot of fans, write to make a difference in the world, it doesn't matter if you affect the life of 10 or 1 million people, it matters if you managed to make the life of at least 1 person better using only your words. That is what a successful author is. If after that you get rich an famous, even better if that's what you wanted, but don't make it your main goal or you'll be painfully disappointed, writers who can have those 2 things and are still alive are less than 1%

Something tells me that you have been a teacher at some stage in your life. If not, then I feel you would make an excellent one. Well done, mate.

0:00 💡 Writers often misjudge their book's weaknesses, focusing on elements they excel at while overlooking major issues. 1:31 🤔 Writers tend to underestimate their own strengths, often needing reassurance about their talents. 2:01 🔄 Authors frequently underestimate the extent of revision required, needing psychological readiness for substantial editing. 2:42 📚 Authors often overlook point of view issues, which significantly impact narrative coherence and reader engagement. 3:32 🧠 Most writers handle criticism well, being open to feedback and eager to revise. 4:46 😊 Writers tend to be optimistically hopeful about their book's success, often envisioning grand outcomes. 5:45 💡 Execution is key: A strong concept is valuable, but the effective implementation is what truly defines a book's success. 6:47 🏗 Structural issues are common and challenging for writers to spot, necessitating external feedback for improvement. 7:52 🌟 Many talented writers exist, each with a unique story to tell, so writers should embrace their individuality and not feel intimidated by com

This does indeed motivate me to continue writing...

it's so affirming to hear that structure is the hardest thing because in my scientific writing I'm made to feel like such a shitty writer because I "can't do basic structure" when I SWEAR my structure is actually fine. Hearing that the structure needs work, but it's okay, everyones structure needs work, is so nice to hear.

I’ve been a professor of linguistics and English for several years, and I finally decided to start writing my fiction novel. This past semester, I worked during my spare hours in my office and wrote many pages. I found that the production of language, the linking of all of the ideas logically and conceptually together for the various parts, and making the text fun, clear, and interesting page-after-page can be quite a collective challenge… yet, a welcome challenge! Thank you for your videos. I’ll be checking out more of them so I can stay better on track…

Thanks! I needed to hear some of this, because... man, we can get stuck in our own head sometimes (and that can be a dark and scary place)!

I'm glad you took the time to talk about #2. So many "writers" out there that have gotten at least 1 book out love telling you that "the first thing you need to learn is that your writing sucks". And then they go on about how much your editor is gonna mark up your stuff. I mean, on one hand I get it, but it's such a crappy way to deliver the message and so many people seem to love doing it. Gets a little aggravating after a while. That said, I have a deep appreciation for editors who take the time to highlight the things you did well. Learning from your mistakes is of course a great way to go, but not only is it nice to hear the "you did this well", it's also a learning experience. Nice to know when something didn't just "barely squeak by" and instead actually performed really well. I'm new here and not sure why the video randomly cropped up, but I'm glad it did.

You sound like someone I'd like to hire. Of course, I'm writing a multi-book series and don't have the money, but I appreciate this kind of insight. It's still very helpful.

A great video! I’m still only learning about writing but I don’t feel like it is a competition. If there are thousands of talented writers out there, I see that as a brilliant gift to humanity.

Im in deep shock! Never saw the kind of advice youre giving in your videos around. Please, MORE!!!!!!!

Thank you for your postivity. The hardest thing about writing is marketing.

Wow, this sounds like really profound advice. To No. 1. I tended to obsess with structure and dramaturgic aspects and did not manage to finish my long planned novel. When I did not know how to go on, I often tended to change plot lines etc.. Although this helped me to understand the characters better, I think, for a long time I thought too much about plot. Now I am going back to more focus on other aspects because advice No. 1 seems to be true to me. I should focus on aspects I tend to NOT think about. So thanks for that impulse! :)

It's so refreshing to hear some original advice. This video was really helpful, thank you!

Very happy I found this channel Subscribed! Thank you

What a very encouraging post. Terrific advice and - I can see - so warmly and patiently given. Your writers are very lucky to have you helping them in their orientation and execution of their work. Thanks for taking the time to share.

I love how you douse every single point with so much positivity and encouragement to the authors. This is a great and fantastic 'boost-me-up' video!

Thank you. I've been viewing many YouTube educational videos on writing - lol - I wish I started here in my first book. This is the first time your channel popped up. I appreciate your style, knowledge and respect. I am looking forward to viewing more. I am a few hundred pages into my historical narrative novel about my grandfather who had a successful life before WW I, but was blown off his path. I have family anthology and many letters for material. My “success” will be to bring this incredible story to life - book sales are secondary