Category: Publishing

Posted on

Things Wear Out

Mom edits too much!

Well, it’s been a month or so. The editing has been coming in fast and furious, and, as my first boss who was a good boss once said to me, “You say, ‘Yes,’ to everything, and then you figure out how to do it later, or you delegate.” Well, she was a VP of circulation, so she had the ability to delegate. I need a staff!

It’s odd that I’m posting on this blog right now because I have barely had my face out of this screen for weeks. I even came home from taking someone to an all-day hospital trip two weeks ago and settled in to finish another set of edits. Over the summer I have been going to a few concerts at the Hollywood Bowl with my friend Amanda, and, though she knows nothing about American rock music, she goes, has fun, and we get one of the gigantic twenty dollar beers and split it. I need to get back out for a beer!

And so it came to pass that, with all that editing, I was bound to wear something out, and need to replace it. My hip.

LOL, no just kidding. That’s an old lady joke. It was my mouse pad. And it was disgusting. It was black, said “But First Coffee,” and had started to become one with the desk.

So, like you do, I found a better one on Etsy. One that is not gross, and that suits the kind-hearted person I truly am. And is in my favorite color!

I also received a gift certificate last December from Dave for my birthday, and last Friday I stole 2 hours from editing to use it (and then went to Starbucks, and went right back to editing, playing through the pain).

To commemorate Devil’s Party Press, my first business. That’s a photo Jing took, so he’d just finished. I’m a bit red.

Whatcha think? Apparently I am good at tattoos. They don’t really hurt me, and I heal quickly and well. Every time I get one I agonize over it, should I get one, shouldn’t I? What kind of a person gets one? Is this the right one to get? But I have virtually no pain. I rubbed this on the sheets a little too roughly Saturday night, and it was ouchy for a minute, but otherwise I am fine.

But every time I get one I am so excited. I want a sleeve, and I think I am going to work more on finishing that sleeve out, before I’m dead.

Dave drew this one, and Jing applied it, and Jing also drew the stars. I love that Jing added the white highlights. White doesn’t always last, but for now it is cool.

And then there were three:

Sophie drew the mint chocolate chip rabbit. Girl power I created from various clip arts. That one was my first, done in DE. I got it when Hillary Clinton lost to the monster. The idea was that if I held up my arm in a fist, the patriarchy could see it when I helped to smash it. The guy who tattooed me said he wasn’t sure what the patriarchy was, but he thought the placement was correct for smashing it.

So, yeah, I’ve been working my butt off. What can I tell you? I think I am good at a few things, and aren’t we all? I am good at getting tattooed. I am good at singing. I am good at making cookies and bean soup (and really, what else do you need to survive?) and I am extra good at editing. It’s the kind of thing you don’t think you need, until you get it, and then you’re like, “Whoa, my book really needed that.” It is expensive though, so I always do a free sample. I’m like COSTCO that way. If you want a free sample, let me know: dianne@currentwords.com

So, I don’t know when I’ll be back here. I think a lot of folks are getting their books ready for 2026 publication. Makes sense. I’m getting mine ready too! Yoinks!

Work work work….

My woman works too much. I have had it! Meeeee-ow!

Things wear out… like mouse pads and pets’ patience!

Posted on

Tired of Paying More for Less on Reedsy?

Did you know that hiring an editor through Reedsy locks you into their platform? You can’t communicate with your editor outside their system, and on top of that, you pay extra fees—while your editor also gets charged from your payment. That’s right—double-dipping at its finest.

But writing thrives on genuine collaboration, not platform restrictions.

That’s why I’m offering a FREE professional edit—so you can experience firsthand what it’s like to work with an editor who’s focused on you, not a platform’s bottom line.

✔ One short story (up to 12 pages)
✔ A chapter (up to 12 pages)
✔ Up to five poems

No strings. No hidden costs. Just real, high-quality feedback to elevate your writing.

As a member of IBPA, EFA, and ACES, I bring industry expertise and a commitment to excellence. In the past year alone, I’ve edited over 75 books and short story collections—and published many of them.

📅 Pick a time that works for you—any date, any schedule.
🔎 Check out just a teensy bit of my portfolio and see the results for yourself.

Let’s get your writing polished—without the unnecessary fees.

Posted on

Affordable Book Editing: Transform Your Manuscript

Have you thought about having an edit on your writing project? You can have it on a full book, or a short story/memoir, or even a poem.

What’s the benefit?

  • A second pair of eyes.
  • A dialogue with an experienced editor who is focused on your work, and what you want your work to achieve.
  • One-on-one interaction.
  • A live Zoom discussion.
  • And lots more!

What’s an edit look like?

Kinda like this, though every book is different:

crisp clear notes to show you why I am suggesting what I am suggesting, and collaboration that suits you.

How much does an edit cost?

As a member of ACES and the EFA, I edit based on the standard scale. That means I charge a per-word fee. This is because words can be cut during editing, and words can be added, but the price is based on the original word count. Some editors charge an hourly fee, but I don’t do that, because what if I read much faster than another editor? The other editor is going to present you with a much higher bill, and you’re going to pay for that person’s lack of experience and speed. Word count is much fairer to you, the author. The EFA recommends three to four cents/word, and I charge three cents. For that three cents I will do a combined edit: developmental, line/copy, and proofreading. I’m a registered business in Los Angeles, California, and I give you a contract, so you know what you’re getting, and when you’re getting it. I also offer a free query letter if you’re going to send your work out to agents and publishers. If you decide in the future that you want to publish with Current Words Publishing, I hold a spot for you for two years (no obligation) and do not require a second edit. If you choose to self-publish you can hit us up for any tasks you need help with, like formatting the manuscript. Sometimes authors choose to do a small piece at a time, depending on what they have time and budget for. I’m open to what works best for you. As an example, a 50,000-word piece would cost $1500, and take one week for me to complete, but would include free Zoom meetings and a free query letter, and help and suggestions on how to start promoting yourself as an author.

What makes me the best editor you can hire is that I am so experienced. I have spent over 25 years working with new authors of fiction and non-fiction in many colleges on both coasts. I published an award-winning student literary magazine at UMES for four years. As an editor I have worked on a lot of mystery, horror, dystopian, speculative, fantasy, magical realism, women’s, LGBTQ+, erotic, memoir, and short story collections, including the celebrated Echoes from the Hocker House. I studied under Juan Felipe Herrera, Syd Lea, Luanne Smith, Betsy Scholl, and Christopher Buckley, to name a few. I ran a very successful workshop that met bi-monthly for seven years. I run a poetry coop, and a literary magazine, and I have curated, edited and created many anthologies of horror, mystery, and literary fiction. I have also been a guest editor at literary conferences including the Atlanta Writers’ Conference. I’ll be at the self-publishing conference in Atlanta this spring, where Current Words Publishing is one of the sponsors. There are so many things an experienced editor can do that most “editors” can’t. You have to be choosy. And going with one of the large “we have editors” sites really hamstrings you, because those editors are not allowed to become a part of your literary life. They’re only allowed to do the job and move on. I am not like that. I invest in the authors I work with for the long haul.

The new year is just around the corner. January is already filled for me, but I am open to your project any time after January 31st, as needed. Depending on what you need I can turn around a full novel in as little as a few weeks. Some folks just like to have me edit their new work, a short story or a chapter in the novel, as they finish it. I am very open to a collaboration that suits you.

And, once the year is over, it’s over, and we, much to our frustration, cannot go back. So maybe what you need in 2025 is that push, that meeting, that obligation to send something to someone who is going to interact with it, and you. Let’s make 2025 the year that your book or collection becomes a reality. If you’re interested email: dianne@currentwords.com, or choose a meeting time that suits you.

Here’s to a happy, healthy, and literary new year!

Dianne

Posted on

To Book Award, or Not to Book Award?

Book awards, book awards, do I want thee, book awards?
Let’s take a look at three possible book awards.
Next Generation Indie Book Awards offers cash prizes and seals for winners and finalists, which can enhance a book’s cover and validate it for readers. Their current promotion allows authors to enter one category and get another free. Popular categories include “first novel” or “horror,” but avoid “general fiction,” as it tends to be overcrowded. Here are the categories that you can choose from for this award.

What do seals look like on a book cover? See ECHOES FROM THE HOCKER HOUSE.

Other awards to consider include the Eric Hoffer Award (currently discounted by $15):
 Registration link. Information link.
The National Federation of Press Women (NFPW) contest, which often sees fewer fiction entries, is open to all genders, despite its name, and early entry costs less. Entry Link.

Awards are a personal choice—some authors value the credibility they bring, while others prefer to avoid the cost. If you publish with my publishing company, Current Words Publishing (CWP), your book will stand out due to professional editing, formatting, and design, improving your chances of success. Plus, we can add any award seals to your book cover at any time.

Why do awards charge fees? Running contests involves hiring judges, administrators, and PR teams, much like publishing requires professional services. At CWP, we offer high-quality editing, production, and promotional support. Publishing is an investment, and a successful writing career is built over time, not on one book.

If your book is in production for 2025, aim to have it available by July to maximize award eligibility. If you’re considering publishing with us, we offer free sample edits and meet-and-greet sessions to demonstrate the value we provide. Some awards are closed to authors who self-publish, which is another benefit of publishing with me and Current Words.

Ready to pursue an award? Let my company help you showcase your success.

Happy Black Friday—enjoy those leftovers! I know I’m enjoying mine!

Dianne

Posted on

JOIN ME? IN THE BEWILDERNESS

I spent a transformative hour this morning in the Bewilderness with poet Ellis Elliott. I signed up for her course and spent an hour with a group of other authors as we put the rubber on the road and wrote in response to two poems Ellis shared with us. I struggle with giving my own writing practice the time and respect it deserves, so it took a lot of hemming and hawing for me to allow myself to spend this money on myself/my writing, to register, and think I was even three minutes late, as I found other things that definitely needed to be done right away before I joined the class. During the session, which lasted the perfect amount of time, IMHO, we each came up with two pieces. They were remarkably different, and some (mine, I’m going to say) were less polished than others, which was fine, because polish isn’t the point. What is the point is going barefoot in the grass, or, in my case, the mud. Getting in there and feeling it is the point, and getting it down on the stubbornly Teflon pages I always seem to have… Why won’t my writing stick there? Well’p, it stuck today. And, guess what: no one says a peep about anyone else’s writing, so it is 100% a safe space where you create, and off you go into your own ether, unmolested by critique. 

I loved it, and I cannot recommend it enough. 

Why don’t you sign-up already?

Bewilderness Writing