One of the most effective ways of improving your skills as a writer is to research. And what does research involve? Reading! And lots of it. I can’t emphasise enough how important it is to read around your genre, whether it’s police procedural or epic romance. Knowing your market not only helps improve your craft but also shows publisher and agents that you know what you’re talking about. You know the market you’re writing in to – it’s not a romantic image, but it’s the truth.
So, I was tagged in a challenge the other day on Instagram (if you’re not following me, go check out my page for exclusive content including reviews, behinds the scenes sneak-peeks and tips.) As an editor, I do even more reading for both the manuscripts I’m working on but also in my own time. So check it out…
As an editor, I was completely drawn to the cover of The Girl on the Page. Funnily enough, not for the reasons those of us who work in the publishing industry would want us to – yes, we design books so that you do judge them by their covers – but because it was covered in all the tools of my trade. I thought the cover design was so clever, using proofreading symbols and other editorial mark-ups to create the cover and marketing copy. Ingenius. I was bound to like this from the start.
Rebecca Millar Editorial 