Welcome to the Spiritus Books Blog

Subscribe to our blog and we’ll send you a bonus: Our handy guide Do I Need an Editor, Ghostwriter, or Author Coach?

Explore posts by topic:

Search all posts:

Jocelyn Carbonara 11/28/24 Jocelyn Carbonara 11/28/24

Seven Ways to Save You Time and Money in Book Editing

Authors often ask me how many revisions they will need by a professional editor. Each phase adds up financially, so my goal is to help streamline the process without sacrificing quality. Which leads me to answer: “It depends. Each revision will take your manuscript up at least a full letter grade.” This means you might move from a B to an A, etc.— up one level in quality with each full edit.

My goal is to help you earn an A. Sometimes this can be done with three basic rounds: developmental editing, copyediting, and proofreading. But a lot depends upon what shape the manuscript is in when I get it.

To save you time and money, here are tips on how to resolve the most common issues I see in manuscripts sent to me. This will help you get the most out of your editing experience.mmary-goes-here

Jocelyn Carbonara 11/21/24 Jocelyn Carbonara 11/21/24

Author Jorja Jamison: “We Must Be Active in Healing Ourselves in Conjunction to Healing Others”

Please enjoy this Q&A about the book writing process with addiction recovery memoir author Jorja Jamison, PhD, LP.

JORJA JAMISON, PHD, LP: When I was training in my doctoral program in psychology, I loved getting to present at conferences. But there were usually not a lot of people who attended conference sessions, even at very large conferences. My advisor once encouraged me to write, saying that I could reach a lot more people through my writing than my conference presentations. She was referring to publishing in academic journals. I never found that pathway fulfilling, but her words always stayed with me.

Jocelyn Carbonara 11/14/24 Jocelyn Carbonara 11/14/24

Writing as Therapy or Advocacy

In uncertain times, are you prone to action to channel your anger, disappointment, or desire for change? Do you join or lead causes, schedule a protest, or become vocal in online platforms? If you’ve experienced trauma by an individual, perhaps you’ve prosecuted or confronted your perpetrator. All these actions are justified and often necessary.

But many are more inclined to process their emotions internally, expressing them in ways that may seem abstract—but which can still deliver impact. And one of those methods is writing.

Scott Carbonara 11/7/24 Scott Carbonara 11/7/24

Do You Need a Ghostwriter? Six Scenarios Where a Ghostwriter Makes Sense

You might assume that only celebrities and politicians use ghostwriters. Did you know some of your favorite childhood serials like Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Goosebumps, and The Baby-Sitters Club used them? And if you’re a fan of Ian Fleming’s James Bond books or the works of Robert Ludlum, you’re already familiar with the work of ghostwriters.

Instead of outing our most cherished authors who used ghostwriters, let’s explore the scenarios where a ghostwriter makes sense, to see if ghostwriting is right for you.

Jenny Lisk 10/31/24 Jenny Lisk 10/31/24

How to Research and Evaluate a Hybrid Publisher

If you’re currently writing a book, or even have a finished manuscript in hand, you’ve probably thought about the next step: How will it be published?

Maybe you’ve struck out in the search for an agent or traditional publisher. Perhaps the prospect of self-publishing feels daunting. You may have heard about “hybrid publishing” and wondered if it’s the solution you’re looking for.

Jocelyn Carbonara 10/24/24 Jocelyn Carbonara 10/24/24

The Publishing Crossroads: Is Self-Publishing or Traditional the Path for You?

Demystifying the book publishing industry is a bit like changing the tires on a moving car. It’s adapting quickly, and unless you’re paying close attention and have industry experience, it’s easy to feel “run over” by all the options.

This post will attempt to demystify the difference between traditional publishing and self-publishing.