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Author Beth Jones: Remaining Hopeful Is How We Sustain Our Journey
Writing Tips, Spiritus Books News, Author Spotlight Jocelyn Carbonara Writing Tips, Spiritus Books News, Author Spotlight Jocelyn Carbonara

Author Beth Jones: Remaining Hopeful Is How We Sustain Our Journey

Please enjoy this Q&A about the book writing process with memoir author Beth Jones.

My book is Becoming an Empowered Survivor, You, Too, Can Heal from Trauma and Abuse, in which I share my story about my healing journey, told through my acronym for HEAL, which means to hope, evolve, and love. In the book, I share my experience with each of these actions. I wrote the book to crystallize my message to other survivors of trauma and abuse, following the subtitle of the book, that they, too, can heal.

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Overcoming Imposter Syndrome as an Author
Author Coaching, First-Time Authors, Memoir Jocelyn Carbonara Author Coaching, First-Time Authors, Memoir Jocelyn Carbonara

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome as an Author

Even masters of their craft deal with imposter syndrome. Poet laureate Dr. Maya Angelou once said, “I have written 11 books, but each time I think, ‘uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.”

Two of my areas of expertise as an editor are non-fiction and memoir. I think these hold a special corner on fostering imposter syndrome. Here are some tips to overcoming the imposter syndrome that may paralyze or stall you in your writing.

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Three Warning Signs You’re Not Ready to Write Your Book
Memoir, Author Coaching, First-Time Authors, Business Scott Carbonara Memoir, Author Coaching, First-Time Authors, Business Scott Carbonara

Three Warning Signs You’re Not Ready to Write Your Book

We’ve always believed that everyone has a story to tell—one that can inform, enlighten, teach, and/or inspire others. But from our years in the field, we’ve found there are times when would-be authors might want to hold off on writing. Here are three times an author coach may be the better choice than jumping into writing your book.

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Seven Ways to Save You Time and Money in Book Editing
First-Time Authors, Author Coaching, Editing Jocelyn Carbonara First-Time Authors, Author Coaching, Editing Jocelyn Carbonara

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

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Author Jorja Jamison: “We Must Be Active in Healing Ourselves in Conjunction to Healing Others”
Writing Tips, Spiritus Books News, Author Spotlight Jocelyn Carbonara Writing Tips, Spiritus Books News, Author Spotlight Jocelyn Carbonara

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.

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Writing as Therapy or Advocacy
First-Time Authors, Author Coaching Jocelyn Carbonara First-Time Authors, Author Coaching Jocelyn Carbonara

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.

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