Recently, I was featured on three podcasts for writers and book lovers, and wanted to tell you a little bit about each appearance. As you may know, I LOVE talking about books and writing. I’m grateful to have had the chance to do both during these interviews.
Between the Covers
First, host Stephanie Larkin of Red Penguin Books interviewed a few contributing writers to the new release, Launch Pad: The Countdown To Writing Your Book. This craft book is designed to help writers navigate the emotional ups and downs of finishing a novel, and was led by Emma Dhesi and Grace Sammon.
The episode features interviews with Susanne Dunlap, author of The Courtesan’s Daughter and a certified book coach; Meredith Stoddard, author of The River Maiden: Once & Future Series; Carol Van Den Hende, author of Goodbye, Orchid; and myself.
We discussed our writing processes, what’s inside the Launch Pad book, and valuable tips for writers.
I also had a lively discussion with Liz Bullard on the eReads Podcast.â We discussed things like the perfect desk chair and how my chiropractor reprimanded me for working on my recliner. âıï¸
Last year, when I was having neck and upper back soreness, he advised me to buy an ergonomic desk chair with a headrest. Some of you know my obsession with office supplies.
I mean, it takes me 45 minutes to pick out pens. Imagine how long it took for me to pick out a $300 chair.
I felt like Goldilocks, sitting on all the office chairs at Staples.
Too hard.
Too soft.
Unfortunately, I didn’t find anything just right, but I found one that was comfortable enough . . .
Well, after I bought a special cushion on Amazon.
I still occasionally use my Chromebook on my recliner, but I’m much more aware of my posture!
Anyway, Liz and I talked about a lot more than desk chairs and chiropractors.
During the episode, Liz also asked me to share a writing prompt. I gave her one that I used to use a lot: I remember. All you do is free write starting with the words, I remember . . . and see what comes out.
Last but not least, my good friend Kat Caldwell interviewed me on her Pencils & Lipstick podcast. This was the third or fourth time I’ve been on the show, and Kat and I always have a good time. The topic of the day was body language and nonverbal communication.
We delved into what those terms mean for writers, why it’s important, common mistakes that writers make, how to freshen up your characters’ emotions, and how to write creative emotional descriptions. You can listen to the episode here or watch it on YouTube below.
Hi there! I’m Stacy Juba, an author, freelance editor, and the founder of Shortcuts for Writers. I’d love to connect. If you’re a writer, here are a few ways we can work together:Â
I love doing interviews on podcasts and YouTube channels for readers and writers. Below, you can find out more about my two latest conversations and how to listen in.
Could you use some time management tips? Then be sure to check out my interview on the Author Your Dream podcast.
Time management is something that a lot of authors struggle with. Host Kenny MacKay and I discussed a number of topics, including effective strategies, time blocking, and automating tasks to help you be more productive.
I had a fun time talking about my sweet and sassy chick lit novel, Fooling Around With Cinderella, and answering five princess-themed trivia questions.
Here is the blurb for the book: When twenty-five-year-old Jaine Andersen proposes a new marketing role to the local amusement park, general manager Dylan Callahan charms her into filling Cinderellaâs glass slippers for the summer. Her reign transforms Jaineâs ordinary life into chaos that would bewilder a fairy godmother. Secretly dating her bad boy boss, running wedding errands for her ungrateful sisters, and defending herself from the parkâs resident villain means Jaine needs lots more than a comfy pair of shoes to restore order in her kingdom…
Hi there! I’m Stacy Juba, an author, freelance editor, and the founder of Shortcuts for Writers. I’d love to connect. If you’re a writer, here are a few ways we can work together:Â
I’m excited to announce that I have a brand new Amazon Influencer store featuring books and products for writers and entrepreneurs. They make great gifts for friends who love writing or who work from homeâor for yourself! You’ll find journals, business planners, writing books, home office supplies and decor, tech gadgets and accessories, video and audio equipment, and products to help with the aches and pains that come from hunching over a computer all day. Headaches, eyestrain, backaches, neck aches, carpal tunnelâyou’ll find suggestions for all of those ailments and more. I also shared some of my favorite “fun” products to decompress by myself or with my family.
You can check out the main storefront here. Please note that as an Amazon affiliate, I receive a small commission on sales made through my links.
Below, I’ve included direct links to the various subcategories in my Amazon shop. I also embedded a series of three Show and Tell videos where I hold up some featured products that I own and do short reviews.
Let me know in the comments which products look the most interesting to you, if you’ve ever used any of these, or if you have suggestions for my lists.Â
Hi there! I’m Stacy Juba, an author, freelance editor, and the founder of Shortcuts for Writers. I’d love to connect. If you’re a writer, here are a few ways we can work together:Â
This is an interview I did for Emma Dhesi’s podcast for new writers, Turning Readers Into Writers. It was also livestreamed in her Facebook group, Turning Readers Into Writers With Emma Dhesi.
The topic was cost-effective editing and self-editing tips. Thank you to Emma for generously giving me the video to share. We discussed my writing background, delved into common mistakes that writers make, and I shared about how my self-paced online course Book Editing Blueprint: A Step-By-Step Plan to Making Your Novels Publishable saves writers time and money.
During the interview, I also responded to questions from Facebook listeners about working with an editor.
Emma is an extremely inspiring writer and coach who helps beginner writers find the time and confidence to write their first novel.
ENROLL IN MY COURSE, BOOK EDITING BLUEPRINT, USING EMMA’S AFFILIATE LINK
Hi there! I’m Stacy Juba, an author, freelance editor, and the founder of Shortcuts for Writers. I’d love to connect. If you’re a writer, here are a few ways we can work together:Â
I had a great time recently speaking with Ayushi Jaiswal, a book reviewer and host of the show It’s A Nerdy Thing. Ayushi calls herself a book nerd and says her goals are to share her bookish experiences and make viewers laugh.
I’m delighted that my novels have been part of her bookish experiences, and I had such fun sitting down to chat with her. We talked about my Storybook Valley chick lit novel Prancing Around With Sleeping Beauty, my lifelong love of reading, how I got into writing, and my tips for writers.
I hope you enjoy the video. If you love to read, be sure to follow Ayushi on Instagram and YouTube.
Hi there! I’m Stacy Juba, an author, freelance editor, and the founder of Shortcuts for Writers. I’d love to connect. If you’re a writer, here are a few ways we can work together:Â
I wanted to share a couple recent interviews I did about being a writer, editor, course creator, and mompreneur. I hope you enjoy learning more about my journey and find my tips helpful.
Moms Who Rise
First, I was honored to be interviewed on the Moms Who Rise blog as part of the Momspire feature. We chatted about what inspired me to start my own business and tips for entrepreneurship.
Angela Garcia runs the Moms Who Rise site to give moms a community where they can connect and grow as women and also embrace their motherhood journey. Moms Who Rise is not only an online community, but they also meet through monthly mom socials, quarterly workshops, and the Moms Who Rise conference hosted twice a year.
Mithyl Dave interviewed me recently on The Digital Maddy Show, talking about how to become an author. The show, which is available in podcast and YouTube formats, features topics including video creation, digital marketing, email marketing, affiliate marketing, content creation, and storytelling. As a writer, I fit into the storytelling category, if you haven’t already guessed! Between promoting my books and running Shortcuts for Writers, I do a lot of marketing also.
If you’ve always wanted to write a book, give the interview a listen. Watch it on YouTube or listen to The Digital Maddy Show on your favorite podcast app. (May 30th, 2020 episode)â
Hi there! I’m Stacy Juba, an author, freelance editor, and the founder of Shortcuts for Writers. I’d love to connect. If you’re a writer, here are a few ways we can work together:Â
I recently did a livestream interview on Alina Boyte’s Heart Centered Life Broadcast, talking about How To Write Your First Novel And Get Published. Alina hosts a podcast and YouTube show for busy professionals, entrepreneurs, and educators on living and leading from the heart. During the interview, we discussed how to get ideas and find inspiration for your book, develop characters, build a captivating story, edit your work, and find a publisher. You can watch the episode below.
Hi there! I’m Stacy Juba, an author, freelance editor, and the founder of Shortcuts for Writers. I’d love to connect. If you’re a writer, here are a few ways we can work together:Â
Take a tour of the online course BOOK EDITING BLUEPRINT: A STEP-BY-STEP PLAN TO MAKING YOUR NOVELS PUBLISHABLE.
In Book Editing Blueprint, your mission is to learn how to do a thorough developmental, line edit, and copyedit and to create a solid action plan. By the end of this 10-module, self-paced course, youâll have prepared a detailed editorial report and will be armed with a simple self-editing checklist to guide you through your revisions. Itâs a proven system that outlines what every fiction and creative nonfiction author should do before approaching an editor. That way when youâre ready to hire a freelance editor, youâll get much more value for your money and should receive a high level edit rather than one filled with general beginner advice.
In this video, I’ll show you what the classroom looks like and give a quick overview of each lesson.
Please SUBSCRIBE and click the bell to get notifications.
**** I’m a fiction author, award-winning journalist, freelance developmental editor, and the founder of Shortcuts for Writers. My motto is “Let’s make editing simple,” and my signature course is Book Editing Blueprint: A Step-By-Step Plan to Making Your Novels Publishable. I’ve taught workshops for organizations including Savvy Authors, RWA, and Sisters in Crime.
Hi there! I’m Stacy Juba, an author, freelance editor, and the founder of Shortcuts for Writers. I’d love to connect. If you’re a writer, here are a few ways we can work together:Â
Find out the most common dialogue mistakes that plague fiction writers in this sample video from the online course Book Editing Blueprint: A Step-By-Step Plan to Making Your Novels Publishable.
The video discusses how to edit speech length, dialogue punctuation, contractions, speech tags, and other elements of dialogue.
This video is excerpted from BOOK EDITING BLUEPRINT: A STEP-BY-STEP PLAN TO MAKING YOUR NOVELS PUBLISHABLE: In Book Editing Blueprint, your mission is to learn how to do a thorough developmental, line edit, and copyedit and to create a solid action plan. By the end of this 10-module, self-paced course, youâll have prepared a detailed editorial report and will be armed with a simple self-editing checklist to guide you through your revisions.
Itâs a proven system that outlines what every fiction and creative nonfiction author should do before approaching an editor. That way when youâre ready to hire a freelance editor, youâll get much more value for your money and should receive a high level edit rather than one filled with general beginner advice.
Please SUBSCRIBE and click the bell to get notifications.
****
I’ve written sweet and sassy chick lit novels, mysteries about determined women sleuths, and books for young adults and children including my popular Hockey Rivals series. My first novel, Face-Off, was originally published when I was 18 years old. In addition to writing books, I’m a freelance editor, online writing instructor, and an award-winning journalist.
Hi there! I’m Stacy Juba, an author, freelance editor, and the founder of Shortcuts for Writers. I’d love to connect. If you’re a writer, here are a few ways we can work together:Â
This video was originally created for the Shortcuts for Writers Facebook group and shares the results of a survey I did. In that survey, I asked writers what editing issues gave them the most trouble and what MUST be included in my course Book Editing Blueprint: A Step-By-Step Plan to Making Your Novels Publishable.
Want to know what your fellow writers think about editing? Watch this 14-minute video for a fascinating look at what writers are struggling with in their manuscripts. We talk about expense, common technique pitfalls, time management, and more. If you think you’re alone with your writing and editing struggles, you’re not!
I used the results of this survey to help me create my online course BOOK EDITING BLUEPRINT: A STEP-BY-STEP PLAN TO MAKING YOUR NOVELS PUBLISHABLE.
In Book Editing Blueprint, your mission is to learn how to do a thorough developmental, line edit, and copyedit and to create a solid action plan. By the end of this 10-module, self-paced course, youâll have prepared a detailed editorial report and will be armed with a simple self-editing checklist to guide you through your revisions. Itâs a proven system that outlines what every fiction and creative nonfiction author should do before approaching an editor. That way when youâre ready to hire a freelance editor, youâll get much more value for your money and should receive a high level edit rather than one filled with general beginner advice.
Please SUBSCRIBE and click the bell to get notifications.
**** I’m a fiction author, award-winning journalist, freelance developmental editor, and the founder of Shortcuts for Writers. My motto is “Let’s make editing simple,” and my signature course is Book Editing Blueprint: A Step-By-Step Plan to Making Your Novels Publishable. I’ve taught workshops for organizations including Savvy Authors, RWA, and Sisters in Crime.
Hi there! I’m Stacy Juba, an author, freelance editor, and the founder of Shortcuts for Writers. I’d love to connect. If you’re a writer, here are a few ways we can work together:Â
In this video, I’m going to show you what flaws jump out at me on the first couple pages of an unpublished manuscript. You’ll get a glimpse of how editors will evaluate your writing and why it’s so important to your wallet that your submission is polished. I haven’t read these pagesâ these are just observations that caught my attention as I glanced over them.
Agents and acquisitions editors can tell a lot about your novel in the first two pages. Your opening pages can entice them to keep reading or elicit an instant rejection.
What if you’re hiring a freelance editor to help you get the book ready for indie publishing or for submitting to agents? Giving you editorial feedback and/or making corrections is their job, right?
Yes, for a price. And that price is most likely hundreds of dollars per editing pass. It may even be over a thousand dollars: FOR ONE ROUND OF EDITING. Most beginner and intermediate writers need multiple rounds of editing.
Some freelance editors charge by the hour. According to the Editorial Freelancers Assocation, the average cost of hiring a developmental editor is $45-$55 an hour, which is for about 1-5 pages per hour.
Many editors will ask for a sample and give you a price or an estimate. They often charge more for a less experienced writer as the edit will take more time.
Did you know they can assess your writing and editing skills in just a couple pages? They’ll probably skim through more just to make sure, but editors don’t need to read many pages to determine your skills and come up with a price.
Learn how to self-edit your work so that you can make your manuscript as strong as possible BEFORE investing in a freelance editor or submitting to agents and publishers. It will save you money and you will look much more professional.
Watch how I assess two pages in this video. This is an example of the issues that I see in many clients’ manuscripts. Then check out my free self-editing course Line Editing Made Simple: 5 Days to More Polished Pages. Sign up here.Â
If you want to really learn how to think like an editor to save time and money, check out my online course Book Editing Blueprint: A Step-By-Step Plan to Making Your Novels Publishable. This course demystifies the editing process, giving you a practical, step-by-step blueprint for evaluating, rewriting, and polishing your manuscript. Find out more here.Â
Hi there! I’m Stacy Juba, an author, freelance editor, and the founder of Shortcuts for Writers. I’d love to connect. If you’re a writer, here are a few ways we can work together:Â
This course demystifies the editing process, giving you a practical, step-by-step blueprint for evaluating, rewriting, and polishing your manuscript. Itâs like having a professional editor standing over your shoulder while youâre editing the novel. The course will give you a solid foundation while also being something you can reasonably finish.
In Book Editing Blueprint, your mission is to learn how to do a thorough developmental and line edit and to create a solid action plan. By the end of this course, youâll have prepared a detailed editorial report outlining your bookâs strengths, weaknesses, and strategies to fix the problems, and will be armed with a simple self-editing checklist to guide you through your revisions.
Itâs a proven system that outlines what every fiction and creative nonfiction author should do BEFORE approaching an editor. That way when youâre ready to hire a professional book editor, youâll get much more value for your money and should receive a high level edit rather than one filled with general beginner advice.
A typical editing fee is $45-$55 an hour for a developmental edit, and that could be for less than 5 pages an hour. Most books by beginner and intermediate writers need MULTIPLE rounds of developmental editing. This doesn’t include copyediting or proofreading expenses. Before you invest hundreds to a thousand or more in editing services, make sure your book is ready.
Want to learn more about Book Editing Blueprint? Watch the trailer and then head over to the course home page.
Please like and share this video with any writers who might be interested!
Hi there! I’m Stacy Juba, an author, freelance editor, and the founder of Shortcuts for Writers. I’d love to connect. If you’re a writer, here are a few ways we can work together:Â
