The Publishing Performance Show

• Dave King – Self-Editing Techniques Every Fiction Writer Must Know Before Publishing

  Dave King is a professional fiction editor with over 35 years of experience and co-author of the bestselling writing manual Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, which has sold over 200,000 copies and been adopted as a textbook worldwide. With translations into Italian, Taiwanese, Japanese, and Korean, the book maintains its position in Amazon's top 10 fiction writing manuals. Dave apprenticed under Renni Browne, a former editor for William Morrow and Stein and Day, learning the craft through hands-on manuscript work. Today, he helps authors at all levels refine their manuscripts through his unique 50-page collaborative editing process that trains writers to become their own best editors.In this episode:30-year backlist bestseller adopted as textbook, 6,000-7,000 copies annuallyPhilosophy degree to glass grinding plant to professional editorApprenticeship as the only way to learn editing50-page back-and-forth collaborative editing techniqueCopy editing vs. mechanical vs. creative editingPoint of view as the #1 issue in manuscriptsThe cottage cheese test for character perspectiveThe dialogue voice test for distinct character voicesWhy writers as beta readers can be dangerousDiagnostic reading report at $2 per page before detailed editingMore forgiving of narrative summary in sci-fi and historical fictionHow J.K. Rowling broke all the rules but created effective world-buildingReal editing transformation: changing the ending with the supportive bossFinish your manuscript before hiring an editorING phrases and subordinate clauses that weaken writingMultiple beta readers agreeing means pay attentionFourth-Ringing Tonguishness: Anglo-Saxon vs. Latinate wordsHitting manuscripts with fresh eyes like a reader wouldResources mentioned:Writer Unboxed: Archive of Dave King's editing articlesNotable article: "Fourth-Ringing Tonguishness" (on Anglo-Saxon vs. Latinate language)Paul Anderson's analog magazine essay (1980s) on translating atomic physics into Anglo-Saxon equivalentsBook Recommendations:Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060545690?&linkCode=ll1&tag=pubperf-20&linkId=400c65572fa1761b41f901ed6233057c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tlConnect with Dave King:Website: www.davekingedits.comEditing services and consultation information available on websiteArticle archive with topical index available under "Advice" sectionDiagnostic reading reports: $2 per page (250 words per page)Connect with Teddy Smith:@teddyagsmithWebsite: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtcFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinstaYoutube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSwLinkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/ Support the showDiscover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/

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• Louise Harris – The Four Types of Editing Every Author Needs

  Louise Harris is the founder and president of Last Research and Editing, a comprehensive editing service specializing in both fiction and nonfiction books. With a journalism degree from the University of Maryland, Louise discovered early in her career that she's better at editing others' work than writing her own—a realization that shaped her 20+ year editing career. Known for her old-school approach of printing manuscripts and using colored pens (green at Christmas, pink at Easter), Louise provides everything from developmental editing and book coaching to copy editing, line editing, proofreading, and her unique book compilation service that transforms blog posts into published books.In this episode:Types of editing: developmental, copy, line, proofreadingDevelopmental editors as writing coachesWhen to hire editors at each stagePlot holes: the invisible man's clothes problemWhy printing manuscripts catches more errorsFlow from sentence to chapter to bookThe fluff problem: cutting unnecessary contentNonfiction editing for business and political booksAmerican English style guides (AP vs. Chicago)Customized packages for different author needsFree first chapter editing to test compatibilitySelf-editing tips: print and read aloudGrammarly limitations and computer errorsWhy AI writing sounds corporateBlog compilation service explainedAnthology compilation for associationsUpwork and Fiverr budget optionsWhy you shouldn't give editors first draftsResources mentioned:LAST Research and Editing: https://lastresearchandediting.com/Grammarly: https://www.grammarly.com/Chicago Manual of Style: https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/Associated Press Style Guide: https://www.apstylebook.com/Print editing techniquesBook recommendations:Oh, The Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss: https://denuccio.net/ohplaces.htmlConnect with Louise:Website: https://lastresearchandediting.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-harris-2b04bb13/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/louise.harris.7315/LAST Research FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/lastresearch/YouTube: @LouiseHarrisTheLASTWordTwitter: @lastreditPhone: 480-370-3945Alignable: https://www.alignable.com/hanover-md/last-research-and-editing-2Connect with Teddy Smith:@teddyagsmithWebsite: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtcFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinstaYoutube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSw Support the showDiscover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/

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• Lucy McCarraher of BookMagic AI – Using AI to Write Your Book (Without AI Writing Your Book)

  Lucy McCarraher is the founder of Rethink Press (a hybrid publisher specializing in business books) and BookMagic AI (an AI-assisted writing platform). Over 12 years, she has mentored over 2,000 entrepreneurs and business leaders through the book-writing process, making her the UK's most experienced business book mentor. Lucy's background spans theatre publishing in Australia, creating "video books" with celebrities like Prue Leith and Alan Titchmarsh, and pioneering work-life balance consulting. She has authored 13 books herself and developed a systematic process for helping non-writers transform their expertise into published books. Her philosophy: books should be "undercover sales agents," not marketing brochures—providing real value while building authority and credibility.In this episode:The three P's: person, pain, promise positioningBookMagic AI's values exercise starting pointBreaking writing into discrete, manageable stagesWhy AI shouldn't generate your actual book contentCopyright concerns with AI-generated textUsing AI for research and ideas, not writingThe one-hour-early writing habit strategyDictation feature for non-writers and dyslexic authorsPlanning every topic before you start writingWriting to one ideal reader, not a crowdAI-generated blog posts and social media contentWhy publishers reject AI-generated manuscriptsHybrid publishing vs. DIY self-publishing costsDistribution beyond Amazon KDPMultiple formats don't reduce salesFuture features: end-to-end publishing in-appResources mentioned:Book Magic AI: https://bookmagic.ai/Rethink Press: http://www.rethinkpress.com/KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing): https://kdp.amazon.com/Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/Key Person of Influence: https://www.keypersonofinfluence.com/Book recommendations:The Authority Gap by Mary Ann Sieghart: https://www.amazon.com/Authority-Gap-women-still-seriously/dp/0857527568Connect with Lucy:Get your Free Trial for Book Magic AI: https://bookmagic.ai/Rethink Press: http://www.rethinkpress.com/Personal Website: https://www.lucymccarraher.com/Linkedin: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/lucymccarraherConnect with Teddy Smith:@teddyagsmithWebsite: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtcFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinstaYoutube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSwLinkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/ Support the showDiscover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/

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• Barbara Boyd – The Venn Diagram Strategy: Writing Nonfiction Books That Actually Get Read

  Barbara Boyd is a certified book coach through Author Accelerator who has guided over 100 authors through the nonfiction writing process. With expertise in helping experts transform their knowledge into published books, Barbara specializes in the strategic foundation work that makes writing easier—from defining target audiences to creating actionable outlines. Her approach centers on the "Venn diagram of book concepts," ensuring that an author's idea, audience, and objectives align before writing begins. Barbara works with business owners, consultants, wellness professionals, and other experts who want to codify their frameworks, broaden their reach, and establish industry authority through well-crafted nonfiction books.In this episode:The Venn diagram: idea, audience, objectivesFinding your ideal reader avatarNarrowing your niche for less competitionSimplifying complex expert knowledgeUsing storytelling in nonfictionThe Blueprint for a Nonfiction Book toolCreating iterative outlinesWhen your acronym is your book structureBook coach as therapist and publishing expertBeing generous with your expertiseOne year from idea to manuscriptBook proposals in four monthsWriting 1,000 words per weekResources mentioned:Author Accelerator's Blueprint for a Non-Fiction Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1733251146?&linkCode=ll1&tag=pubperf-20&linkId=400c65572fa1761b41f901ed6233057c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tlJenny Nash of Author Accelerator: https://www.authoraccelerator.com/about-usBook Recommendations:"Write a Must Read" by A.J. Harper: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1989603696?&linkCode=ll1&tag=pubperf-20&linkId=400c65572fa1761b41f901ed6233057c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tlConnect with Barbara Boyd:Website: https://www.barbarajboyd.com/LinkedIn: https://it.linkedin.com/in/barbarajboydSchedule a Discovery Call: https://barbaraboyd.as.me/discoverycallConnect with Teddy Smith:@teddyagsmithWebsite: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtcFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinstaYoutube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSwLinkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/ Support the showDiscover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/

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• Evan Gow of StoryOrigin – How to Grow Your Author Newsletter from Zero to Thousands

  Evan Gow is the founder and indie developer of StoryOrigin, an all-in-one platform designed to help authors manage their book marketing infrastructure. After writing short stories in high school and working in tech and entrepreneurship, Evan returned to his passion for writing while building tools for the author community. Frustrated by authors juggling eight different services and five spreadsheets just to manage their marketing, Evan created StoryOrigin to consolidate everything authors need—from growing mailing lists and finding reviewers to arranging newsletter swaps and building websites—into one cohesive platform. His philosophy is simple: reduce context switching, simplify workflows, and help authors at every stage of their career.In this episode:Why newsletters are the only marketing channel you truly ownStarting your newsletter today (even with zero subscribers)Reader magnet strategies for fiction and nonfiction authorsThe prequel short story vs. first three chapters debateMatching your reader magnet to your target audienceTwo essential newsletter sections: rapport and valueThe "Also Bought" philosophy for book recommendationsNewsletter frequency: once vs. twice monthly strategiesNewsletter swaps explained: one-to-one cross promotionsGroup promotions: 20+ authors promoting togetherFinding newsletter swap partners on StoryOriginStarting swaps with zero subscribers (yes, really)Why authors with 5,000 subscribers accept swaps from beginnersThe altruistic author community helping each other growMonetizing newsletters with Amazon affiliate links correctlyUniversal book links and automatic affiliate tag insertionEmail service provider recommendations: MailerLite for beginnersIn-depth guides and video tutorials on StoryOriginResources mentioned:StoryOrigin: https://storyoriginapp.com/MailerLite recommendationNewsletter swap directoryGroup promotionsUniversal book linksReview copy landing pagesBook recommendations:He Who Fights With Monsters by Shirtaloon (Travis Deverell): https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/26294/he-who-fights-with-monstersConnect with Evan:Website: https://storyoriginapp.com/Tutorials: https://storyoriginapp.com/tutorialsContact Evan: [email protected] with Teddy Smith:@teddyagsmithWebsite: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtcFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinstaYoutube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSwLinkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/ Support the showDiscover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/

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