Ask an Editor

Developmental editor and publication manager Eva Barrows and I host monthly Zoom sessions answering authors’ most pressing questions about working with editors.

Register for any of our free upcoming workshops for a deep dive into the month’s editing-related topic. Come prepared with examples and questions from your writing project, and leave with answers.

As a bonus, you’ll meet and mingle with other authors and writers looking to hone their craft.

"Ask an Editor" is a free workshop series demystifying the author-editor relationship.

November 2024 Workshop

Do You Have Editing Questions for Us?

We’ve collected a variety of questions from workshop attendees and online chatrooms from authors curious about the editing process. In this free one-hour Zoom session, editors Eva Barrows and Lila LaBine will answer queries like “Have I created a likable character?” and “How will I know my manuscript is ready for publishing?” Join us live to hear our answers and ask your own questions during our Q&A session.

Date: Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Time: 11 a.m. Pacific Time

January 2025 Workshop

How Can I Fix Point-of-View Issues?

It can be difficult to choose the right point of view and narrative distance to tell your story effectively. POV can take you intimately close to your protagonist’s thoughts or fly above all your characters, only showing how they interact with each other. It’s all too easy to break the rules of perspective, causing reader confusion.

In this free one-hour Zoom session, editors Eva Barrows and Lila LaBine will discuss authors’ common POV issues and how to solve them. Join us live to ask your own questions during our Q&A session.

Date: Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Time: 11 a.m. Pacific Time

February 2025 Workshop

How Can I Balance Showing and Telling in My Story?

Maybe you’ve heard the decree “show, don’t tell” when writing fiction or creative nonfiction. Sometimes, this is excellent advice; other times, it steers writers off course. Showing immerses readers in an author’s fictional world, while telling can skip unnecessary descriptions and get to the good part already.

In this free one-hour Zoom session, editors Eva Barrows and Lila LaBine will discuss when to show, when to tell, and when not to. Join us live to ask your own questions during our Q&A session.

Date: Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Time: 11 a.m. Pacific Time

Watch "Ask an Editor" Recordings Here