Category Archives: Patrick de Valera

Another Way to Write Your Memoir

Posted on September 30, 2017 by Danielle de Valera

Many’s the person who’s thought to themselves, “I’ve had an interesting life. I should write my memoir.” And they’re right: there’s a book in every one of us, whether we’ve lived what to the ordinary world would seem an interesting … Continue reading →

Posted in advice about writing, advice for writers, Danielle De Valera, how to write a memoir, indie publishing, memoir writing, Patrick de Valera | Tagged advice for authors, advice for indie publers, advice for new writers, advice for writers, editing, editing advice, editors, how to write a memoir, indie publishing, manuscript appraisers, manuscript assessments, memoir writing, writing advice | Leave a comment

Using Commas with As, Since and While

Posted on March 20, 2017 by Danielle de Valera

This is actually very easy, but people often get it wrong. Most people whack in a comma at the end of all opening clauses that contain a verb. In Australia, at least, this is not the right way to go … Continue reading →

Posted in advice about writing, advice for indie publishers, advice for writers, advice on commas, Australian manuscript appraisers, commas, Danielle De Valera, editing, editors, fiction editing, good editors, Patrick de Valera, Since and While | Tagged advice for authors, advice for indie publers, advice for writers, commas with As, Danielle de Valera, editing, editors, fiction editing, fiction editors, Since and Whille | Leave a comment

Producing a Print Book’s a Hard Journey

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Danielle de Valera

Some time ago, I investigated Indie publishing, particularly the publishing of Print on Demand (POD) books with CreateSpace, a subsidiary of Amazon. This investigation and my own experiences with it were most illuminating, and I thought I might share my … Continue reading →

Posted in advice for indie publishers, advice for writers, Australian manuscript appraisers, Danielle De Valera, good editors, how to find a good editor, indie publishing, manuscript appraisers, manuscript assessments, Patrick de Valera | Tagged advice for authors, advice for indie publers, advice for new writers, advice for writers, book development, editing, editors, fiction editing, fiction writing advice, indie publishers, indie publishing, indie writers, manuscript appraisers, manuscript assessors, manuscript evaluation, manuscript evaluators | Leave a comment

Conflict in Novels

Posted on February 11, 2017 by Danielle de Valera

Every good novel needs conflict, something that prevents its hero from achieving his or her aim. Superman wants a safe world, Lex Luthor wants to take it over and doesn’t care who he kills to do it. Girl wants boy, … Continue reading →

Posted in advice about writing, advice for writers, Australian manuscript appraisers, conflict in fiction, Conflict in novels, Danielle De Valera, good editors, Patrick de Valera | Tagged advice for authors, advice for indie publers, advice for writers, Conflict in novels, Danielle de Valera, editing, editors, fiction editing, fiction writing advice, manuscript assessors, what is conflict in fiction?, writing advice | Leave a comment

Finding an expert you can trust

Posted on November 19, 2016 by Danielle de Valera

If you’re an indie writer, these days you’re often dealing with people you’ve never met and probably never will – cover designers, interior designers, manuscript assessors, editors. I have never met the woman did the cover and the interior for … Continue reading →

Posted in advice about writing, advice for indie publishers, advice for writers, Australian manuscript appraisers, Danielle De Valera, editors, fiction editing, good editors, how to find a good editor, manuscript assessments, manuscript assessors, Patrick de Valera, Uncategorized | Tagged advice for authors, advice for writers, editing, editors, fiction writing, indie publishing, self-publishing, writing advice | Leave a comment

Collateral Damage as Amazon Applies the Thumbscrews to Reviews

Posted on November 5, 2016 by Danielle de Valera

Have you spent more than $50 on Amazon in your lifetime? (I think it’s in your lifetime.) They’re now instigating this rule where they won’t let you post a review, even though you’ve bought the book, unless you have spent … Continue reading →

Posted in advice about writing, advice for indie publishers, advice for writers, Amazon reviews, Australian manuscript appraisers, Danielle De Valera, indie publishing, manuscript assessors, Patrick de Valera | Tagged advice for indie writers, advice for writersriters, Amazon reviews, Danielle de Valera, editors, fiction editing, fiction writing advice, manuscript appraisers | Leave a comment

Those pesky possessive Ss

Posted on May 28, 2016 by Danielle de Valera

with possessive Ss I think we all know that an apostrophe is used before the possessive of singular common nouns, e.g. the boy’s bike. So far, so good. But what if the noun being possessed (as it were) isn’t singular, … Continue reading →

Posted in advice for indie publishers, Australian manuscript appraisers, Danielle De Valera, editing, editors, fiction editing, manuscript assessments, manuscript assessors, Patrick de Valera, possessive Ss, re-editing | Tagged Advice about apostrophes, advice for indie publers, advice for new writers, apostrophe Ss, editing, fiction editing, fiction writing advice, indie publishers, indie writers, manuscript assessors, possessive apostrophes, writing advice | 1 Comment

Foreword v. Preface v. Introduction

Posted on May 7, 2016 by Danielle de Valera

Last month, a client of mine asked me to edit his non-fiction book, a series of vignettes about his time in rural Australia in the 1950s and Papua New Guinea in the ‘70s. One of the first things I noticed … Continue reading →

Posted in advice for indie publishers, forewords, indie publishing, introductions, manuscript appraisers, manuscript assessments, manuscript assessors, manuscript presentation, Patrick de Valera, prefaces | Tagged advice for authors, advice for indie publers, advice for writers, fiction writing advice, Forewords, introductions, manuscript assessors, manuscript presentation, prefaces, self-publishing, writing advice | Leave a comment

Commas – inside or outside quotes?

Posted on April 11, 2016 by Danielle de Valera

In my work as a manuscript evaluator and developmental editor, it’s clear to me that writers are still having a lot of trouble with commas. One of the instances that always seems to cause confusion is the one where sometimes, … Continue reading →

Posted in advice about writing, advice for writers, commas, editing, editors, fiction editing, indie publishing, Patrick de Valera | Tagged advice for authors, advice for indie publers, advice for new writers, advice for writers, advice on commas, commas inside or outside the phrase, developmental editors, editing advice, editors, fiction editing, fiction editors, fiction writing advice, indie writers, manuscript evaluators, writing advice | Leave a comment

The Thumbs Down Publishers List

Posted on November 1, 2015 by Danielle de Valera

What indie writer trying to juggle the demands (and costs) of cover design, ebook design, print book design, and possibly a full time job as well, hasn’t been tempted to toss the lot to one of those publishers who promise … Continue reading →

Posted in advice about writing, advice for writers, Australian manuscript appraisers, Danielle De Valera, editing, editors, getting published, indie publishing, manuscript appraisers, manuscript assessments, manuscript assessors, Patrick de Valera, publishers | Tagged advice for authors, advice for indie publers, Danielle de Valera, editing, editors, fiction editors, indie publishers, manuscript appraisers, manuscript assessors, self-publishing, Thumbs Down Publishers List, Victoria Strauss, Writer Beware, writing advice | 3 Comments