KRISTEN CORRECTS, INC.

Setting is one of the elements that makes up an author's writing style: Some authors describe their book's setting thoroughly, whereas other authors are light on the details.

In many cases, setting is an auxiliary element to build the reading experience and draw the reader deeper into your story. But in other cases, such as in sci-fi or fantasy books, setting is known as world building and is a crucial, non-negotiable element...

The central conflict of a story is like an engine that drives the book. Without a central source of conflict (or, better, several sources of conflict), many aspects of the book suffer: the pacing, the tension, and overall reader engagement, ultimately detracting from the overall success of the book.

The conflict of any successful story must be immediately noticeable, as without a central source of conflict, it makes it diffic...

Let's jump right in. If you end up going the self-publishing route, you’ll need the following things:

A blurb. 

The blurb, also known as the “back cover...

 A query letter is a make-or-break deal: It's your one shot to impress an agent and convince them that your manuscript is worth a second glance. As agents and publishers can receive upwards of hundreds of query letters and book pitches each month

Making the New York Times bestseller list is a lofty goal, but for some authors, it's achievable.

There are many factors that go into making this holy grail of bestselling lists, but basically, the book has to sell at least 5,000 to 10,000 cop...

Although the majority of my author clients choose to self-publish their book, there are still a fair amount of authors who want to keep their options open. These are the authors who still aren't 100% certain whether they want to pursue traditional publishing or self-publishing. Can you traditionally publish your book after self-publishing it? The short answer: In most cases,

My editing packages are very popular among Kristen Corrects clients! The vast majority of my clients opt for one of my editing packages:

• The Basic: line editing and copyediting—two passes over the manuscript
• The Standard: manuscript critique, line ed...

As an author, it’s your job to create an attractive narrative using the best/most ideal point of view and perspective. The book’s perspective is who is telling the story (the Harry Potter series would be much different if told from Voldemort’s perspective!) and the book's point of view (POV)

Tension is the high-stakes feeling readers get when characters are in trouble—and as a book editor, it's probably the number-one thing I see that causes a book to fail.

When done properly, tension will propel a reader forward through the book, encouraging them to turn the page to find out what will happen next—whet...

Pacing is everything in a hard-to-put-down novel.

In the current market, readers prefer plot-driven fiction, which means that they prefer to read a story about a character overcoming a major obstacle by the end of the book. Yet when your book has 

In fiction books, the plot goal/overall premise of the book is laid out at the start, alongside the conflict (i.e., the story’s plot/story structure reflects how to solve the “problem” of the central source of conflict). Since this is the first book of a series, it’s also important that you also lay out the series goal—

Between self-publishing, independent publishing, and traditional publishing, there are a number of ways to get your book published. The majority of clients I cater to are self-publishing authors, but I still work with a fair number of authors whose dream it is to be traditionally published. ...

If you’re a self-published author, it’s going to happen eventually: You’ll get a negative review on your book.

What a drag, right? Feelings of self-doubt come rushing in. You might start to wonder where you went wrong and what you could have done differently. This happens to everyone, unfortunately, no matter how well your book is done. The fact o...

“Even after it’s printed, something will drive me crazy." I’ve heard this line from so many authors, especially those who are publishing a book for the first time. Many first-time authors find it difficult to stop making minor tweaks on their book, even after it's been edited.

A lot of first-time authors ask me how they can get over the fear of publishing a book that isn't "perfect."

In my eight years as a book editor, I've edited a range of books with touchy subjects: extreme political beliefs, sexual content, or other taboo or risqué topics. (And full honesty here: Some of these books go against my personal beliefs or even make me cringe while editing them.)

But while I have my own personal beliefs that might not always align with t...

Detective Col...