Book editor Kristen Hamilton is the owner and sole employee of Kristen Corrects, Inc., where she provides manuscript editing services for self-publishing and traditionally publishing authors. Several authors whose books she has edited have won awards and have topped Amazon's best sellers lists. Reading is Kristen’s passion, so when the workday is over, she can usually be found curled up with a good book alongside her three cats. In her free time she enjoys playing video games, dancing adult ballet, speaking French, watching scary movies, tending to her courtyard, and traveling to tropical destinations. She lives with her husband and sons outside of Boise, Idaho.
Tension in novels refers to the emotional and psychological strain or suspense that keeps readers engaged and invested in the story. It’s the sense of anticipation, worry, or excitement about what will happen next, and it is a crucial element in creating a compelling narrative.… Read More »How to Create Tension in Your Novel
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) is… Read More »How to Choose the Right Point of View for Your Book
My editing packages are very popular among Kristen Corrects clients! The vast majority of my clients opt for one of my editing packages: Each of my editing packages is a multi-step process, starting with first contacting me and getting on my schedule. To help new and potential… Read More »Editing Packages: A Step-by-Step Guide
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… Read More »Can You Traditionally Publish after Self-Publishing?
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 copies of the book in one… Read More »What it Takes to Get on the New York Times Bestseller List
Rhythm in your writing is one mark of a talented author. Rhythm in writing is defined as the way the words and sounds come together, usually to create a beat. (For example, long sentences might sound smoother but more rich and complex, and short sentences are… Read More »8 Ways to Vary Sentences in a Novel
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, it’s important that your… Read More »How to Write a Query Letter that Sells
If you’re an author going the self-publishing route, a major part of making sure your book will sell is to put out a quality book product. If you want your book to appeal to readers, you’ll need to make sure your book is as polished… Read More »Everything You Need to Self-Publish a Quality Book – And How Much it Costs
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… Read More »How to Set Up Conflict in Your Novel
Setting is the location and time in which the book’s story takes place. Setting can include geography and time period, and can take place on Earth (past, present, or future) or in a made-up world. In many cases, setting is an auxiliary element to build… Read More »How to Describe Setting in Your Novel