Finding the right editor can be a tricky process, just like understanding all of the different forms of editing. For that matter, every author needs to perform their own self-edits of their manuscript at each stage of editing. And once the developmental editing stages are complete and the story’s structure and character development are solidified,Continue reading “What’s the Difference: Copy Editing vs Line Editing”
Category Archives: Writing
Ask a Publisher: What Does Revise and Resubmit Mean?
The publishing process is oftentimes a long one, from the time you begin querying and searching for the right publisher to your first full manuscript request. And when you receive that first full manuscript request from a publisher or an agent, it can feel as though the stars are finally starting to align. Then, severalContinue reading “Ask a Publisher: What Does Revise and Resubmit Mean?”
The Future is Feminist
Guest post by Olivia Castetter I was recently having a conversation with an older gentleman about reading when he asked who my favorite author was. Picking favorites has never been my forte, so I had to think for a moment. While I did, he listed his favorites—Hemingway, Twain, Steinbeck, and Orwell. Of course, I knewContinue reading “The Future is Feminist”
Editing Tips Part 10: Showing vs Telling
In the realm of self-editing and receiving alpha and beta reader feedback, there’s one discussion that’s almost always present: showing versus telling. An element of both developmental editing as well as copy editing, a writer’s ability to know when to implement showing a reader what’s unfolding as opposed to outright telling them can be aContinue reading “Editing Tips Part 10: Showing vs Telling”
What’s the Difference? Literary Agents vs. Acquisitions Editors
In the world of querying, there can be some confusion about the difference between literary agents—and if an agent is necessary—and acquisitions editors. Ultimately, these professionals have completely different roles. Both may receive a query in some form, though the angle with which they approach, consider, and respond to it will be different. And ifContinue reading “What’s the Difference? Literary Agents vs. Acquisitions Editors”
Ask a Publisher: How Do I Choose The Right Publisher?
Congratulations! You’ve finished your manuscript, it’s been through multiple rounds of self-edits and reviews by editorial professionals, and now you’re ready to begin submitting your manuscript to agents and publishers! But wait…how do you know if a publisher is the right house for your book? Is it possible to know if they’re right for yourContinue reading “Ask a Publisher: How Do I Choose The Right Publisher?”
All About Printed Proofs
After all the developmental editing, copy and line editing, formatting, and digital proofreading is completed, there is yet another step to take: reviewing printed proofs. And while this step is crucial, tedious, and sometimes a bit overwhelming, it’s also incredibly exciting. For many authors, reviewing a printed proof is the first time they’ll get toContinue reading “All About Printed Proofs”
Ask a Publisher: How Does the Publishing Process Work?
Maybe you’ve decided to query Josha, or maybe you’re considering doing so when our submissions open again, but there’s one burning question in your mind: what’s the publishing process like? You can find answers to some specific questions on our FAQ page, but we’ll go into a bit more detail here on what you canContinue reading “Ask a Publisher: How Does the Publishing Process Work?”
From Silent to Speaking: Josha’s Focus on Survivor Stories
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and at Josha, it’s a month that holds significant meaning to us—both because of book anniversaries and new releases, and because of what survivors’ voices mean to us. Our first book, Finding Annie by Katherine Turner,was released on April 10, 2020. In April of 2022, its sequel, Willow Wishes,Continue reading “From Silent to Speaking: Josha’s Focus on Survivor Stories”
Writing Without Experience
Writing a book—it’s an endeavor many people entertain at some point in their lives, one that is commonly followed by a concern about their writing abilities. For many hopeful authors, they wonder if they even can write a book without any writing experience. And while there’s much discussion in the Writing Community about so-called “must-have”Continue reading “Writing Without Experience”
Editing Tips Part 9: Finding the Right Editor
As we mentioned in the seventh installment of our Editing Tips series, there are many different types of editors. Many writers wonder if they really need every type of editor, and our answer is that while every manuscript needs each stage of editing, it’s not strictly necessary for each book to be edited by everyContinue reading “Editing Tips Part 9: Finding the Right Editor”
What is Autofiction?
If you’ve perused our submissions guidelines or FAQs, you may be aware that Josha considers a wide variety of genres for publication. There’s one sub-genre of fiction, though, that we especially like to read, and it’s the same sub-genre as the very first book we published in 2020, Finding Annie. This sub-genre is known asContinue reading “What is Autofiction?”
Editing Tips Part 8: Sensitivity Reading
Sensitivity reading is a term becoming more common in the writing community, but what does it mean? A sensitivity reader is someone who has experience in a certain situation or condition and understands and is able to communicate areas of misunderstanding, stereotyping, or bias regarding a particular topic. These situations, conditions, or topics could rangeContinue reading “Editing Tips Part 8: Sensitivity Reading”
Ask a Publisher: Is My Writing Ready to Submit?
Congratulations—you’ve finished your draft! Now that you have a finished draft, the excitement of receiving a book contract or agent representation can seem like the very next step. But it isn’t quite that simple; there are still several steps between your finished draft and a submission-ready document. Of course, we recognize that many writers second-guessContinue reading “Ask a Publisher: Is My Writing Ready to Submit?”
What’s the Difference: Alpha vs Beta Drafts
Throughout our editing tips series, we’ve shared tips and tricks for self-editing your manuscript at various stages. However, it’s important to note that before editing really begins—and once it commences—there are two terms to describe your draft. These are called the alpha draft and beta draft. These are called the alpha draft and beta draft.Continue reading “What’s the Difference: Alpha vs Beta Drafts”
Writing Romance Part 1: What is Love?
I launched my career as an author writing stories about love, and it’s what I still enjoy working on more than anything else. Even so, I hesitate to classify my fiction as romance. In fact, I don’t—they’re classified as autobiographical fiction or contemporary romantic women’s fiction. Do they involve romance? Most certainly. But that’s onlyContinue reading “Writing Romance Part 1: What is Love?”
What’s the Difference? Memoir & Autobiography
You’re considering writing about your life—congratulations! While exciting, it also takes courage to do so, and describing what you want to do can be intimidating. You may also be wondering if what you’re aspiring to write is a memoir or an autobiography. While there are some similarities between these two subtypes of the nonfiction genre,Continue reading “What’s the Difference? Memoir & Autobiography”
Editing Tips Part 7: Types of Editors
So far in our editing tips series, we’ve shared some tips and tricks for how you can self-edit your manuscript. However, we always recommend working with a professional editor prior to querying if you’re aiming to acquire a contract with an independent or traditional publisher; if you’re planning to self-publish, we absolutely encourage you toContinue reading “Editing Tips Part 7: Types of Editors”
Me, Too: Voicing My Story – A Year in Review
This one is for the silent survivors. Our voices are ours. Our stories are ours. We don’t have to hide what they did, because to hide what they did is to cloak our strength. Those four sentences are the dedication in my first book, Me, Too: Voicing My Story. I chose that dedication because asContinue reading “Me, Too: Voicing My Story – A Year in Review”
Editing Tips Part 6: Proofreading
Congratulations! You have a finished manuscript; you’ve been through possibly many rounds of editing, and your overall story as well as the word choice and sentence structure are now finished. It’s been a long journey, but you’re finally ready to publish. Well, almost. There’s one final editing step before you put your story into theContinue reading “Editing Tips Part 6: Proofreading”
Writing A New Reality
I’ve never stopped to count how many classic fairy tales we have here in the US, let alone the rest of the world. The most common ones that come to mind are Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Rapunzel. Do you have a favorite? I don’t. Because IContinue reading “Writing A New Reality”
Editing Tips Part 5: Copy Editing
So, you’ve had a great story in your head and written it out, and you’ve decided you want to share it with the world. After you’ve shared it with beta readers and the manuscript has undergone developmental editing, all of which is more focused on the story itself rather than the elements of spelling, grammar,Continue reading “Editing Tips Part 5: Copy Editing”
Editing Tips Part 4: Developmental Editing
When it comes to editing a manuscript, what most people readily think of are the classic red marks that correct grammar or typos: copy editing. And while copy editing is crucial, before you reach that stage, there’s another phase of editing: developmental editing. In our previous two posts in our editing series, we’ve shared someContinue reading “Editing Tips Part 4: Developmental Editing”
Healing Through Fiction
As a survivor who is healing while writing, I’ve realized that there is a unique form of healing that comes through my writing itself. While I certainly benefit from therapy and reading self-help books on topics that personally impact me, self-help books have their limits, and no volume will ever be a one-size-fits-all approach. ForContinue reading “Healing Through Fiction”
Editing Tips Part 3: The Hero’s Journey
For many writers, when trying to assess if their story “works” yet or is ready for the next stage of editing, they find themselves in a balancing act of developmental editing. On one side, there’s the plot’s progression; on the other, there’s the development and journey of one’s main character. While you can use Freytag’sContinue reading “Editing Tips Part 3: The Hero’s Journey”
Resilient: Letter From a Reader
As one of Katherine Turner’s editors, I’m honored to be among the very first to read each of her books. This privilege began in November of 2019, when she contacted me to proofread her debut novel, Finding Annie. I’ve often thought how amazing it is that I’ve been alongside Katherine since the very beginning ofContinue reading “Resilient: Letter From a Reader”
resilient: A Year in Review
As the one-year anniversary of the release of my childhood memoir, resilient, approaches, one of my editors keeps asking me how I feel. But the truth is, I don’t feel any single emotion. And when I look back on the journey that writing, editing, and releasing this memoir into the world has been, I seeContinue reading “resilient: A Year in Review”
Editing Tips Part 2: Story Structure
As many writers often encounter, there are numerous schools of thought when it comes to the drafting process. Fellow writers have opinions about whether or not you should edit as you write, if you should plot your story in its entirety before you write a single word or simply start writing and let the charactersContinue reading “Editing Tips Part 2: Story Structure”
Why I Write What I Write
A question I get a lot is “Why do you write what you write?”—particularly in relation to my fiction. To answer that question, let me tell you a story. When I was in fifth grade, I was writing away with every spare moment I had that wasn’t spent reading. I remember with that vivid clarityContinue reading “Why I Write What I Write”
Don’t Judge an Author by Their Origin
As an editor who works primarily with indie authors—and as an author whose book was produced through an independent publisher—I’ve had many conversations about the stigmas our group faces. Stigmas like whether or not we’re “real” authors and if we really published a book if it doesn’t have a well-known label on the spine. TheContinue reading “Don’t Judge an Author by Their Origin”
Editing Tips Part 1: Top Five
You’ve finished writing, and now it’s time to start editing. Most likely, you’ll work with a professional editor further along in the process, but for now, self-edits are the next step. Where is the best place to start? Josha’s editors have come together once again to provide you with a few tips to make theContinue reading “Editing Tips Part 1: Top Five”
Why Publish Fiction & Nonfiction?
In today’s world, we hear a lot about the power and promise of specialization, and that holds true for companies as well. If you look at successful companies, they specialize or ultimately they go under. This is especially important for small businesses where every decision is critical to the success of the company, every expenseContinue reading “Why Publish Fiction & Nonfiction?”
Book Bridges: An Editor’s Role
You’ve finished your manuscript, and now it’s time to find an editor. You know your book needs a professional edit, and you want to know what that process will entail. Will your editor understand your story as you’ve intended to write it? How will an editor help you revise your manuscript? And what can youContinue reading “Book Bridges: An Editor’s Role”
Voicing Our Resilience
Sigmund Freud said that much of what we do in our adult lives can be traced back to our mothers. After all, they’re the ones who give birth to us, and typically the ones who raise us and nurture us. Traditionally, they’re the ones we run to when we’re in trouble, or hurt, or scared,Continue reading “Voicing Our Resilience”
Writing Through Trauma
Writing about trauma isn’t easy for anyone, and writing about your own trauma—what we call writing through your trauma—is downright difficult. You may worry that you’re sharing something that’s too graphic for readers or that your story doesn’t really matter after all. You may be triggered by revisiting traumatic events from your past and haveContinue reading “Writing Through Trauma”
Meet the Author: Olivia Castetter
Olivia Castetter is the author of the Too Much memoir collection, as well as various other fiction and nonfiction pieces. In addition to writing and editing literary works that focus on trauma, abuse, and life as a survivor, she advocates for policy changes for sexual abuse survivors. Drawing on her experience as a survivor ofContinue reading “Meet the Author: Olivia Castetter”
Meet the Editorial Team at Josha Publishing
With Josha Publishing’s vision to inspire, encourage, and empower through sharing stories and giving a voice to the voiceless, it is imperative to have the right team. Each person must have the values of integrity, passion, and purpose that make up the roots of this company. Our authors trust us with their deepest wounds, andContinue reading “Meet the Editorial Team at Josha Publishing”
Meet the Author: Katherine Turner
Katherine Turner, Josha’s first author, is an award-winning author, blogger, and life-long reader and writer. She grew up in foster care from the age of eight and is passionate about improving the world through literature, empathy and understanding. She strongly believes we can all benefit from deeper insight into and compassion for the long-term effectsContinue reading “Meet the Author: Katherine Turner”
Why Josha Publishing?
Hi! I’m Shanna, founder and owner of Josha Publishing. I started this company after surveying the traditional publishing landscape and realizing authors need a different publishing model that is focused on authors and their work, rather than the bottom line. I’ve found that when the focus is shifted from profits to content, there are fewerContinue reading “Why Josha Publishing?”
Josha Publishing, LLC 