Embrace the Quack: Using A Rubber Duck to Unstick Your Writing
We’ve all been there—staring at a blank page, fingers poised over the keyboard, that cursor blinking on an empty page like Sauron’s eye. Okay, maybe that’s a bit over-the-top, but talk to any reader you know who has stared at a blank page for hours, and you’d be surprised how many of them would agree!
In Defense of Bad Book Beginnings
We all know the trope: Jessica woke up to her alarm clock. She stood in front of her full-length mirror in her bedroom and noted her icy blue eyes. Her luxurious chestnut hair glistened in the morning light. And on and on and on. It’s a faux pas at this point to start your story with the character looking in the mirror; some editors even say that it’s a red flag for a beginning writer.
Sensitivity Readers Aren't Scary
“If you want to feel afraid, you sure can. We will sit with you and be your friend. You can be a rough draft of a person.” - Sachiko Suzuki At Salt and Sage Books, we are obviously on Team Sensitivity Reader. We think that hiring a sensitivity reader is one of the most empathetic, thoughtful, and supportive things that you can do as an author, especially if you care about social justice, inclusion, and equity.
We Made a Podcast!
Did you know that Salt and Sage Books has a podcast? Well, now you do! We launched Rough Drafts Welcome on October 11, 2023 with the goal of discussing sensitivity reading, editing, and all things writing. Now, we know that you probably already have a hundred podcasts that you listen to regularly–we know that we do!
Beta vs Sensitivity
This blog post is an adaptation of a presentation given by Erin Olds; it aims to shed light on the intricate processes of beta and sensitivity reading. Our Approach This is how Salt and Sage Books approach these tasks. You will undoubtedly find other editors and editorial houses who approach beta and sensitivity reading differently.
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