Having the right tool for the job

Having the right tool for the job makes such a difference to your overall process and result.

Over the years, we’ve had to do a few fencing jobs on our property, and I’ve always muddled through with a hammer, a pair of pliers, and a heavy set of bolt cutters. But we recently had a big fencing job to do: setting up the new chicken yard. As I stared at the rolls of chicken netting and fencing wire, I could feel my arms and wrists and back aching already. 

There had to be a better way! 

And there was: fencing pliers. 

This one tool has made such a difference to my fencing jobs. It twists wire, it cuts wire, it leavers out staples, it works as a hammer, and probably a bunch more that I don’t know about. Yes, fencing is still hard work, but the process is so much easier now that I have the right tool. And for fences that need to stop sheep from getting out? I call in a fencer who can do the job much better than I can, and much faster than I can.

The same goes for writing and publishing: you can get a lot done by cobbling together different tools, but having the right tools makes your writing stronger. And at some point, calling in professionals makes the publishing process so much smoother and the end result that much stronger.

• At the writing stage, craft books like On Writing by Stephen King and The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr can help you find your writing voice and the story you want to tell.
• At the self-editing stage, tools like Hemingway and ProWritingAid, and writing advice like that provided on my blog, can help you refine your prose.
• At the book production stage, editors can refine your story even more, book designers can make sure your layout is aesthetic and makes best use of space, and cover designers give you an eye-catching cover.

When I’m editing, I use all sorts of tools:

• Macros speed up my editing process (which saves you money).
• PerfectIt takes care of consistency (which gives your book that professional touch).
• Style sheets record key moments and style decisions (so I’m not always going back to the dictionary or scrolling through pages trying to work out how someone’s name is spelled).

Getting a book into the world is a team effort, and having the right tools makes the process easier, faster, and smoother.

So, what tools do you use? What people do you need on your publishing team?

I can help with: 

Giving you a free sample edit​ so you can see what editing looks like.

Giving you a manuscript evaluation to help you get your story structure right.

​Editing your manuscript line by line so you’re telling the best version of your story.

PS. Here’s a video of the happy chickens, in winter no less! (Look at that great fencing job in the background.)