Novel Beginnings

Things Editors Say vs What Editors Actually Mean

Woe be unto me

May 20 • Lisa Juliano

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March 2026

We judge books by their covers, but we resent them by their blurbs

The blurb should sound like the novel, not like a novel about the novel.

Mar 2 • Lisa Juliano

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February 2026

The secret life of your deleted scenes

A field report from the land of cut scenes.

Feb 23 • Lisa Juliano

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Querying isn’t working. So what’s next?

Where I am in the process—and why I’m researching hybrid publishers.

Feb 16 • Lisa Juliano

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The query process includes being ghosted, ignored, and forgotten—and it's called “industry standard."

But is it acceptable?

Feb 10 • Lisa Juliano

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You want to skip proofreading and just send?

Oh, honey. No.

Feb 5 • Lisa Juliano

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January 2026

What nobody tells you about querying your manuscript

Where's the expert advice for this part?

Jan 30 • Lisa Juliano

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The thousand-voice problem

Yes, there really are too many ways to write a novel!

Jan 29 • Lisa Juliano

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Hey writers, let’s talk about why your draft fizzles

And why some ideas, well, they just quietly collapse halfway through

Jan 22 • Lisa Juliano

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August 2025

What makes a scene a scene?

Here's an example!

Aug 17, 2025 • Lisa Juliano

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My Olive Garden Fantasy

(No subhead needed)

Aug 2, 2025 • Lisa Juliano

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July 2025

My manuscript critique is in!

You know, the "revision letter."

Jul 12, 2025 • Lisa Juliano

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