Ask the Book Doctor

by Bobbie Christmas Q: Are author photos and biographies essential to have on your books? Would I be making a mistake if my back cover had only my blurb? A:…

by Bobbie Christmas Q: If I mention a song in my book, could I get in trouble? Here’s a sample sentence: Evanescence’s “Good Enough” was playing on the radio. I…

by Bobbie Christmas Q: I received a letter from the publisher I’d submitted my novel to. She says if I’m selected, her prices or advance is competitive. I don’t have…

by Bobbie Christmas Q: I have been steadily working on my corrections so I might start the search for an agent; however, when I asked my brother, who used the…

by Bobbie Christmas Q: When and when not does one place a comma in front of the word “as?” A: Sorry, but no absolute rule exists for commas as they…

by Bobbie Christmas Q: Why is it that one-word sentences, made-up words, sentences beginning with “and” and “but,” and clichés can be found in novels written by bestselling authors. But…

by Bobbie Christmas Q: I am a statistician. Much of the software I work on is related to communications and statistics. Your comment that 70 percent of novels should be…

by Bobbie Christmas Q: What’s the difference between a foreword, an introduction, a preface, a prologue, and an epilogue? A: With the exception of the epilogue, all those items will…

by Bobbie Christmas Q: Would it be alright to write an entire chapter about someone committing suicide? A: It would be fine to write a chapter that focuses on one…

by Bobbie Christmas Q: Is cell phone one word or two? A: Merriam-Webster, the standard reference for book publishers, lists it as two words, cell phone, with an acceptable variant…