Pseudonyms and Getting Started
by Bobbie Christmas Q: I’m publishing a book of rebuses. Should I use a pen name or my own name? I know some authors use another name when they switch…
Ask the Book Doctor
Commas, Adverbs, and Genres
by Bobbie Christmas Q: I wonder if you’ve noticed the recent outbreak of unnecessary commas between adjectives in otherwise respectable publications (I’ve even seen it in The New York Times!)…
From Farsi to English, and Passive Voice
by Bobbie Christmas Q: I have recently written a novel in Farsi and I have translated the first seventeen pages of it to English. Even though the story line has…
All about Characters
by Bobbie Christmas Q: I have a challenge with keeping up with the characters in a trilogy I’m writing. From one book to another I forget small details that could…
Second-Edition Decisions, Capitalizing Titles, and Queries
by Bobbie Christmas Q: I wrote a book about fifteen years ago and sold the rights to a publishing house. The book sold slowly, but it finally sold out. The…
Permissible Changes to Quotations, Single Quote Punctuation, Capitalizing Directions, and Oceangoing Vessels
by Bobbie Christmas Q: I have two questions. In including a quote from [source redacted] in an article I’m writing, I have these challenges: 1. He was British so his…
Gift Books, Parallel Items in a List, Using an Editor, and Cover-Letter Format
by Bobbie Christmas Q: I’ve created a series of interactive gift books. I think my idea would be great for a company like Hallmark, Peter Pauper Press, or Abrams, but…
Single Quotation Marks and Times of Day
by Bobbie Christmas Q: How do you use single quotation marks to indicate significance? Which of the following is correct? He nodded ‘yes.’ “I told him ‘hello.’” ‘Safety’ is the…
All about Animals
by Bobbie Christmas Q: How can I tell when to capitalize an animal breed and when not to? A: The rule is that if a breed name contains a proper…
Scene Shifts, Coined Words, and Finding an Agent
by Bobbie Christmas Q: The members of my group write romance novels. I have always used *** to separate scenes within a chapter. One writer suggested that using symbol drops…