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Tips. guidance, and publshing perspectives from our editors who specialize in middle grade and young adult fiction.

SO WHO’S IT WRITTEN FOR? Distinguishing the Differences Between Young Adult and Middle Grade

[by Sean Fletcher]

It happens more often than you think. A budding (or seasoned) writer approaches me for an edit on what they believe to be a work of middle grade, only for me to tell them that their 100,000-word fantasy about a 17-year-old discovering their identity among a totalitarian regime would fit better as a young […]

By |2024-01-06T22:47:01+00:00February 18th, 2022|Industry Insights|Comments Off on SO WHO’S IT WRITTEN FOR? Distinguishing the Differences Between Young Adult and Middle Grade
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Everyone Needs an Editor: A Final Lesson from the Harry Potter Series Principle Five: All good writing needs good editing

[by Jane Ryder with Beth Jusino]

“So why couldn’t Malfoy have brought that necklace into the school?”

“Oh, Harry, not that again…”

Many readers, myself included, echoed Hermione Grangers’ frustration at that point in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

For the past few weeks we have been looking at JK Rowling’s best-selling Harry Potter books, and the lessons that aspiring authors […]

By |2024-01-06T21:46:47+00:00|The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on Everyone Needs an Editor: A Final Lesson from the Harry Potter Series Principle Five: All good writing needs good editing
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A World to Remember: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Four: Create a world the reader will remember

This blog is part of the Storytelling lessons from Harry Potter series. For part one, click here. For part two, click here. For part three, click here.

Diagon Alley. The Quidditch World Cup.The Chamber of Secrets. The Cupboard Under the Stairs. Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

These were not places […]

By |2024-01-06T22:40:58+00:00|The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on A World to Remember: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Four: Create a world the reader will remember
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Heroes Have Hormones: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Three: perfect heroes are uninteresting ones

This blog is part of the Storytelling lessons from Harry Potter series. For part one, click here. For part two, click here.

It’s Harry Potter time here at The Editorial Department, and in honor of the release of the newest addition to the series, Harry Potter and The […]

By |2024-01-06T22:45:34+00:00|The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on Heroes Have Hormones: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Three: perfect heroes are uninteresting ones
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Chekov’s Gun: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Two: Chekov had a gun; Trelawney had a prophecy

This blog is part of a series. For part one, click here.

This week we’re talking about Harry Potter. No, not the much-anticipated book that’s releasing next week (although I, for one, already preordered it.) We’re talking about the books that started it all, and the lessons that authors can apply in their own Works In Progress.

Principle […]

By |2024-01-06T21:47:36+00:00|The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on Chekov’s Gun: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Two: Chekov had a gun; Trelawney had a prophecy
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Five Great Storytelling Lessons from Harry Potter Principle One: Plant the seeds early, but plant them loosely and let them grow

This year- and possibly for years to come – everyone will be talking about The Boy Who Lived and his son, Albus, the main protagonist of the new 2016 addition to the Harry Potter series. In anticipation of the (unexpected) new addition, Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, I decided to re-read the entire series, […]

By |2024-01-06T22:41:13+00:00|The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on Five Great Storytelling Lessons from Harry Potter Principle One: Plant the seeds early, but plant them loosely and let them grow
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