News for Authors

Working with Authenticity Readers

by Joanna Cárdenas|April, 2018

When authors are writing outside of their experience, feedback from experts within the communities they’re writing about is crucial. Read on to learn more about this important stage of the editorial process. Read more

What Our Editors Look for on an Opening Page

by Phil Stamper-Halpin|July, 2016

While titles, covers, and marketing copy are all important ways to attract a reader to your book, the first page of the book itself has an equally critical role: it offers readers a glimpse of your writing style and the story that follows. Read more

From the Editor: Getting Ahead with Revisions

by Phil Stamper-Halpin|March, 2016

Revisions can be a challenging part of the writing process, but also one full of opportunity. In this delicate stage, authors look at their work from a fresh perspective. But knowing which mistakes to look out for can be a challenge. We’ve asked our fiction and nonfiction editors about common pitfalls they see in early drafts and how authors can overcome them.

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Maintaining Continuity: Tales from the Copy Editor

by Milena Schmidt|November, 2015

We recently learned about the challenges authors face in maintaining continuity while writing. Fortunately, a key stage in the editorial process helps ensure that a book is, ultimately, the best version of itself it can be. Some authors have been known to praise copy editors as publishing’s unsung heroes. We checked in with a Random House copy editor to learn about what she looks for in a manuscript and how she gets the job done. Read more