The Editor’s Blog

How to Choose an Editor or Proofreader

So, you’ve written a book, blog post, article, or essay, and now you need an editor or perhaps a proofreader. […]

The 5 Grammar Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make

Cancelling Cancel Culture 2

Having proofread over 400 books, I’ve encountered many a common grammar error. The same mistakes pop up time and time […]

How to Self-Publish Your Book: A Step-by-Step Guide

As a book editor, authors often ask me how to self-publish a book and what the self-publishing process entails. In […]

Editor Secrets: How Long Will it Take to Edit and Publish Your Book?

As a book editor, I often get approached by authors who have just finished writing and now need an editor. […]

5 Books to Gift Your Loved One

“Books make great gifts because they have whole worlds inside of them.” (Neil Gaiman) We all know Valentine’s Day — […]

January 2023 in Books: Out of Five Cats Reviews

The Book Shelf Editorial Assistant Shelby writes her book reviews in the best way: out of five cats. It’s that time […]

New Nonfiction Releases for February 2023

It’s not the season of love – it’s the season of history books and war memoirs. Take a look at new nonfiction in February 2023.

5 Books to Read in Time for the New Year

“When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature,” said Maya Angelou. “If I were […]

New Nonfiction Releases for January 2023

New year, same me. You already know that this list is procured with the love and attention of a proud […]

How Can I Read More? 

The Golden Ticket – How much money can you make from publishing a book

Every year, I say: I will read more. And each December, I wonder why I don’t. I’m not alone. Reading […]

7 Lessons from J.K Rowling’s Success

If we were to equate J.K. Rowling’s impressive rise to literary fame to one of the seven basic story archetypes, […]

5 Books That Inspired Me to Write

“The Six Golden Rules of Writing: Read, read, read, write, write, write.” Ernest Gaines Like most writers, I started because I […]

New Nonfiction: December 2022

Let me preface by admitting that I started this list because I love reading. I read quite a lot (too […]

November: Out of Five Cats

Welcome to Out of Five Cats November!  Here at The Book Shelf, we love reading, publishing, and cats. So, let’s […]

Our Year in Nonfiction

It’s Nonfiction November and this month I’m reflecting on the great books which got me through the year. With the […]

10 Nonfiction Books You Can Read in a Day

Short nonfiction books are easy to read and snappy but packed full of lessons, teachings, and experiences that are vital […]

8 Contemporary Poetry Recommendations

8 Contemporary Poetry Recommendations

by Olga Bialasik Last week, we talked about getting your poetry published and the various avenues available for this. But […]

Nonfiction November Is Here!

Nonfiction November Is Here

Photo credit: Algoquin Dutton; Ecco; Farrar, Straus & Giroux; the Feminist Press; Harper; Knopf; Riverhead; Scribner; Simon & Schuster. by […]