Book Edits by Jessi

Authors Beware! The DEI of Modern Book Publishing

Jessi Rita Hoffman — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 02:42:59 +0000

Last week Bret Stephens, a columnist at The New York Times, published an op-ed titled “The Literary World’s DEI Checklist.” In it he calls out the elephant in the room: the shocking fact that quality today is measured not by literary merit but by a book’s place on the political spectrum. He cites as proof the winners of this year’s National Book Awards. Here are a few examples from the fiction category ...

The post Authors Beware! The DEI of Modern Book Publishing appeared first on Book Edits by Jessi.

An Anecdote to Tickle Your Writer’s Heart

Jessi Rita Hoffman — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 11:28:07 +0000

We say “literally” when it’s anything but literal, and “LOL” when we are not really laughing out loud, but today I literally, for two minutes, laughed out loud at the most endearing little story, which I just have to share with you. This comes from a Japanese author pen-named Nobunaga, who jokingly describes himself as a confused samurai wandering through America. He writes short vignettes of his adventures, replete with observations of our culture, which he posts on his website and also sells in several volumes on Amazon.

The post An Anecdote to Tickle Your Writer’s Heart appeared first on Book Edits by Jessi.

Contrarian Author Liza Libes: A Rising Star Worth Watching

Jessi Rita Hoffman — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 04:44:26 +0000

I spent several hours today perusing the essays and banger posts of a fresh, bright voice on the Internet: Liza Libes, an iconoclastic novelist who describes herself as “rebuilding literary taste one book at a time.” She writes on X, Instagram, and her website about “literature, beauty, art, culture, and big ideas.” Discovering her was like taking a bath in sunlight.

The post Contrarian Author Liza Libes: A Rising Star Worth Watching appeared first on Book Edits by Jessi.

A Little Treat for My Blog Readers

Jessi Rita Hoffman — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 22:55:05 +0000

I came across this poem today that an old poetry student of mine wrote about small-town life. I find it so touching, and thought you all might enjoy it, too. Wapello, Iowa1980 Hot summer nights in Wapello, Iowa. Small dogs yip and claw at screen doors while young men cruise in wine-colored Buicks and grey Ford pickups up and down ... Read More

The post A Little Treat for My Blog Readers appeared first on Book Edits by Jessi.

Traditional or Self-Publishing: Which Is Best for Authors?

Jessi Rita Hoffman — Thu, 08 May 2025 09:20:29 +0000

One of the most common questions I get from my editing clients is: which is best for authors—traditional or self-publishing? Whether you’ve finished writing your book or are still immersed in the process, it’s important to know the answer to that. Let’s talk about the pros and cons of both publishing paths, and clear up a few misconceptions.

The post Traditional or Self-Publishing: Which Is Best for Authors? appeared first on Book Edits by Jessi.

Wrong Word Placement: Your Manuscript’s Hidden Flaw?

Jessi Rita Hoffman — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 21:20:06 +0000

Wrong word placement is one of the mistakes I find most often in my business of editing books. Authors, is this your manuscript’s hidden flaw? Take a look at these two sentences, and see if you can identify the problem: The tree proved an irresistible temptation to the birds, hung with ripe cherries. The delighted nursing home residents sang along ... Read More

The post Wrong Word Placement: Your Manuscript’s Hidden Flaw? appeared first on Book Edits by Jessi.

Should a Memoir Focus on Just One Theme or Time Period? It Depends on Your Intentions

Jessi Rita Hoffman — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 15:55:38 +0000

Memoir authors are typically told they should center their story around one particular theme or time period. In response, they tend to write about subjects like divorce, abuse, health struggles, caregiving, or travel, all of which have been extensively written about already. Other writers ignore the advice and try to pack their whole life into a single narrative, sometimes shoehorning two or three unrelated books into one. As a book editor and writing coach, I'm sometimes asked if I agree with this advice ...

The post Should a Memoir Focus on Just One Theme or Time Period? It Depends on Your Intentions appeared first on Book Edits by Jessi.

Three Great Reads

Jessi Rita Hoffman — Sat, 30 Nov 2024 06:23:38 +0000

I promised to do another post soon for my writer blog-readers about some of my favorite novels, and this is me fulfilling that promise. Insurrection, the first book I want to recommend, was written by my client Brandon Teskey. Brandon is an infantry officer and 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army National Guard. During his service in the Middle East, he ... Read More

The post Three Great Reads appeared first on Book Edits by Jessi.

The Conservative Vegetarian–An Oxymoron?

Jessi Rita Hoffman — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 21:18:31 +0000

Genesis has God giving man "dominion" over the animals. Perhaps a better translation would be "stewardship."

The post The Conservative Vegetarian–An Oxymoron? appeared first on Book Edits by Jessi.

Should You Rewrite Your Novel or Memoir as a Screenplay?

Jessi Rita Hoffman — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 13:56:03 +0000

If you’ve been shopping your book to literary agents and have had no luck courting their interest, you may have heard you should rewrite your novel or memoir as a screenplay. Guess what? Screenwriters who’ve had no luck with their scripts are being told the reverse: that they should rewrite their screenplay as a novel. I have a foot in ... Read More

The post Should You Rewrite Your Novel or Memoir as a Screenplay? appeared first on Book Edits by Jessi.