Editorial – May Peterson Books

23 11, 2021

Calling All Authors

By May|2024-07-18T22:07:53+00:00November 23rd, 2021|Editorial|Comments Off on Calling All Authors

Hey all! I’ve been off work for some time due to several upheavals in my life and being houseless for the past two months. It’s been a difficult time and I’m eager to get back to work, which will also help stabilize my situation.

I’ve focused on accessibility for authors with fewer means or less experience for some time, and it’s been a personally fulfilling way to engage with my business. I know I needed guidance and breaks when I was a newer author, and I want to help provide that for others.   As part of this goal, I’m making […]

6 06, 2020

Update on Platform and Schedule, Summer 2020

By May|2021-11-23T22:28:50+00:00June 6th, 2020|Editorial, Publishing, Representation, Writing|Comments Off on Update on Platform and Schedule, Summer 2020

One of my goals is to provide a library of free content for writers, including tools I have found useful as an author, as an editor, and as a sensitivity and artistic ethics consultant. This will include resources for writers who are trying to learn to navigate the publishing industry and career life as an author, trying to manage difficulty with the writing process, and trying to improve their writing skills.

I want these resources to be something they can turn to before paying an editor. Marginalized authors in particular often have to count every penny when […]

7 10, 2019

The Over-manipulation Problem

By May|2019-10-17T18:56:06+00:00October 7th, 2019|Editorial, Writing|Comments Off on The Over-manipulation Problem

I’d like to talk about a problem that has plagued me for years, without me knowing what to call it or how to talk about it. It’s a problem I call over-manipulation.

Most writers seem to run into it at one point or another, and surprisingly little advice is available to help deal with it.

Over-manipulation is not something that only has to do with writing, but any self-improvement, including exercise, nutrition, psychological work, and spirituality. This post is focused on writers, but some of the observations I make here may be helpful in other ways.

To talk about over-manipulation we have […]

6 06, 2019

Call for New Projects 2019-2020, Marginalized and Emerging Authors

By May|2019-06-06T04:52:04+00:00June 6th, 2019|Editorial|Comments Off on Call for New Projects 2019-2020, Marginalized and Emerging Authors

I’m thrilled to be opening my availability for new clients (and new manuscripts from existing clients) throughout 2019 and 2020, with slots available in each month.

One of my professional goals is to help marginalized authors get through the barriers they might be running up against in the publishing industry, and give a boost to newer authors starting their careers. It can be hard to take those first steps and learn the ropes, and I can help with that.

I’m a multiply marginalized and emerging author myself, and an editor of four+ years of experience working with other marginalized authors in […]

2 10, 2018

Art Has an Effect (Make Sure It’s the Effect You Want)

By May|2019-10-23T13:28:14+00:00October 2nd, 2018|Editorial, Representation, Writing|1 Comment

If I had to name the part of my role as an editor I find the most daunting, I’d probably say sensitivity editing. But I’d also name that among the most important.

For those not familiar with the term, sensitivity editing is editorial focused on making sure a work is written with care toward its audience. Particularly, making sure the work is sensitive about the dynamics of race, sex, class, and disability that might impact that audience.

Some may wonder how this could be as important as I’m saying it is—and it’s true, some authors struggle with receiving sensitivity edits. This […]

The Sacred Dark Trilogy

Romantic Fantasy with ghosts, gays, and grandeur.