I have to hold my hands up and say, ‘Yep… it’s a fair cop. My formatting needed a little help.’ There was I, totally oblivious to my woefully inadequate presentation, when along came a private message from another author on the other side of the world.

(Nikki Ash… Author of ‘The Fighting’ series. She won’t mind me mentioning her.) She kindly informed me that all was not well with my formatting and offered me some very useful advice. Needless to say I took her advice, thanked her kindly, and spent the next few days face down in my laptop correcting my work. And wow! What a difference!

I know it probably shouldn’t, but the kindness of others always takes me by surprise. There have been many moments like this one, where people, often more experienced than I, and whom I have never met, reach out through social media offering advice and assistance.

To all those amazing people who have taken the time, many from the Rave Reviews Book Club I say, thank you.

As a new author, formatting is just one of the myriad of things I’ve learned along the way. But the truest thing I have learned, is that although writing is an insular, isolating endeavour, keeping you almost glued to your laptop until the wee-small hours, another author will take the time to come to your assistance and help you become a better writer. How great is that?

Having brushed up my manuscripts, I nervously entered them into a quality approval program. Books Go Social Quality Mark where they are analysed for narrative arc, character development, readability, pacing, dialogue, repetition, structure, etc., and I was delighted to receive a Gold and two Silver awards for my books. I doubt they would have received such high praise in their original format!

Like I said, I’m not bragging, I just wanted to say, thanks… no cancel that, Mahoosive thanks! 😉