The manuscript arrives three weeks late, and the covering email always says the same thing: "Sorry — I’ve been so busy." But editors see the file’s revision history, the timestamps, the chapter written in one desperate weekend after two months of silence. The author wasn’t busy. The author ...Read More
I marked mathematics papers for the better part of four decades — first as a teacher, later as an assistant principal who still couldn’t leave a red pen alone. When I moved into editing other people’s writing, colleagues assumed I was starting over. I wasn’t. Marking a proof ...Read More
Every editor knows the manuscript. It arrives with an apology attached: the author has been working on it for four years, has rewritten the opening chapter eleven times, and wants "one more pass" before anyone else sees it. The prose in that opening chapter is polished to a ...Read More
The email that accompanies a first thesis draft is a genre of its own. It apologises for the draft’s existence before describing it. It explains that the writing is "probably not at the level you usually work with." It asks, somewhere near the end, a question the sender ...Read More
Editor's note: This article was reviewed and updated in July 2026 to meet Expert Editor's latest editorial standards. King's argument, when you strip away the prolific-novelist mystique, is uncomfortable. He is not saying you should write quickly because you'll get more done that way. He is essentially saying that ...Read More
Editor's note: This article was reviewed and updated in July 2026 to meet Expert Editor's latest editorial standards.One of the most common complaints I hear from people who work alone in somewhat creative jobs is some version of the same thing: I sit down in the morning, and ...Read More