A style sheet is basically a smaller style guide customized to each project. Style guides tell us the rules of English. The purpose of style guides is to ensure consistency throughout writing so we know what a piece of text is talking about. What if there wasn’t a single source telling us how to use a semicolon? I think; we’d use them; whenever we wanted. And it would be; confusing for everyone involved. So style guides are important.

Before paying anyone to edit your book, you can have beta readers read it to give you advice for free! (Yes, sometimes beta readers are paid. Those ones will probably guarantee better feedback than randoms from Facebook, but it’s up to you.)

Beta readers provide you with advice for the content of your book—yes, it’s that general. If you want them to focus on something specifically, ask them to do that: “Hi, when you’re reading my book, can you look at how the chapters are broken up? Let me know if you think it’s effective or know of another way to do it.” Otherwise, they’ll tell you whatever they think about your book from a reader’s standpoint.

For authors, especially for self-publishers, writing well and writing fast are our bread and butter. If we cannot produce books, we don't make any money. And if we don't make any money, then writing is just a hobby.

For some people, that is just fine. Writing can be a hobby, and a very fulfilling one at that.

However, for the rest of us, if we want to make a living at writing books, we have to learn to write efficiently.

In this article, I will cover a few tips on how to do this.