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Tahlia Newland

Editor, Author & Artist

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Wednesday Words: What makes a good writer?

January 14, 2015 by Tahlia Newland

When anyone with a computer can publish themselves, what determines the value of a writer? What makes a good writer? You can dash off a story, whip up a cover, upload a file, press a button labelled Publish and have your book appear on a book-selling website instantly.  Okay, so it isn’t quite that simple—you do have to be able to make your word document clean enough for ebook-making software to turn it into something readable on an ereader—but you don’t have to pay an editor. You don’t even have to edit it! And you can throw the cover together yourself in a word document! Sure, the result is likely to be crappy—very crappy—but the point is that you can do that little and still have a published book to your name. Then readers can find it—if they’re unlucky or you’ve spent a bit of money in advertisements or have a lot of friends and make it cheap or free—and they can even read it and like it and give it 5 star reviews. Argh! Why? Because, as with all art forms, most people don’t know … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Book talk Tagged With: book evaluation, self-publishing quality

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Hi I’m Tahlia Newland

I can help you express yourself and share your story with the world.

 

Do you want to write a really good story and have it professionally polished and published?

As an editor, I help you be the best writer you can possibly be. I strengthen your voice, support your vision and can assist you all the way to publication.

On my blog you’ll find book reviews, writer’s tips, contemplative articles on meditation and working with your mind, and occaisonally pictures of my Burmese cats.

If you’re interested mostly in my contemplative articles then  Sign up to the Living in Peace & Clarity Newsletter to get those articles delivered by email. And check out the resources on my Living in Peace and Clarity Page.

I do a lot of community work involving blogging and general support for Buddhist students processing revelations of abuse in their spiritual communities.  Please consider supporting me to continue this work.

Occiasonally, when inspired and not too busy with community work, I make masks.

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Visit my Mask & Steampunk Accessories Shop

2015-03-19 15.46.12
Blue Burmese
Like cats in stories? Check out my books. And click the photo to read the cat colomn.

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Book reviews – sci fi, fantasy, literary fiction, Buddhist fiction and related non-fiction

Fantasy Book Review: The High Priestess by Val Tobin

Fantasy Book Review: The High Priestess by Val Tobin

The High Priestess: Persephone’s Return is the third book in Val Tobin’s Tales from the Unmasqued World Series, and in it she deepens and expands the stories from the previous two book. The book has two central story arcs based around characters we’ve met before. One arc follows Kelsey (a human) who is with Josh […]

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My gorgeous Burmese cats

Renovated Website & Cute Cat Series

Renovated Website & Cute Cat Series

Yesterday I did a photoshoot for my renovated website. Take a look around, particulary at the home page (Click on my name at the top to go there). It’s designed for editing clients with my books secondary because I need to focus on the part of this publishing business that actually earns me more than […]

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