Beginner Archives - Beacon Point Courses https://courses.beaconpointservices.org/course-difficulty/beginner/ Tue, 12 May 2026 02:53:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://courses.beaconpointservices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/cropped-small-mark-only-32x32.png Beginner Archives - Beacon Point Courses https://courses.beaconpointservices.org/course-difficulty/beginner/ 32 32 Make Your Nonfiction Book More Reader-Friendly https://courses.beaconpointservices.org/course/make-your-nonfiction-book-more-reader-friendly/ https://courses.beaconpointservices.org/course/make-your-nonfiction-book-more-reader-friendly/#respond Tue, 12 May 2026 02:53:08 +0000 https://courses.beaconpointservices.org/?post_type=course&p=2604 Your book should help readers, not make them work too hard to understand you.

Many nonfiction authors accidentally make their books harder to read by:

  • relying too heavily on dry facts
  • using academic or professional jargon
  • writing like they’re explaining ideas to colleagues instead of everyday readers
  • repeating ideas without realizing it
  • skipping examples readers need in order to fully understand the concept
  • organizing information in the order it came to mind instead of the order readers need it
  • teaching ideas without giving readers clear ways to apply them

These mistakes are incredibly common. Especially for experts.

When you know your topic deeply, it’s easy to forget what your reader doesn’t know yet, to assume the connection is obvious, to explain without the application. 

This webinar helps you step back and ask: “Is this written in a way my reader can follow, connect with, and use?” So you can ensure your book is engaging, useful, and reader-focused. 

Learn three core strategies for improving nonfiction readability: use stories, avoid sounding too academic, and involve the reader. Through before-and-after expmples, you'll see what this looks like on the page and how to edit your nonfiction book to ensure all three strategies are used throughout. Then you get additional information based on viewer questions when I presented this live. 

 

This webinar is for you if…

You’re writing or revising a nonfiction book and you want it to be easier to read, easier to follow, and more useful for your audience.

It’s especially helpful if you’re writing:

  • a self-help book
  • a how-to book
  • a business book
  • a leadership book
  • a health or wellness book
  • a teaching-based book
  • a thought leadership book
  • a book connected to your coaching, speaking, or service-based business

It’s also a great fit if you know your topic well but worry your writing may be too dry, too dense, too academic, or too “inside your own head.”

What you’ll walk away with

By the end of this webinar, you’ll know how to:

➔ use stories to make your concepts more engaging
➔ tell the difference between helpful jargon and unnecessary jargon
➔ revise academic-sounding writing into clear, accessible prose
➔ replace thesis-like chapter openings with stronger, more useful introductions
➔ use “you” language to speak directly to the reader
➔ add reflection questions or action steps that help readers apply your ideas

You’ll also get practical editing steps you can use as you review your own book.

Bonus resources included

When you sign up, you’ll also receive supporting materials to help you apply what you learn, including:

✨ Practice example and my revsion
✨ Reader-friendly editing steps you can apply to your manuscript
✨ Additional resources
✨ Presentation slides

Ready to make your nonfiction book more reader-friendly?

Your book has a message worth sharing, But the way you present that message matters.

If your reader has to fight through jargon, repetition, dry explanations, or confusing organization, they may never fully receive the help you’re trying to give them. This webinar will show you how to revise with your reader in mind—so your book becomes clearer, more engaging, and more useful from beginning to end.

Sign up for Make Your Nonfiction Book More Reader-Friendly and learn how to turn your expertise into a book readers can actually connect with.

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]]> Thank you for watching this webinar. By the end, you’ll know how to:

✔ Share stories naturally and effectively

✔ Avoid jargon

✔ Avoid the essay-writing structure

✔ Include the reader


Webinar Details

Estimated Time: 45 minutes

Difficulty: Beginner

Categories:

Course Instructor

Katie Chambers Katie Chambers Author

Katie Chambers, owner of Beacon Point, is a nonfiction and fiction substantive (developmental) editor and copy editor for independent authors. She loves teaching authors writing craft and editing principles and wrote Self-Editing Essentials for Fiction and Self-Editing Essentials for Nonfiction. ​Visit her business website, connect with her on LinkedIn, and/or subscribe to Shining Beacon, her newsletter for authors or Brighter Business, her newsletter for editors.

 

One Time

$25.00
Enroll Now

Watch now

Make Your Nonfiction Book More Reader-Friendly Webinar
Lesson 1 of 1 within section Watch now.

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]]> https://courses.beaconpointservices.org/course/make-your-nonfiction-book-more-reader-friendly/feed/ 0 Running Your Editorial Business like a Pro ($147) https://courses.beaconpointservices.org/course/running-your-editorial-business-like-a-pro/ Wed, 30 Mar 2022 02:47:58 +0000 http://courses.beaconpointservices.org/?post_type=course&p=25  

The post Running Your Editorial Business like a Pro ($147) appeared first on Beacon Point Courses.

]]> Thank you for taking this course. I hope by the end, you will

  • Feel more on top of the admin side
  • Spend less time on administrative tasks
  • Enjoy administrative tasks

Don’t forget to leave a review!

Difficulty: Beginner, Intermediate

Categories:

Course Instructor

Katie Chambers Katie Chambers Author

Katie Chambers, owner of Beacon Point, is a nonfiction and fiction substantive (developmental) editor and copy editor for independent authors. She loves teaching authors writing craft and editing principles and wrote Self-Editing Essentials for Fiction and Self-Editing Essentials for Nonfiction. ​Visit her business website, connect with her on LinkedIn, and/or subscribe to Shining Beacon, her newsletter for authors or Brighter Business, her newsletter for editors.

 

Sign Up for Course

$147.00
Enroll

Introduction

Course Information
Lesson 1 of 2 within section Introduction.
Systems and Processes
Lesson 2 of 2 within section Introduction.

Marketing Pieces

Branding
Lesson 1 of 3 within section Marketing Pieces.
Website Creation and Email Domain
Lesson 2 of 3 within section Marketing Pieces.
Website Content
Lesson 3 of 3 within section Marketing Pieces.

Client Interactions

Contracts
Lesson 1 of 3 within section Client Interactions.
Template Emails
Lesson 2 of 3 within section Client Interactions.
Client-Relationship Management
Lesson 3 of 3 within section Client Interactions.

Project Management

Time Management
Lesson 1 of 4 within section Project Management.
Project Management Systems
Lesson 2 of 4 within section Project Management.
Editorial Processes from Start to Finish
Lesson 3 of 4 within section Project Management.
Tracking Metrics
Lesson 4 of 4 within section Project Management.

Financial Management

Setting and Raising Rates
Lesson 1 of 3 within section Financial Management.
Invoicing
Lesson 2 of 3 within section Financial Management.
Managing Finances
Lesson 3 of 3 within section Financial Management.

Overall Business Management

Essential Business Practices
Lesson 1 of 2 within section Overall Business Management.
Your Beacon Is Lit—Now Go Shine!
Lesson 2 of 2 within section Overall Business Management.

What Others Have Said

From Sara Sudol on Editorial Arts Academy
By: Katie Chambers

Katie is the queen of admin! Before "Running Your Editorial Business Like a Pro," I felt overwhelmed by the administrative side of my editing business. I wasn't sure which metrics I should be tracking or how that information could guide my future business decisions. I also didn't know there were tools available to help streamline my daily tasks. This course changed all that. Katie's step-by-step guidance and resources gave me a clear roadmap for organizing every aspect of my business. After implementing what I learned, I've reclaimed hours of productive time each week and feel far more confident about the admin side of things. I highly recommend "Running Your Editorial Business Like a Pro" to any editor looking to get a handle on their behind-the-scenes work and run their business with ease.

Some really valuable information here!
By: melissa.a.macaulay

This is a good investment for new and seasoned editors alike. It covers the whole process (website-building, project management, invoicing, etc.) in detail, so that even experienced editors can be inspired to improve their process. I will definitely refer back to the course content in the future!

A Great Investment!
By: jentolnay

This course is jam-packed with invaluable information on running your own business. If you’re new to freelancing, there’s everything you need to get started, and even if you’ve been running your own business for a while, there are a ton of ideas to help you level up. The templates are very helpful, as are the video overviews and comparisons of various programs you can use to streamline your business. The forum provides a really nice way to connect with others and to get personalized feedback on all aspects of running your business. This was truly a worthwhile investment for me, and I’m excited to continue implementing what I’ve learned.

I'M SO GLAD I TOOK THIS AT THE START OF MY EDITING JOURNEY
By: zfulkerson8

This course is PERFECT for people new to the editing business. I have been struggling to figure things out on my own, and this course has left me feeling confident moving forward. It gives all the information you need to start and run your business. I highly recommend it.

A Must for New Editors
By: britney

As someone who is still deep in the process of getting started as an editor and setting up my business, this is EXACTLY what I needed. This course walks you through every single aspect of the business management side of editing and leaves you feeling completely prepared with all of the systems, processes, and tools you need to run your business smoothly. I couldn't have done it without this information and I know I will be coming back to the content again and again as I continue to streamline and improve my processes.

The post Running Your Editorial Business like a Pro ($147) appeared first on Beacon Point Courses.

]]> Webinar: Beauty of Beats and Free Indirect Speech ($25) https://courses.beaconpointservices.org/course/webinar-beauty-of-beats-and-free-indirect-speech/ Tue, 26 Mar 2024 22:12:28 +0000 https://courses.beaconpointservices.org/?post_type=course&p=1517 The use of action beats and free indirect speech are two tools every writer should know.

They help you with writing elements like

✍️showing, not telling

✍️manipulating narrative distance

✍️creating deeper interiority

✍️enriching characterization

✍️creating variety

✍️playing with tension

In this 60-minute webinar, you will learn what they are, when to use them, and the common mistakes to avoid with these tools. 

Plus, you will get:

❇️A PDF of the slides with examples
❇️A handout with more examples
❇️Links to more resources on this topic
❇️Exercises to practice the concept and my answers

This webinar was taught live to the women in the Quill & Cup writing community.

The post Webinar: Beauty of Beats and Free Indirect Speech ($25) appeared first on Beacon Point Courses.

]]> Thank you for watching this webinar. I hope by the end, you will

  • Know when to use and not to use action beats
  • Write effective action beats
  • Use free indirect speech when the scene and moment calls for it
  • Use these tools to affect tension, manipulate narrative distance, and create deeper interiority

Webinar Details

Estimated Time: 60 minutes

Difficulty: Beginner, Intermediate

Categories:

Course Instructor

Katie Chambers Katie Chambers Author

Katie Chambers, owner of Beacon Point, is a nonfiction and fiction substantive (developmental) editor and copy editor for independent authors. She loves teaching authors writing craft and editing principles and wrote Self-Editing Essentials for Fiction and Self-Editing Essentials for Nonfiction. ​Visit her business website, connect with her on LinkedIn, and/or subscribe to Shining Beacon, her newsletter for authors or Brighter Business, her newsletter for editors.

 

Author Toolkit Webinar

$25.00
Enroll

Content

Beauty of Beats Webinar
Lesson 1 of 1 within section Content.

What Others Have Said

Submitted on my website form for in-person version of this webinar
By: Katie Chambers

Katie is an engaging and dynamic speaker. The content was very helpful, particularly the FIS. I was able to apply it immediately to a chapter I’m editing in my book. --Kimberly

Submitted in an email testimonial form by Katelin Ralenkotter
By: Katie Chambers

The content was engaging and I liked the pace at which the presenter presented with. The information was valuable and I enjoyed having a deeper look at a piece of creating literature that I encounter all of the time. Wonderful job overall! --Submitted in an email testimonial form by Katelin Ralenkotter

The post Webinar: Beauty of Beats and Free Indirect Speech ($25) appeared first on Beacon Point Courses.

]]> Webinar: Dialogue Punctuation Rules(Free) https://courses.beaconpointservices.org/course/webinar-dialogue-punctuation-rulesfree/ Sat, 21 Feb 2026 04:55:27 +0000 https://courses.beaconpointservices.org/?post_type=course&p=2531 A free training for fiction writers (and the editors who love them) on the dialogue rules readers expect you to get right—so your punctuation disappears and your story stays immersive. In this 60-minute webinar, two professional editors, Jeanette Smith and Katie Chambers, break down exactly how to punctuate dialogue in American English (Chicago style)—with examples, …

The post Webinar: Dialogue Punctuation Rules(Free) appeared first on Beacon Point Courses.

]]> A free training for fiction writers (and the editors who love them) on the dialogue rules readers expect you to get right—so your punctuation disappears and your story stays immersive.

In this 60-minute webinar, two professional editors, Jeanette Smith and Katie Chambers, break down exactly how to punctuate dialogue in American English (Chicago style)—with examples, tricky edge cases, and a practice download so you can actually apply it.

This training doesn’t stop at the basics. We cover the moments that actually trip writers up from the basics to advanced dialogue punctuation strategies.

Why This Matters

Dialogue punctuation is the one place you don’t want to “get creative.”

Yes, fiction gives you room to play with style.
But dialogue punctuation has real rules that readers expect even if they can’t explain it.

When dialogue punctuation is off, readers don’t think, Ah, an error.
They think, Wait … what?
And that tiny hiccup can yank them right out of your story.

This training helps you eliminate those hiccups, so your dialogue reads clean, natural, and professional.

Sign up to watch!

What You’ll Learn

You’ll learn how to punctuate

  • Dialogue alone (and where punctuation goes in relation to quotation marks)
  • Dialogue with speaker tags (he said / she asked)
  • Dialogue with action beats
  • Trailing off and interrupted dialogue
  • Quotes within quotes
  • Dialogue that continues over multiple paragraphs
  • Non-dialogue in quotation marks (the weird “her body screamed ‘no’” category)
  • Stutters and broken speech (hyphens, dashes, and what Chicago allows)
  • Spoken punctuation
Sign up to watch!

What You’ll Get

  • Instant access to the full webinar recording
  • Practice exercise and answer key
  • “Strengthen Your Dialogue” and “Refine Tags & Beats” chapters from Katie’s Self-Editing Essentials book (These will help you with the craft side of dialogue, while the webinar helped with mechanics.
  • Preparing for an Editor Toolkit)
  • The opportunity to ask a professional editor your most pressing question, and get a personalized response

When you register, you’ll receive the webinar immediately then will get three follow-up emails with resources and expert guidance.

Grab the free training, download the practice files, and get dialogue punctuation off your mental load for good.

Join the authors who have mastered dialogue punctuation.

Register

Sign up now and take the first confident step toward fixing your dialogue.

The post Webinar: Dialogue Punctuation Rules(Free) appeared first on Beacon Point Courses.

]]> Webinar: What to Expect from the Editing Process (Free) https://courses.beaconpointservices.org/course/webinar-what-to-expect-from-the-editing-process/ Mon, 30 Jan 2023 21:26:49 +0000 http://courses.beaconpointservices.org/?post_type=course&p=1330 You’ve done what 97% of aspiring authors can’t. You’ve actually finished writing your book. But the truth is many finished manuscripts never get published because authors get overwhelmed by the editing process and blindsided by costs. Learn to navigate both the process and the cost with confidence and join the exclusive 1% who actually get …

The post Webinar: What to Expect from the Editing Process (Free) appeared first on Beacon Point Courses.

]]> You’ve done what 97% of aspiring authors can’t. You’ve actually finished writing your book. But the truth is many finished manuscripts never get published because authors get overwhelmed by the editing process and blindsided by costs.

Learn to navigate both the process and the cost with confidence and join the exclusive 1% who actually get their books into readers’ hands.

Sign up to watch!

Why Most Authors Never Publish (And How You’ll Be Different)

The Publishing Reality:

  • Only 30 out of 1,000 people who start writing actually finish their book
  • Of those 30 finished manuscripts, only 6 authors will see publication
  • That’s a 0.6% success rate, but it doesn’t have to be yours

So get ahead of the curve and master the two biggest obstacles.

Conquer the learning curve

Stop feeling overwhelmed by the editing process. You’ll discover exactly what to expect from professional editing, how to prepare your manuscript, and why understanding this stage unlocks every other step in your publishing journey.

When you have a publishing professional in your corner, they become your guide to understanding what comes next and can even provide vetted experts for every stage ahead.

Navigate budget reality

Get crystal-clear on editing investments so you can plan smartly instead of getting sticker shock later. Plus, you’ll receive actionable strategies to overcome budget constraints without compromising quality.

Sign up to watch!

What You’ll Master in This Training

  • The four levels of editing decoded: know exactly which type your book needs (and why it matters for your budget)
  • Editor expectations revealed: what professional editors actually do and how to maximize the value of working with them
  • Pricing transparency: understand exactly why editing costs what it does and how to budget accordingly
  • The complete editing process from manuscript submission to final delivery: know every step so nothing surprises you

What you’ll get

  • Instant access to the full webinar recording (originally presented for Self-Publishing School)
  • Self-editing guides to strengthen your manuscript before hiring an editor
  • Budget planning guide with strategies to overcome financial constraints
  • The opportunity to ask a professional editor your most pressing question, and get a personalized response

When you register, you’ll receive the webinar immediately then will get three follow-up emails with resources and expert guidance.

Don’t let your finished manuscript become another statistic.

Join the authors who turn their finished manuscripts into published books.

Register

Sign up now and take the first confident step toward seeing your book in readers’ hands.

Course Instructor

Katie Chambers Katie Chambers Author

Katie Chambers, owner of Beacon Point, is a nonfiction and fiction substantive (developmental) editor and copy editor for independent authors. She loves teaching authors writing craft and editing principles and wrote Self-Editing Essentials for Fiction and Self-Editing Essentials for Nonfiction. ​Visit her business website, connect with her on LinkedIn, and/or subscribe to Shining Beacon, her newsletter for authors or Brighter Business, her newsletter for editors.

The post Webinar: What to Expect from the Editing Process (Free) appeared first on Beacon Point Courses.

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