# Draft Lantern

> Draft Lantern is an independent publication about writing craft and practical publishing paths. It helps writers revise fiction, prepare submission materials, compare publishing routes, and ask better process questions.

Draft Lantern publishes original, long-form guides about See the next useful move in your manuscript. Every article opens with a concise direct answer, is structured with clear headings and FAQs, and reflects mainstream expert consensus.

## Publishing Paths

- [Write an Author Bio Without Publishing Credits](https://janetwhardy.com/author-bio-without-publishing-credits/): An author bio without publishing credits should be brief, accurate, and fitted to its context.
- [Build a Book Launch Team Without Turning Friends Into Ads](https://janetwhardy.com/build-a-book-launch-team/): Build a book launch team from willing readers who understand the book and the specific optional help you need.
- [Ebook vs Print Formatting: Design for Different Pages](https://janetwhardy.com/ebook-vs-print-formatting/): Print formatting controls fixed physical pages, including trim, margins, gutters, pagination, running elements, and binding-related specifications.
- [How Literary Agents Work From Query to Rights](https://janetwhardy.com/how-literary-agents-work/): A literary agent evaluates projects, offers representation through an agreement, prepares submissions, approaches appropriate editors, negotiates…
- [Publishing Budget Categories Before You Price the Plan](https://janetwhardy.com/publishing-budget-categories/): Build a publishing budget by listing the actual editorial, design, formatting, illustration, proof, distribution, business, marketing, accessibility, and…
- [Publishing Contract Questions to Ask Before You Sign](https://janetwhardy.com/publishing-contract-questions/): Before signing a publishing contract, identify the exact rights, territory, formats, exclusivity, term, reversion conditions, payment calculations,…
- [Query Letter Structure: Present the Book Clearly](https://janetwhardy.com/query-letter-structure/): A fiction query letter generally includes a relevant opening, concise story pitch, project details, and brief author bio, but the recipient's current…
- [Self-Publishing Timeline: Build Backward From Ready](https://janetwhardy.com/self-publishing-timeline/): Build a self-publishing timeline backward from approved print and ebook files.
- [Standard Manuscript Format Without Template Theater](https://janetwhardy.com/standard-manuscript-format/): Standard manuscript format is a readable, consistent submission document rather than final book design.
- [Write a Book Cover Brief a Designer Can Use](https://janetwhardy.com/write-a-book-cover-brief/): A useful book cover brief defines the reading promise, intended audience, category signals, tone, required text, formats, technical specifications,…
- [Write a Novel Synopsis That Shows the Whole Story](https://janetwhardy.com/write-a-novel-synopsis/): A novel synopsis compresses the complete plot and central character arc, including major revelations, climax, and ending.

## Writing Craft

- [Character Motivation: Give Every Choice Some Pressure](https://janetwhardy.com/character-motivation/): Character motivation explains why a result matters, while a goal names the result being pursued.
- [Choose a Narrative Point of View That Serves the Story](https://janetwhardy.com/choose-narrative-point-of-view/): Choose narrative point of view by deciding whose perceptions shape the story, how close readers sit to thought, and what information the viewpoint can…
- [Developmental Edit vs Copyedit: Fix the Right Layer](https://janetwhardy.com/developmental-edit-vs-copyedit/): Developmental editing addresses large-scale content such as structure, plot or argument, character, pacing, organization, and missing material.
- [Novel Midpoint: Make the Middle Change the Story](https://janetwhardy.com/novel-midpoint/): A novel midpoint is a major turn that changes the story's operating conditions through revelation, commitment, reversal, costly victory, or decisive failure.
- [Questions for Beta Readers That Produce Useful Notes](https://janetwhardy.com/questions-for-beta-readers/): Ask beta readers where attention rose or fell, what they expected, what confused them, what the protagonist wanted, which choice felt least believable,…
- [Revise a First Draft Without Fixing Everything at Once](https://janetwhardy.com/revise-first-draft-step-by-step/): Revise a first draft from large decisions to small ones. Read the complete manuscript, build a reverse outline, diagnose the intended story, and rank…
- [Scene vs Summary: Control Story Time on Purpose](https://janetwhardy.com/scene-vs-summary/): Scene lets readers experience a consequential moment unfolding through action, perception, dialogue, and change.
- [Write Dialogue That Sounds Natural, Not Transcribed](https://janetwhardy.com/write-dialogue-that-sounds-natural/): Natural fictional dialogue is selected rather than transcribed.

## Full text for LLMs

- [llms-full.txt](https://janetwhardy.com/llms-full.txt): every article as plain markdown in one file
- Each article is also available as markdown at https://janetwhardy.com/<slug>.md

## Site

- [About](https://janetwhardy.com/about/): editorial approach and standards
- [All articles](https://janetwhardy.com/all/)
- [Contact](https://janetwhardy.com/contact/)