I don’t usually review dead tree books or those that are only available in ebook format at what I consider to be ridiculously inflated prices (I like my ebooks at no more than $2.99) however since I promised to discuss the craft of revision, editing and polishing the heck out of your work, I’m just going to have to break with that ‘rule’ of mine.

Victoria Mixon is an accomplished fiction editor and lover of the craft of creating wonderful books. For those of us with the capital at hand, Mixon is currently working as a successful freelance editor and I’ve heard tell she bends over backwards in order to help burgeoning novelists afford her services – but for those of us who still can’t afford Mixon’s talents there is this book “The Art & Craft of Fiction: A Practitioner’s Manual.”

It’s no secret that “The Art & Craft of Fiction: A Practitioner’s Manual,” is one of my favorite books on the process of refining a raw manuscript into a readable novel. Mixon’s mastery of the craft is present on every single page of this book that actually manages to draw the reader in and keep them turning pages on what can be a disturbingly boring subject. Inspiration, insight and the occasional comforting hug are all wrapped up practical craft applications.

Somehow, Mixon finds a way to make the act of sidling up to your baby with a sharp scalpel and a determined grin into an act almost as warm and comforting as  soak in a sweetly scented bath. If you’re serious about making your writing a little bit better with each novel, I can’t recommend you grab a copy of this book more. You’ll need Mixon’s strengths, comfort and guiding hand on your own quest for readability.