Author:
Sandra Wendel
Book Title:
Cover to Cover: What First-Time Authors Need to Know About Editing (revised 2026)
Publishing Information:
Write On Ink Publishing, 2026
Link to Purchase Book:
Synopsis:
You wrote a book. Now what?
You’re staring at the 200-page masterpiece you banged out on your laptop. Your “baby” that you have agonized over. Rethought. Revised. Reframed. And you are asking the questions every first-time author asks—usually in a mild panic:
• Is this any good?
• Is this manuscript long enough?
• Who edits it? How much does that cost?
• Where do I find the right editor?
• Do I need an agent? Can I publish it myself? How?
• Can I use AI?
An editor protects you—from sloppy thinking, unclear structure, weak execution, and brutal reader reviews. By the time you type T-H-E E-N-D you’ve lost all objectivity. Time for an editor’s discerning eye and metaphorical red pencil.
Veteran editor Sandra Wendel distills decades of real-world experience into this practical, no-nonsense guide that demystifies the editing process and provides tips on writing, production, and marketing because you need the big picture before you step into the world as a new book author.
This book shows you how to think like a publishing professional. Avoid costly mistakes. Build a book that blooms—from first draft to finished copy—cover to cover.
Author Bio:
Sandra Wendel (www.SandraWendel.com) is a nonfiction book editor, author, publisher, book award judge, writing instructor, college student (yes, even at her age), and ghostwriter who helps people turn real lives into unforgettable books. Sandra works in true crime, business/leadership, and selected memoir. She claims she’s not that interesting. Her authors disagree. They include jet fighter pilots, SWAT cops, FBI, DEA, HSI, a sex worker, rock groupie, a bank robber, Holocaust survivors, and other people with stories you can’t make up. Based in Waterloo, Nebraska, she kayaks on flatwater and is restoring native prairie on the family farm in Iowa.
Testimonials:
“Cover to Cover acts as a friend and mentor to writers who are eager to publish a first book.”
The BookLife Prize
“Before I was an author, I was just a guy with a very rough manuscript that needed the services of an editor, badly. On top of my need for editing, I had no idea how to actually publish or market my work. Sandra Wendel helped me through every step. I would have been lost without her guidance. Her skills and knowledge of the industry are beyond impressive.”
Richard Stanley, bank robber, author of Up on Game: From Robbing Banks to Stacking Bitcoin and When I Ruled the World: Doing Time in a California Prison
Advertorial. This is a sponsored post.