Over a decade ago, in one of my first college writing workshops, I commented that a story’s eclectic vocabulary jarred me out of its narrative. The author’s suave, privately-schooled best friend was in our class, and he volleyed my critique back: “It would’ve taken seconds to look up aquiline on your iPhone.” I had a… Read more »
Whether you’re an author, a publishing pro, or just someone who hangs out on Twitter, you’ve probably heard — and likely internalized — certain stereotypes and misconceptions about the publishing industry. Some are easily disproved blanket statements, like “you can only succeed as a traditionally published author” and “no one actually reads self-published books.” Others… Read more »
The impetus for this article arose from two decidedly different sources. Late last year, an Amazon reviewer of one of my own books posted, “Alfred has sunk too low. Fidelity and loyalty are paramount in my world.” Then, a couple of weeks later, a member of the DIY MFA family posted a question on Word… Read more »
I was finally on my way! I had started my Young Adult (YA) Fantasy novel over 20 years earlier, building the world, the characters, and the story in fits and starts on vacations or in between life’s daily demands, mostly surrendering to my reality. Then in July of 2019, I retired and I promised myself… Read more »
Happy New Year, writers! Over the past few months, I’ve spent a lot of time talking about ways to build and grow an author brand–primarily focusing on you (your website, your social media presence, ways to make sure you’re being as authentic as possible, etc.)–but today I want to talk about an aspect of your… Read more »
I’m often asked how I got published. I’ve given a lot of to-the-point answers as well as longer explanations that focus on hard work, determination, and luck. The more I think about my eight-year road-to-publication, the more I’m certain writers who succeed do something pivotal during the process of drafting, revising, querying, and submitting. They… Read more »
Do you have trouble finding comparable titles for your book? Are you confused about how to use comparable titles in general? Or understand what they are? Comparable titles (also known as comps) can be extremely helpful when writing and pitching your book to a literary agent or editor. They are also a huge way to… Read more »
Writers often struggle with fiscal matters. After all, few things are less creative or elegant than a calculator or a checking account. Even so, it doesn’t change the fact that a successful freelance career is dependent on sound finances. Here are five simple ways that you can care for your freelance finances without getting too… Read more »
You can’t mention Julia Child without thinking about Mastering the Art of French Cooking. If you’ve seen the film Julie & Julia based on Julie Powell’s memoir, you’ve already seen much of Julia’s story from her autobiography with Alex Prud’homme My Life in France. The surprising part for some admirers may have been that Julia… Read more »
Newsletters seem to have a way of intimidating many authors. If they don’t get tripped up over what to say, then it’s the commitment to a frequent schedule, or even the lack of a jump in Amazon rankings after each new issue. Many lose themselves to the drone of obligatory promotion blasts once a month… Read more »
