Say you have a novel that stars a main character between the ages of 17 and 19, right on the cusp of adulthood. How do you pitch or market it, as Young Adult or Adult? The distinction matters, impacting where your book gets shelved and who picks it up. Readers of each category have certain… Read more »
At the end of last year, I took an enormous risk along with the support of my wonderful husband and community: I quit my job in communications to write fiction full time, for one year. In the nearly six months since, I have regretted not one ounce of that decision. It has been the greatest… Read more »
As a declared English major from day one, my running joke through four years of college was, “I’ve just always wanted to live in a box.” But of course, I still got offended when non-English majors laughed, because I believed it was as useful and applicable a major as anything else—and I wasn’t wrong! Sure,… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of hosting Jodi Thomas on the show! Jodi is both a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over 50 novels and countless short story collections. With five RITA’s to her credit, along with National Readers’ Choice Awards and Booksellers’ Best Awards, Jodi has… Read more »
None of us get to choose our own names—well, except for those rare few who, as adults, opt for a legal change of moniker. But now you’re a writer and what your characters will be called is entirely in your hands. Happy day! You finally get to use all your favorite names for your favorite… Read more »
If you’re anything like me (a huge introvert) the idea of sales and marketing might make you cringe. I mean, it seems like such an extroverted thing to do, right? Talking to people, convincing them that your book is awesome, putting yourself out there. Shudder. It’s an introvert’s nightmare. But, the truth is: marketing matters…. Read more »
It’s that time of year again: the sun is shining, the flowers are blooming, the pool is beckoning, and you are…stuck inside, trying to make progress on your latest draft. Sigh. We all know that writing is notoriously difficult during summer—which is partly why we tend to concentrate our creative efforts during fall and winter… Read more »
Today I have the pleasure of hosting Sam Sykes on the show! Sam is the author of multiple books of fantasy, including the Bring Down Heaven trilogy, the Affinity for Steel trilogy and comics such as Brave Chef Brianna. He currently lives in the United States with his two hounds and, at any given time,… Read more »
Graphic Medicine is a growing subgenre among books usually shelved as graphic novels. The driver for this is, in part, modern medicine’s penchant for making everything seem frightening and incomprehensible. Graphic medicine seeks to make clear all the gobbledygook that doctors write and say to describe medical conditions to their patients. I do my own… Read more »
As writers, we joke that writing is giving birth to a story and that our characters are our children. Editing, therefore, is a traumatic event in the life of something we deeply love. As we edit, we experience a flurry of thoughts and feelings. In one moment, we berate ourselves for our mistakes. In the… Read more »
