This August, we’re celebrating an awesome DIY MFA milestone—five years of our “Five on a Friday” series. The Five on Friday column is one of my favorite things that I get to work on every week. Why? Because while everything we do here at DIY MFA is for Word Nerds, these articles are often by… Read more »
Self-publishing is many things: creatively empowering, professionally challenging, fun. One thing it’s not? Free. Okay, through the miracles of modern technology it’s possible to publish a book for virtually nothing, but you won’t produce a product people will want to buy. Remember, self-publishing is a business. If you want success, you’ll have to spend some… Read more »
We’ve talked before about red flags when your social media following is growing too quickly, but you should always see a little steady growth happening month to month. That said, theory and practice rarely align perfectly. As your following grows, it’s also inevitably evolving. Which means you will have times when what has worked for… Read more »
It was such an incidental, fleeting moment…one that didn’t warrant special notice. And, yet, I noticed. On the evening of May 30, 2017, my daughter, Nikky, and I attended one of the last performances by well-known singer and songwriter Sara Bareilles in the lead role of the musical “Waitress,” on Broadway. Right before the curtain… Read more »
Writers need to find their tribe, and many times that’s other writers. It’s the natural fit. It makes sense. Finding the right mix of people will add more depth and potential to your writing journey. Sometimes it takes a village. Your job is to find the right village, and if you can’t find it, create… 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 »
As an independent author, you’re also a publisher. You set the vision for all the writing that will be published and create plans to ensure its success. Independent publishing can be a breathless enterprise: There’s so much to learn, and business evolves constantly. Countless shiny opportunities and ideas wait to distract you from your focus…. Read more »
Collaborating with one or more co-authors offers unique challenges and pleasures. On the face of it, it looks like doubly—or triply—hard work: you have two or more egos to manage and motivate, potential disagreements about creative direction and weight-pulling, and a more laborious process to get ideas agreed and edits approved. And yet… When it… Read more »
Work and income don’t come easy to writers as it is, even more so when the fate of your career is in your own hands. While freelance writing has many perks (making your own hours, choosing your own assignments, working in your PJs), it also has many obstacles. One of these is networking. How do… Read more »
Let’s face it: Social media is a nonstop churn of content. New users are joining by the second, and most of them are spouting out posts multiple times a day. How’s anyone supposed to keep up? Let alone an author, who is already juggling writing, a job, parenting, and/or a hodgepodge of other obligations on… Read more »
