Crafting the Perfect Twitter Pitch

It’s no secret that my success with Catch Me When I Fall began with a Twitter pitch contest; I’ve mentioned it before in interviews and even wrote about the experience for Writer’s Digest. With the number of pitch contests growing—and the rate of success rising—I thought I would share my Twitter pitch and how you… Read more »

The Pros and Pros of NaNoWriMo

-Are you doing NaNoWriMo? -Huh? -You know, NaNo? -Who? -You’re not a WriMo yet?! -Did you just call me a ‘rhino’? It’s not a secret code or a reference to rhinos or even atomic particles. It’s National Novel Writing Month, and the challenge to write 50,000 words in the month of November is about as… Read more »

What to Know Before You Submit Your Novel, Part II

This is a continuation of a previous article from editor Constance Renfrow about six things you need to know before you submit your novel. Check out Part One right here! Make Your Email Stand Out Okay, so Fifty Shades of Twilight Abbey is free of clichés and that anti-woman monologue, you’re ready to “sware” all… Read more »

What to Know Before You Submit Your Novel: Part One

So you heard the old saying that everyone has a novel inside them and now you’re ready to shop Fifty Shades of Twilight Abbey around all the indie and major publishing companies. But you also heard that old adage, “Editors are awful people who will never read that manuscript you slaved over.” Hell, you probably… Read more »

Square One: Where is the Best Place to Start Platforming?

Starting your online platform can be daunting, and it seems everyone an opinion on how to do it “right.” But the truth is, the best place to start your platform is where you feel most comfortable and naturally strongest. Platforming is simply putting forth an organized, focused effort to connect with your target readers. It’s… Read more »

Behind the Scenes at DIY MFA 101

Here’s a quick sneak peek of our flagship course DIY MFA 101. We have a private, members-only website for the class, with exciting features to make accessing the course materials easy. The workshops unlock sequentially on different weeks of the class. Each workshop contains three video lessons with companion worksheets. We also include an audio-only version and… Read more »

A Chinese Perspective on Western Books: Part One

Go to any bookstore or library in China and you’ll find hundreds of novels written in boxlike characters made up of different undulating strokes and curvy lines (like this: 爱). In a large bookstore chain like XinHua, you’ll find those same books stacked alongside a section of “foreign works,” often written in English or their… Read more »