Hello word nerds! I want to thank you so much for reading my column this year. I have enjoyed writing for you all and I hope I have inspired some of you to try a game or two. This will be my final column for DIY MFA, thank you for reading, and I’m pulling for… Read more »
Have you noticed book covers stepping up their game? If so, you’re right! These trends make today’s annual book cover review extra exciting. To provide some background, much of my professional life has been spent studying trends and foresight (I’ve also worked in marketing, strategy, competitive intelligence, digital, and more…stories for another time!) At its… Read more »
After nearly two years of being able to teach through these articles, my time with the DIY MFA family is ending. I’ve absolutely loved sharing my best strategies and recommendations for your authorial career, and this last article won’t be any different. While I could have left you with more to-do’s, I’ve opted for something… Read more »
Twitter, the linchpin of the publishing industry online, has felt like it may very well be crumbling under the new leadership of Elon Musk. With this, there’s been a lot of chatter in the publishing community about where we go from here. It’s up to you whether and when you choose to go down with… Read more »
Hello fellow kid lit writers! By the time you read this, I will be home from my latest writer’s conference! I’m a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), and my regional chapter had their annual conference recently. It was a blast! Not only did I get to attend some wonderful… Read more »
Energy vampires are all around us. Whether we are writing at home or mingling in the outside world, certain people, settings, or practices can zap our mojo. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are three common vampires and ways to vanquish them. Casper-the-Friendly-Ghost Kind of Vampire These are well-meaning people who ask… Read more »
The long road to starting a business can feel even longer for you if you’re a solopreneur who’s logging most (if not all) of your hours alone. Having access to other people while you’re working in your rabbit hole is important for both the social and emotional aspects we typically think of. It’s great to… Read more »
As an independent author, you’re more than the person who writes words in a novel. Once you choose to go the self-publishing route, you inadvertently choose to also become a self-employed entrepreneur. As such, you now wear every hat for all the departments of your business. This includes wearing the marketing and sales hats. This… Read more »
Just as a high-stress job can lead to Sunday Scaries as the dreaded Monday deluge approaches, many authors experience what I call Book Promotion Scaries as a launch date for a new book nears. In fact, I don’t think I know a single author who doesn’t get a case of nerves from putting their newest… Read more »
Creating Your Logo, the Arts & Crafts Way After some enjoyable downtime over the summer, I’m back building my small business with renewed energy. So, I decided to start with tackling some of the areas that I’ve had resistance with in the past – primarily setting up my first website and drafting and designing the… Read more »
