3 Ideas to Inspire Instagram-worthy Book Posts

3 Ideas to Inspire Instagram-worthy Book Posts

Have you noticed how some book posts can really grab your attention on Instagram or other social media platforms? Let’s dive into three ideas to spark an Instagram-worthy book post! We’ll analyze how bookstagrammers, bookstores, and authors leverage covers to create great visuals. Remember, these ideas don’t negate the need for solid cover design tenets… Read more »

#5onFri: The Five Friends Every Author Needs

#5onFri: The Five Friends Every Author Needs

Writers love to talk about their books, their friends’s books, trends in the publishing industry, and our endless anxieties about writing. But our poor families can only take so much of this at the dinner table. My advice to every writer is to assemble a team of key friends who can handle your obsession, help… Read more »

How to Find a Book Editor

How to Find a Book Editor

When it comes to professional editing, editors and their services range far and wide. Each editor will have different experiences, specialties, preferences, styles, rates, and timelines. Finding the book editor that’s right for you requires thought and active searching. Here is how I recommend finding an editor for your specific needs. How NOT to Find… Read more »

Is Twitter Dead? Don’t Panic! Social Media Survival Guide for Writers

Is Twitter Dead? Don’t Panic! Social Media Survival Guide for Writers

So, is Twitter dead? Just try Googling it—the headlines aren’t pretty.  For writers, the agonizing decline of our digital public square hits hard. The #PitMad pitch competitions were excellent for getting agent attention. You could have real conversations with publishers and famous authors. It was a place to create genuine #writingcommunity, breaking down the high… Read more »

What I Learned about Publishing with a Small Press

What I Learned about Publishing with a Small Press

My novel, The Miraculous Flight of Owen Leach, was published by Apprentice House Press in April 2022. I didn’t necessarily think I’d land with a small press, but I’m not sorry I did. I signed with an agent just before I finished my MFA program. She spent the next couple of years trying to sell… Read more »

The Messy Middle: Cultural Content Fender Benders

The Messy Middle: Cultural Content Fender Benders

Last year, we dedicated ourselves to exploring the messy middle of inclusive writing by reflecting on ways to craft complex characters and build dynamic worlds that connect with readers from marginalized identity groups. We decided that we will answer the call for diverse and inclusive writing by being specific, honest, and intentional with our representations… Read more »

Leisure Learning: January 2023

Leisure Learning: January 2023

Happy New Year, dearest word nerds! Now that we are heading into the second month of 2023, I hope you have found a footing in projects spun from your wildest dreams. For some of us here, I know that means starting to write a romance novel or even a series (aka that thing everyone else… Read more »

#5onFri: 5 Tips on Running Your Own Book PR & Marketing

#5onFri: 5 Tips on Running Your Own Book PR & Marketing

When you type the iconic words The End in your manuscript, what feelings do they evoke in you? Joy or fulfillment? Or possibly even dread or a sense of emptiness? To me, the moment was priceless.  I felt elated, relieved, and filled with enthusiasm. As a first-time author, however, I had no inkling of the… Read more »

Use Water’s Superpower of Creative Flow in Winter

Use Water’s Superpower of Creative Flow in Winter

I am always conflicted at the beginning of a new year. There is a frenetic energy to get moving on goals, set plans in motion, and return to work. This is invigorating for some people. But I want to retreat inward, listen quietly, go where my energy is leading me. At this time of year,… Read more »