In the summer of 2017, I attended ThrillerFest—the International Thriller Writers annual conference. A senior editor from Publishers Weekly (PW) was interviewed during one of the luncheons. He offered insights on the magazine’s book review process. I began to wonder what it would be like to review books for the publication, to have the privilege… Read more »
A lot of you Word Nerds out there have the goal of writing and publishing a book. After you’ve accomplished that goal (and after the mandatory celebration of your awesomeness) you would also probably like someone (other than your mom) to read it, right? Of course, no one is going to read your book if… Read more »
It’s award season for crime fiction writers. In this piece, I’m going to discuss the national-level crime fiction awards, their selection process, and why being crowned “winner” may or may not be a big deal for writers and readers. Awards Sponsored by Genre Groups The Edgars The Edgar awards, named in honor of Edgar Allan… Read more »
I have a love/hate relationship with social media. Who doesn’t? I love the aesthetic prettiness of Instagram, and taking pictures of coffee and books. I love that I can keep up with people from high school and college on Facebook. I love reading the minute-by-minute quips of my favorite thought leaders and writers on Twitter…. Read more »
Snazzy author photo? Check. List of all your books? Check. Alright, you have everything you need for your author website. Time to go live, right? Not so fast! Having an author website is like owning your own little corner of the internet and it’s important to set it up in a way that showcases your… Read more »
Last summer, Alison Walsh from the literary food blog Alison’s Wonderland Recipes sent me a surprising invitation: To write the introduction for her then-upcoming cookbook, A Literary Tea Party. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse. First, it meant having a byline in a published book—and what writer wouldn’t be excited about that? Second, it… Read more »
Imagine you’ve been invited to read your writing out loud for an audience. Maybe it’s for an open mic night at a local café or indie bookstore. Or, maybe it’s an awards banquet or literary conference event where the recognized writers can bring flash fiction, poetry, or an essay. Regardless, you think, “Sure, why not?”… Read more »
I recently picked up Save the Cat by Blake Snyder to learn it’s infamous plotting method. I’d heard the book talked about one too many times. It was time for me to read it, finally. Imagine my surprise when the first three chapters were not about plotting your work, but about pitching your story. Save… Read more »
“Aim high” is probably advice you’ve heard before. I sure have: my elementary school’s motto was aim high, be respectful, care for others, all admirable things to do. But not everyone will tell you to do so when it comes to your writing. There are the skeptics, those writers who want you to think that… Read more »
Writing for kids, of any age, is a big responsibility. Kids across age groups range in experience and the ability to think critically about what they read. Very young children are especially prone to thinking that a book, any book, must be an authority. After all, books are like, official, right? Even teens and adults… Read more »
