There are over six million Kindle books published on Amazon. Only a small percentage will be bestsellers. As an author, it’s up to you to make your book stand out. Sure, marketing and branding help you sell more books, but the best way to sell books is to write the best one possible. In this… Read more »
Punctuation can feel like a burden, something we either do correctly or not. After all, grammar guides and style books were created for a reason. But in reality, punctuation is a powerful resource to enhance our writing. Looking in any two grammar guides for rules about punctuation usage, we’ll be sure to find conflicting advice…. Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of hosting award-winning author Nathaniel Philbrick on the show! Nathaniel is the New York Times bestselling author of Valiant Ambition, Sea of Glory, and The Last Stand, as well as a Pulitzer Prize finalist for his book Mayflower. His book In the Heart of the Sea… Read more »
I’m nearing the end of a novel–or, I’ve been nearing the end of a novel for some time–and each time I hit the 90k mark, I have an uncontrollable urge to throw the whole thing out and start over. (Uncontrollable as in, I already have. Several times.) Basically, I look back through the draft under… Read more »
Dear Editor, I am revising my first novel, which is also the first novel in a speculative historical fiction trilogy. It has been a great joy, and I’m working on book two, so I feel pretty confident that I want to move this thing forward and that it’s worth the effort of revising. I’m having… Read more »
So, you’ve written a novel. You’ve put in the time and effort. The many years. Sweat, and certainly tears. But, what now? How do you turn that mess of words into a workable story that people actually want to read? Not that I’m saying the work you’ve slaved over is a mess, but to paraphrase… Read more »
If anyone asks who started this, I blame Cheryl Strayed. I read her book Tiny Beautiful Things recently, and loved the straightforward approach she has to giving advice for the “Dear Sugar” column on The Rumpus. Cheryl opened space for people to ask their burning questions, the ones they were too ashamed to share even… Read more »
What is a reader thinking when he or she reads your work? We all experience an inner dialogue about the world around us. During reading it’s the same: consuming words wakes up the voices in our heads. What we really want is for our readers to be asking the right questions. Things like ‘what happens next?’… Read more »
Sometimes you need a break. A walk can refresh the brain cells. A change of scenery can spark new thoughts. Taking out the trash, or doing some other small but worthy action can be a perfect palliative. Quick and focused, the sojourn lets you return to the keyboard undistracted and morally superior. But this article… Read more »
I imagine every editor has, at one point or another, dropped their head into their hands and ululated, “Why didn’t I tell my author this one tiny thing before it became a massive catastrophe?!” So, in an effort to prevent further histrionics, here are some things you, the author, can do to streamline the editing… Read more »
