Self-publishing is a way to gain readers for writers either immobilized by the traditional publishing process or thwarted by the constant rejection. There are benefits to self-publishing that go beyond cash money, though, and I picked the brains of three self-published authors to learn the ins and outs. Meet and learn from them here!
Read moreThe differences between writing to sell & writing to build community
Selling a product no longer looks like pushing out ad after ad. Instead, it's about building relationships, even friendships, with your consumers -- relating to them and reminding them that you aren't just a company but real people and personalities who exist behind the company and relate to their customers.
This is why, as writers, we need to know the difference between writing to sell and writing to build community -- and the benefits to prioritizing the latter.
Read moreIs asking fellow writers for blurbs making you sick?
Pick up just about any nearby book -- go ahead, I'll wait -- and you'll see a brief quote or two on the cover trumpeting the book's value. Did you know that for the most part, it falls to writers to solicit the blurbs for their own books? Oh, yes. Eek City.
Here's everything you need to know about the blurbing process.
Read moreHow to write a ridiculously good About page
About pages are arguably the most important on your website. It's where you can break through the business-talk — here are my services, here are the prices, here are testimonials, etc. — and have a shared human moment with your audience.
Let's talk about the components of a killer About page.
Read moreThe 6 questions to ask yourself when motivation is lacking
Journalists report stories using the tried-and-true questions who, what, where, when, why and how. This way, they're sure to cover their story's basics so readers aren't left in confusion. The same journalistic questions can get you out of a writing rut by helping foster the right atmosphere for writing.
Read moreCan writing be — dare I say it — luxurious?
Writing needn't always be made out to be a nose-to-the-grindstone, make-it-or-break-it cram session. I have a few cheap-o tricks for making writing feel special and not rushed. Does it take away some of the grit? Sure. But I don't always want to write in the gutter. Sometimes I like nice hand lotion and a quiet space.
Read more5 things editors wish creative writers knew
While creative writers rock my socks off, there are five things I wish they understood about our work together to make our projects run more smoothly. Here's a little glimpse behind the curtain (j/k, you know I'm an open book).
Read moreWhat is the unknown territory of your writing?
There were many, many years in your favorite writer's life when she didn't have any books published. She just had a collection of ideas, like you. Like all of us who want to become better at our vocation.
What feels like the biggest hurdle for you right now? Are you too busy trying to survive it with the tools you already have to put a name to it, break it down and tackle it?
Read moreAnatomy of a manuscript submission
Each literary magazine or writing contest has its own rules for how submissions should be formatted. Some want pages numbered, others want cover pages, most want cover letters, while still others think cover letters are outdated. It's crucial that you read each opportunity's guidelines so your submission isn't rejected for simply being improperly formatted.
Read more7 missteps that trip your query letter (and how to prevent them)
There are seven mistakes I see time and again with query letters to literary agents, missteps that will prevent your great work from reaching its audience. Let's chat through them so we make sure your query letter isn't one of the uh-ohs.
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