Time to get serious about yourwriting career

You won’t be able to quit work and write, but you might find a grant to make your writing goals easier. Or a crowdfunding opportunity to fund your project. Find serious contests, too. Only those that pay in cold hard cash. No pay-per-click, $1 per blog or exposure markets either. Hope Clark writes for a living. If she wouldn’t try these opportunities, she doesn’t post them. Our newsletters are our world. Free subscription.

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Thought of the Week

An author held a signing recently at my local coffee shop. To support a fellow author, I attended and bought a book. She, in turn, bought my newest release, Edisto Storm, because The Coffee Shelf also handles book sales in our area.

Well, she happened to have two others interested in her books at her table, and we struck up a conversation. The author introduced me, told them I also wrote, and they promptly each bought one of my books (after buying hers, of course). Those two ladies who bought my books, began talking about beaches in South Carolina and about visiting Edisto, and got excited about reading the rest of the series.

The owner of the store, standing nearby and watching the interaction, pulled me aside and told me that with the added interest of my new release, she wanted to double her usual purchase of the new title.

Never let your identity as a writer falter. You are a writer wherever you go. You never know when someone will ask you to speak, sign a book, or go online right then and there and order several of your titles. Own who you are. If you aren't there yet, remind yourself to show up everyday to work so you'll soon arrive.

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Writing to Other Writers

Alex J. Coyne / 2025-03-07
I remember writing my first letter to author François Bloemhof in 2000. As a young author, I was delighted when he actually answered—and the feeling has never quite worn off when writing to other authors. Writing to another author grows your connections and knowledge whether thanking them, admiring them, or just exchanging... Read More

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Shut Up About the Rejections Already

C. Hope Clark / 2025-03-07
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How Daily Life Turns into Stories

Alex J. Coyne / 2025-02-21
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