Just a week ago, I met a young woman attempting to complete a novel. She was in a writer’s group, but leery of who was reading her work, fearful of someone stealing her work . . . and her idea. I explained to her that very few people have the guts to steal someone’s work verbatim. It’s too easy these days to prove who was the first one to write it. But as for the idea, you can have ten writers with the same idea and still wind up with ten entirely diverse books. Most of a story is not in the plotting or storyline but more about the storytelling voice of the author. t’s HOW you tell a story that matters. But the reality is that nobody thinks your story is very good until it is published and IS PROVEN to be good. People don’t want to copy what isn’t already popular. When you, as a writer, are on the same level as other writers attempting to break in, nobody sees each other’s work as good . . . yet. Also, if someone steals your work, consider this: 1) It’s easy to prove you had it first. 2) The More
Valuable Promotion: The Art of the Guest-Post
/ 2021-11-19Half the job of writing books is promoting them. There are many ways to promote a book, but book blogs have become increasingly influential to potential readers. One of the more visible and easier-to-break-into ways to promote a book with an influential book blogger is by guest posting on their site. And double score if they will pay you to post. Why Guest Posting is Good for Business Easier to Get Than a Review: When you ask a high trafficked blogger to review your book you are essentially asking someone to do a lot of work. They must read a book and then write a review. Guest-posts are the opposite. You do the work, the planning, the writing, the editing, and they get content without having to lift a finger. You’ll Make Connections: In the process of pitching and publication, you’ll email back and forth with this blogger. Once they know you, they know you. I have gone back to bloggers I’ve done guest-posts for and they’re always willing to work with me again. Maybe that big blogger who didn’t review your first book will review your second since you’ve worked together before. Where to Guest-Post Not all reading focused blogs are More
The Whole of Who We Are
/ 2021-11-19“We are born without choosing to, to parents we haven’t chosen, into bodies and borders we haven’t chosen, to exist in a region of spacetime we haven’t chosen for a duration we don’t choose. As physicists know, we don’t choose the particular atoms that constellate our particular selves or the neural configurations that fire our consciousness. In consequence, as James Baldwin knew, we don’t even choose whom we love. But amid our slender repertoire of agency are the labels we choose for our labors of love — the works of thought and tenderness we make with the whole of who we are.” ~Maria Popova, founder of Brain Pickings, now The Marginalian So much of our existence is out of our control, and if we think too hard about that, we would fret ourselves silly. And in today’s current events, social chaos, and concerns for personal safety and worth, we struggle to define ourselves and what gives us not only satisfaction, but also peace. What we create and how we impact those we come in contact with are within our control. We might not be able to direct how folks behave around us, More
Sharpen Your Business Skills as a Freelance Writer
/ 2021-10-30As writers it is not enough to write well. It is just as important to sharpen your business and communication skills in preparation to conduct confident, intelligent, and unemotional conversations with potential clients. Especially when they counter you and disagree. As a Communications Specialist in a corporate role, I was supremely confident of my writing/editing skills but failed miserably when dealing with people. I was either scared stiff or defensive during critical feedback of my work. This is when I learned from my mentor boss how important it is to build my emotional intelligence, my personal brand, and make every interaction count. The transformation from a creative artist to a professional writing service provider did not happen overnight, but instead only after innumerable takes and tribulations. I developed the subtle art of being a professional while still being the creative writer in my heart. Pay attention to them. Get to know them through their digital footprint and bring up any relevant point in conversation. This will make them notice you as someone who has taken the time to prepare. After a few rounds of interviews for a large project, I was meeting with the global head of an organization who More
There’s Room for You
/ 2021-10-30A market can get glutted with providers, especially authors, a complaint that’s been around for over a decade. However, there’s always room for the exceptional author. The exceptional author is exceptional in their pursuit of being exceptional. They dissect grammar, voraciously read and analyze the gifted writer, and aim for the best story. They do not settle. They die attempting to be better, even if they’ve already sold ten million copies. They hold real passion, the kind of passion a lot of people claim but do not fully understand. If you feel stunted in your growth as an author, try to define what ceiling have you hit. Look through the glass and try to identify what those people on the other side are doing that you are not? What do you not understand that you could learn? What writing are you attempting but have not achieved yet, and why? There are geniuses out there, for sure. But they have to project that genius in the proper direction to be successful with it. Then there are those who swear they’ll sweat blood as long and hard as they have to in order to be the best at what they do or want to More
The Anthology Odyssey: Should You Join The Bandwagon?
/ 2021-10-26Looking for avenues to publish, authors search far and wide for any chance to do so. One method is by submitting a work to an anthology. Anthology genres cover the gamut in the writing world, giving authors more than a few opportunities. Of course, there are sharks and vanity presses aching for your business (and money), too, but not to worry. The literary field is ripe with legitimate publications seeking submissions, too. Anthology submissions are of specific interest to new authors, but seasoned authors have learned that an occasional short story, essay, or poem published by a magazine, literary journal, or anthology adds credibility to their CV. The process, dangers, and victory are easy to understand. Process As with any submission, following the guidelines per publisher are paramount. From Chicken Soup for The Soul, to college annuals, to genre-specific volumes, you may find a home for your work once you do the serious homework. Many of the annual ones, like Proud To Be, a veteran and military collection of poems, short stories, and essays published annually by Southeast Missouri State University Press, want anything veteran related. The Jerry Jazz Musician seeks works related to music. Best American SciFi Press produces an annual science More
Your Best Writing is Lonely Writing
/ 2021-10-26“Writing is a lonely occupation at best. Of course there are stimulating and even happy associations with friends and colleagues, but during the actual work of creation the writer cuts himself off from all others and confronts his subject alone. He moves into a realm where he has never been before — perhaps where no one has ever been. It is a lonely place, even a little frightening.” ~Rachel Carson, writer and marine biologist (Thanks to BrainPickings.com) The biggest complaint I hear from writers is having the time and place to write, meaning in most cases that they live a life full of others, and loving them or not, those people interfere with their solitude. No doubt we enjoy most of these interfering people or we would not invite them in. But when we let anyone and everyone in, that insinuates something else, possibly a sign that we are running from something. Being alone allows a writer to swim deeper into their minds. Being with people robs us of that internal meditation that has the power to create the most remarkable characters, themes, plots, and dramatic scenes. Maybe many writers fear being alone. We fear what will swim up from the depths of that More
5 Ways to Make Your Self-Published Book as Professional as It Should Be
/ 2021-10-16Why is it that some self-published books sell quite well and others don’t? Marketing experts have studied this question for years, and many of them say the same thing: the professional quality of your book makes a difference, one that definitely affects sales. In other words, if you want your book to sell well, you must put together a quality product. Not only the story and the writing itself, but the package it’s wrapped in and the words used to market it. Yes, you’re going to have to spend money to make money. (Here’s advice from Hope.) I’m going through the process of self-publishing now, and I’ve also worked as an editor for the past three decades. Traditional publishers have been in this business for a much longer time than most self-published authors have. They know well the tricks of the trade, so it makes sense to follow in their footsteps. Here are five things traditional publishers do that you can too. 1) Hire professional editors. A developmental editor is like a beta reader times ten. Don’t get me wrong, you need beta readers to help you through the first part of the revision process, but don’t stop there. Why? More
Wanting to Write But Unsure How
/ 2021-10-16There’s a lady here in South Carolina who is a fan of my books. She’s bought and read them all. She’s attended book clubs to hear me and even sponsored one at a restaurant. She is a beautiful person, and she not long ago suddenly lost her husband. After a length of time, she started coming back to life and sent me a sweet message, asking how she could start writing. She was re-analyzing her life, and she felt a certain creative spirit rearing its head in the process. While she craved to write, she wasn’t sure how or what to write. This is very common in today’s world. We yearn for a creative outlet. Some of us use our hands and paint, create jewelry, sew, or build. Others prefer storytelling. Why not, since storytelling is an ancient human desire? I asked if she meant creative fiction, commercial nonfiction, or something else entirely. She wanted to blog, she thought. If you desire to release creativity through the energy of writing, I strongly suggest you find a platform like Medium.com. Not only can you find any sort of writing you wish to read (and maybe emulate), but you can find peers. You can read More
How Success Story Became a Success Story
/ 2021-10-14Prove to me in 650 words that you are a memorable human being, worthy of acceptance. That’s pretty much the prompt students face when attempting the Personal Statement on college applications. It’s also the Everest I help them climb with Success Story, my business I built this past year. For students, this high-stakes writing task is so stressful and complex, many require support. Now every day I get to blend the art of writing with the art of coaching. Here’s my business success story. I’ve always loved being a team player. With 30 years in schools and nonprofits, I thought I’d collaborate forever while writing young adult literature. But right as the world was waking up to a virus, I woke up to a realization it was time to go solo. As everyone retreated home, I took a leap of faith. I left my job and expanded occasional tutoring into an LLC. All my prior work as teacher, curriculum designer, and author led to creating this business. First I wrote several drafts of my mission. “Authentic” and “storytelling” are two key aspects of my brand that made it through revisions. I knew I wanted students to tell compelling, honest tales and More