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Before I start, a few caveats. First, I really don’t know very much about AI. Also, I’m only really talking here about ChatGPT. And I’m only talking about the world of commercial content, not creative writing. I start with all that because pretty much everyone I know who is a creative type is violently against AI in all its forms. I get all that. But I also work in the very commercial world of marketing for brands and businesses. It’s not a very glamorous place, but it’s where many aspiring writers go for the bread-and-butter work that funds their creative dreams. And over there, nobody has any qualms about using AI tools at all. Let me give you a couple of recent examples: •    A client asks me to write an ebook based on a webinar about IT security they’ve recently delivered. They provide a version of the eBook done by ChatGPT with the expectation I will simply edit that. I listen to the full webinar out of curiosity. The AI version is well structured and covers all the key points. It misses out a few things I now add in, notably anecdotes and examples that help bring a rather dry More

A lot of people, particularly in person, tell me they “have this story” that they want to tell. They ask me how I write, then they ask how to publish. There is a mile in between, and I try to tell them what that mile consists of. Recently, a new author asked me why they weren’t selling books. I looked at the books on Amazon, the website, and their social media. The website was a freebie site that just posted the books for sale. No history. No clear definition of genre anywhere. Three reviews tops. Nothing about the author. I could find no reference to social media in the email or on the website. The book covers looked self-published, and when I read the free sample, I could spot someone who hadn’t studied the craft. When I talk to new writers, I generally say this. -Take classes on writing. Go to a conference if you can. -Read books on writing. -Define the genre. -Join social media groups and read blogs on writing. -Read lots of books in your specific genre to understand it as well as good writing. -Take several of those books and dissect then, marking them up on More

I was negotiating a small appearance for sometime downstream when something kept niggling at me about this one in particular. I have learned to listen to that feeling. The pay was average, and the expenses were fully covered. I could sell my books and retain 100 percent of proceeds. No bookstore there selling books, but I could find someone to cover that. All the boxes were checked, but something still worried me. I watched the event being planned, some ads going out, but one thing I wasn’t seeing was positive activity. It wasn’t getting much traction. Nobody was sharing it. Nobody was talking about going. And most of all it didn’t have much of a track record. And I wasn’t being kept up to date. There was still time until this event took place, but in fairness to all, I contacted the organizer again. When I questioned more deeply, it turned out the people putting it together fretted that they didn’t have the financial means to cover it all. Attendance wasn’t coming together like they thought. I would be paid, but not the same day. They could not predict what was going to happen. If the event had been in More

I was horrified when a client suggested using generative AI to “fill in” an article. I was appropriately aghast when another client switched their copywriting to cheaper ChatGPT. Generative AI has led to job losses and writing industry impact—it’s not just my story, but could be yours. Can writers stop or slow AI? Here’s how to brace for impact. Add a Disclaimer Add a disclaimer to your website that says you’re a human writer without generative AI. Some people want cheap, AI copywriting. Those aren’t the type of clients you’re hoping to get, and adding a disclaimer stops them (or you) from wasting time. Don’t use generative AI for your writing, cover art, or website. Non-generative AI tools can still be used for data analysis or research, like you’d use a calculator rather than grabbing an abacus. Don’t feed the machine. Avoid copying, pasting, or uploading your files to sites that may be connected to machine learning. “Free” file converters are a potential culprit. Use open source downloadable software rather than quick, free, online software that may just be teaching AI in the background. Check terms and conditions carefully before using anything “free”, because they’re usually covering their costs by selling data. Learn About More

“If you build it, he (they) will come” is the famous line in the classic 1989 flick, “Field of Dreams,” spoken by character Iowa corn farmer Ray Kinsella (actor Kevin Costner). That’s fine when you’re talking about ghosts showing up on a baseball field, but what about book signings and appearances? When you are going to make an appearance, and the group isn’t restrictive in size or membership, you cannot expect the public to just show up. Instead you ought to be touting the event, and you can do some or all of the following: 1) Create marketing material on Canva.com (or use what the host is using to be consistent). 2) Use it on your social media, allow it to be shareable, and suggest others spread the word. 3) Promote hard on local sites. Town, county, region . . . ask them to post this on their social media, sites, and newsletters. Most opportunities like this are free. 4) Promote via Chambers of Commerce. If your host is a commercial entity, nonprofit, or service entity, they likely get free promotion via the local Chamber’s social media and mailings. I belong to the Edisto Island Chamber, and they shout out More

I am more in the line of Dean Koontz when it comes to making appearances. I make myself appear just enough, not totally comfortable with too many face-to-face events. I don’t do major conferences. I rarely leave the state anymore. Pre-COVID I was all over the place, and admittedly, the touring helped put my name out there. Post-COVID, however, I’ve been more productive and less real-life promotional. No, you don’t have to appear if you don’t want to, but tell yourself how people will get to know you. You have to do it to a certain degree to become known, or to remain relevant. Exercise the 25/50/25 method of dictating where you appear. 25% of the time appear in easy venues that don’t make you nervous. Book clubs, maybe. Groups in coffee houses. 50% of the time, accept larger crowds. They are challenging but doable. Then 25% of the time, accept something that rattles you enough to put you on your toes. Step into fresh territory and give it a go. So, that means if you appear four times a year, you do a 1/2/1 ratio. If you appear monthly, then break it down into an 3/6/3 situation. There’s being More

Writers talk a lot about coping with rejection. I used to get lots of messages from editors and agencies that said things like ‘we decided to go another way’ or ‘sorry, this one’s not for us’ or ‘we regret to inform you that on this occasion your application has been unsuccessful’. But I don’t receive many rejections anymore. Mostly get … silence. When I fire things off into the digital ether – CVs, ideas, stories, manuscripts –I just simply never hear back at all. Hard to quantify, but it seems to me that this has become the norm. No doubt it’s a supply-and-demand thing: there are so many writing wannabes nowadays that editors could fill their whole days simply turning people down. But I even get the silent treatment from people who’ve asked me to contact them. A former boss messaged me on LinkedIn to say he wanted a catch-up. A head of an agency said he was turning down my application for a content contract but wanted to meet up ‘to discuss other opportunities’. A charity marketer I know well asked me to consider writing some words for his site. I replied to all of these, and… nada. I More

Every day I keep my writing career strong by logging in to social media. I often use Facebook Messenger to communicate with other writers, but chats alone are not enough. Your Profile Just as a website must make a writer or author stand out as an authority, so must a social media profile. For example, my social media profiles state that I am a freelance writer, author, newsletter publisher, book reviewer and editor. My Twitter/X profile notes I’m a disabled writer. An editor contacted me on there when looking for disabled writers to submit to an anthology. Include your link as well as hashtags with keywords specific to your specialty, such as #SEO or #Excel. Group Chats Personal group chats created on social media sites contain a selection of people with like interests, only drilled down more specific. I belong to many group chats; one for a publisher of my books, one for an anthology I am submitting to, and one for writers seeking calls for submissions. These were all created by the respective editors who added me. A group chat in a social media message center can help you stay more on top of a discussion. It’s usually more detailed, more instant, More

I was surprised when a copywriting client pointed out “weird phrasing and spelling mistakes” in my work, then I worried their concerns were true. Writing tired had become the norm for a while, and the stress of late nights was beginning to show. This pushed me to hire a single, permanent beta-reader—someone who could brainstorm some ideas and check drafts with me. Here’s how writers can improve their flow by working with one particular back-up reader. Writer’s Block (Or Desk Fright) Writer’s block is the inability to write what feels good enough for submission. I sometimes call it desk fright—and like stage fright, it takes the pressure off to imagine that you’re only performing for one person instead of a whole audience. What if I only imagined a single reader while writing? Could my style return to its former quality? About Beta-Readers and First Eyes I asked DJ and producer Flash Wrldwide if she would be my primary reader and brainstorming partner in 2025. We’re from different worlds, but a disc jockey has particularly sharp eyes and coordination skills. Mixing music means you have to be fast with your eyes, keys, and mind. Flash fit in with my thought processes, my pace, More

A reader queried me this week, asking how to send their word to a traditional press. Big ask, because they write entire courses and books on the subject, but I tried to give them an abridged version. First, you don’t send the entire manuscript. He asked if he needed a dedication page, the front matter, etc. and I had to explain to him that they have to like your writing first. This isn’t about formatting and the extra material of a book nor your bio. It’s about sending one to three chapters (sometimes only a first page) to a publisher to see if they like what they see. Not the full manuscript. Second, you prepare a query letter where every word counts. EVERY.WORD.HAS.TO.COUNT. That query has to make an editor (or agent) want to read more. Even if it’s talking about who you are or the brief 100-word synopsis of your book. They might never read that one to three chapters if the pitch letter doesn’t sing. Third, you only get one chance with each publisher and agent. If they reject you on this book, the book is pretty much forever rejected. Unless they reply with suggestions and leave the More