We hear that phrase all the time. Some say it is the basis of good writing, especially for new writers. Others claim it’s false, that writers should be able to write anything, or they are at their best when having to dig down and research. But there’s more to writing “what you know” than to […]
Selling to a Publisher
/ 2020-12-11A major reason many self-publish is control of the publishing process. Another strong reason is the long, hard experience of rejection from traditional publishing houses. Sometimes I think writers profess the former when the truth is more likely the latter. Rejection is painful. A lot of writers fuss about the arrogance of traditional publishing, or […]
Writers and Singers
/ 2020-12-11You hear a singer. Instantly you picture them, maybe recall that song or others they have sung. You remember where you were when that song impacted you. You know that singer is not like any other. You might not even remember their name, but in this day of smartphones, you instantly look it up. That […]
Don’t Be Shortsighted with Your Author Presence
/ 2020-10-09Recently, I was reading a submission from a writer who wanted to appear in the FFW newsletter. I liked the article, was going over it with some comments when someone messaged me. I keep umpteen windows open at a time, and in the back and forth, I accidentally deleted the email. It was a month […]
What If You Were the First?
/ 2020-08-07Black authors’ work is surging, which is a great, great thing. Long overdue. Not long ago, LGBTQ authors made a comeback, and their work came into its own. Harry Potter taught the world that Young Adult was important for all, not just kids. All the books labeled with GIRL or WOMAN over the last three […]
The Fear of Writing Poorly
/ 2020-04-03Just as a good man forgets his deed the moment he has done it, a genuine writer forgets a work as soon as he has completed it and starts to think about the next one; if he thinks about his past work at all, he is more likely to remember its faults than its virtues. […]
Review Copies, Freebies, and Author Copies: Q&A
/ 2019-12-06Think the author of a new book is entitled to unlimited copies? Think again. Here we look at author copies, review copies, and giving away freebies. What is a review copy? Often known as ARCs (advance review copies), review copies are a promotional version of the book for the trade and media. They will not […]
Owning Your Pockets of Time
/ 2019-11-01How much better is silence; the coffee cup, the table. How much better to sit by myself like the solitary sea-bird that opens its wings on the stake. Let me sit here for ever with bare things, this coffee cup, this knife, this fork, things in themselves, myself being myself. ~Virginia Woolf I’m an […]
Five Tips for Creating a Phenomenal Newsletter
/ 2019-06-10A successful newsletter goes beyond generating a massive mailing list—although that is the tacit tenant that drives us all. Smart authors strive to create content that not only compels subscribers to read and share but also urges them to act in a manner that generates sales. This goes beyond the basic, and frankly overused, taglines […]
10 Ways to Blog Your Book to Increase Sales Without Being Pushy or Annoying (Part 1)
/ 2019-05-04A lot of people think that once a book is written, the work is done. Often times, especially if you are a self-published author, the work is just beginning. After the brainstorming and drafting, writing and revising, editing and publishing comes the… selling. There are only so many times you can say, buy my book! […]
Making a Living as a Life Story Writer
/ 2019-01-25A business card left at a coffee shop that garners a $50,000+ writing gig. Same card, different coffee shop, that results in a feature story in a local publication. No, it’s not the card that’s magic, but the profession it advertises: life story writer. Those were only two of the many strokes of good luck […]
Would You Write Daily If You Got Paid For It?
/ 2018-06-29A new UK company has launched offering aspiring novelists an alternative to publication: a salary from £2,000 per month to write novels. De Montfort Literature (DML) will pay writers a salary to write novels which DML will then design, print, publish and promote. After salary, production and marketing costs, authors will receive a 50 percent […]