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 […]
Marketing for Appearances
/ 2025-05-02“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 […]
That Happy Middle of Promotion
/ 2025-05-02I 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 […]
Dealing with Silence
/ 2025-05-02Writers 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 […]
Find Paying Opportunities Through Social Media
/ 2025-04-20Every 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, […]
Writing with a Backup Reader
/ 2025-04-12I 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 […]
Every Word Has to Count
/ 2025-04-12A 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, […]
Developing a More Efficient Submission Process
/ 2025-04-05Last year, I realized my submission process was extremely inefficient. I’d write an essay or short story and then begin searching for somewhere to submit it. It was a time-consuming process that meant I could spend up to two hours researching markets just to submit to one or two publications. Although I subscribe to newsletters […]
We’re In Agreement: Understanding Different Types of Writing Contracts in Hollywood
/ 2025-03-30Okay, so you’ve written a screenplay and are shopping it around town. What now? Well, if your work generates interest from a studio or producer, you may soon be handed one of several agreements to review. Understanding the key differences and commonalities between each one will be essential to protecting your work, accomplishing your goals, […]
Best Practices for Shopping Your Novel to Hollywood
/ 2025-03-30Having your book turned into a film or series offers fans the chance to engage through a different medium, opens the work up to an entirely new audience, and creates an additional revenue stream. But how do you get your book in the hands of a Hollywood producer who can bring it to the screen? […]
How I Turned a 210,000-Word, 18-Month Disaster into 30+ Articles, 2 Books (and More Money)
/ 2025-03-30In 2021, I had the idea for a book in which I’d celebrate a different fake holiday every day for a year. (You know, Talk Like A Pirate Day, National Cabbage Day, Bubblewrap Appreciation Day and all the rest.) My publisher of the time loved the idea and commissioned the book – to be called […]
Piracy of Books
/ 2025-03-30A lot of writers are losing their minds about the article in The Atlantic about a pirate site illegally taking copies of titles, posting them, and letting Meta use them to train their AI program. The Authors Guild has already joined with publishers and the federal government in pursuing this. (See AG article here.) (quote from AG […]