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All of my books use real settings in the state of South Carolina. I can honestly say that the locations have done more to sell my books than anything else. SC settings like Edisto Island, Charleston, Chapin, Pelion, Walterboro, and Newberry can be found in my stories. Readers say, hey, I’ve been there, and they […]

When you discover you have the means to freelance, it becomes a blessing and a curse. On the upside, you have the ability to take the thoughts that go through your head and convert them into bylines and money. On the other hand, you feel like an overloaded dishwasher. With so many ideas you scramble […]

About this time of year we take measure of who we are, what we’ve accomplished, and what we’ve overcome. Then we often ponder where to take things from here. Many of us interpret those feelings as yearning for a memoir. We like to feel that what we experience is so profound that it needs to […]

If you are a self-publishing author who is breaking even and beyond, and you enjoy marketing and selling your work directly to your readers, then a literary agent may not be the proper route for you. But if you seek to publish your books via the traditional tract—meaning a publisher that will equip you with […]

A gentleman wrote to me asking if he could write a feature piece for FundsforWriters about a site that took his money and didn’t follow through with the promised service. I try not to do that. I don’t mind warning about the characteristics of such sites, but I back away from calling a business out […]

A market I come across states it wants poetry, so I sort through my collection of unpublished poems and find one or two to submit. The same goes when I see markets requesting essays or short stories; I usually have one matching their need. Opportunities for more sales await the writer who writes a variety […]

Each week someone (or several someones) writes me with something similar to the following: “I want to write about my life. It is very colorful and . . .” That color consists of abuse, drugs, alcohol, homelessness, bad marriages, adoption, traveling, rags to riches . . . you get the idea. Someone has overcome an […]

Travel can be exhilarating, especially when we can give back to that location. In America, the United States National Park’s Artist-In Residency (A-I-R) Program offers creative folks a chance to enrich the parks’ interpretive programs. Artists of all persuasions – writers, painters, sculptors, photographers, fiber artists, musicians, composers, glass artists, woodworkers, book-makers and more – […]

A few weeks ago, I mentioned one of the questions I am often asked, one that I feel uncomfortable talking about. “What advice would you give another writer?” Similar questions in that arena are: 1) How do you avoid writer’s block? 2) Where do you get your ideas? 3) Don’t you run out of ideas? […]

A key piece in the book promotion puzzle for authors/publishers is obtaining editorial reviews from an authoritative source such as a newspaper, magazine, or website. Freelancers often write these editorial reviews, oftentimes as a labor of love (i.e., a volunteer gig). However, if the review site charges authors/publishers for reviews, it most likely pays freelance […]

Ten years ago, my husband and I moved from Massachusetts to North Carolina for a job he’d been offered. I’d always worked in publishing (for national trade magazines) and found work writing and editing for local lifestyle magazines in the area, but it was difficult to gain a sense of community in a brand-new city […]

Many book aficionados write reviews. That’s great. However, if you are interested in writing reviews for publication or payment, you might consider how to formally write a review. In my own search for guidance, I came across this site that actually offers templates to escort you through the process. And another site that has more book review […]