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Do your family or friends give you books or book gifts for holidays? When they think of what to gift you, do they see you as a literary, wordsmithing addict? That’s great if they do. That means you lead with your desire to write. You love the written word. If they don’t think that way, […]

Coffee shops and bookstores are valuable promotional avenues for authors. When you’re looking for a speaking platform, book release venue, or practical branch to sell your work, the untapped market of coffee shops and bookstores are almost endless. Here’s how to network with places where bookworms can be found. Stores (As a Venue) As a […]

The title of a book is equivalent to the subject line of an email. Both give us expectations as to what to expect. What the email will address and what the book will cover. Subject lines and titles are used by the potential customer to cull through what’s available. Emails get deleted and books overlooked […]

I have an active mind. I probably don’t look like it on the outside, but inside my brain is like a whirling dervish of ideas, opinions, and feelings. At night, if I’m not careful, it whirls out of control. That means I have to get out of bed. Partly not to bother hubby, and partly […]

Video content is an excellent way for authors to reach new audiences, who frequent platforms like Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Vimeo. Book trailers, narrated videos, and reels of writing advice have become an incredibly useful way to market yourself. Here’s how to reach more readers. Why Make Video Content? Video reaches broad audiences, across multiple […]

Some years ago my Philadelphia-based agent received the following letter of decline from Michael Pietsch, a New York–based editor: Dear Mary Jo, I was very impressed by the subtlety and loveliness of Vincent Czyz’s writing, and by his ability to bring a large cast and several distinct settings to life. But for all the author’s […]

Hubby came home from shopping and showed me a glossy magazine. “Do you still write for magazines like this?” I said I did, if the idea popped into my head and the publication seemed worthy. I looked at the magazine. Hook & Barrel, The Lifestyle Magazine for Modern Outdoorsmen, was pretty slick. One might wonder how […]

We read everywhere about what to give a writer as a holiday gift. But let’s turn that idea on its head and envision what a writer could give others as a gift . . . and still underline the fact they are a writer. If you have the gift of words, find the innovation to […]

I’ve sold many articles through the value of sheer persistence. Asking, pitching, and adapting is key to being a career writer. Editors who say no might have a different answer to another pitch in the future. Yes, rejections can be a future opportunity. Here’s how to turn negatives into positives as you turn rejections into […]

Fact: I am a novelist and travel writer. Fact: I have published nine novels. Fact: I don’t have an agent. Fiction: The path to publication is straightforward. Imagine a labyrinth. Erase the walls. That’s publishing. After my MFA program I stepped into the maze-less puzzle—lost. I queried the novel I had completed as my thesis. Rejection, […]

Just last night, I was assisting a grandson on how to write his paper for class. It was a paper in which he was to do research, actually do an experiment, and come to a conclusion. He wrote it per guidelines. He clearly wrote it for a teacher. That opened the conversation about defining who […]

I spoke at the Marlboro County Library in Bennettsville, SC this week. It was a two-hour drive, but hubby and I needed to get out, and I simply adore a good book club visit. I have been to a lot of book clubs. Each has its own temperament. This time, I was headed to a […]