6 tips for promoting your book on Facebook
Every writer’s “other” job is self-styled marketing machine. My bet is because you spend so much time on the computer anyway, your fave form of communication with the outside world is the written word. (See how I plugged the name of my own blog there?) Twitter and Facebook allow invaluable connections. For me personally, my Tweeps […]
The art of pitching your novel; advice from Ken Levine
As I mentioned in yesterday’s post about writing and self-doubt, my husband doesn’t want to hear about my writing process. He has, however, made it abundantly clear that my “pitching technique” needs serious work. I need to sell my story, and sell it like a champ. Ken Levine, a TV comedy writer with a killer […]
Self-doubt and writing: amicable partners?
It’s Monday morning, and I am dragging myself through the mud. Am I making any progress? Is what I’m writing any good, any good whatsoever? Over the weekend, my husband and I had the rare opportunity to enjoy a date night. It was a beautiful evening, so we sat outdoors at one of our favorite […]
“How I Evaluate Full Manuscripts” (Porn for aspiring authors)
But high as my standards are and tough as my editorial vision is, I do love the whole process of reading a potential client’s manuscript — from the exciting request to the potential treasure trove of the full to the rare manuscripts that sparks my imagination.
7 tips for aspiring children’s writers from author Audrey Vernick
For many years, New Jersey children’s author Audrey Vernick wrote literary short fiction, where a big success is “selling” your story to a literary magazine that pays you with free copies of the magazine. Honored twice by the New Jersey State Council of the Arts with its prestigious fiction fellowship, Audrey has published seven children’s books […]
Talk About Your Book: 7 Tips For Successful Public Speaking
Authors are a little like rockstars, setting up tour dates when a new album is released. Readers are hungry to know the writer behind inspiring words, (Check out: Before they buy your book, buyers need to know, like and trust you: How to reach them) and speaking to groups both satisfies the end users’ desire to “touch […]
Television as Teacher: 5 things we can learn from TV writers and their characters
A few weeks ago I attended the Writers Faire at UCLA. There were over 45 seminars on the craft of writing, presented by a humbling variety of the nation’s finest authors, poets and screenwriters—who just happen to teach at UCLA. (I’m salivating as I write this. I live just a few hours south–too far to […]
Before they buy your book, buyers need to know, like and trust you: How to reach them
There are millions of books available to read, so why do people buy a particular one? The primary reason is word of mouth, whether that is a verbal recommendation or something you read online or in the paper. In Joanna Penn‘s article Book Buyers Need to Know, Like and Trust You In Order To Buy, she illustrates […]
How authors make money. No, really.
Writing your first book (or second, third…) is no small undertaking. In the best of times, getting an agent and finding your book one day in a book store was a long, arduous journey. The task facing today’s aspiring authors can often seem unsurmountable, but the truth remains: a writer must write. One’s story must be […]
Better your writing with a little help from your friends – 5 ways
All writers have at least one friend who can be trusted with their babies–both their actual child AND a writing-in-progress. Perhaps you are blessed with an arsenal of buddies, pals, and mentors who are avid readers, writers, editor,s or English majors? Fabulous. You know who turn to when the words have been written. But can […]