Kristen Tsetsi, featured at Jane Friedman

Image: brick wall with sign containing exclamation point

The Exclamation Point: It’s More Than Punctuation

It may be on the wane for reasons ranging from linguistic evolution to feminism, but one writer says exclamation point usage is a simple kindness.

Art Versus Commerce: Q&A with Author-Cartoonist Bob Eckstein

In this interview, Bob Eckstein discusses art vs. commerce, newspaper/magazine cartoons vs. TV as communication delivery systems, the influence of just the right validation, and much more.

Knowing When You’re Ready to Submit: Q&A with Adela Crandell Durkee

In this interview, she discusses discovering writing in mid-life, how she knew when her writing was ready, why she opted to self-publish, and much more.

From Romance Novelist to Literary Novelist: Anna Schmidt

In this Q&A, Anna Schmidt discusses how she became a romance novelist, the nearly accidental way she acquired her current literary agent, her journey from successful romance novelist to self-published literary novelist, and more.

Why Read Women Writers? An Interview with Bill Wolfe

Is it still necessary today to encourage men to read women, or to shine a targeted light on female writers? Bill Wolfe says yes.

5 On: Jonathan Westbrook

Writer and graphic designer Jonathan Westbrook discusses what it’s like to win an extraordinary screenwriting contest, then have that win fall through.

Understanding Audiobook Production: An Interview with Rich Miller

How much input should an author have when it comes to the narrator’s interpretation? When is feedback helpful, and when is it frustrating? What is a reasonable cost per finished hour of audio? An interview with Rich Miller.

5 On: Amy Tipton

Freelance editor and former literary agent Amy Tipton discusses her love of young adult and middle grade fiction, the “unlikable female character,” whether agents who don’t want a manuscript will be likely to pass it along to an agent friend, her personal editing style, and more.

5 On: Russell Rowland

Author Russell Rowland discusses the big mistake he made with HarperCollins, whether the journey of writing is truly its own reward, why his Indiegogo campaign worked so well, and his experiences with publishing—from one of the Big 5 to self-publishing.

Resolving My Cheater Shame: Listening to Books Instead of Reading Them

I’ve been air-quoting “reading” since my first legitimate introduction to audiobooks this past winter.

5 On: Ian Thomas Healy

In this 5 On interview, author and publisher Ian Thomas Healy shares what he learned from his experiences with literary agents, what to look for when submitting to small press publishers, his feelings about Amazon KDP Select, and more.

5 On: Julie Smith

Author, publisher, and book marketer Julie Smith shares what she loves to write—and read—in a mystery, how her writing obsession evolved into marketing, the mistake many authors make with their book covers, and more.

Why Pursue Traditional Publishing? (Are There Enough Good Reasons?)

What’s the overriding reason for an author to find an agent and a traditional publishing deal? Is it possible that the reasons may be flawed?

5 On: Lisa Tener

Lisa Tener shares important lessons learned when writing her first book, the ups and downs of co-writing, the most important platform writers should have, and more.

Emotional Etiquette for the Writer Seeking an Agent

Sometimes guidelines for writers discourage perfectly private, internal envy, anger, indignation, etc., directed toward other writers, or toward agents (or publishers) rejecting work. But that hardly seems realistic, nor is it fair to ask humans to stop being human.

5 On: Dario Ciriello

Author Dario Ciriello talks about breaking writing rules, what publishing other writers taught him about the business, and how little he as a writer cares about what other writers think.

How Do Books Become Bestsellers? (Can Authors Increase Those Chances?)

Is a book’s success all luck, even if ‘luck’ includes hitting the right subject matter at the right time, or is it marketing—and can an indie author in any way compete with a publisher?

5 On: Debra Eckerling

Debra Eckerling (@WriteOnOnline), founder of the writers’ support group Write On!, discusses common writer challenges, the value of blogs, what it means to take writing to the next level, tragic networking mistakes, and more in this 5 On interview.

5 On: Elizabeth Marro

Author Elizabeth Marro discusses literary vs. commercial fiction and what she learned from the sale and marketing of her first novel.

5 On: Caroline Leavitt

Author Caroline Leavitt reveals the fears behind her middle-of-the-night writer anxieties, the contents of her colored book tour folders, her reaction to the praise her latest novel is receiving, and more in this 5 On interview.

5 On: Rosalie Morales Kearns

Author, editor, and publisher Rosalie Morales Kearns discusses why she started a feminist press (and what it takes to run it), favorite writing exercises, the deeply held interests that fuel her own writing, and more.

5 On: R.J. Keller

Author R.J. Keller on the notion of the “second-book slump,” how she dealt with a book idea similar to her own beating hers to the market, why to write the things that scare you, and more in this 5 On interview.

5 On: Massimo Marino

Author Massimo Marino discusses what it’s like to read science fiction as a scientist, his experience with the Booktrope publishing collective, the mission of BookGarage, and more.

5 On: Rufi Thorpe

Author Rufi Thorpe discusses writing for men, her improbable path to publication, what she likes to see in a book review, and more in this 5 On interview.

5 On: Yi Shun Lai

Author and editor Yi Shun Lai discusses writing for the J. Peterman catalog, common problems she sees in short fiction and short nonfiction, why she decided to start writing about being Asian, and more in this 5 On interview.

5 On: Che Gilson

Author Che Gilson discusses what she as an unagented author learned to look for in publishing contracts, designing your own cover art, the necessity of continually creating new material, and more.

5 On: Philip B. Persinger

Philip B. Persinger discusses his attraction to sonnets, the broad art of writing and selling a play, why he published his latest novel with Amazon, and more.

5 On: Henry Baum

Author/songwriter Henry Baum discusses self-publishing services, the value of a paid review, why he started his own self-publishing service, and more.

5 On: Barry Eisler

Author Barry Eisler discusses the pros and cons (where they exist) of legacy, Amazon, and self-publishing; research and editing; selling book rights; and more.

5 On: Reggie Lutz

Author and radio broadcaster Reggie Lutz discusses her tendency as a writer to synthesize fiction genres, recommends qualities to look for in a writing critique group, offers advice on pitching and interviewing with radio hosts, and more.

5 On: April Eberhardt

Literary agent and publishing consultant April Eberhardt discusses effective book promotion, what makes writing exceptional from a publishing perspective, her preference for representing women’s fiction, and more in this 5 On interview.

5 On: Patrick Walsh

Book publicist Patrick Walsh discusses effective social media promotion, what it takes to make the same old book-marketing advice work for you, questions to ask yourself when trying to decide whether your story should be a book or a screenplay, and more.

5 On: Ashley Scott Meyers

Screenwriter Ashley Scott Meyers (@AshleyMeyers) discusses the critical writing lesson he learned over time, what it takes to make a living as a screenwriter, and what it felt like the first time one of his scripts was produced

Overcoming My Fear of Twitter

Chris Jane, who writes the biweekly Q&A series 5 On, discusses overcoming her fear of joining the Twitterverse.

5 On: Elisa Lorello

In this 5 On post, bestselling author Elisa Lorello discusses authenticity, using social media to connect with readers, rejection, and the differences between self- and traditional publishing.

5 On: Jane Smiley

Jane Smiley on necessary compromises, writing good sex scenes, and what makes her nervous about writing even now in this 5 On interview.

A portrait of Heather Hale with the quote: "Some writing is therapy. And probably doesn't ever need to be read by anyone but you."

5 On: Heather Hale

Heather Hale discusses the top five mistakes screenwriters make, the usefulness of online script databases, and how to approach a first screenwriting contract.

5 On: David Corbett

David Corbett discusses the decline in our country’s writing skills, his personal approach to marketing, writing to the market vs. to the passion, and more.

5 On: Dana Kaye

Publicist Dana Kaye discusses why not to pretend to be a publicist, the question of gender bias in publishing and publicity, marketing mistakes and misconceptions, and more.

5 On: Nadine Darling

Debut author Nadine Darling discusses her revision and query process, blogging, writing with children in the house, and more.

5 On: Eddie Wright

Eddie Wright discusses artistic collaboration, why he adapted his novella into a graphic novel, marketing straight fiction vs. marketing comics, and more.

5 On: Allyson Rudolph

Allyson Rudolph discusses some of her favorite experimental fiction, the day-to-day life of an associate editor at a publishing house, common problems she sees in fiction and nonfiction, her commitment to increased diversity in media and the arts, and more.