Joni ColeJoni B. Cole

Joni B. Cole is the author of seven books, including Good Naked: How to Write More, Write Better, and Be Happier (listed as a “Best Books for Writers” by Poets & Writers magazine) and Toxic Feedback: Helping Writers Survive and Thrive (“I can’t imagine a better guide to writing’s rewards and perils than this fine book,” American Book Review). Joni teaches writing online and in person at her own writer’s center in White River Junction, Vermont, and at a diversity of academic and nonprofit programs. Her second collection of essays, Party Like It’s 2044, is forthcoming from the University of New Mexico Press in September 2023. Learn more at her website.
When Your Publisher Gets the Cover Wrong—Very Wrong
Image: on a red tabletop are two cinnamon rolls side by side, each topped with white icing and a sliced maraschino cherry, suggestively resembling a pair of breasts.
If your publisher’s suggested cover design feels wrong, put your foot down when necessary but also listen—really listen—to the professionals ...
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/ Guest Post, Writing Advice
You Have a Great Idea for a Story. Where Do You Start?
Image: Woman hitchhiker in bohemian clothing, walking along a dirt road and holding a handmade cardboard sign reading "Anywhere!"
Some writers struggle with ever getting one word of their Great Idea down on the page, for fear of crafting ...
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/ Guest Post, Writing Advice
When Is It Smart to Submit Your Work to a University Press? (You’d Be Surprised!)
Elise McHugh & Stephen Hull of UNM Press
When a Vermont author’s book was accepted by a New Mexico university press, she decided to ask its editors about ...
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/ Getting Published, Guest Post
Don’t Fall for These 5 Writing Myths That Can Set Back Your Writing
Image: a green neon sign reading "It's all in your head" is mounted on a metal mesh frame against a brick wall.
As writers, we often cling to certain myths that suck up emotional energy and reinforce practices that undermine the creative ...
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/ Guest Post, Writing Advice