To achieve writing success—especially commercial success—requires an inner drive that pushes you forward no matter what feedback you receive.

Growth in the children’s market continues, especially for series and licensed characters. BookTok emerges as an organic social media boost for backlist YA.

What’s the difference between a story and a narrative that merely relates a series of events? The protagonist’s internal struggle.

Receiving an R&R is good news, and a great opportunity to show agents or editors your revising skills and how you accept feedback.

Giving your book a good title that captures the essence of your story is one of the most important things you’ll do.

Promotion strategy for your book depends greatly on why you’ve written it, what it means to you, and its place in the larger context of your life.

Publishers need to closely collaborate with their authors if they expect that author's large social media following to sell books.

A developmental editor is like any tool in your toolbox. Knowing whether and when to use one will help you get the most bang for your buck.

Perfectionism—the fear of risking failure—is anathema to the writing process, but can be overcome by establishing a different mindset.

A literary fiction author dipped her toe into Amazon’s serialization platform Kindle Vella. Here’s why she did it, and her thoughts so far.

What does creativity have to do with business? A lot, it turns out. It’s just a different kind of creativity than you engage with when you write.

One marketer offers an opinion about why the promise of NFTs will most likely not upturn the whole publishing industry.

Applying craft techniques—like complexity and telling details—is crucial to bringing our parents, and their humanity, to life on the page.

There are three main ways to create printed copies of your book. Which one you choose depends on your budget and goals.

This author is living proof that neither age nor lack of experience writing fiction are barriers to becoming a novelist.

Will you tell your story in a linear, chronological manner, or use a more complicated structure? Here’s how to decide what might be best.

Even the most high-profile influencers may be reachable if you make the right connections and take the right steps.

Character arc—a protagonist’s internal journey—is less obvious than the events of the plot, but it’s what makes a story meaningful.

Much remains unknown about NFTs but some in publishing think they might be revolutionary for writers, and indeed the world.

Your memoir’s structure can reveal itself later, once the primary elements are in place. In the meantime, concentrate on scaffolding.

As an author, marketing your work will always be your job, but it doesn't have to be a chore. To do it well, think beyond self-promotion.

For writers who prefer to work without a roadmap, here are some tips for reaching your NaNoWriMo goals.

Envision your inner critic as an adjustable dial: turn it lower to let ideas flow freely, and higher when it’s time to analyze and revise.

Next week, I am delighted to be moderating two panels in partnership with The Authors Guild Foundation on paths to publication, which are part of a larger series, Business Bootcamps for Writers.

Choosing the right materials for your printed book affects not just its appearance but how a potential customer perceives its value.

Your story’s adversary might come in many shapes or sizes. Most important, ensure that the conflict they present has a reason for existing.

Just as coaches help athletes, writing coaches can help authors be more productive, proficient, and proud of what they accomplish.

Only a fraction of participants reach the finish line. Setting your sights on the more compact novella form might help you go the distance.

Does library lending help or hurt author and publisher income? The debate continues.

The Authors Guild revisits industry efforts to improve inclusivity in publishing.

From paper manufacturing to ocean cargo, books continue to be buffeted by a variety of supply chain challenges.

When sociopolitical discourse seems entrenched, good fiction can dig deeper with honest curiosity about all facets of the human experience.

Being a freelance editor requires lifelong curiosity, persistent self-education, ruthless support—and the ability to do all this quickly.

In this excerpt from her book The Joy of Writing Journal, Lisa Tener offers three prompts to help you see story ideas all around.

When your ms is complete, it's time to think about semantic structure—a digital map that allows computers to identify the parts of your book.

The SWING author discusses the pre-order campaign for her self-published book, the importance of social media engagement, and more.

Despite pre-publication buzz, one author found her book orphaned when the publisher was fired and the imprint dissolved.

Whatever your writing goals are in November, a bit of planning can help set you up for success.

Identifying your story’s “why”—why it haunts you, why you care—will give your book power that readers can feel.

As an author’s career progresses, the publicity needs change—and what worked for the first book might no longer be appropriate for the third.

Edgar Allan Poe was a 19th century troll, virulently critical of other writers—but also engaged in literary citizenship for work he admired.

Substack makes it easy for non-tech people to harness the power of email newsletters, and that's a good thing. Just beware the hype.

An author who only set out to write one book wrestles with the question—do I really have a second book in me?

One successful self-publishing author discusses the importance of multiple formats, licensing, thinking like a publisher, and much more.

Time reshapes how we view and frame the chapters of our lives. Since a memoir inevitably can’t tell the whole story, we keep writing.

One self-publishing author who opted-out offers a dozen other avenues on and off the Internet to help spread the word and drive book sales.

This is an introductory guide to the major self-publishing options available to authors today, and how to choose the right service for you.

In the last of a three-part series we examine the advantages and disadvantages of starting with theme, as opposed to character or plot.

Any self-publishing author can easily make a book available to Amazon, bookstores, libraries, etc. But availability doesn't mean visibility.

Framing the overall story, as well as each scene within it, through these key elements will help create a consistently propulsive plot.