Getting a Traditional Book Deal After Self-Publishing
Today's guest post is by Judy L. Mandel, author of the Replacement Child, forthcoming from Seal Press in March 2013.
How to Write Characters Who Evoke Reader Compassion
How do you write fiction with characters who are mysteriously human, who evoke empathy and compassion from the reader? Is
Quality Writing Projects Require Safe Places—And Here Are Five
Today's guest post is by Ed Cyzewski (@EdCyzewski). You may remember him from a previous guest post at this site,
Sell More Fiction by Activating the Power of Book Clubs
Today's guest post is by Rob Eagar, author of Sell Your Book Like Wildfire. Book clubs and discussion groups—where millions
A Framework for Thinking About Author Platform
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of participating in an online Google Hangout with the Bay Area Bloggers, hosted by Anne
26 Questions on Writing & Publishing: My Answers on Reddit
Last Friday, I had the honor of spending a day with the Reddit writing community, where I participated in an
2 Critical Factors for Successful Stories
You can be a beautiful and gifted writer yet fail to craft a compelling narrative. Joshua Henkin, in the latest
Do Publishers Need to Offer More Value to Authors?
Chatting with Kay Steinke at LitFlow (Berlin), 2012 Last month, I gave a 15-minute presentation in Berlin, Germany, called The
3 Steps for Using Prompts to Write Better & Get Published
In January of 2007—as a New Year's resolution—I decided I was a writer. I resolved that I would stop saying
Is Your Author Website Doing Its Job? 6 Things to Check
Today's guest post is by Laura Pepper Wu, the co-founder of 30 Day Books, a book studio that provides marketing
Q&A on Copyright With an Attorney
By far, I receive the most questions from writers on copyright, mainly due to this post: When Do You Need to
Plympton: A New Effort to Produce Successful Serial Fiction
In the past year, I've run two posts specifically related to serial fiction—a guest post by Roz Morris and a
Steal Your Way to Better Writing
Today's guest post is by poet and editor L.L. Barkat. You may remember her from an earlier guest post, You
What Does It Feel Like to Have Your Book Banned?
Did you know Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg—one of the most popular books on writing of all time—was
Kitchen Sink That First Draft
Lists of writing tips are always popular (and sometimes overdone), but Josh Swiller's 12 tips in the latest Glimmer Train
The Stephen King Guide to Marketing
Today's guest post is by Jason Kong. You may remember him from an earlier guest post here at JaneFriedman.com: Are
Why Is There a Surge in Memoir? Is It a Good Thing?
Flickr / Meni's Style and A S O ! Today's guest post is by Shirley Hershey Showalter, who has been
Road to Publication (Paved in Book Events)
Today's guest post is by Darrelyn Saloom, who I first met in December 2008 at a Writer's Digest event. Her
Drinking, Writing, and Self-Discovery
More than a year ago, I participated in a Q&A over at the Drinking Diaries website, which is a forum for
How to Distract Yourself From Trying to Impress
Do you find yourself writing descriptive passages meant to "wow" the reader? Later, do you find that such passages amount to
Leaving Behind Your Day Job
I worked many jobs in my younger days: Papa John's pizza delivery driver, Cedar Point amusement park employee, McDonald's drive-thru
7 Essential Elements of Scene + Scene Structure Exercise
Today's post is excerpted from The Plot Whisperer Workbook (Adams Media, 2012) by Martha Alderson. Two lucky commenters were chosen
How to Get More (and Better) Press
Today's post is by freelance journalist and independent author Dana Sitar (@DanaSitar). You’ve just released a book. You’re participating in
Two Deadly Sins of Memoir Writing
Today's post is excerpted from You Should Really Write a Book by Regina Brooks and Brenda Lane Richardson. Copyright ©
Copyright Is Not a Verb
Today's guest post is by copyright lawyer Brad Frazer. He has written two other posts for this site: Trademark Is
Build a Better Author Bio for Twitter
Before you decide to follow someone on Twitter, what's the first thing you look at? Probably the bio. Let's assume
What Does Your Mother Think of Your Writing? Does It Matter?
Today's post features an item excerpted from A Year of Writing Dangerously: 365 Days of Inspiration & Encouragement (New World
Avoid Opening With Dialogue
It's a typical pet peeve of editors and agents: Stories that begin with dialogue. In the latest Glimmer Train bulletin,
A Small-Budget Advertising Experiment
Today's guest post is by Dee DeTarsio. While it is more of a brief advertising anecdote than a serious ad
Tips for Dealing With Rejection + Other Success Strategies
Earlier this week, I was the featured interviewee over at Andrea Hurst's Authornomics series. I answer questions such as: What's
5 Remarkable Writing Prompt & Exercise Books
After working at Writer's Digest for a decade-plus, I saw more than my fair share of writing exercise/prompt books—plus I
Is the Author Solutions Acquisition a Good Thing for Authors?
Yesterday, news broke that Pearson (parent company of Penguin) had acquired Author Solutions for $116 million. Read the basics here.
How to Impress the People You Interview (and Be Professional)
Today's guest post is from author Christina Katz. Her most recent book is The Writer's Workout. Not too long ago
The Reader Must Want to Know What Happens Next
Today's post is excerpted from Wired for Story by Lisa Cron, just released from Ten Speed Press. We think in
Why Write When Others Write So Much Better?
Every writer I know can identify with the following: I was only halfway through Stuart Dybek's I Sailed with Magellan
Why Self-Publishing Is a Tragic Term
Today's guest post is by Ed Cyzewski. You may recall him from his previous post here, When Self-Publishing Is More
Are You Making This Marketing Mistake?
Today's guest post is from Jason Kong. When your goal is to sell ideas, books, or yourself, it's easy to
How Dads Influenced Some Famous Writers
My dad once told me I could do or be anything I wanted. Apparently that's the same thing author Patricia
Trademark Is Not a Verb: Guidelines From a Trademark Lawyer
Today's guest post is from lawyer Brad Frazer. He has also written two other posts for this blog: Copyright Is
Video: Changes in Publishing & Self-Publishing
Some of you may have heard about the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), a new organization supporting self-published authors. I'm
There Are Two Kinds of “Busy.” Is Yours the Good Kind?
The following is excerpted from It Takes an Egg Timer: A Guide to Creating the Time for Your Life by
How One Introverted Author Successfully Markets His Work
The following Q&A is with author Bob Tarte. Bob lives in Michigan with parrots, ducks, geese, parakeets, rabbits, doves, cats, hens,
How Long Does It Take to Get Blog Readers?
The following advice is excerpted from How to Blog a Book by Nina Amir, recently released from Writer's Digest Books.
Hustling: How to Spread the Word About Your Work
The following advice is excerpted from The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love,
Fiction Is About What We Can’t Say
If you write fiction, then you don't want to miss the latest Glimmer Train bulletin, which features three wonderful essays
Facebook Strategy for Authors: In-Depth Discussion
If you're like most authors I know, you've wondered about how to best use Facebook. Should you stick to your
Top 10 Blog Traffic Killers
The following advice is from Michael Hyatt's newest release, Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World. The book is one of
No Excuse Not to Write: 10 Five-Minute Writing Prompts
The following is excerpted from Everyday Writing by Midge Raymond. The book is meant for anyone with a passion to
Do You Adopt a Totally Different Voice to Market Yourself?
Today I'm a guest over at Writer Unboxed, where I discuss how finding your unique writing voice is not so
Please Do Not Pay Money for an Online Ad Until You Read This
Articles about the ineffectiveness of online advertising are a dime a dozen. (See this one and this other one, from