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.
How Works of Fiction Can Be Boiled Down to Two Types of Plots
In most works of fiction, either a character’s status-quo condition of discontent is challenged when opportunity presents itself — or — a character’s status-quo condition of contentment meets with an obstacle.
Avoid Nagging False Suspense Questions in Your Story Opening
Among a novelist’s chief challenges is that of determining what information to supply when and where: how to balance the desire to arouse suspense with the need to prevent confusion.
Launching Your Second Book and Beyond: 4 Questions to Ask
Book launches are intense and can feel very high stakes, so use the time between them to take a step back and consider how to build a career over many years, and many books, to come.
Hedge Words and Inflation Words: Prune Them From Your Writing
I’d like to highlight two common writing flaws that clutter the manuscripts of many aspiring authors. I call these culprits “hedge words” and “inflation words.”
You Can’t Get to “Once Upon a Time” Without “What If?”
Danielle Lazarin: “At every stage of my work, questions are my most essential writing tools. I use them to move through to the other side of murky. It’s only by stepping into that unknown and uncomfortable space repeatedly during my process that I can become more deliberate in the story I’m telling.”
The Risks and Rewards of Bringing Your Spouse or Partner Into Your Business
There are real risks to working together on a business with your spouse or partner, especially if you are both still learning how to do it well and manage your household through the uncertainty of the start-up existence. Adopting formal agreements on how to interact with one another can help avoid stress and anxiety.
The Essential First Step for New Authors: Book Reviews, Not Sales
New authors have no symbolic capital. They are not (yet) known for producing quality books that seduce readers. Is it possible for self-publishing authors to create symbolic capital? Absolutely yes, and many have. In today’s increasing online world of book shopping, it is book reviews that build symbolic capital.
Can You (Should You) Typeset Your Own Book?
If people judge books by their covers, then typesetting is the difference between a brief or a lasting impression. The cover may grab a reader’s eye, but what the reader sees when they crack open the book is what will hold their attention.
4 Affordable Ways to Master Book Marketing
Keeping up with the latest book marketing trends and learning new tactics can be expensive. Couple this with the growing cost of self-publishing, and it’s important that we be economically shrewd in our endeavors. Here’s how.
How to Rock a Free Day Promotion for Your eBook
If you are an indie author on Amazon, in Amazon’s Kindle Select Program, you can use five free days to promote your ebook in exchange for three months of exclusivity. Many traditional publishers are increasingly doing free promos as well, and the competition is growing with thousands of free ebooks available every day. So how do you stand out?
The Totality Effect: Thoughts for a New Year
What I learned from the total eclipse was this: What wasn’t phenomenal? Everywhere I looked, something grand was there for the taking.
Is Writing Being Devalued by Giveaways and Cheap Ebooks?
There’s growing unrest surrounding the proliferation of free and cheap books, particularly ebooks. The reasons for sharp discounts and giveaways are legion (and some reasons are better than others), but regardless of the reason, I see greater shaming of those who are seen to “devalue” literature in our culture.
What Does 2018 Hold for Writers?
A round-up of publishing industry trend articles, helping freelancers and authors anticipate changes coming in 2018.
A Love Letter to Midwest Writers Workshop (Why It’s Worth Saving)
I have been speaking at the Midwest Writers Workshop in Muncie, Indiana, continuously since 2003. Here’s why I keep returning, year after year.
What Obligations Do Writers Have to Their Parents?
There’s a very famous piece of advice from Anne Lamott that occasionally makes the rounds on social media. She says: “You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.” This advice, especially when shared out of context, makes me cringe.
Best Book Marketing Advice for Authors: The Best of 2017
I regularly round up and comment on book marketing advice that have writers buzzing. Here’s what sparked discussion in 2017.
Optimizing Your Books for Amazon Keyword Search
The more your book is optimized for search at Amazon, the more often it’s going to come up in searches, and—consequently—the more you’ll sell. Part of making your book more discoverable is understanding how to set your categories and keywords on Amazon, which is accessible to any indie author.
The Secret of Great Memoir: The Mature Self
Memoirists have to write their story, the events of their life, from a future perspective. From NOW. Now brings with it maturity, wisdom, insight, and grace. The mature self speaks from a place of distance but not detachment.
The Deadliest First Page Sin—Plus a Critique of Two Novel Openings
While there are seven deadly first-page sins I commonly encounter, there is one that’s most deadly of all: default omniscience. No point of view = no story.
A Look Back at 2017 Publishing Headlines: 5 Issues Raised for Authors
Issues touched on: Barnes & Noble woes, the maturity of the self-publishing market, Wattpad profits, traditional publishing’s problem launching blockbusters, and the growth of the Amazon ebook sales/borrows
A Book Launch Plan for First-Time Authors Without an Online Presence
While it’s not easy to launch a book without any kind of online presence, many first-time authors are in exactly that position. Here’s a 4-step game plan.
How to Find a Literary Agent for Your Book
A step-by-step guide to finding literary agents, plus how to select the right agent for you and your work.
How to Write From a Child’s Perspective—But for Adult Readers
Novelist Sophie Chen Keller offers an incisive look at what’s different about writing a novel for adults when the narrator is a child.
Ethics & the Literary Agent: What Rights Do Authors Have?
What should writers do if they feel that an agent isn’t honoring their obligations, contractual or otherwise? What’s the best way to speak up?
Is It Too Late to Start Writing After 50?
Yes, it is possible to have a very successful writing career later in life—and doing something new later in one’s career helps to keep you young.
5 Things I’m Not Doing to Launch My Book—Plus What I’m Doing Instead
The gist of all marketing advice for authors essentially boils down to: try everything and see what works. Here’s what didn’t work for me.
How and Why to Edit an Anthology: Addressing the Naysayers
Anthology advances are small, contributors have little stake in the sales of the book, and branding a collective group is hard. But anthologies are still valuable and worth the effort. Here’s why.
How I Used Writing to Survive (Or: Writing Despite Illness)
I started writing seriously after being diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s. Now was the time to do it, or quit talking about it.
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?
How to Self-Publish in France
More books are translated in France than in any other country: 1 out of every 6 books has been translated from a foreign language, many from English.
The Angsty Relationship Between Writing and Sales
I have an uneasy relationship with sales because I came to writing through academic means, and academics still live with an idea of meritocracy as the way people get recognition for what they do.
Unpublished Writers and Websites: Should You Have One and What Should It Say?
If you plan to pursue writing as a professional, long-term career, I recommend starting and maintaining an author website even if you’re unpublished.
What Writers Can Learn About Voice From Opera
Opera is the single Western art in which voice determines character, or, more closely, expresses character. For writers, opera offers a set of finger exercises, if not pointers.
How Distraction Can Be an Asset
Over a last year, a consistent theme has emerged in my discussions with writers around the country: They feel distracted. What is to be done?
The Conflicting Advice You’ll Receive on Query Letters
At its core, a query letter is a sales document, and so it’s meant to sell. But opinions differ on the best possible sales approach in a query.
3 Reasons Why You Might Not Want a Hybrid Publisher
I would never tell someone to publish with a hybrid publisher—every writer’s goals are unique, plus hybrid publishing puts the financial risk on the author.
Using Patreon and YouTube to Grow a Writing Career: Q&A with Jay Swanson
Author Jay Swanson discusses how he’s succeeded with Patreon, which allows fans to pledge monthly financial support to his creative efforts.
Don’t Back Down: Choose the Writing Territory You Can Defend Long and Fiercely
Many people want to be rock stars—and many people want to write books. But there are many ways in which a writing dream can crash and burn. One way is to be unclear about what you want with what you are ready to do.
What Is an Editor’s Role in a Changing Publishing Industry?
I’m a contributor to a new essay collection, WHAT EDITORS DO, edited by Peter Ginna and published by University of Chicago Press.
4 Key Ways to Launch a Scene
Each scene in your book requires a beginning, middle, and end. Here are four paths to launching your scene—plus the questions you should ask about each one.
Using Dysfunctional Behavior to Reveal Characters’ Emotional Wounds
Giving characters painful backstory makes them feel credible to readers. But when it comes to describing what happened, many writers jump headfirst into an info dump, hoping a summary will create a shortcut to empathy and “catch readers up.” Unfortunately, this can have the opposite effect.
My Interview with Leanpub: How I Learned to Edit and My Thoughts on the Author Aspirant
I’m the featured guest on the new Backmatter podcast from Leanpub, which is focused specifically on the publishing industry and its latest trends.
What It Means to Be a Writer—and to Emerge as a Writer
There’s a term thrown around in the world of writing that I’ve never fully understood: emerging writer. To emerge as a writer, or anything else for that matter, you must emerge from one thing into an entirely different something else.
What Authors Need to Know About Crowdfunding Their Book: A Case Study by the Numbers
Any author can successfully launch their book through crowdfunding if they are willing to put in the effort. However, it may not be the right path for everyone.
How Fiction Writing Influences Real-Life Relationships
Fiction writing, while not closely associated with affecting one’s real-life relationships, can indeed have that power and develop one’s empathy.
What Do Young Adults Want to Read? Let My Students Tell You
Four lessons for YA: Make it real, get rid of parental oversight, feature topics making the headlines, and include hope.
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.
Don’t Know How to Market Your Book? Start in Your Own Backyard
When I hear professional publicists offer advice to authors, one theme that comes up again and again is: start where you are.
When You Shouldn’t Hire and Pay For a Professional Editor
There are many good reasons to hire a professional editor, but also a number of compelling reasons to hold off and save your money.