Writing a strong premise before you begin working on story structure (if you are a plotter) or just starting to write (if you are a panster) is important for a number of reasons. First, it will help you bring the idea for your story to life, and it is one of the foundational steps in … Read more
Continuing on with our discussion of the paths to publishing your novel, this week we are going to look at self-publishing, sometimes called independent publishing (but not to be confused with an independent publisher which is a small press). People use different terms and so it can be confusing. There are some who look down … Read more
We’ve been discussing the similarities between the paths to publishing for the last couple of weeks. The main similarity is that regardless of the path that you take, everybody markets. I hear you groaning. I do. But all authors should be promoting their work. Why? Let’s talk publishing math. The US population is roughly 318 … Read more
Which path to publishing is the best choice for you? This blog series discusses the similarities and difference so you can make an educated decision.
Over the last few weeks, we’ve been contemplating Show v Tell, trying to offer some information about the elusive topic and trying to explain why, in fiction, showing is better than telling for the majority of your story, though both are necessary. Now that you have the general idea about what showing is compared to … Read more
As an acquisitions editor for a traditional publisher, I read many (many, many) submissions from authors hoping to be traditionally published. Usually, submission packages include a synopsis (a synopsis is required for this particular publisher and are usually required for most publishers). Unfortunately, I continue to be surprised by the number of writers who either … Read more
As a newly published author, you want your book to sell. In the current publishing economy your publisher is not able to dedicate extensive funds (if any) to your book promotion, and/or if you are independently published you won\’t have any help or guidance. You need your book to sell either way. To increase sales it … Read more
Cover copy – that blurb on the back cover of your book – is something that I have been paying attention to lately. I get a BookBub email every day that shows me books after books after books, and I find myself quickly glancing at the cover, but making buying decisions based upon the blurb … Read more
I want to focus on some specific genre material to help authors figure out what they are writing. Knowing your genre is a very important step in the publishing process, and if you query, you will need to know your genre. If you independently publish, you also need to know your genre. Over time I … Read more
If you read much fiction you may notice that stories are written predominantly with first person narrative and third person narrative. Occasionally authors use other narrative forms, however these are usually novels of literary fiction rather than in genre fiction. Genre fiction tends to be more formulaic in the sense that readers have certain expectations … Read more