Writing and Publishing News

Do you enter your writing in contests? It seems that some writers and authors are kind of obsessed with entering contests. Others avoid them. I have entered very few of them over the years. But some of them really intrigue me. Here’s one that a friend and colleague told me about this week. Black Lilac [...]

Many of you are published authors with books to promote. In the process of promoting your books, do you ever think about the various levels of promotion? Have you wondered when promotion becomes obnoxious? When is it promotion and when it is in-your-face-pushy, aggressive marketing? We all complain about SPAM. But SPAM, after all, is [...]

I have an unusual job this morning. A magazine editor contacted me yesterday and asked if I would update an article I wrote for him in 1997. The article has some tips for staying connected with your long-distance grandchildren. Since technology has changed in the last 15 years, they will need a revision before publishing [...]

I’m traveling this week with my junior high girlfriend—yes, we’ve been friends since 8th grade and we’ve had many adventures together. We’ve shared the passages of our lives. And I’ve used some of our stories in my writings—probably not so she would recognize them, however, because generally I just extract various attitudes, perspectives, impressions and [...]

Yesterday, we talked about how to make sure your book is one that reviewers would want to review. Today, let’s consider reviews for books that are already written: 3: Make the most of what you have. Okay, your book is a done deal. How can you maximize your book review options? Get personal with your [...]

What are some of the excuses that keep authors from succeeding? Here are a few I’ve heard over the years and some I continue to hear. 1: “I don’t need to develop a marketing plan because this book will sell itself.” Promotion is about getting exposure, having your book become known, putting it before your [...]

Write what you know. Isn’t that what we’re told? And it’s what I teach. Yesterday, I spoke to a group of writers in Sacramento, California on freelance writing and I shared this bit of wisdom with them. In fact, I shared with the group of around 30 that I started our writing about horses and [...]

Email is an odd phenomenon. No one who is over the age of 17 grew up with it. Many of us are still learning the ins and outs and idiosyncrasies of our email programs. While I receive and send a couple of hundred emails every day, I still don’t know all of the intricate aspects [...]

Do you want a job in the publishing field—as an editor for a magazine, for example, or a publishing company; as a videographer; columnist in the area of beauty tips, cooking, style, pets, etc? Are you aware of the number and magnitude of job boards for writers and others on the fringes of the writing [...]

Will you soon be faced with the task of writing a book proposal? Here are some resources that might help. Former acquisitions editor and literary agent, Terry Whalin is offering a 12-lesson online book proposal course for under $100 ($27 per month for three months). Check it out at http://WriteABookProposal.com And then there are a [...]