Writing and Publishing News

I hate it when I discover a mistake in my already published book. There’s the book all printed and bound—etched in stone—and, oops a mistake appears. When you spot it, it’s like a big, red zit suddenly appears on the face of the book. Embarrassing. I don’t think there is a book of any substance [...]

Should you send simultaneous submissions or not? Even professionals disagree on this issue. I read one colleague’s opinion this morning in her newsletter. She advises sending simultaneous submissions to magazines even when the editor says, “no.” She said that if we all do that and editors miss out on some good articles, maybe they will [...]

Public speaking is a common activity for authors. We go out and speak to our peers, members of civic organizations, corporate employees, church groups, writers’ club members and others gathered at offices, rented halls, libraries, schools and even private homes. Our goal is to inform and/or entertain…oh yes, and sell books. I’ve been speaking to [...]

Did I tell you I’m working on a new book? I’m calling it “The Author’s Repair Kit.” It will be designed to pull struggling, stalled, discouraged authors out of the quagmire. This book features my invention: the post-publication book proposal. It will provide the tools and techniques to redirect the wayward author toward a more [...]

I taught 5 workshops on article-writing this year at the San Diego State University Writers’ Conference. And I received the same questions I get from freelance writers everywhere I go: “Where do article ideas come from?” “How do you come up with all of those article ideas?” My book, A Writer’s Guide to Magazine Articles [...]

When you approach an editor with a great article idea, is your anxiety level off the charts? When you send your manuscript to a publisher, are you filled with fear and apprehension? Will you grovel in hopes of hearing the “Yes” response? In other words, do you come across as sounding desperate when you present [...]

Have you heard of Borders Personal Publishing? Two resourceful, imaginative major players in the “self-publishing” industry have managed to partner with Borders Books to form, yet, another self-publishing service for authors. You pay and, together, Lulu and Borders will provide editorial support as well as design and print your book. In some cases, your book [...]

Have you ever used a workbook to help spark your forward motion on a stalled project? The Author’s Workbook is designed to accompany my hallmark book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. I created this guide to help hopeful and struggling authors develop a publishing and marketing plan for their stalled [...]

This is excerpted from my book, The Successful Writer’s Handbook. Most writers develop a passion for writing early in life. Some of those I’ve interview tell me, “I’ve been writing since I could hold a pencil.” Or “I can’t remember not wanting to write.” And this is probably true of some of the children in [...]

Do you have a blog designed to promote your book? If not, why not? As you may have noticed, practically everyone has a blog, these days: the stay-at-home mom with toddlers underfoot and a bent for the written word, the auto repair guy who wants to share his poetry with the Internet world, the animal [...]