Writing and Publishing News

This will be brief. I am passing along my message to you through another blogsite today. Read my in-depth interview with Kerri Campbell-Fivecoat at her blogsite: http://www.kcwrite4u.blogspot.com (Date of the blog, today—May 29, 2008.) It was kind of fun work with Kerri. First she interviewed me. Then she ran a contest. The person with the [...]

It’s common knowledge that an author must target a book toward a particular audience. Well, this is also true for freelance article writers. As freelance writers, we need to focus on our audience/readership, first and then strive to satisfy their needs or desires. What information are they seeking? What can you bring to readers that [...]

In my books, my brochures, my workshops, my consultations and at book festivals, I often invite authors and freelance writers to contact me with questions. When I sell a book, I say, “Please, once you’ve read the book, if you have any questions, email me.” During my workshops, if someone asks me a question that [...]

For some of us, writing the book is easier than writing the synopsis, a brief promo piece or—dread of all dreads—the back cover copy. Who wrote (or will write) your back cover copy—the bit on the back of the book designed to influence browsers to buy it? Did you ask your editor to write it? [...]

All writers are editors. In fact, to write is to edit. Most of us edit from the moment the paragraph, sentence or even word appears on the screen or note pad. We typically look at the phrase we have produced, and immediately begin to scrutinize it. We make changes—try writing from a different angle or [...]

I like to tell new and hopeful authors, who are overwhelmed by the scope and breadth of publishing, to look at it as if it is a giant puzzle. There are puzzles pieces designed just for you and that, when used, will fit perfectly to form your ideal publishing needs and requirements. Most people enter [...]

Writer’s Digest has announced this year’s 101 best sites for writers. I hope you get over to their site and look at the list. I was disappointed not to find SPAWN listed. That’s Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network. http://www.spawn.org. We were among the top 101 in 1999, 2004 and 2006. But it is a [...]

So what are you working on this week? The weather is changing. You’re either being lured out-of-doors by warm breezes and sunny skies or you’re being forced indoors by the heat. School is out or almost out for the summer, so some of you will have young kids home with you all day. Many of [...]

If you’re like most authors, the first time you hold your newly published book, you are as gentle as a kitten. You touch it, gaze upon it with pride, clutch it to your chest in disbelief and pretty much handle it as though it’s a rich treasure. And, if you prepared it with care, it [...]

Good Sweltering Morning, At least we are sweltering here in California (inland valley) in triple digit temps. In May? Typically, we’re experiencing May gray now. Next, we go into June gloom. And then we start heating up. It could be a very long summer. It is hot, but I continue to write. We have the [...]