Writing and Publishing News

Yesterday I sat on a panel with three esteemed authors and we talked about publishing. It’s always interesting—and possibly a bit confusing for the audience—when each panelist comes from a different publishing experience. On the other hand, audience members certainly get a wide range of possible scenarios—they are privy to, perhaps, a larger picture than [...]

It’s sometimes overwhelming and intimidating to think of finally producing that book you’ve been dreaming about and/or working on for months or years. You’re afraid of what the response will be. You’re concerned that you won’t find a publisher. That’s why some authors come out with a test copy first. For some, the term, “test [...]

I have a lull between jobs (in case anyone needs an editor right away) and I’m writing a series of promotional booklets for authors. They will each include a different book promotion activity such as article-writing, getting book reviews, promoting through public speaking, etc. They will be ebooks and I will charge something like $3.00 [...]

I heard it said again this week that we don’t buy a product, we buy what it can do for us. I’ve been pondering the concept and I notice that it is fairly accurate. I did a little mall shopping yesterday and bought myself a new pair of walking shoes (at 70, I’m still a [...]

It is common for nonfiction authors to go out and speak about the subject of their books. Children’s book writers promote their books by doing readings where children congregate. But what about novelists? How can you promote your mystery or your historical, fantasy, period, adventure, etc. novel by doing speaking gigs? Use some of that [...]

So you have published your SECOND book—congratulations. Since you’ve already had experience bringing a book into the marketplace, promoting this one should be a slam dunk, right? Not necessarily. If the book is different, most likely the promotional activities around it will need to be readjusted. Let’s say that your first book is a how-to [...]

Are you in the process of writing a book? What are you doing to promote that book? I’m serious. In this fiercely competitive publishing climate, book promotion isn’t something you engage in as an afterthought. It is not something you put off until you are holding your book in your hands. It is such a [...]

There seems to be quite a bit of interest in my newest course—Establish Your Author’s Platform. And this is as it should be. Authors, in this highly competitive publishing environment, MUST have a solid platform in order to experience success with their published books. What happens if you don’t have a platform? • Your potential [...]

I’ve added a new course to my repertoire!! And it’s one that countless authors can use. You’ve heard the term “platform,” and you’ve heard that this is something authors need. But some of you are still wondering exactly what it is, why you need one and how to get one. Here’s the scoop: In this [...]

You’ve heard it before, “writing is a creative endeavor and publishing is a business.” While you must engage your right brain during the writing process, publishing takes left-brain power. Most new authors understand this—or think they do—until they finish their manuscripts and are faced with the realities of publishing. Many authors spend about two hours [...]