Writing and Publishing News

That’s a strange question coming from an editor, isn’t it? But I do have a point. I’ve been creating the index for the revised and expanded edition of my original 75 Good Ideas for Promoting Your Book. Allworth Press will come out with the new edition in July of this year. The new title is [...]

This morning a freelance-writer friend emailed me with news that an editor from a new (to her) magazine had tracked her down and wanted an article from her. She was certainly pleased. It’s always thrilling to get an assignment without having to do all of the legwork, creative-thinking, pitching, begging… I responded to her email [...]

I responded to an email from the author of a novel who is confused about book promotion this morning and I thought I would share parts of it with you. I told this author: “Promotion is the hard part—that’s for sure. You mentioned some of the things you are doing on the Internet to attract [...]

Most of us, when we start writing, write for ourselves. We write to figure something out, to sort out some aspects of our life or to amuse ourselves. We write about something that’s bugging us or making us happy, perhaps. It used to be that was enough—just to put down on paper the thoughts or [...]

Today, we’re continuing our list of publishing rumors that you really shouldn’t believe. Rumor I don’t have to have my manuscript edited. If the publisher is interested, he’ll edit it. Fact Yeah, right! But how are you going to get him interested in an inferior manuscript when there are so many others to choose from? [...]

Watch out for publishing rumors. They can sabotage your success. Almost everyone who enters the publishing arena for the first time, has heard a rumor or two. They’ve listened to the publishing war stories of those in their writers’ groups. They’ve met disgruntled authors at conferences and book festivals with stories to tell. Or they [...]

What have you done this week toward the promotion of your book? What will you do this weekend? Do you have plans for promoting it next week? Next month? Or have you run out of ideas, energy and enthusiasm for book promotion? After all, you didn’t sign up to be a promoter when you decided [...]

How many of you would welcome a ebook focusing on public speaking for the author? Do you want to go out and speak to promote your published book? Do you plan to get some speaking engagements once your book is completed? Or would you rather have a root canal than stand up and speak in [...]

We all operate through our emotions—we can’t help it. Emotions are built into us to be experienced and expressed. But we’re advised not to allow our emotions to drive our book projects. And there’s good reason for this. Sure you are excited about your book projects. Passion is an emotion. The sense of joy you [...]

Do you listen to talk radio? Do you notice that all of the guests on every show and on every topic have books? A book has become as common as the business card and it is used as casually to establish credibility, to give individuals an identity… Whether I am listening to a radio program [...]