August 1, 2023
Facing the Empty Seats
by Keir Graff
Last week at Exile in Bookville, the bookstore downstairs from my writing studio, I interviewed bestselling author T. J. Newman as she toured to promote her latest bestseller, Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 1421. Every author dreams of a night like this: the chairs were filled with her fans and friends, most of whom bought multiple copies, and T. J. graciously took her time with everyone in the…
July 18, 2023
Avoid these Book Titling Mistakes
by John Matthew Fox
The writer R.D. Kardon had all her dreams come true.
She was finally publishing her novel "The Final Authority", the novel she'd been working on for 25 years, about one of the first female commercial pilots in the 1990s.
There was only one problem: the publisher hated the title.
They…
July 4, 2023
Essays: Showcasing Your Voice
by Kim O'Hara
When I submitted an essay to LA Times L.A. Affairs I simply had a story to get off my chest. I didn’t know it would open a portal for me as a writer and lead me to start a three-times-a-week column that people would actually read. The essay was very…
June 20, 2023
Hooked From Page One
By Maggie Smith
Writing a compelling opening for your novel isn’t optional, it’s essential. That initial half-page of Chapter One is the first impression agents, publishers, and most important, readers get of your writing style and skill and often determines whether they’ll purchase your book or not.
The good news is most people…
June 6, 2023
164 Non-Bookstore Places to Sell Your Books
by Sharon Woodhouse
It can be SO hard to sell books. Until it isn’t. Until you start seeing readers and opportunities everywhere, when you start recognizing where and how to find your customers and fans.
It’s so easy to fall into thinking that no one reads anymore. Except that 331 million ebooks alone…
May 23, 2023
Funny Business: Incorporating Humor Into Your Novel
By Maggie Smith
Writing a novel is no laughing matter. Or is it? Incorporating humor into your writing can add depth, lighten the mood, and make your characters more relatable. But how do you add humor without turning your novel into a comedy? Here are six things to keep in mind so you…
May 9, 2023
With Just the Right Pitch…
by Samantha Hoffman
In his welcome letter in the 2023 Let's Just Write! conference program CWA president Randy Richardson ended with: "When you go home on Sunday we want you to have more than a tote bag and a notebook. We want you to leave with a jolt of inspiration and…
April 24, 2023
How to Write a Killer Author Bio
April 18, 2023
What Marketing Really Is
by Kristin Oakley
I’ve become a student of marketing, which is something I never wanted to be. Now that I’m an authorpreneur, I realize that understanding how to market my books and myself is, unfortunately, part of the writing package. But who wants to peddle their books on street corners? It’s demeaning.
According…
April 4, 2023
Reading and Writing, Tip 7 of 7
by Annie McCormick
When you’re not writing, I would encourage you to spend time each week reading about writing.
There are several books I love. They look like the textbooks (and cookbooks) I’ve had over the years. When you put them down, they fall open to a key page, there are endless notes…
