Earning a living from short fiction or poetry is about as easy as earning a living from recycling aluminum cans and plastic bottles. Actually, it's probably harder. In some states, a plastic bottle will get you five or ten cents, but your thoughts are only worth a penny. Your short stories and poetry are often … Continue reading 5 Things You Must Do Before Submitting a Fiction or Poetry Collection
I’m really good at getting rejected. With almost 1,000 rejections to my name, I know everything there is to know about being told “we don’t want to publish this piece of trash.” Unfortunately, rejection letters don’t always say what they really mean. In general, editors try to be nice. They want to spare our feelings. … Continue reading What Common Rejections from Publishers Really Mean
Ten years ago, I was a hotshot writer. Of course I was a hotshot. I was a writer. That not only made me a hotshot, but it also made me hot shit. As hot shit, I knew my stories should be published. So I bought a thick book that told me where to send my … Continue reading How Writers Can Improve Their Submission Process (And Get Fewer Rejections)
Update (Jan 4, 2021): I've received a lot of feedback regarding this post and its harsh tone. If you are reading this post, please note that it's not meant to discourage anyone from being a writer, nor is it meant to be taken completely seriously. Every writer questions their abilities from time to time. If … Continue reading 12 Signs You Aren’t Really a Writer
I began working on my current novel-in-progress over seven years ago. Back in 2013, I made the noble goal to have it finished and sent out to agents and publishers by the end of the year. That didn't happen. Not even close. I thought about making the same goal again this year, but then I decided … Continue reading On Writing in a Hurry (Or Not)
If you want to piss off a writer, charge a submission fee. It seems like nothing bothers writers more than being told they have to pay for something. How dare a magazine charge us just to read our work! It’s an outrage! They should make their money by selling subscriptions and ad space! More ads, … Continue reading 5 Reasons Why Submission Fees Really Aren’t the Scourge of the Publishing World
The leading cause of death in unpublished fiction is the end of the story. Oftentimes, these deaths are inexplicably violent, coming out of nowhere like the speeding drunk truck driver who just ran a red light and T-boned a defenseless sedan, sending the driver flying through the windshield and onto the pavement where he … Continue reading Why writers should never end a story with death
I have taken multitasking to a new level. About a week ago, I accomplished a feat previously unknown to humankind. I simultaneously ran, juggled, and watched videos on YouTube. If that's not an example of a human making the most of his/her time, then I don't know what is. Just how did I accomplish this … Continue reading On Multitasking, Writing, and Joggling
So you just had a new book published. Congratulations, by the way. Huge accomplishment. How did you celebrate? A week later, you look at the sales numbers. Disappointed? You were hoping to be on the next NYT Best Sellers list, but instead you only sold 20 copies, 8 of which were purchased by your mom. … Continue reading 5 Reasons Your Book Isn’t Selling
Even if you hate Amazon, chances are that's where many of your book sales happen. We can vilify Amazon all we want, but it does provide great opportunities for authors who otherwise might go completely unnoticed. But this isn't a discussion of the evil tyranny of Amazon. Nor is it meant as a blind rave … Continue reading Customers Also Bought What? Learning from Your Amazon Book Page
