As a writer, I've never been a fan of censorship. As an English teacher, I wasn't a fan of it either. I've said just about everything in the classroom, including "shit", "fuck", and more. Hell, I once told a student to "scissor me" (disclaimer: I was asking her to hand me the scissors and had … Continue reading The Dangers of Being a School Teacher and a Writer
Let's get straight to the point: if you're reading this, then you aren't a best-selling author. Heck, you might not have even made your first sale yet. Luckily, there's still plenty of time for you to turn your writing career around. You might blame the publishers, the industry, or maybe even James Franco for your … Continue reading 5 Ways You Are Sabotaging Your Writing Career
I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with the kilt-wearing, novel-writing bad-ass Samuel Snoek-Brown. We chatted about his affinity for kilts, why fiction writers do research, and some book that's coming out soon. NT: Let's get straight to what everyone wants to know: how much of Hagridden did you write while wearing a kilt? … Continue reading Kilts and Historical Fiction: An Interview with Sam Snoek-Brown
In the past, I only published good book reviews. If I really liked a book, I gave it 5 stars. If I kind of liked it, 4 stars. If I didn't like it, then I didn't post a review. Okay, I have left a few bad reviews. Just not for small presses. I've never minded … Continue reading Why You Need to Leave More Bad Book Reviews
In the literary world, editors have a big job. Or at least they are supposed to. They are responsible for proofing, editing, formatting, and more. Sure, you did all the hard work when you wrote the story, but they make the story presentable. A great story can be marred by typos and other errors that … Continue reading 5 Signs of a Bad Editor: How to Spot a Sucky Editor
Jason E. Rolfe recently challenged me to discuss some things I do and don't write. Of course, when I say recently, I mean several weeks ago to the point where this might not be relevant anymore. But it's never too late for a blog post, right? Three Things I Don't Write 1. Pretty descriptions. I … Continue reading Three Things I Don’t Write, and Three Things I Do
As writers, we jump for joy at the news of every acceptance. When the story is published, we rush to promote it on social media. Many times, we put a link on our own blog or website. But if you visit any writer's publication list, you are bound to find some dead links. One of … Continue reading Finding Sustainable Lit Mags
While some writers choose to hoard the majority of their work, most prefer to seek publication. I certainly fall into the latter category. As a short story writer, I have written approximately 500 "completed" stories in the past ten years. About half of these stories have been published. About one-fourth have been moved into a … Continue reading Know Why You’re Submitting Your Writing
I've heard many authors ask if they really need to create a Facebook author page. As with most things, the value of having one depends on what you are willing to put into it, but that type of answer isn't typically met with much satisfaction. Let's cut to the chase. Is it really worth your … Continue reading Why You Need a Facebook Author Page
So your book just came out. Congratulations. Now the hard work really begins. Here are my guaranteed-not-to-work book marketing strategies. 1. Log in to Facebook and Twitter once per day and post a link accompanied by "BUY MY BOOK" (in all caps, of course). On Facebook, post this on your wall and in every … Continue reading 7 Book Marketing Strategies Guaranteed Not to Lead to Sales
