Writers have to be resilient. With as often as we get rejected and as much as we face obstacles like writer's block, we have to pick ourselves up off the floor and get back behind the keyboard all the time. However, we also sometimes have to throw in the proverbial towel. As someone who once … Continue reading 4 Signs It’s Time to Give Up on Your Short Story
Most writers are good people, regardless of what their credentials are. I have a lot of friends who are writers. A fair number of them have an MFA in writing. They’re all awesome people and great writers. I also know a lot of people in the writing community who don't have an MFA. Most of … Continue reading MFAsplaining and how it hurts writers everywhere
There are lots of copywriter jobs out there. But there are a lot more candidates than available positions. So how do you stand out and get a job as a copywriter? Any time I post a position for a new copywriter, I’m immediately flooded with applicants. Many of them have no relevant writing experience, but … Continue reading How to get a job as a copywriter
I’m not a big fan of universal writing rules. I don’t believe in deleting all adverbs from your writing. And there are plenty of writing tips I think you can safely ignore. But there is one thing I’m pretty adamant about when helping writers improve their craft (besides not abusing apostrophes). If you want to … Continue reading The one word you should almost always delete from your writing if you want to look like a professional
Back when I was a high school English teacher, I required my Sophomore students to give a how-to speech as a major part of their final grade. The purpose was to teach them how to speak in front of people, how to communicate, and how to give clear directions. As you can imagine, the speeches … Continue reading How to write a short story in 5 easy steps
As a writer, nothing is better than an acceptance. And nothing is worse than a rejection. Of course, sometimes a rejection includes a bit of silver lining that might soften the blow a little. This comes in the form of an invitation to submit again. But what does a publication really mean when they ask … Continue reading What you should do when a publication asks you to submit again
Submitting your writing is both an art and a science. There’s a lot more to it then making a lasting impression on the editor. You also need to create a submission strategy that will help you get more acceptances and fewer rejections. At the heart of your submission strategy is the way you track your … Continue reading Why writers must track submissions carefully – FREE template included
So, you've written a story. What now? Well, must be time to submit it for publication, right? Before you do, stop and think about whether this story is really ready to be accepted. What makes me an expert on this topic? Over the past 15 years, I've submitted my work over 1,500 times. This has … Continue reading 60 Reasons Your Writing Will Be Rejected
Being published isn’t the sign of a great writer, but it is the first step toward being a successful one. If you’ve been writing and sending out your work for awhile but haven’t been published yet, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re not a good writer. It probably just means you aren’t doing all the little … Continue reading 7 things published writers do differently
The more you write, the more you learn about how to write. The more you "learn" about writing, the more you realize every writer thinks he or she is an expert. Ultimately, you end up with a lot of contradicting "facts" about what you should be doing to become a better writer (of course, better … Continue reading 57 Things I’ve Learned Not to Do As a Writer
