Traditional publishing, self-publishing, indie-publishing, and vanity-publishing. It’s enough to make your head spin, and with all the constant changes, it’s hard to keep up. It’s even hard to have a conversation sometimes. The trouble is that the terminology we use in almost any industry, sport, hobby, or even a company is almost always well-known by … Read more
You’ve heard the advice to “write what you know,” right? It sounds kind of wise and deep. Profound, even. And beginning writers scramble their brains trying to figure out what they know and how to write it. I know I did. Sometimes the conclusion is “I don’t know anything,” and you give up after a … Read more
Guest contributor Neely Raffellini is the founder of 9 to 5 Project, which helps professionals get the tools they need to land jobs they love. For more information, visit 9to5project.com or email hello[at]9to5project[dot]com. Sometimes I think people dread writing their resumes about as much as doing their taxes. #truestory And that’s for people who have a … Read more
Receiving a critique of your writing can be challenging, especially if you don’t know your critique partners or writing group members well. The first few times can even kick off anxiety, embarrassment, and discouragement. And learning to write good critiques can be equally difficult. If you’re a beginning writer, a “critique” is thoughtful, intelligent feedback … Read more
All writers wrestle with common writing problems, and any novel worth reading should undergo rigorous copyediting. That applies to all writing, of course, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction. But let’s use novels as an example. Your novel. Let’s say you’re done writing and revising. Ready to rock whether you’re querying agents or taking the indie route. Your story … Read more
Do you worry about ebook theft or someone stealing your writing or ideas? Lots of writers worry, especially early on. I remember a short story class in college and some students who were so anxious about stealing and copyright issues they were afraid to share their work with critique partners or read aloud. And some writers are afraid that a … Read more
When I told a writer friend I have a new book out, she nodded. “Yup. That was good. Enjoyed it.” I could tell she was being nice about my tendency to repeat stuff I’ve already mentioned. But in this case, I wasn’t talking about Colors. It was talking about something totally different. “No, no. Not that … Read more
If you’re a film buff, you might dream of writing the perfect screenplay. You know you have the talent, and joining the ranks of the most sought-after, established screenwriters has been a long-time goal. Or you just think it would be a cool thing to try; so many movies are disappointments, after all, and couldn’t you … Read more
No matter what kind of writer you are—fiction or non-fiction—you’re probably guilty of procrastinating somewhere along the way. Frustrating, isn’t it? Maybe you’ve started five novels and haven’t completed one. You’ve written rough drafts of essays and haven’t published any. You have brilliant ideas for magazine articles, but your drafts are hidden in the deep, … Read more
Do you follow a style guide? Do you know which one you should use? Lots of writers have questions about grammar and punctuation or, if you’re like me, sometimes you forget the rule for unusual situations you rarely see or use. Or you know the rule changed, but you need to make sure. Just a … Read more