On Publishing – Page 2

Archive by category "On Publishing" (Page 2)

WRITER CRAFT WEDNESDAY – Rough Draft Checklist

1 – SCENE CHECK – Make sure every chapter or new scene is adequately described. This includes rich description for the first introduction (300-500 words for novels) and a reminder description for subsequent visits. 2 – CHARACTER CHECK – When each character was introduced for the first time from another…

MONDAYS IN PUBLISHING: Responding To Reviews

Reviews are the magical tool by which the Amazon algorithm recognizes your books and the secret formula for attracting new readers… at least that’s the contemporary theory from the marketing masters. The honest truth is that reviews are not meant to be part of the publishing business at all. They…

MONDAYS IN PUBLISHING: Politics and Writing

This post has content warnings for: ableism, abortion, miscarriage, chronic pain, police brutality, eugenics, and body parts. . . . Let me start this post by saying my entire life is the topic of political debate. I was born with a genetic mutation that negatively impacts my health by making…

MONDAYS IN PUBLISHING – Why Authors Don’t Publish Every Book They Write

A dear friend and reader messaged me over the weekend to ask where Book 4 of the Heroes & Villains series was. And, Dear Reader, I had to honestly tell her I never published Maria’s book. So let me take you behind the curtain in the Emerald City to get…

MONDAYS IN PUBLISH: What is the right age to get published?

Over the weekend someone shared their fears that they were “too old to publish” on Twitter and, of course, everyone has an opinion. The idea that everything must be accomplished by a certain age is pushed by ageism and misogyny. This is exceptionally prominent in American culture and for American…

WRITER CRAFT WEDNESDAY: Taking Risks and Pushing Boundaries (guest post)

I’m going to start by saying, despite what I’m about to write in this blog post, maybe taking risks and pushing boundaries is not something a responsible person would do in the face of our current global situation. Or maybe, it’s better to say, feel free to take risks and…

MONDAYS IN PUBLISHING: After You Debut

There are many blog posts and articles on GETTING published and far less information on WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE PUBLISHED. To help balance this out I’m going to focus the next few weeks on what happens AFTER you get published. Why start here and not with “how to get…

MONDAYS IN PUBLISHING: Demystifying Life As A Published Author (with side notes about pirates)

AUTHORS – THE MYTH Let’s start here. Let’s start with what people outside publishing believe because it’s what they see in books and movies. In the movies authors are generally beautiful. They live in brownstones or airy apartments, or maybe in a cabin with a view of the lake and…

WRITER CRAFT WEDNESDAY: How To Write Yourself An Editing Letter

Editing Letters… they are often the most beautiful and intimidating part of working with an editor. An editing letter exposes the soul of your book. It looks at all the weak points, highlights the flaws, and flails your ego with all the things that went terribly wrong. A good editing…

WRITER CRAFT WEDNESDAY: The Essential Editing Checklist

Congratulations on having a finished draft of your manuscript. The next step is editing the manuscript to the best of your abilities before you hand it off to a crit partner or editor. This is the essential checklist to get you started. Search for an unpack the following words: Thinks, Knows,…