Twitter Contests for writers. A dream come true. A while back I wrote about finding a literary agent on Twitter. WritersDigest.com has an article on this topic that you should check out if you have a finished manuscript in search of an agent. Here are the upcoming contests from Twitter they list: April 5: #AdPit […]
There is so much more to writing than writing. It never ceases to amaze me how much more time I spend on my writing career that doesn’t involve getting my story on paper. There is setting up book signings, then doing the signs for it, then the pre-advertising, and, and , and… Oh, but before […]
American Librarian Association Midwinter Conference–Research Spent a great day walking through the exhibit hall of the American Librarian Association Midwinter Conference in Atlanta. Getting a chance to talk to other publishers, authors, editors, and librarians—I was in heaven! As I started my rounds, I felt awkward and unsure of what to ask. By my last […]
If you are ready to publish and don’t want to go it alone, there are ways to find an agent. I mentioned in an early post a few articles and websites to review. Now I’m going to add Twitter. If you follow certain organizations/people, they will sometimes tweet when they are looking for new clients, […]
Feeling overwhelmed? It’s a new year. A chance for new beginnings. Let’s make a new year’s resolution not to make a resolution. Let’s just get things done! When I think of all it takes to be a writer, editor, publisher, marketer (is that right?), and speaker, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. So I do what […]
You need to build your platform now! I probably should have posted this much earlier. There are so many things that need to get done as a writer that it’s hard to keep juggling everything. Your platform is your contact base. Yes, it will start with friends and family, but hopefully, with the right attention […]
I read an article from NY Book Editors where they highlighted 18 different writing apps to help writers get motivated or organized. I tried out a handful of them to see if they were useful. First off, I must remind you that everyone is different. What works for me, may not work for you. I […]
Nothing sells your book better than your book cover. It’s the “face” of your story. Hiring a professional cover designer is worth the money. Your cover design needs to capture the attention of the readers so they will pick it up and read the back cover. The cover should not focus on one scene in […]
You’ve probably heard this term before. It isn’t just for writers. It’s for anyone trying to sell themselves or a product. If you are in an elevator with someone and they ask what you do for a living, you only have the 30 seconds it takes to ride the elevator to hook them. If you […]
This was a lesson I learned not long ago when I was searching for help with marketing. Marketing focuses on advertisements, radio, TV, and newspapers—even blogs. Publicity is when OTHER people are talking about your book. A publicist is paid to pitch your books to magazines, TV, radio, etc in order to get reviews. They […]
Where Do Agents Fit In Some publishers won’t talk to you without an agent. Agents have contacts with various publishing circles and pitch your manuscript to publishers on your behalf. The better deal they get for you, typically the more money they make, so they are motivated to get you as much as they can. […]
If you are going to go the traditional publishing route (ie, getting a big-name publisher), you will need to do a query letter. Make sure you check the publisher’s website for the exact format but all will probably require need a few basic things. Jane Friedman does a great job of outlining a query letter: […]
No matter how good of a writer you are, you need an editor (or editors!). Don’t fool yourself. There are multiple options to search for an editor. The internet is full of advertisements. Don’t jump at the first one you see. If you have writer friends, ask them for recommendations—learn from their mistakes. If you […]
Don’t make my mistake. I’m going to get ahead of myself, but I want to keep you, the reader, on the right track. I jumped from writing to publishing. There is so much more in between and I don’t want you to make the same mistakes. As a start-up, I wanted to do the economical […]
It’s a long, twisting road to publishing—don’t let anyone tell you differently. There is no one path and results are as varied as the methods to get there. My journey started as a simple quest to get my story on paper. When I was a second lieutenant in the Air Force stationed in Missouri as […]
Missile Tourism The Air Force Times recently ran a story about F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming turning one of their missile silos into a museum for the Peacekeeper missile and opening it to the public. (http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/2015/11/04/missile-tourism-wyoming-peacekeeper-historic-site-in-works/75161372/) Whiteman AFB, Missouri has already done this for the Minuteman II missile. “One of the most stressful and least glamorous […]
Book Signings – Blue Dragon Publishing If you ever see an author sitting behind a table with stacks of books in front of him/her, take pity. Stop and say hello, even if you don’t need another book. Give them human interaction so their time goes by more quickly. It’s really hard to put yourself out […]
Where Does The Day Go? I’m at work and the day drags by, the clock barely moving some days. I rush home…to put off doing what needs to be done. I have so much to do, which makes me very unmotivated to get started. Once I get started, I feel pretty good. Once I’m finished, […]