Archives
Platform Tips––Part IV
Posted on May 11, 2016 Leave a Comment
We’ve been discussing “platform” and what it means to aspiring authors, and defined it as influence and measured in terms of “discoverability.” Dividing a stage into four parts, each week, we’ve been talking about one section of platform. The first section was a blog. Section two was social media. Last week I talked a bit […]
Platform Tips––Part III
Posted on May 4, 2016 Leave a Comment
Though we hate the word, authors must have “platform.” We’ve defined platform as influence and measured in terms of “discoverability.” Maintaining a blog is one part of a multi-discipline approach to platform. Social media is the second most important thing you’ll do to build your platform. Click to Tweet #amwriting #platform
Tips for Growing Platform – Part II
Posted on April 27, 2016 Leave a Comment
Last week, we established that “platform” is your sphere of influence. In today’s changing world of publishing, authors need to be entrepreneurs and help sell or entirely sell their own books. Publishers used to pay authors an “advance” on royalties. Many traditional publishers have dropped that practice, or offer extremely low advances, some as low […]
Tips for Growing Platform––Part I What is Platform?
Posted on April 20, 2016 Leave a Comment
Platform. An ugly word for writers. I’ve been sharing recently about changes in the publishing industry and how they affect pre-published authors like me. How publishers want us to be “publish-ready.” We can learn the craft of writing, but we now also have to be marketers and networkers. Click to Tweet #amwriting #growingplatform
What Does an Agent Look for in an Author?
Posted on April 13, 2016 Leave a Comment
The publishing industry is changing rapidly. It’s sometimes hard to keep up. What used to be acceptable a few years ago, is no longer. Publishers and agents look for several things when considering an unpublished author. Click to Tweet Let’s look at what an agent looks for in an author. #amwriting #literaryagents
Seamless Self–Editing––Part VIII
Posted on April 6, 2016 Leave a Comment
As this series draws to a close, I’ll give you a couple practical exercises you can do at home to learn and practice your own seamless self-editing. Cutting word usage in half, and a proofreading exercise will assist you in learning more about how to edit your own manuscript. Because our object is to become […]
Seamless Self-Editing––Part VII
Posted on March 30, 2016 Leave a Comment
This week, we’re continuing our look at self-editing with tips from Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, by Browne and King. We’re going to look at Proportion and Dialogue Mechanics, two chapters from this resource. Because our space is limited, I’ll only summarize a few points from each chapter. Editing our work ourselves will improve our chances […]
Tag – You’re It
Posted on March 29, 2016 2 Comments
I haven’t done one of these for well over a year, so I don’t mind these tags. They’re kind of fun, and I hope you learn something more about me than you did before. The Rules: 1. Thank the blogger who nominated you and link to their blog and Twitter in your post. 2. Answer […]
Seamless Self-Editing––Part VI
Posted on March 23, 2016 Leave a Comment
For the next couple weeks, I’ll be referring back to a resource I used a year or so ago, Self-Editing for Fiction Writers. A few months ago, I met Robert Whitlow, a successful suspense author, who said this book taught him how to write. He was a prosperous attorney in the South, as well. Some […]
Encourage Yourself––Part II
Posted on March 22, 2016 1 Comment
The western culture, like the ancient Greeks, worships body and soul. By that I mean that we of the western world, have elevated the sleek, svelte body and the “positive thinking” mindset above all else. There’s nothing inherently wrong with positive thinking, which is basically letting go of negative mindsets, but if you don’t worship […]
Donna L.H. Smith 