Quick note: If you're in the U.S., today is MLK Day. Now on to the post. I'm a big fan of Jeopardy!, and though I'm a fan of Ken Jennings, I was more sad than I thought I'd be about Alex Trebek's death. Anyway, all this to say, I've been thinking about Jeopardy a lot, and also new beginnings. With that in mind, here's a potpourri of resources, news items, developments, tools, … [Read more...] about A Potpourri of Resources
77 Resources To Help You Launch Your Own Podcast
If you've been reading this blog for a while, then you know my husband and I produce a weekly dinosaur podcast. After 6 years of making the podcast, we're now working on a comprehensive course to teach other people how to make podcasts. If you want to launch your own show, please sign up for our email list and get a free ebook to help you jumpstart your first five … [Read more...] about 77 Resources To Help You Launch Your Own Podcast
Guest Post: 11 Powerful Tips to Write Your First Nonfiction Ebook Quickly (Beginner Guide)
By Lawal Rehman Are you willing to write your own ebook? Good decision! It can be life-changing if you want to start your career as a writer or an author. Ebook writing can indeed seem like a problem or an obstacle to come over but it is not as hard as it looks. Think about it! If you only write a thousand words every day, it will become 30,000 in a … [Read more...] about Guest Post: 11 Powerful Tips to Write Your First Nonfiction Ebook Quickly (Beginner Guide)
Time for Writing: Finding Courses, Critique Groups, and Editors
I don't know about you, but I've got several unfinished manuscripts and a long list of story ideas. I'm finally setting aside time to work on my writing, which is both exciting and a little daunting. With that in mind, here's a round-up of helpful articles and resources if you find yourself in the same situation. Writing Tips All stories have backstories. Readers don't need … [Read more...] about Time for Writing: Finding Courses, Critique Groups, and Editors
Guest Post: 5 Tips for Writing Guest Posts that Get Published
By Nicholas Rubright Every year, a big-name in the content marketing game declares that writing guest posts is a thing of the past. These claims can go as far as to say they are a futile way to invest your time. One such article is Matt Cutts’ piece from 2014 when he ‘declared’ that guest blogging was dead. This article has been cited several times by those looking to … [Read more...] about Guest Post: 5 Tips for Writing Guest Posts that Get Published
Setting Writing Goals and Other Writing Tips
When you're writing a book, there are a lot of things to keep in mind: character development, strong scenes, a plot that moves forward with each scene, etc. This applies to both fiction and non-fiction writing. Writing Tips Joy E. Rancatore offers some helpful tips about how she kept track of her timelines and characters in her various writing projects, to make sure … [Read more...] about Setting Writing Goals and Other Writing Tips
Guest Post: 4 Free and Effective Fiction Marketing Ideas
By Chandler Bolt Did you know that there are almost 50 million books available on Amazon? While that’s great news for readers, it represents a challenge for authors. With so many books vying for attention, how can you make sure yours stands the best chance of success? Marketing is the difference-maker for self-published authors. When carried out the right way, it … [Read more...] about Guest Post: 4 Free and Effective Fiction Marketing Ideas
Guest Post: How to Increase Reader Engagement When Promoting a New Book
By Heather Redding The U.S book publishing industry rakes in about 26 billion dollars every year. Even so, selling a new book is difficult if your target audience fails to engage with you or your content. For authors, reader engagement is one of the metrics by which they measure their book’s impact. It's the act of immersing oneself in a type of content and bonding … [Read more...] about Guest Post: How to Increase Reader Engagement When Promoting a New Book
Guest Post: Dialogue Tips – 476 Alternatives to “Said”
By Luke Palder A great story packs meaning into every word, painting the scene as vividly as possible for the reader. Every word should earn its place in the manuscript. English is jam-packed with vocabulary—in fact, it has a larger lexicon than any other language, likely because of its history of mixed Germanic and Romance roots. But what’s the point of having such a … [Read more...] about Guest Post: Dialogue Tips – 476 Alternatives to “Said”
7 Ways Podcasting and Marketing Are The Same
Originally posted on LinkedIn. Edited and updated here. What do podcasting and marketing have in common? A lot more than you may think. Both involve: Collaboration: People are important! Whether you're working with other podcasters, interviewees, marketers, product managers, or sales people, you should agree on goals and roles and learn to work well together. … [Read more...] about 7 Ways Podcasting and Marketing Are The Same
Guest Post: 4 Easy SEO Tips for Writers and Authors [+Successful Examples]
By Ivelisse Rodriguez Search engine optimization (SEO) is an ever-important part of an author marketing strategy. The issue? Having a strong social media presence is emphasized over having an SEO strategy. Not only are social media platforms easy and familiar to use, they can expose a large audience to your work in a relatively short period of time. There’s no doubt … [Read more...] about Guest Post: 4 Easy SEO Tips for Writers and Authors [+Successful Examples]
An Interview With Simon Duke, Author of Postcards From Hell
A bomb blast at a Jacksonville, Florida hotel kills 18 people. It is the first of many bombings hitting cities like San Francisco, San Antonio, St. Louis and Cincinnati. A serial bomber has been at large for a year and the body-count has already risen to 42. Nicknamed "Hellbomber", he is unpredictable with the exception of the postcards he leaves at each scene: monuments … [Read more...] about An Interview With Simon Duke, Author of Postcards From Hell
Guest Post: Top 8 Platforms to Sell Your Ebooks
By Rob Davis “You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” This quote from Harvey Dent from the ever-famous “Batman: The Dark Knight” movie and comic is an apt representation of what an ebook goes through as it rests in your hard drive, waiting to be published and sold. As time passes, your ebook seems to get more ‘outdated’, not to … [Read more...] about Guest Post: Top 8 Platforms to Sell Your Ebooks
Guest Post: 5 Key Questions to Get to Know Your Kids
Allen Wolf is the author of You're Pulling My Leg!: The Ultimate Storytelling Game and You're Pulling My Leg! Junior: The Ultimate Storytelling Game. By Allen Wolf My wife and I helped our five-year-old boy, and seven-year-old girl ride their bikes when a stranger approached us on the street. “Are those your grandkids?” he asked with a smile. “No, I’m their dad,” I … [Read more...] about Guest Post: 5 Key Questions to Get to Know Your Kids
Guest Post: 4 Important Questions Authors Should Ask Before Querying Literary Agents
By Marissa DeCuir Your manuscript is prepped and ready to go, and now you’re thinking about seeking a literary agent so you can pursue traditional publishing. But where to begin? While there are plenty of helpful articles online about how to find an agent, many how-tos don’t answer some of the nitty gritty questions about what to seek out—and be wary of—during the … [Read more...] about Guest Post: 4 Important Questions Authors Should Ask Before Querying Literary Agents
