By Lucia Tang Writers aren’t prophets. No matter how hard we wish, we can’t just take dictation from some divine voice in our ears — we’re supposed to find our own inspiration. But when you’re on the run from a deadline, in a fight with a chapter, or just sick of wishing the book in your head would magically appear on your laptop, finding inspiration can feel like a DIY root … [Read more...] about Guest Post: 10 Tips and Tricks to Get Writing Inspiration Anywhere and Anytime
writer
Guest Post: How to Establish Yourself as a Freelance Writer
By Jori Hamilton So you’re considering the possibility of becoming a freelance writer, but you’re not really sure what steps you need to take to make it all happen. Sound about right? Becoming a successful freelance writer is a bit of a whirlwind; nobody seems to fall cleanly into the career path. Instead, those who ultimately become successful will almost always tell you … [Read more...] about Guest Post: How to Establish Yourself as a Freelance Writer
A List of Tools for Freelance and Indie Authors
Having trouble staying motivated? Sometimes it helps to use some new tools to keep you organized and ready to work. Here are some new tools and resources I've found: Mattermost: An open-source chatting tool, so you can easily connect with clients, editors, publicists, or anyone on your author street team. Compatible with Slack. Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator: To help … [Read more...] about A List of Tools for Freelance and Indie Authors
Guest Post: Get a Headstart on NaNoWriMo with These 6 Tips on Structuring Your First Draft
By Mariah T. All of us have a story inside of us. For many, that story begs to be told. That's why so many people turn to novel writing. WIth National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) fast approaching, you may be inspired to finally start and finish your novel. To participate in NaNoWriMo, you have exactly one month (November 1-30) to write a 50,000-word novel. You could … [Read more...] about Guest Post: Get a Headstart on NaNoWriMo with These 6 Tips on Structuring Your First Draft
Guest Post: How to Create an Engaging Author Website That People Will Actually Visit
By Mariah T. The key to being a successful author is exposure. You have to get your book out there. You can thank the internet because the PR game is now in your hands. The architecture of a solid website is enough to get readers curious about what you wrote. But getting started creating a site with good SEO, aesthetic design, memorable branding, and more is a work of … [Read more...] about Guest Post: How to Create an Engaging Author Website That People Will Actually Visit
Editing: How Much is Too Much?
The more I learn about editing, the more I realize it's like walking a tightrope. And that rope is as thin as dental floss. As a book editor (magazine editors have much more leeway), you have to watch for structure, grammar, and spelling, but you also have to look at stories from both a macro and micro view. Macro things could be the narrative arc, plot, character … [Read more...] about Editing: How Much is Too Much?
I Write Like…
I found this pretty awesome tool a couple days ago: I Write Like. Warning: it can be very addicting. Basically, you copy and paste a few paragraphs of your writing sample, and it will analyze your writing style and tell you which famous writer you are most like. I stopped myself after six samples, but supposedly I write like Cory Doctorow, Anne Rice, Kurt Vonnegut, J.D. … [Read more...] about I Write Like…
12/12/10: This Week in Publishing
In Scandanavia, readers and libraries want more e-books and are getting e-books from other countries. But publishers distrust libraries, thinking they help piracy, and they are facing a dilemma with pricing and copyright protection. SCANDINAVIA: e-Book market uncertainty Even though there's a lot of news about more schools using e-textbooks, a recent study shows that … [Read more...] about 12/12/10: This Week in Publishing