What Is an Author Platform?
Having some form of platform means being visible to your target audience as an expert, thought leader, professional, or influencer. The concept of an author platform is difficult to explain; everyone...
Writing & Publishing Advice
A Brief Guide to File Versioning
Have you ever gone looking for a file only to spend thirty minutes trying to figure out which one was the most recent version? Skip the headache – try file versioning! You’ve probably come across...
Topic Authoring for Nonfiction Books
I have a habit of diving into things. Sometimes it’s from impatience or excitement, but usually it’s something I can laugh at later – like the time I just couldn’t wait for help and lugged a...
How to Conquer: “Post-Fright”
The undeniable truth of publishing is that in order to sell books, you have to be a promoter and marketer. If you’re anyone other than Malcolm Gladwell chances are slim that you’ll have a...
Putting Words on the Page
Drivel is better than the blank page. Adjust your thinking and get back to work. You’ve probably heard the quotation oft ascribed to Hemingway: There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down...
What is Hybrid Publishing?
Hybrid publishers are not self-publishing providers or vanity presses. So what makes this model different from traditional publishing? If you’d asked me five years ago what hybrid publishing was, I...
How to (Really) Format Your Manuscript
Some publishers specify guidelines. There’s plenty of general advice out there about margins, font, etc. But have you tried using styles? When I started writing my first (and still back-burner WIP)...
What Is an Early Reviewer, and How Do I Become One?
Do you love to read? Does getting to see a book before it officially launches sound exciting to you? In the past, reviews printed before a book was published primarily appeared in newspapers and...
Then and Now: Was My MA in Creative Writing Worth It?
Revisiting the Millennial worries I had before I did my MA in a degree that might not lead directly into a profession. When I was getting ready to apply for an MA Creative Writing program, one of my...
Your Creative Writing MA
Weighing your options and priorities matters just as much as putting together your application. While I was working on my MA in creative writing, one of my old classmates asked me: How did you apply...