Where Normal Need Not Apply
Most writers have day jobs and families to take care of, so our writing time is precious. Yet the hour we had set aside for writing instead often goes to…something else. I’m no exception. I’ve spent too much “writing time” playing on Twitter or reading blog posts, etc. Sometimes I beat myself up about it. […]
A few weeks ago, we talked about about branding and blogging and how to create connections with others. People who feel connected to us are more likely to be willing to give our book a try or to help us promote. Connected readers might become our front lines in our quest for global bestseller domination. […]
If you’re a writer and on Twitter, you should know about the incomparable Elizabeth S. Craig. She shares fantastic resources for writers that she finds all over the web, like a one-woman news source. More importantly, if you’re a writer—whether you’re on Twitter or not—you should know about her Writer’s Knowledge Base, which pulls all […]
My to-be-read pile is scary. Seriously scary. Like I-might-need-to-check-into-a-program-soon scary. In the past year, I’ve accumulated over 100 print books. And just since Christmas, when I received my Kindle, I’ve downloaded about 20…er, maybe 30…hmm, possibly more…Kindle books. Honestly, most of those books I got for free, either from giveaways or contests. I’m a book […]
Pin It
In case you missed it, Kristen Lamb started a debate with her post yesterday—Sacred Cow-Tipping–Why Writers Blogging About Writing is Bad. A collective whine went up from the writing community. “No blogging about writing? Then what are we supposed to blog about?” *raises hand* I was right there with the crowd, joining in the hyperventilating. What […]
Pin It
When we think of pen names, we often consider the privacy or marketing aspects and assume that means using a name completely different from our real name, such as Samuel Clemens writing as Mark Twain. But they can also address the need to make our names more distinctive and Google-able.
Pin It
If someone does a Google search on our author name, will they find us? This issue comes up more frequently now as writers want to know if they should have a website and/or blog before they’re published. That’s a complicated question that doesn’t have an easy answer.
Pin It
Brand. Platform. Social media presence. How many of us cringe at those words? Whatever happened to the days when writers could simply write? But the truth is that as soon as we’re sociable as a writer, whether online with Twitter or in real life at a conference, we’re forming our brand. Branding is something that […]
Pin It
We’ve heard of rewriting, revising, and even re-imagining, but what does “re-envisioning” mean? I recently came across the word in a great post by Juliette Wade about how to redo a scene without rewriting. When a scene isn’t working, it’s tempting to blame the scene and get rid of it. Sometimes, that’s for the best. […]
Pin It
Sometimes it still comes as a shock to me that anyone visits my blog and cares about what I have to say. So when I received my first blog award, I was completely unprepared. My first thought was of being tremendously flattered. I think my exact reaction was, Me? Seriously? That thought was quickly followed […]
