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If We’re Serious about Writing, We’ll…

Stack of paper with text: What Do "Serious" Writers Need to Do?

Some sales pitches play on our fears, and others play on our self-doubt. These sales messages are usually worded like, “If We’re Serious about Writing, We’ll…” Unfortunately, messages like this aren’t limited to sales pitches.

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January 28, 2016

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The “Secret” to Success Can’t Be Bought

Wax seal on an envelope with text: Psst... Want to Buy the Secret to Success?

Unfortunately, some writers believe that paying for a workshop, class, or conference is necessary to succeed, and some sales pitches play to our fears by implying they can teach us the “secret” to success. But while these resources can help us as writers, they’re not required to succeed.

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January 26, 2016

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Writer Dilemma: Private Life vs. Public Figures

Man pointing a camera at viewer with text: Are Authors Public Figures?

Many of us struggle with maintaining a sense of privacy online, yet being a writer requires us to be “public figures.” That means we have to find a balance between privacy and public sharing to be an author. Let’s take a look at some of the privacy issues we might run into in our writing life.

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January 19, 2016

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Author Newsletters: 6 Tips for Smart Strategies

Line up of information dispensers with text: 6 Tips for Author Newsletters

Approximately seventy bajillion new books are released every day (give or take a few bajillion). Our newly released books might have a hard time being noticed, so when we find readers who like our work, we want to make sure they’re still in our audience for our next book. Enter the email newsletter.

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January 14, 2016

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Writer Karma: Don’t Be a Taker

Many hands reaching to grab with text: Are You Giving or Just Taking?

Everyone who knows me and follows my blog knows I love to help others. Most people who contact me are appreciative, and I really am happy to help. But there are a few… *sigh*

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January 5, 2016

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7 Tips for a Writing Partnership — Guest: Jennifer Hale

Ampersand symbol with text: 7 Tips for Writing Partnerships

Successful writing partnerships are all around us. How do they do it? Why do they do it? What are the pros and cons? Would it work for us? Today’s guest is Jennifer Hale, one-half of a writing team, and she’s here today to share seven tips she’s learned along their journey.

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November 19, 2015

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Digging into Research: Consider the Source

Collection of historical documents with text: Getting It Right with Research

Last week, we talked about how we can add diversity to our stories in a respectful way, and no matter what kind of story we write, we’re probably going to need to research something. Whether we’re referring to an aspect of diversity, a setting, or a character’s job, we can’t know everything about everything.

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October 27, 2015

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Writing Diversity: How Can We Avoid Issues?

Purple eye and green hair with text: Avoiding Mistakes with Diversity

The real world is filled with diversity, and our stories should be the same way. There’s no “one right way” to portray diverse characters, but there are wrong ways to portray diversity. However, there are steps we can take to minimize—as much as possible—the potential of “getting it wrong.”

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October 22, 2015

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