Mastodon
Close

Selling Your Story

Queries, synopses, blurbs, and packaging tips and advice. Sample topics: writing pitches and back cover copy, book covers, writing a successful synopsis, creating reader expectations, book tours, etc.

Recipe for a Successful Synopsis

Index card box with text: Recipe for a Successful Synopsis, Synopsis 101

It’s easy to get wrapped up in our story’s subplots and twists and turns, but this recipe can cut through that confusion so we can complete a short, clear synopsis.

Pin It

February 12, 2013

Read More

Do You Judge Books by Their Covers?

Bookshelf of old books with text: Do You Judge Books by Their Covers

I’ll admit it. I do judge books by their covers, especially in this age of self-publishing. If authors don’t care about the quality of their book cover, it’s easy to assume they also didn’t care about the quality of their writing. Besides, we all have too many reading choices now, and just […]

Pin It

February 5, 2013

Read More

Introducing the Query/Blurb Exchange Club!

Arrows connecting to each other with text: Queries and Blurbs: A Place to Get Help. The Query/Blurb Exchange Club

The response to my request for help on my query in my last post was amazing. I really shouldn’t have been surprised. After all, we all know you are amazing, right? *smile* But the tremendous outpouring of offers to help also made me feel guilty. I’ve heard stories from others about […]

Pin It

January 15, 2013

Read More

Worldbuilding, Genres, and Reader Expectations

Image from header of Melinda Collins's blog

After I agreed to do a guest post for my friend Melinda Collins, she suggested I write something about worldbuilding. Despite being a paranormal author who continually invents worlds slightly different from our own, I haven’t written many posts about that topic yet, so I sat down to brainstorm ideas. […]

August 16, 2012

Read More

Five Lessons from a Book Tour Newbie — Guest: Suzanne Johnson

Picture of Suzanne Johnson

I’m in Anaheim, California this week for the Romance Writers of America (RWA) Annual Conference, but I have another great guest here today. Suzanne Johnson just had her debut release a few months ago, and she’s been on fire with her stories. Her Royal Street debut came complete with a book tour. A book […]

Pin It

July 26, 2012

Read More

Tips for Writing Back Cover Copy — Guest: Roz Morris

Picture of Roz Morris

I’m excited to share today’s guest post by author Roz Morris.  After ghostwriting many bestselling books, Roz recently self-published My Memories of a Future Life, her first novel under her own name. Roz’s decision to self-publish came about partly because this novel doesn’t fit into normal genre boxes.  However, even as […]

Pin It

April 26, 2012

Read More

Are All Cheap Ebooks Crap?

two metal hooks stuck together in a brain teaser

In my last post, I asked how much people would be willing to pay for ebooks.  Most comments agreed with my thoughts: Ebooks should be less expensive than paper books because of DRM, ownership, quality, and physicality issues.  What surprised me, however, was the number of people turned off by […]

Pin It

December 20, 2011

Read More

What Does It Take to Sell Books?

Old-fashioned cash register

Subtitle: Über Blogging, True Fans, or ??? In case you haven’t heard, recent statements by agents have started a kerfuffle over whether blogging is a waste of time for most writers.  The first I heard of it was through agent Wendy Lawton’s post, What’s Not Working, where she says: “I wouldn’t recommend a […]

Pin It

October 13, 2011

Read More

Should Books Have a Rating System?

Movie trailer PG-13 rating card

This must be the week for me stepping into controversial topics.  It’s a good thing I’m still wearing my flameproof jacket from my last post on plot vs. character.  *smile* It’s been a while since Meghan Cox Gurdon’s article at the Wall Street Journal and her contention that young adult (YA) […]

Pin It

July 28, 2011

Read More

“What’s Your Book About?”

Forked road

Do you dread that question?  If you tell the cashier at the grocery store you’re a writer and they ask what your book is about, do you have an answer? All writers who want readers have to be able to answer that question.  Whether it’s our brother-in-law at a holiday […]

Pin It

April 21, 2011

Read More