Category: For Authors
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New Subscribe Options (and How I Created Them)
I recently added the capability to subscribe to my blog by category, by using MailChimp. Here’s how I did it.
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My Writing Process and Resources for New Authors
As I’ve resumed work on my new-adult fiction novel, I’ve considered the steps that have led to the current moment: I feel confident in my writing, but I know that I’ll continue to learn about the craft and improve. I’ve observed writing as a craft that can be improved, and not merely as the first…
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Book Mapping
I recently learned about book mapping. While the class was intended for developmental editors, I found the tool helpful as a writer. What Is Book Mapping? Book mapping is a method of plotting out the action or themes of a story, to help keep track of them. This mapping can be done visually or with…
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Getting Through the Slush Pile
Last Saturday, I attended the NC Writers Network’s Spring Conference in Greensboro. I’ll post soon about the whole experience, but today I’m thinking about the final event of the day: Slush Pile Live. What is Slush Pile Live? The conference planners invited attendees to turn in the first page of their novels, anonymously. Participants sat…
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The Cost of Editing
When I started freelance editing, the rates charged by other editors seemed pretty high to me—more than I made at my day job, certainly. I figured these rates indicated the editors’ level of experience. I’ve since realized that the rates are needed because of the nature of freelance work. Freelance versus Salaried My day job…
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Libel, and Copyright, and Privacy, Oh My!
An important step in writing a book, particularly if you’re self-publishing without the guidance of a legal team, is securing permissions. There are three types of material to consider for permissions: any material that might be copyrighted, any material that might infringe on someone’s privacy, and any material that might be considered libel. Each of…
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What Is Hybrid Publishing?
Hybrid publishing is a new model of publishing in which an author works with a publishing company but pays to publish in exchange for higher royalties. Some in the publishing industry disregard this new category because the idea of paying to publish suggests (to them) poor quality, like the books that vanity presses produced years…
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Authentic Marketing
When my first book, Bread Science, came out in 2006, I had a list of ideas on marketing from a guidebook I had read about self-publishing. I made a sell sheet, sent it to bookstores, and got no response. I tried to schedule readings at my local bookstores, also without much luck. But somehow the…
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How to Get the Most Out of AWP (updated)
Note: A version of this post was originally posted in February 2017. In early 2017, I attended the AWP (American Writers and Writing Programs) conference in Washington, DC. It was my first time at AWP, which was an overwhelming affair: six sessions each day with up to 35 choices, a monstrous book fair, evening meet-ups,…
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Book Distribution for Self-Publishers
What is distribution? For a self-publisher (or as they are now sometimes called, author-publisher), distribution can be the most confusing part of publishing. This is because the term has various meanings. In general, it refers to the means by which books go from the publisher to the retailer (e.g., a bookstore), who then sells them…