Joe Konrath made $100,00 in three weeks selling his self-published books on Kindle. He explains this phenomenal achievement in an article called “Reality Check,” where one sentence stands out like the warning beacon on a highway patrol car. “In the long run, except in the case of bestsellers and huge advances, a writer WILL make more money self-publishing.” Reality check. Could this really […]
Book Talk
Steal This List/10 Writing Craft Techniques
Today’s post reflects how lazy (and totally out of ideas) I am, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be rewarded for stopping by. If you’re a fiction writer, that is. Because I’m passing along an article by Janis Hubschman called “Steal This List.” In it, Janis shares ten writing craft techniques that have saved her hours (if not years) of frustration. […]
Crafting a Successful Author Event. Bring it on!
How does one create a successful author event–you know, the book launch, the coming out party, the please buy my book fair? On October 8th, my friend, Natalia, and I drove to Chateau LaMair in Granite Bay to find out. Former senior editor at Random House and co-author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Getting Published, Jennifer Basye […]
The Journal of Joyce Carol Oates, Intimate, Unrevised
I came across The Journal of Joyce Carol Oates, a hardbound, 509 page glimpse into the private thoughts of an extraordinary writer. Intimate and unrevised. In it are gems of wisdom–writer to writer, writer to reader–that make me want to run back and buy every copy in the store as gifts to my family and friends, just […]
What’s The Headline of Your Life Story?
“What’s your headline,” asks Shawna Todd in the July/August issue of Daily Word magazine. If your life story were on display for everyone to see, what would it say about you? Would it describe the life you want to live, the way you want to be remembered? If the answer is yes, live your story with […]
Anne Lamott “Word by Word” / Reclaiming, Reminding
Anne Lamott “Word by Word” / Reclaiming, Reminding. I’m learning to be who I am, reclaiming, remembering. I coming alive today. I’m coming to life. Thank you, Anne Lamott, for kicking me in the pants — Word by Word — for telling me that this is what writers are supposed to do to keep their creative wells full. Word […]