Titles are the bait that authors use to hook readers. A highly effective title is not just catchy. It is true to the book. It provides a sample of the writing style and the story to come. That's a big job for one little sentence fragment! While considering different titles for my novel, Eleanor and the … Continue reading What do great book titles have in common?
In the past year, I've been making an effort to bulk up my library of self-published books. Despite the fact that ~700,000 indie books are published each year, they can be tricky to find, since they don't get the same press as traditionally published books. I thought I would share a few self-published books with … Continue reading 5 Self-published Books I’ve Read This Year
Writing is a form of art, but many of us writers bemoan our "artistic" skills. We paint pictures with words, not brushes! Fortunately, when book-cover-design-time rolls around, there are many online platforms to connect writers with visual artists. 99Designs is one of the most popular platforms. It works like this: Writers create a "brief" describing their … Continue reading 9 Lessons from 99Designs
Who sees more action, mermaids or vampires? And why do people all over the world believe in dragons? Find out!
Abercrombie. Nickelback. American Idol. Razr. Would you keep reading a book if you encountered these pop culture references in the first chapter? Learn the psychology behind both sides of the argument!
Deena Byrne is the author of not one, not two, but three fantasy novels! In this interview, she discusses the themes in her novels, her writing process, and her experience with self-publishing.
Literary agents know their stuff--and if you want to get signed by a literary agent, you need to know your stuff too. When agents describe what they're looking for in a novel, they tend to lapse into industry jargon. It's confusing stuff, even for those of us who sprinkle words like fastidious and coruscant throughout our writing. Still, understanding what agents want is crucial to finding the right agent (or, indeed, any agent) for your project. That means you have to learn to translate the jargon.
Are you itching to meet other writers? Snag an agent? Sell some books? My friend, it's time to get yourself to a writers' conference.
Worried that your kid's history class isn't up to snuff? Try enriching his lessons with unforgettable historical fiction!
What's better than a new book? A new book that you got for free! Use this guide to start getting free books.
