The end of the year is traditionally the time to make New Year’s resolutions. It’s also a time when book marketers encourage authors to invest a lot more of their time in advertising and selling. While I have nothing against this, the extreme focus on marketing over creating good works can be stress-inducing and even […]
The Danielle Steel writing desk is so unique that something should copy the idea and market it to other authors. It is an inalienable need for a writer to find a comfortable space to do the work. It has to be a space that works for that person alone, no matter what anyone else feels […]
This Christmas of 2017, you might find a gift in your inbox that did not come from Santa, but from Krampus. A number of writers on the forums I visit (including one on KBoards) have reported getting an unsolicited email from NY Literary Magazine in which “Jennifer” (no last name or position) tells the recipient […]
For those of you who still read the Parade newspaper supplement, last Sunday’s edition holds a lesson for authors in the guise of a feature story about Jack Black and the upcoming “Jumanji” sequel (which, by the way, I’m looking forward to. Loved the original movie, love the actors in the remake, and the trailer […]
Once upon a time, traditionally published successful writers never needed a book production schedule. They lived easy, carefree lives. They’d spend their mornings writing, and when they had achieved their word count, devote the rest of their day living their lives: maybe do a little research, submit to an interview about their latest book, or […]
I’m a big believer in structure. My brain is scatter-shot even on my best days, and it’s important that I have checklists and an organized structure to make sure that the mistakes I do make are new and fresh, and not as a result of, say, forgetting to update the backcover copy on the latest […]
Deconstructing cover art can teach you the principles behind good design that you can use to make your own covers, or in conveying your needs to the artist. On the road to becoming an indie author, you have to pick up skills in a number of areas. It is more than learning how to write […]
Watching movies about writers and writing with the non-writers in your household (i.e., non-supportive spouses) might teach them that yes, you really are working.
The five below are part of a longer list we’ve compiled. Some of them involve writers peripherally, while others center on playwrights, journalists, or screenwriters. Many of these films are obscure art house films. Others are not.
We’ve had a couple of event recently at Peschel Press that spurred some ruminations about book shows, capitalism and the writer’s role in the marketplace. This is going to be disjointed post, I confess. We’ve been so swamped with work and book shows recently that I didn’t allot time for writing Monday’s CIA post. So […]
Today’s CIA is replaced with my account of the York Book Expo 2017. This was our third appearance at the Expo, and unlike the first year, when I forgot the table banner, or last year, when I screwed up our cookie plan, this one went off without a hitch. The expo was moved from the […]