Fifteen years ago, I wrote a children’s book to teach the seven continents to my second-grade students who could not imagine a world outside of their own community. Amy’s Travels became the first children’s picture book to teach all seven continents. Based on the true story of my college suitemate Amy, the example of Latina…
Writing Short Stories: 5 Authors on The Craft of Short Story Writing – K.T. Mehra | Guest Post
There is magic in a great short story. Short stories can capture your imagination like nothing else, and in as short a time as your morning coffee break. How do you write a great short story that moves someone in just a few pages? We’ve gathered 5 world-famous authors on just that! Here’s 5 authors…
How to Write a Strong Female Character the Right Way – Jennifer Jacksons | Guest Post
Over the past decades, the term “strong female characters” has become a buzzword in the literary world. Strong female characters basically refer to those women in books, poems, and other works of literature who possess strong qualities and convictions. They are the female characters that women in real life ought to idolize. For the past…
Writing and Reading for Pleasure (July 2020): Douglas Burcham
Douglas Burcham writes another (maybe last) post in his “Writing and Reading for Pleasure” series. 1.0 Introduction On 1st June 2020 I celebrated being a writer for ten years. Writing is not a short-term activity. The first three years – a million words of draft modern fantasy fiction and then five years of not…
How to Set up Your Author Website Quickly and Easily – Pauline Wiles | Guest Post
No doubt you’ve read plenty of sage advice about building a long-term livelihood as an independent author. One recommendation you’ve probably come across before is to establish a website early in your career. Why? Because even if you’re promoting your work widely on social media, and in online groups, it makes sense to have a…
What is Your Biggest Problem with Self-Publishing? – Joseph McLean | Guest Post
Everyone who’s getting into the self-publishing game is probably going to face a lot of problems. The self-publishing industry has become extremely competitive. As of 2017, the number of reported self-published titles went over 1 million. Now, as of 2019, the numbers may have doubled or tripled up. Nevertheless, one thing is certain: the self-publishing…
Reasons Why Many Self-Published Books Fail and How to Fix That – Gary Peterson | Guest Post
Many self-published books fail because authors tend to overlook the basic rules of publishing a new book. Authors who are fairly new to publishing get many things wrong, and the result is typically low sales. Publishing your book and selling it on Amazon should be the last step in the whole process, not the initial…
6 Reasons Why Your Book Isn’t Getting Published – Paige Wheeler | Guest Post
So, you’ve finished your manuscript. Congratulations! If you want to publish your book through the traditional channels, that means you’re going to need to start looking for an agent or submitting your book to publishers, (but if you want to get published by one of the five major publishers, you’ll need to get an agent).…
Unlock Your Creative Writing Potential – Piper McIntosh | Guest Post
Whatever your practice, creativity is essential in the writing and publishing profession. Aren’t we always searching for a new way to creatively tell a story? In a world where everyone has a platform and everyone is a storyteller, it is more important than ever to ensure you are able to articulate your craft in a…
The Decision to Become an Author – Anthony Sciarratta | Guest Post
Every person faces a time in their life when they decide whether or not to pursue their dream. The fear of failure can consume one’s soul, but the amount of pain felt after giving up on your dream would be greater. I made my decision in August of 2017, while vacationing in Mexico. It was…