» A Guest Author

Tapping Local Markets with Regional Fiction

By Emily Cline I recently attended a book talk by a local author whose hometown-inspired novels made me wonder: what is it about regional fiction that attracts such a loyal and enthusiastic readership? Literary regionalism has been popular since at least the nineteenth century, and the appeal of “local color” has since exploded in contemporary…

Issue Six Hundred Ninety Two Special Feature

The Benefits of Surveying Before Publication

By Rajvi Mittal Books are unusual products. And even if the monetary cost isn’t large, the reader is paying big time in trust and time commitment. When you think about it this way, it is easy to understand why readers would want some signal that the investment will be worthwhile. A survey is one of…

The Reader Reply Effect: How Author Newsletters Turn Readers into Story Partners

By Lynne Curry Many authors treat newsletters as promotional tools. Announce the new book. Share the launch date. Offer a link. Beg for subscribers. Something different happens when a newsletter stops acting like a broadcast and serves a truer purpose—a conversation with readers. Then, when readers reply, they share reactions, emotional truths, and moments from…

Issue Six Hundred Eighty Seven Special Feature

Writing When the Spark Fades Out Too Early

By Abdulraheem Jameel Ango The last mile may be the longest, but many stories never survive the first mile. This isn’t always because the writer lacks effort or the ideas are weak. Sometimes, it’s due to the spark of motivation dying out too early. Finishing the first mile determines whether we’ll ever reach the end….

Issue Six Hundred Eighty Four Special Feature

Finding Writing Communities That Support Black Authors

By Jane Garba A good writing community will support you through rejection, bad drafts, and the long lonely hours. A bad one will leave you second guessing your voice and worth. For Black writers, the difference is more stark. Here’s how to find communities that actually show up for you. Know What You’re Looking For…

Issue Six Hundred Eighty Three

How to Write Like an Investigator: A Strategy That Keeps Me Writing Seven Days a Week

By Itto Outini Maybe it’s because my background is in journalism, but I do not get writer’s block. When I first started writing fiction, I thought this was normal, but after meeting many seasoned writers, all of whom report experiencing writer’s block at one time or another, I realized there was something different about the…

Issue Six Hundred Eighty Two Special Feature

Profanity Isn’t a Personality: How to Make Swearing Earn Its Place in Your Writing

By Bethany Bruno I can tell within one page when a writer mistakes profanity for voice. Swearing isn’t the problem. Substituting it for craft is. After a while, it blurs. Every line strikes the same emotional note. When every exchange turns into “Fuck this,” “What the fuck,” or “Shit,” nothing carries weight. The dialogue isn’t…

Issue Six Hundred Seventy Nine

How to Ace the Rejection Game

By Mandira Pattnaik It is not advisable for the well-published authors to view the plight of newbie, emerging writers as they grapple with the onslaught ravaged upon them by editors and publishers who view them less as blood-and-bone humans and more as names and email addresses. Neither is it advisable for those said nameless and…

Issue Six Hundred Seventy Five Special Feature

The Three Lies We Tell Ourselves About Time

By Lorraine Horsley When I was kid, I wrote for the joy of it. I got A grades in English. My stories were often read out in class. I was good at writing. My report cards said so. I’d write stories for fun in my spare time. And I always found the time. Fast forward…

Issue Six Hundred Seventy Four Special Feature

Talk to Someone: How the Best Writing Is Born

By Itto and Mekiya Outini Despite the enduring popularity of the lone genius archetype, there’s no sound reason that writing should have to be a solitary vocation. Many artforms hinge on collaboration—music, theater, and dance come to mind—and while it’s true that a book can be written by one person alone, that doesn’t mean it…

Issue Six Hundred Seventy Three

How I Published in 50 Litmags in Less Than a Year: A Strategy That Works

By Itto Outini How would you feel if someone were to send you a gift that doesn’t work for you at all: a piece of clothing that doesn’t fit, for instance, or a cookbook containing only meals that violate your dietary restrictions, or a piece of memorabilia that’s wildly out of step with your home…

Issue Six Hundred Seventy Two Special Feature

Creating Chemistry Between Your Characters

By Julie Shackman Chemistry between your characters in your writing is everything. If there’s no chemistry between the two, how can you expect your readers to believe that they find each other attractive and can fall in love? But how can you achieve chemistry between your characters? Light that Spark All romance novels need their…

Issue Six Hundred Seventy

Using Origin Stories to Sell More Books

By Rachel Carrington As crowded as today’s publishing market is, a good book may not stand out. Readers have so many options in their preferred genre. An outstanding description can catch their eye and help you make a sale, but oftentimes, if you’re a newer author, it’s difficult to get your foot in the door….

Issue Six Hundred Seventy Special Feature

3 Common Mistakes Committed by Self-Published Novelists (And How to Avoid Them)

By Michael Howard Over the past couple years I have read and reviewed dozens of self-published books, most of them novels. As you can probably imagine, the quality of the writing ranges from totally incompetent to quite good. The majority fit into the middle of that spectrum. Many of the novels I review begin on…

Issue Six Hundred Sixty Nine Issue Six Hundred Sixty Six

Keep Writing Human: Why AI Is Unhelpful at Every Stage of the Process

By David Ebenbach Given the new capabilities of generative AI tools, a lot of writers are asking where and when (if at all) they should be using these tools to help them in their writing. On the one hand, AI causes an awful lot of problems, but, on the other hand, we’re being told great…

Issue Six Hundred Sixty Five

Articles by A Guest Author