» A Guest Author

Case Study: The Potrero Complex’s Journey to Publication

By Amy L. Bernstein When poet Robert Frost wrote about two roads diverging in a yellow wood, I doubt he had in mind all the writers striving to get happily (and traditionally) published. But my own publishing journey thus far suggests that there are indeed divergent roads a writer can take to reach the same…

Case Studies Issue Four Hundred Fifty Six

Why Famous Authors Use Pen Names – And Why You Should Consider Using One

By Rod Martinez JD Robb, Richard Bachman, Robert Galbraith, Mark Twain. You’ve heard of them; they are renowned names in the literary world – pen names of famous authors. But what causes an author to not want to use his or her real given legal name when writing? Authors have many reasons why they do…

Issue Four Hundred Fifty Six Special Feature

8 Funding Opportunities for Writers this February 2022

by NmaHassan Muhammad Below are a number of funding opportunities for writers that are open to submissions. If a deadline is known, it is included. Whale Rock Workshops’ 2022 Diversity Grant Whale Rock Workshops is working in conjunction with Greatest Stories Never Told (501c3) to offer BIPOC and other under-represented students full tuition coverage to…

Issue Four Hundred Fifty Four

The What, Why, and How of Plotting Your Novel

By Sarina Byron No debate divides a bunch of writers faster than a discussion on whether they plot their written pieces or not. Some writers feel that creating a plot for their story or article is limiting. They feel that spending time on a plot outline stifles their creativity and they do much better when…

Issue Four Hundred Fifty Two

3 Absolute Musts for Every Self-Published Author

By TC Marti Self-published authors often struggle to find a readership. And it’s not uncommon to see them drop out of the industry after they find few readers willing to take a chance on their work. Therefore, they must use strategies to build their audience months, if not a year, before they publish their first…

Issue Four Hundred Fifty Three Special Feature

Opportunities for Fellowships and Scholarships in January 2022

by Hassan Muhammad The following list provides you with excellent opportunities to start the year with a foot through the door. So stop your procrastination – please! – and get your application out – before deadlines arrive. Best of luck with your applications! Also please note that Princeton University Press has a great fellow opportunity…

Issue Four Hundred Fifty One

16 Literary Magazines Seeking Volunteer Readers & Why You’d Want To Participate

By Trish Hopkinson There are a variety of reasons you may want to volunteer as a reader for a literary magazine or journal. The majority of reading and other volunteer responsibilities will be conducted online, so you need not be in the same geographical area. Below are some of those reasons to consider, as well…

Special Issue

The 5 Elements of Plot Outlines

Sarina Byron If you are reading this article, you may have identified a theme and storyline for your book. You could have even made some notes about things you want to include and possibly done some research on the different ways to plot the story. Having gone through this, by now you may appreciate that…

Issue Four Hundred Forty Six

End of Year Funding Opportunities for Writers

by Hassan Muhammad These opportunities include prize awards, scholarships and fellowships. Opportunities are reproduced from the respective websites. 12 x 12 2022 Challenge Scholarships There are six scholarships available for 2022, three Financial Need Scholarships and three Diversity Scholarships. You are welcome to apply for either or both scholarships (although you can only be awarded…

Issue Four Hundred Forty Four

Creating a Successful Author Patreon

By Aliya Hall Outside of book sales and contest prizes, it can be challenging for authors to bring in income for their creative writing skills. Fortunately, there’s a handful of websites where fans can directly pay authors for their creative goods, all while authors grow their reader base. Patreon is one of the best options…

Issue Four Hundred Forty Three

Small Press versus Big House: How Does a Thoughtful, Ambitious Author Decide?

By JoAnneh Nagler I remember the week it happened. I was writing my first book, was two-thirds of the way through it, and I suddenly lost my nerve. Or, more accurately, I got angry—pissed off, actually. I had the suddenly-occurring realization that I could spend all this time writing my beloved book, and it was…

Issue Four Hundred Forty Two

Bringing Your Characters to Life Through the “Five Whys”

By Sarina Byron Writing is a skill that brings all of life together. It is a skill where we pour all of our experiences, observations, hopes and beliefs into creating a story and characters that we hope will outlive us. We can all conjure up an imaginary person but how do we bring that imaginary…

Issue Four Hundred Forty One

Case Study: How Claudette on the Keys Got Published

By Joanne Culley The story I’d been working on had gone through multiple evolutions, from a strictly factual account, to a blend of fact and fiction, until it had reached the point where I was calling it a novel. The story was loosely based on the lives of my grandparents, a two-piano four-hands team who…

Case Studies Issue Four Hundred Forty

Making the Jump: Transitioning to Writing for Children

By Rumbidzai Whena They say no matter how grown up we are, we will always be kids inside. So when I was offered a book contract for writing children’s books, it seemed easy; all I had to do was reach inside and think like my inner kid, right? Wrong. Staring at a blank screen made…

Issue Four Hundred Forty Eight Special Feature

How to Choose Publications for Your Poetry

By Trish Hopkinson You’ve written and revised your poetry and now you have some finished work you’d like to share with an audience. To help yourself focus on the types of markets you’d like to be published in, ask yourself what’s most important to you. Consider the following and rate each by importance. If they…

Issue Four Hundred Thirty Nine

Articles by A Guest Author