» A Guest Author

A Short Course in Finding the Right Publication for Short Fiction

By DL Shirey Short prose can offer big challenges. Those who haven’t tried writing microfiction sometimes balk at the craft, often thinking it’s no big deal to dash off a couple hundred words. Yet, the hardest part may not be composing a complete, engaging story using minimal word count. Finding a publisher for your 50-word…

Issue Four Hundred Sixty Three

9 Literary Scholarships And Fellowships for Writers – April 2022

by NmaHassan Muhammad The following are opportunities for creative writers that are open this April and beyond. Some have fast approaching deadlines and others have more time. The list is organized according to deadlines. So the further down the list you go, the more time you have to apply. Some of these opportunities are open…

Issue Four Hundred Sixty Three

3 Ways to Make Your Writing Unforgettable

By Abdulraheem Jameel Ango Writing that comes to life engages the hearts and minds of readers. Giving your writing life is one way to register it as a relatable, even unforgettable, piece in the minds of readers. Here are three elements that can help bring your writing to life. Figures of Speech If your writing…

Issue Four Hundred Seventy Four

Compelling Fiction: How Does a Writer Find the Magic Potion?

By JoAnneh Nagler For this article, I thought I’d give myself the very assignment we’re going to talk about: writing a piece of fiction that draws the reader in, right off the top, in a compelling way. When I was writing my new book of short stories, Stay with Me, Wisconsin, that challenge came up…

Issue Four Hundred Sixty Two

Launching Your Book at a Farmer’s Market

By Emily-Jane Hills Orford Tired of the usual book signing event at the big box bookstore? Tired of sitting around waiting for an avid reader to show some interest in your display and perhaps even purchase an autographed copy of your book? Perhaps the big box bookstores aren’t the best option for launching your books….

Issue Four Hundred Sixty One

How Teaching Writing Made Me a Better Writer

By Emily-Jane Hills Orford How many times have you heard that old adage: “He who can, does; he who cannot, teaches.” It’s from George Bernard Shaw’s Maxims for Revolutionists, which is usually published with his play, Man and Superman. Nothing could be further from the truth; teachers are not losers. In fact, there are a…

Issue Four Hundred Sixty Special Feature

How to Write a Bad Guy Readers Will Root For

By Amanda Nicholson Do you struggle to write realistic bad guys in your fiction? Maybe you wonder why TV shows like Dexter are popular, or what You (both a book and successful Netflix series) is getting right, that you try so hard to replicate. If so, the following suggestions might help. Give your bad guy…

Issue Four Hundred Fifty Nine

10 Literary Scholarship, Residency, and Grant Opportunities in March

By NmaHassan Muhammad The following opportunities have different requirements and limitations, so please read the details carefully before submitting. We wish our readers the best of luck! Highlights Foundation New Scholarships Highlights Foundation have put a new, streamlined process in place for scholarship applications and will award more than $75,000 in scholarships in 2022. The…

Issue Four Hundred Fifty Eight

Writing Book Reviews to Promote Your Own Books

By Emily-Jane Hills Orford If you’ve written and published a book, you know the importance of book reviews, both good and bad (yes, bad reviews are important, too). But did you know that writing reviews of books you’ve read and publishing them on various sites is a great way to promote your own book(s)? It…

Issue Four Hundred Fifty Eight Special Feature

Make More Money With an Audiobook

By Amanda Nicholson Making money as a self-published author isn’t always easy, but having your book available in more formats can help introduce readers to your work. One way of doing this is by having your book adapted into an audiobook. If you’re unsure how to do this, or think it might be too costly,…

Issue Four Hundred Fifty Seven Special Feature

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

Articles by A Guest Author