» A Guest Author

The Surprising Ways Writing Groups Open Doors

By Tina Jenkins Bell After I graduated from college, I had aspirations of becoming a published writer but had no idea of how to get there. I needed guidance beyond writers’ magazines, books, and annual conferences. I needed accomplished kindred souls who didn’t mind sharing their knowledge and resources. I found these souls collectively in…

Issue Two Hundred Thirty Six Special Feature

5 Things That Happen When You Start Calling Yourself a Writer

By Elaine Mead There can be very set ‘wrong’ and ‘right’ ways of being a writer – or so we’re led to believe. Historically, you’d need to have a publishing agent, an editor, published works, and books on shelves before you might dare to use the word ‘writer’ to describe what you do. And that’s…

18 Awards for Children’s Books

By Anne E. Johnson When you’re trying to sell copies of your book or sell your own merits as a writer, it doesn’t hurt if you can describe yourself as an “award-winning author.” One way to earn that label is to snag a prize for a book you’ve already had published. There are plenty of…

Issue Two Hundred Thirty Three Special Feature

10 Habits of Prolific Writers Worth Imitating

By T.N. Wesley Have you ever wanted to double or triple your daily word output? Do you dream of producing a novel every year? Other prolific writers have done it, and so can you. By imitating their daily habits, you can increase your productivity. Below are ten habits of prolific writers which, if put to practice, will…

Issue Two Hundred Thirty One Special Feature

Book Signing Events: Do They Really Work?

By Kia Carrington-Russell With the increase of book signing events in recent years for Indie authors, newcomers to the industry often wonder if it’s worth the expense. The main thingto consider when looking into booking a table at an author signing event is: expense vs exposure. I went to my first signing in 2014 locally…

Issue Two Hundred Thirty Special Feature

Find Your People: How to Start a Writer’s Society

By Lindsay Redifer One of the best decisions I made this year was to seek out fellow writers in my community and bring them together into a little society. I love to write alone all day, but I love to exchange ideas and energies, too. The solitude broke me and I formed my little group…

Issue Two Hundred Twenty Nine

BetaBooks: A New Tool for Organizing Beta Reading

By Kelli Fitzpatrick Beta readers are essential to the writing process. They voluntarily read your completed work to give feedback before you submit a manuscript for publication. While these people are awesome, the process of collecting feedback from multiple beta readers and keeping it organized and accessible has long been a hassle for authors, especially…

Issue Two Hundred Twenty Eight Special Feature

Top Conference Follow-Up Tips

by Devon Ellington Meeting agents and editors at conferences gives a stronger sense of whether your work is the right match. You also meet other authors, who provide mutual support on the publishing journey. Conferences are both exhilarating and exhausting. How often have you returned from a conference, dumped your bag in the corner and…

Issue Two Hundred Thirty Two Special Feature

How to Future-Proof Your Writing

By James Aitchison When books come back from the dead, who gets the money? Or doesn’t it matter? As a working author, I think it matters greatly. As history has often proved, you never know when something you’ve written will be rediscovered and dusted off long after your death. A case in point is Maigret,…

Issue Two Hundred Twenty Five Special Feature

The Basic Structure for a Story

By Matthew Meyer Ever since I picked up my first Goosebumps book back in third grade (I can’t remember what the name of it was exactly), I’ve wanted to do what R.L. Stine was doing. Not necessarily horror books, but the way he structured his writing intrigued me, making me think, “hey! This is neat!…

Issue Two Hundred Twenty Four Special Feature

3 Steps to Take After Sending Your Book Query to Agents Or Publishers

Congratulations, you’ve reached that ever-so-exciting spot in the writing process where you have a draft that has been polished enough to seek out an agent or a publisher and you’re now in the querying trenches. From the anxious moment you hit send on your first query letter to the first form rejection letter, querying time…

Issue Two Hundred Twenty Three Special Feature

3 Lists of Paying Sci-Fi Publishers

By Kelli Fitzpatrick As a science fiction author, I frequently find myself searching for homes for my stories, so I keep the three web pages below bookmarked on my desktop and mobile home screen as quick reference guides to potential markets. I prefer to be paid for my work (as opposed to publication without compensation),…

Issue Two Hundred Thirty Five Special Feature

5 Reasons Writers Should Read Often

By Kelli Fitzpatrick Writers are often pressed for time, especially those of us who work a second profession. Though it can be tempting to pour all my free time into fleshing out an outline or bringing that next chapter to life, I have found it is essential for my success as an author that I…

Issue Two Hundred Seventeen Special Feature

Podcasting Your Writing: A Great Promotional Tool

By Jack B. Rochester, Ruby Fink, and Michael Mavilia Have you ever wondered what people wearing ear buds are listening to when they’re out jogging? What they’re playing in their cars while stuck in traffic? Or when simply enjoying in those quiet, personal times away from the glare and blare of a TV? You might…

Issue Two Hundred Sixteen Special Feature

Lessons I’ve Learned from 25 Years in Children’s Publishing

By Sylvia Rouss My first picture book was published over 25 years ago. In the quarter of a century following my first book’s publication I have continued to publish books regularly, including the popular Sammy the Spider series, and I have learned a lot about both writing and publishing. This article covers the most important…

Issue Two Hundred Fifteen Special Feature

Articles by A Guest Author