Special Feature

5 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Published My Novel

When I became an Indie Author after publishing my first novel, I learned a lot of valuable lessons. I wish someone had warned me about the obstacles I was about to encounter. Below are the five things I really wish I knew, before I became an Indie Author. They are all common obstacles that Indie…
Issue Ninety-Two Special Feature

The Misery and the Joy of Self Publishing

Since I published my first novel The Mess of Me in 2013 I have been on what feels like a roller-coaster of a journey. I’ve had the initial high of a life-long dream coming true and the inevitable crushing low of realizing that writing and releasing a book does not automatically guarantee you any sales….
Issue Ninety-one Self Publishing Special Feature

Our Twelve Most Popular Articles in 2014

Of all the many articles we published on writing and publishing this year, the following five were our most popular in terms of click through rate in the magazine and on Facebook, and also in terms of the responses we heard via email. It is interesting to see the range of ideas these articles cover…
Issue Eighty-Eight Publishing Guides Special Feature

3 Anthologies Currently Open To Submissions

Anthologies are a great way to get your foot in the door. They are more likely to be sold at bookstores than literary journals. Some are taught in classrooms. They look great on a resume and they can help establish a working relationship with a particular press. All anthologies are themed. Sometimes the theme is…
Issue Eighty-Seven Special Feature

Why You Should Attend a Writing Conference

Writing conferences are one of the only reasons readers, writers, publishers, and agents all meet in the same building. Because of that, they are a unique opportunity to network, learn, and enhance your career. Writing is a solitary profession for the most part, so writing conferences might seem a little counter intuitive, however they offer…
Issue Eighty-Five Publishing Guides Special Feature

3 Very Unusual Literary Journals

Most literary journals are pretty predictable. There is a front cover and a back cover if it is a print journal. Online the format is more varied, but usually with similar results. There might be some art work or some audio that makes the presentation have a little more depth. But mostly they are variations…
Creative Non Fiction Fiction Issue Eighty-Four Literary Journals Poetry Special Feature

5 Ways to Get Out of a Writing Rut

Slump, funk, and rut are all names I have heard used more than once to describe that feeling writers get of being stuck. The details differ depending on the author, however many describe it as not writing anything new. Instead they are rehashing the same topic over and over again. Or, even if they are…
Issue Eighty-Three Special Feature

The Indie Publishing Revolution

  We’re in the midst of the largest revolution in the publishing industry since the invention of the printing press. Recent changes to the publishing industry have given immense power to a market segment that until now largely has been ignored, indie authors. For those who don’t know, the term Indie is short for “independence”…
Issue Seventy-Nine Self Publishing Special Feature

Setting Goals for Your Writing Life

When I finished my first novel, at 15, my goal was to get it published within a year. I never even considered self publishing it, at the time that was not as common as it is now. During that year I finished the 10th grade, had a part time job, and completed my swimming lessons….
Issue Eighty-One Special Feature

The Importance of Writing Challenges

Someone told me about NaNoWriMo for the first time when I was 19. I had never heard of a writing challenge before, but the idea of there being a National Novel Writing Month, where writers attempted to complete a manuscript in just one month, was very exciting to me. I really liked the idea of…
Issue Seventy-Eight Special Feature

3 Things I Wish I Knew When I Was First Submitting To Literary Journals

When I was first submitting to literary journals, I would spend 15 minutes or more on their website tracking down any scrap or clue that might help help my work be accepted. I read their guidelines multiple times. Every time I received a rejection I read a lot into it. Now, many years and at…
Issue Eighty Special Feature

Pay It Forward

          As an indie writer struggling build a career, it can be easy to lose sight of many things. Unless you’re fortunate enough to have friends in high places or you’re just plain lucky, you must devote a substantial amount of time to your career. It doesn’t take long to realize…
Issue Seventy-Seven Special Feature

A Proper Indie Book Launch

Just close your eyes for a moment and imagine that you’ve finally done it. The manuscript that you labored on for so long is perfectly polished, it has been written, edited, re-written, laid out in its final format, and the eye-catching cover is designed.  Your head is swimming with a myriad of emotions, anticipation, fear,…
Issue Seventy-Six Publishing Guides Self Publishing Special Feature

We Support Banned Books

6 or so years ago, I read Truth & Beauty by Anne Pattchet. It was one of my favorite books right away. I loaned it to my mother, who loved it. A little while later I read an article about the book by Anne Pattchet in The Atlantic. I was shocked to discover that it…
Issue Seventy-Five Special Feature

Evaluating a Publisher’s Website

Updated February 20th 2016 Submitting your work to full length publishers is a terrifying process partially because you are facing potential rejection and partially because it is not easy to know if the publisher will treat your work fairly. I have written before about how to avoid bad publishers in the article Red Flags. Sometimes…
Issue Seventy-Four Special Feature

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