Special Feature

Warning Signs: How to Avoid Submitting Your Work to the Wrong Publisher

This article is all about how to avoid signing a book contract with the wrong publisher. It is hard to find good publishers, and it involves a lot of research just to find a legitimate publisher that accepts work if you do not have an agent. However, there are great options out there, particularly for…
Issue Three Hundred Eighty Four Special Feature

The Most Common Mistake Writers Make When First Submitting to Publishers

There is one mistake that most authors make when submitting their work to literary journals and magazines for the first time. It is a mistake I made when I first started submitting work. It is a mistake that most of the serious authors I know made. What is that mistake? Is it a terrible cover…
Issue Three Hundred Eighty Two Special Feature

Hiring and Firing Actors for My Novels

By Mark Marderosian When beginning my first draft, I can hear the characters relating their adventure to me and I type away furiously with no qualms about typos or spelling.  After the initial draft is when the fun work begins. I picture for the first time that I’m now hiring actors to play the roles…
Issue Three Hundred Eighty One Special Feature

Writing Effective Dialogue: 5 Things to Keep in Mind

By Annmarie McQueen Dialogue is an incredibly important part of storytelling, and yet one of the things many writers struggle with the most. Having characters interact with each other is a key way for information to be revealed, plots to be moved along and things to happen. Dialogue is something you need to get right…
Issue Three Hundred Seventy Nine Special Feature

The Authors Publish Fund for Literary Journals

Since the Coronovirus pandemic started, a lot of literary journals have been under more stress than ever. Academic journals lost organizers and funding, and a number of wonderful journals went under, for financial reasons, or logistical restraints. Many journals switched over to charging fees for submissions and the ones that remained fee-free were slammed with…
Issue Three Hundred Eighty One Issue Three Hundred Eighty Three Special Feature

What to Say to Bad Writing

by Janice R. Torres I was recently asked by a good friend of mine to take a look at their writing and let them know what I thought. I had never read any of their work before, having met them through a freelancer’s meet and greet, but I wanted to be supportive. So, I agreed…
Issue Three Hundred Seventy Seven Special Feature

6 Ways to Increase Your Confidence as a Writer

By Chikodi Olasode A writer’s journey is all about ups and downs, and how you weather the downs can make a real difference. Most writers at some stage doubt themselves or their ability to write. Here, I share some tips that might boost your confidence. 1.  AffirmationI’ve seen writers cringe when asked what their occupation…
Issue Three Hundred Seventy Six Special Feature

The Bio as Self-Advertisement

By Michael J. Moore In a seemingly endless pool of literature, where it can be difficult for even the most talented authors to distinguish themselves, publicity must be sought, and acquired without authors having to pay for it. You can do this by learning to view your bio (usually a 50-100 word description of yourself…
Issue Three Hundred Seventy Four Special Feature Uncategorized

8 Lessons From Legendary Authors That Will Improve Your Writing

By Chikodi Adeola Olasode Are you an aspiring author who’s wondering if it’s the right path? Perhaps you’re one of those struggling with the craft, not sure if being an author is really worth all the stress. Well, here are eight quotes from eight legendary authors that could make you sit up and fasten your…
Issue Three Hundred Seventy Three Special Feature

5 Marketing Strategies for Your Self-Published Book Launch

By Annmarie McQueen So you’ve edited your novel to perfection and you’re ready to self-publish it on Amazon and show it off to the world. You’ve decided on a launch date, but now what? Setting up a pre-launch marketing campaign is one of the biggest things determining the success of your book launch, and yet…
Issue Three Hundred Seventy Two Special Feature

5 Paying Literary Markets Open in July 2020

These markets pay for submissions of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. They’re accepting work in July, and don’t charge submission fee. Scare StreetThey want short horror stories with a focus on ghosts, the supernatural, paranormal, monsters, and dark tales – “We go for stories that are dark, literary; we are looking for the creepy, the weird…
Calls for Submissions Issue Three Hundred Seventy One Special Feature

Submission to Journals as a Form of Promotion

By Cait Moore These days there are a multitude of promotional tactics that authors can use to garner attention for their books. Words like blogging, book tours and personal appearances fall from the mouths of my author friends daily. I agree. They are useful and indeed a necessary part of promotion. However, the lawyer in…
Issue Three Hundred Seventy One Special Feature

9 Ways to Break Through Writer’s Block

By Chikodi Adeola Olasode When you hit writer’s block, you’ll sit for hours in frustration, fiddling with your pen, and no ideas will come through. I know how helpless I feel when my creative well hits an inspiration brick. But there are always ways through and around writer’s block to generate new ideas for short…
Issue Three Hundred Seventy Special Feature

5 Paying Literary Markets to Submit to in June 2020

These markets pay for submissions of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry – they are a mix of genre and literary markets, and are open through June. One market is for writers of color only.  The Threepenny ReviewThis respected quarterly journal will close its reading period for the year at end-June. They accept fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and…
Calls for Submissions Issue Three Hundred Sixty Seven Special Feature

How Reading Out Loud Can Make You a Better Writer

Victoria Otto Franzese Study after study shows that reading aloud to children provides a multitude of benefits, including sharper focus and better comprehension. Many of these same advantages occur when you read your own writing out loud, which is why doing so can be an important tool for editing your work. Researchers who have found…
Issue Three Hundred Sixty Seven Special Feature

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