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June 19, 2022 By Anne R. Allen 33 Comments

Why the Last Page of Your Novel is as Important as the First

Why the Last Page of Your Novel is as Important as the First

by Anne R. Allen Mickey Spillane famously said “They read to get to the end. If it’s a letdown, they won’t buy anymore. The first page sells that book. The last page sells your next book.” I can see the creative writing students rolling their eyes. Mickey Spillane wasn’t exactly a great prose stylist. But […]

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Filed Under: Social Media and Marketing For Writers, Writing Craft Tagged With: Anne R. Allen, Famous last lines, How to finish a novel, The Gatsby Game

June 12, 2022 By Anne R. Allen 54 Comments

They’re (NOT) Gonna Put you in the Movies: Beware Book-to-Film Scams

They’re (NOT) Gonna Put you in the Movies: Beware Book-to-Film Scams

  by Anne R. Allen For the past couple of years, streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, etc. have been gobbling up literary properties to make into films and TV series. So I guess it was inevitable that scammers would find a way to exploit the phenomenon. Here’s a 2019  article from Publishers Weekly about […]

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Filed Under: Scams and Alerts for Writers Tagged With: Anne R. Allen, bogus book reviewers, book-to-screen scams, Hollywood writing scams, So Much for Buckingham, spec script

June 5, 2022 By Anne R. Allen 16 Comments

7 Essential Tips to Plan Your Novel Like a Pro

7 Essential Tips to Plan Your Novel Like a Pro

You can plan your novel even if you’re a pantser by Beth Barany Even as an experienced novelist, I still need a roadmap to follow when I’m starting a new novel. When I was a beginner, I really needed a roadmap that worked for me. Which is why I created these tools, especially designed for […]

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Filed Under: Writing Craft Tagged With: Beth Barany, Elevator pitch, high concept, Plan your novel, plot spinner

May 29, 2022 By Anne R. Allen 36 Comments

6 Ways Your Author Bio Can Help You Sell Books

6 Ways Your Author Bio Can Help You Sell Books

Why you should write that author bio now by Ruth Harris The book you poured your heart into languishes on your hard drive like the wallflower at the dance — slumped shoulders, wilted corsage and all. Your crit group tries to be encouraging, but the message is clear. Go to plumbing school/welding school where you will learn […]

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Filed Under: Social Media and Marketing For Writers, The Publishing Business Tagged With: author bios, Code Name OK-Ultra, How to Write an Author Bio, Ruth Harris

May 22, 2022 By Anne R. Allen 49 Comments

How Bad Marketing Can Destroy Your Author Brand, Lose Friends, and Influence Nobody

How Bad Marketing Can Destroy Your Author Brand, Lose Friends, and Influence Nobody

by Anne R. Allen Bad marketing is worse than none. And I’ve seen some breathtakingly bad marketing strategies recently. I assume authors are hiring cut-rate online marketers who have more experience selling real estate in Mumbai and knock-off designer sunglasses than books. Do I need to say this is a bad idea? Being annoying may […]

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Filed Under: Scams and Alerts for Writers, Social Media and Marketing For Writers, The Publishing Business Tagged With: Anne R. Allen, author branding, Book Marketing, DIY marketing, junk marketing, The Author Blog: Easy Blogging for Busy Authors

May 15, 2022 By Anne R. Allen 33 Comments

Wanna Be a Paperback Writer? The Scoop on Writing Series Books!

Wanna Be a Paperback Writer? The Scoop on Writing Series Books!

by Melodie Campbell This month, I will have the privilege of interviewing both Ian Rankin and Linwood Barclay, at separate conferences and festivals.  Both are world-renowned crime writers (and wonderfully witty men besides.)  As I read through their latest books in order to prepare for being the hostess with the mostess (naughty thoughts aside – […]

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Filed Under: The Publishing Business, Writing Craft Tagged With: how to write books in a series, Melodie Campbell, The Goddaughter Series, The Goddaughter's Revenge, Writing books in a series

May 8, 2022 By Anne R. Allen 60 Comments

Can A Writer Quote Song Lyrics in a Memoir or Novel?

Can A Writer Quote Song Lyrics in a Memoir or Novel?

by Anne R. Allen Song lyrics inspire a lot of writers. Often a song that means a lot to you may be what inspired your book in the first place. Or you may need to quote those Garth Brooks lyrics to give an authentic tone to that bar scene in your memoir. The band played […]

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Filed Under: The Publishing Business Tagged With: Anne R. Allen, Boomer Women, Can You Use Song Lyrics in Novels, Fair Use, litigious Limeys

May 6, 2022 By Anne R. Allen Leave a Comment

An apology to Rose Ankh Publishing

UPDATE: “Rose Ankh Publishing” was referred to as a vanity press in a number of the comments on this post. Such statements were untrue. Rose Ankh Publishing is a legitimate small independent publisher and NOT a vanity press. David Conway, whose recent biography “Magic: A life in more worlds than one” was published by Rose […]

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Filed Under: uncategorized

May 1, 2022 By Anne R. Allen 33 Comments

Should a Debut Indie Author Pay a Company for Book Marketing?

Should a Debut Indie Author Pay a Company for Book Marketing?

by Anne R. Allen One of the worst crimes publishing scammers perpetrate on new authors is bullying them into buying junk “book marketing packages.” Often these cost astronomical fees — $10,000 and more. The useless book marketing the scammers push involve Tweets (which haven’t sold books for over a decade), presence at book fairs (where […]

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Filed Under: Self-Publishing, Social Media and Marketing For Writers Tagged With: Book marketers, indie authors, The Camilla Randall Mysteries boxed set

April 24, 2022 By Anne R. Allen 25 Comments

Tips and Tweaks for Finishing the Half-Baked Book. With Recipes.

Tips and Tweaks for Finishing the Half-Baked Book. With Recipes.

by Ruth Harris Why is cooking — often? usually? sometimes? — more appealing than writing? *Even if you’re only a halfway decent cook, just about everyone will eat and enjoy what you made — and tell you so. * If you’re only a halfway decent writer, no one will enjoy what you wrote — or will […]

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Filed Under: The Writing Life, Writing Craft Tagged With: finish your manuscript, Park Avenue Blondes, Ruth Harris

April 17, 2022 By Anne R. Allen 53 Comments

Why Every Writer Needs a Social Media Executor, NOW!

Why Every Writer Needs a Social Media Executor, NOW!

  by Anne R. Allen Social Media Executor? That may not be a term you’re familiar with, but believe me, you need one. That hit home for me this week after the tragic death of my friend, the kind, talented, funny author Barbara Silkstone. I hadn’t heard from her for a month or two, so […]

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Filed Under: E-Books and Technology for Writers, Social Media and Marketing For Writers, The Writing Life Tagged With: Barbara Silkstone, Facebook memorial page, Social Media Executor, social media ghost, The Lady of the Lakewood Diner

April 10, 2022 By Anne R. Allen 28 Comments

3 Legal Issues to Avoid When Writing Your Book

3 Legal Issues to Avoid When Writing Your Book

by Joseph Perry When you sit down to write your book, there are some legal issues that you need to be cognizant of. These include defamation, invasion of privacy, and right of publicity (a form of privacy). There are other items to be aware of as well, but let’s focus on these three for now. […]

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Filed Under: The Publishing Business Tagged With: Joseph Perry, Legal advice for authors, Libel, Right of publicity, Slander vs. Libel

April 3, 2022 By Anne R. Allen 34 Comments

5 Tips for Writing Vivid Secondary Characters Who Don’t Take Over the Story

5 Tips for Writing Vivid Secondary Characters Who Don’t Take Over the Story

  by Anne R. Allen Secondary characters are often glossed over in popular fiction. They’re in the story to further the plot, and can sometimes devolve into broad stereotypes or cardboard cut-outs while the protagonist (and maybe love interest) dominate the story. You can avoid the problem if you think of the secondary characters as […]

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Filed Under: Writing Craft Tagged With: Anne R. Allen, Jami Gold, Minor characters, Secondary characters, Sherwood Ltd., too much dialogue

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writers digest 101 best websites for writers award

Anne R. AllenAnne R. Allen writes funny mysteries and how-to-books for writers. She also writes poetry and short stories on occasion. She’s a contributor to Writer’s Digest and the Novel and Short Story Writer’s Market.

Her bestselling Camilla Randall Mystery Series features perennially down-on-her-luck former socialite Camilla Randall—who is a magnet for murder, mayhem and Mr. Wrong, but always solves the mystery in her quirky, but oh-so-polite way.

Ruth Harris NYT best selling authorRuth is a million-copy New York Times bestselling author, Romantic Times award winner, former Big 5 editor, publisher, and news junkie.

Her emotional, entertaining women’s fiction and critically praised novels have sold millions of copies in hard cover, paperback and ebook editions, been translated into 19 languages, sold in 30 countries, and were prominent selections of leading book clubs including the Literary Guild and the Book Of The Month Club.

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