Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris
Writing about writing. Mostly.
Writing guidelines can help us climb that “book mountain” by Ruth Harris A breath-taking article about a Polish team of mountaineers planning to climb K2 in the winter—a risky-to-the-max feat that has never been accomplished—reminded me that every book is K2, a mountain that has never been climbed. Like expert climbers, writers make progress step […]
Most authors start with practice novels. Some may be publishable…later. by Anne R. Allen We often hear stories about authors who have phenomenal success with a “first novel.” I’m sure most writers fantasize about being one of those success stories as we begin our careers. I sure did. But here’s what I didn’t know when […]
Author Strategy? You mean there’s a strategy to this? by Carmen Amato I’m not sure what I was thinking of when I chose this quote from Louisa May Alcott to adorn my high school year book picture: “Far away there in the sunshine sat my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can […]
Writing career mistakes will happen, but these are some you can avoid. by Anne R. Allen Ruth and I like to say we made all the writing career mistakes so you don’t have to. I figure that I’ve collected nearly the full set of authorial faux pas since I embarked on a writing career. So today I’m […]
Rejection and failure make you think of quitting? Be like Thomas Edison instead. by Ruth Harris Rejection can make us want to cry and/or break things but rejection is almost never personal and often has nothing to do with your book, either. The sting of rejection can be bullied into submission with a can-do, eff-you […]
by Anne R. Allen I first blogged about the plight of slow writers back in 2014, at the height of the indie publishing boom. All the indie superstar gurus were telling writers to grind out ebooks as fast as they could type to take advantage of the “Kindle Gold Rush”. Three years later, the Kindle […]
Burnout can hit the most motivated writers and Type A high-achievers by Ruth Harris We’re writers and we don’t need no lousy bosses to crack the whip. We can do it to ourselves–create the frazzle, the frustration, the deadlines, the endless to-do lists, negative feedback, and the conviction that we’re not doing enough fast enough. […]
Are literary fiction writers getting bad advice about publishing? by Mike Sahno I’ll go out on a limb right off the bat and say that most writers get at least some bad advice somewhere along the way. Literary fiction writers are no exception. Now, I’m an indie author who formed his own company to publish […]
by Anne R. Allen No matter how great a book’s cover and blurb, one thing can stop me from buying yet another ebook for my Kindle: an author bio on the buy page that screams “amateur.” I spent some time as an editor, so when I pick up a book for relaxation, I want to […]
Stress or burnout? Writers can suffer from both. by Ruth Harris Look at your to-do list. WiP needs edits and revisions Editor/cover designer to hire Promo forms to fill out First draft to finish Get that new book/new series ready to launch The next-to-final draft need polishing Backlist covers need a refresh A box set […]
Make a Living Writing Fiction: Follow these Ten Steps By Elizabeth S. Craig I’ve been asked by everyone from writers with day jobs to high school students if it’s possible to make a living as a writer. The answer is easy—it’s definitely possible. The next question is trickier to answer—how does one go about making […]
Book length memoir is a hard sell, but short essays can be a goldmine. Memoir is the most popular genre at any writers’ conference, and the most common genre in any agent’s slush pile. Unfortunately, it’s the hardest to write well—and the least likely to be successful if you’re an unknown newbie writer. That’s because […]
Anthologies like “Equality” can also be a great way for established authors to expand their readership. by Anne R. Allen Anthologies have long been one of the best ways for new writers to get publishing credits and start building an audience. They’re also an excellent way for authors at any stage of their careers to […]
Anne R Allen’s Blog With Ruth Harris