Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris
Writing about writing. Mostly.
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 […]
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 […]
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 titles are tough. Even the greats don’t always get them right. by Anne R. Allen Book titles are so important. Would the novels Trimalchio in West Egg, First Impressions, or Private Flemming, His Various Battles have succeeded if their publishers hadn’t changed the titles to The Great Gatsby, Pride and Prejudice, and The Red Badge […]
First novel finished? Celebrate! by Anne R. Allen You finished your first novel! Break out the bubbly. Order a cake. Buy some really good chocolate. Time for a major celebration. Only about 3% of people who start novels actually finish, so you’re a major winner right there. You’ve done something spectacular. Savor the moment! Finishing […]
Facebook ads work to reach the elusive niche reader by Barbara Morgenroth Eight years ago when I began a second career as an indie author after many years in traditional publishing as well as television, my middle grade book, Impossible Charlie, was the only new book in its category. Total book visibility! By the […]
Anthologies are an excellent way for a writer to break into publishing. They can also do a lot to expand the audience for your existing titles. Blog ninja and Master and Commander of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, Alex J. Cavanaugh, has edited several anthologies, and gives us the skinny on how they can help your […]
9 Ways Editors Can Make You Look Good…and 7 Ways They Can Make You Miserable by Ruth Harris As a former editor, I’m biased but, as a writer, I’ve learned that for me (and for just about every writer I know), editing is the most productive and transformative part of writing a book. Whether […]
We’re honored this week to host literary agent Laurie McLean of the Fuse Literary Agency. If you’re looking for an agent, we have great news for you! Although Laurie is not accepting unsolicited submissions, she will accept queries from readers of this blog! Scroll down for more info in Laurie’s bio. And now, here’s Laurie!… […]
by Anne R. Allen Welcome to our new blog!! I hope you’ll find our new WordPress site is easier for comments and searches. Because we have a high-profile blog, a lot of people contact us because they want us to promote their services to our readers, usually through contests or deals. Sometimes these services are […]
by Anne R. Allen Should I pay to copyright my manuscript? Will a publisher or agent steal my plot from a query? How can I protect my ideas? We get asked these questions a lot. Until recently, our standard answer was: “Stop worrying about it. Your work is automatically copyrighted as soon as you type […]
by Ruth Harris What’s a Style Sheet? Look, guys, I don’t want to freak you out but, if you’re writing a book (or a short story or a novella), you need a style sheet. If you plan to self-pub, a style sheet will save your sanity while you’re writing—and after because a style sheet will […]
