Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris
Writing about writing. Mostly.
Don’t kill book sales dead with a less than enticing “look inside” sample. by Anne R. Allen I never have as much time to read as I think I will, and my trusty old Kindle is pretty loaded up. So I’m a picky book-buyer. Unfortunately, there are a lot of readers like me out here, […]
Everybody listens to podcasts, but do they sell books? by Allison Tait Podcasts. It seems as though everyone is talking about them, listening to them and starting one. But should you? Australian author Allison Tait is the co-host of the popular So You Want To Be A Writer podcast. She’s a multi-genre writer with 25+ years […]
Online author etiquette for keeping safe in the cyberjungle. by Anne R. Allen After I wrote my post last month on cyberbullying in the publishing community, a lot of people asked if there’s any way to avoid these online terrorists. I wrote a post on the subject back in 2013, soon after my nightmare encounter […]
Hiring an editor too soon wastes time and money. by Anne R. Allen Learning to write books is hard. Earning money from books is even harder. So some writers figure they’ll bypass the expensive stuff like hiring an editor. This is not a good idea if you’re planning to self-publish. We are all blind to […]
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 […]
Anne R Allen’s Blog With Ruth Harris