by Ruth Harris As Anne and I looked back at the blog for the past year, a portrait emerged highlighting the themes and subjects that interested you most. We were intrigued by these clues about what was on our readers’ minds in 2014 and thought you’d be interested, too. So here are the […]
Living with Robot Overlords: How to Survive in Our Cyborg World
by Anne R. Allen Everybody tells us that to succeed as writers in the e-age, we need to be active in social media. And once we get the hang of it, most of us find it a lot of fun. Cyberspace can feel like a big old playground for writers. Look! I can type […]
The Secret to Publishing Success in the Era of Social Media: Teaming with Your Fellow Authors
by Anne R. Allen Jon Stewart said on The Daily Show on August 27, (with heavy irony, of course) “Everybody uses Social Media as a weapon; that’s what it’s for.” He was, as usual, uttering spot-on truth disguised as a joke. Lots of people DO seem to use social media as a weapon, whether it’s […]
What Defines “Traditional” Publishing? What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You.
by Anne R. Allen The blogosphere has been full of debate about “traditional” vs. “indie” publishing since the dawn of the E-Age.We’ve also seen lively discussions about the definition of the terms.”Indie” once meant small independent publishers, but since the introduction of the ebook (and Kindle Direct Publishing) it has evolved to mean self-publishing […]
TOOLS OF THE (WRITER’S) TRADE: Lots of them FREE + reviews, how-to videos and cheat sheets.
by Ruth Harris Like plumbers and carpenters, architects and astronauts, cellists and golfers, writers need the right tools to help them get the job done. New tools appear constantly and many of them are FREE. Here is a round-up of current offerings. Word processors on steroids: MSWord is the industry standard, the app editors and […]
How Book Launches Have Changed in the Digital Age
by Anne R. Allen Most writers have been picturing it since we started scribbling ideas for our first novel. It’s the light at the end of the tunnel, the goal that keeps us slogging along, the Holy Grail of our writing journey— It’s your BIG BOOK LAUNCH PARTY!! We’ve watched the scene in so many […]
Know Your Genre: Tips and Secrets from the Experts for Writing Bestselling Genre Fiction
by Ruth Harris Romance with a side of horror? Happens in real life—oy!—but not such a hot idea in fiction. Cozy mystery with a soupçon of blood and gore? Only if you want readers coming after you with shoulder-fired missiles. Sci-fi in a gauzy, vintage-y mood? Not unless you want to find an IED in […]
How To Write For the 21st Century Reader: 6 Tips to Modernize Your Prose
by Anne R. Allen Publishing isn’t the only thing that’s being transformed by the digital age. Reading and writing themselves are evolving.We may not like it, but as writers, we need to be aware that our audience’s habits are changing. Last month I wrote about how to format your blog for easy skimming, and unfortunately, […]
How to Make the Bestseller Lists: Why Categories and Keywords Matter
by Ruth Harris Fiction or non-fiction? Thriller or sci-fi/fantasy? Romance or mystery? Young adult or self-help? Readers know what they like and what they want. Categories help them find what they’re looking for whether it’s the latest in steamy romance, a classic, time-tested bestseller or a gardener’s guide to growing petunias in Petaluma. Basically, […]
The Changing Role of Literary Agents and New Submission Guidelines: Read Before You Query (or Self-Publish)
This week I’m totally jazzed to host my agent, Pam Van Hylckama Vlieg (aka Pam Howell) . She’s one of the new breed of agents at the cutting-edge literary agency, Foreword Literary, founded by “Agent Savant” Laurie McLean. Pam represents the book I wrote with Catherine Ryan Hyde, How to Be a Writer in the E-Age: […]
Must-Have Writing Research Tools Beyond Google and Wikipedia
Writer’s Toolkit #5 by Ruth Harris A note from Anne: This is the 300th post on this blog, and the 40th for Ruth Harris! Ruth graciously agreed to join my blog in August of 2011, right after my out-of-print comic thriller Food of Love was accepted for re-publication by Popcorn Press. I was about to embark […]
Go Global in 2014: How to Get Your Books into the Global Marketplace
A lot of bookish blogs have posted predictions for 2014. But I’m only making one prediction for the new year: writers will need to start thinking globally. Growth of ebook sales in the US and UK has slowed, but the markets abroad are growing fast. Eoin Purcell wrote in the Irish Times last week: “Ebooks outside of the US […]
How to Sell Your EBook: Ads, Promo, Marketing—Paid and FREE
Writer’s Toolkit #4 by Ruth Harris The old ways of publicizing books aren’t working so well in the E-Age. In 2011, editor Alan Rinzler famously said, “That $50K space ad in the New York Times? Forget it. It’s only for the author’s mother. The twenty-city bookstore tour with first class airplanes, limousines, and hotel […]
