Writing about writing. Mostly.
by Anne R. Allen Everybody tells authors we must use social media to have successful careers in the E-age, but nobody talks much about the dangers that lurk here. Here’s the thing: the Internet is still the wild frontier. And it’s so huge nobody’s quite sure how to police it. Big, loosely regulated social […]
This week Ruth Harris gives us more must-have tools for writers in the second installment of her “Writer’s Toolkit” Series. Lots of stuff here that’s available FREE or cheaply. This is another post—like the one about global markets last week—that reminds me how much I still don’t know about this business. I have to […]
One of the biggest changes the e-reader has brought to the publishing industry doesn’t get much cyberink in the online book community. It’s the huge international market that’s opening up now that we don’t have to pay to ship physical books around the world. If, like me, you’ve ever experienced that terrible moment on vacation […]
Some pretty scary things have been happening in the online book world recently—stuff that’s been shocking to those of us who expect our fellow book-lovers to behave like civilized adults. I spend a lot of time telling new authors how to use social media to create a “platform,” but I probably don’t warn you enough about the […]
I know. Rejections hurt. But they’re also a necessary part of your career as an author. So when you get your first one, give yourself time to feel the pain, then do something to celebrate. Maybe even print it out and frame it. Yup. You read that right. Congratulations! You now have the one thing […]
by Anne R. Allen The Oxford dictionary says the word “anthology” comes from a Greek phrase meaning a collection of flowers. I love that image. An anthology is a place to display literary or musical works that have been chosen to work together—like a floral bouquet. I’ve had the privilege of contributing to […]
by Ruth Harris First of all, what the &%^# is metadata? AccordIng to Wikipedia, it’s “data about data.” But we’re writers and we’re talking about books, so, huh? Let me try again: when it comes to a book, metadata can be defined both by what it is and what it isn’t. Metadata’s everything in […]
by Anne R. Allen This is the third in my series on my “Social Media Secrets.” If you haven’t read the first two yet, you might want to check out #1: How to Avoid Twitter-Fritter and Facebook-Fail and #2 How to Blog Your Way Out of the Slush Pile and onto the Bestseller List.When I teach blogging, the […]
I kind of have a love-hate relationship with writers’ conferences. I’ve been to some that left me dazed and confused (and considerably poorer) but I’ve attended others that energized and inspired me. So are conferences necessary to launch your writing career? No, but it can be a great way to learn the basics of the […]
by Anne R. Allen “Blogging doesn’t sell books.” “Don’t waste your time blogging.” “Spend more time on Facebook/Pinterest/Tumblr/Twitter/YouTube/ Goodreads/Soliciting reviews/Spamming your friends with newsletters.” You’re hearing this stuff every day. But in a survey published this week, 63% of readers said they discover books most often on author websites (a blog is a website.) Facebook nearly […]
by Ruth Harris As a follow up to Anne’s post, How To Get A Book Published for new or beginning writers, we’ve decided to post a list of the must-haves and the beyond-the-basics that belong in every writer’s toolbox. Even writers just starting out will probably already have at least some of these tools, but there […]
by Anne R. Allen First: many thanks to Indies Unlimited, which named this blog to its 10 Blogs and Websites Every Indie Should Know. If you’re an indie, or thinking of going indie (self-publishing or small-press), do follow them for great tips and news from a very savvy team of writers. Most writers these days […]
by Anne R. Allen What’s the difference between a dream and a goal? Short answer: reality. A dream is a creature of the imagination, full of sparkles and rainbows and magic. It’s our castle in the air where we live our fantasy lives. We all need them. But we also need to recognize them […]
Anne R Allen’s Blog With Ruth Harris