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November 13, 2022 By Anne R. Allen 24 Comments

Critiquing 101: Ten Do’s and Don’ts for Giving Helpful Critiques

Critiquing 101: Ten Do’s and Don’ts for Giving Helpful Critiques

Bad critiquing can pop somebody’s bubble without being helpful by Anne R. Allen I often advise new writers to look for a critique group to help them learn the writing ropes and get free feedback as well as the support they need when starting on a writing journey. But critique groups vary widely and some […]

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Filed Under: The Writing Life, Writers Dealing with Reviews and Rejection, Writing Craft Tagged With: Barb Drozdowich, critique group pitfalls, critique groups and criticism, Ghostwriters in the Sky, Nate Hoffelder

October 10, 2021 By Anne R. Allen 41 Comments

5 Indie Author Mistakes That Can Tank Book Sales

5 Indie Author Mistakes That Can Tank Book Sales

by Barb Drozdowich Hi there and welcome.  I come to the publishing world from the realm of technical training, not from a creative mindset. I look at the author world, the world of books, differently than many authors. Because of this, I see common errors that indie authors make which can result in loss of […]

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Filed Under: Self-Publishing, The Publishing Business Tagged With: Bakerview Consulting, Barb Drozdowich, Self-publishing mistakes, Website Tips & Tricks

May 20, 2018 By Anne R. Allen 84 Comments

Writers, Don’t Wear a “Black Hat.” 10 Ways to Tank Your Author Brand

Writers, Don’t Wear a “Black Hat.” 10 Ways to Tank Your Author Brand

Aggression, greed, and paranoia do not enhance your author brand. by Anne R. Allen Recently there’s been a bizarre drama going on in the book world. It’s been given the name #cockygate, because it involves a cocky author who managed to trademark the word “cocky” in a deluded attempt to eliminate the “competition” and “protect” […]

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Filed Under: Blogging for Authors, Social Media and Marketing For Writers, The Publishing Business Tagged With: #cockygate, author branding, Author Etiquette, Barb Drozdowich, book reviewers, Catherine Ryan Hyde, How not to spam, How to Be a Writer in the E-Age, Kristen Lamb, newsletters

April 15, 2018 By Anne R. Allen 42 Comments

Four Easy Ways to Not Look Like a Dork on Social Media

Four Easy Ways to Not Look Like a Dork on Social Media

Social media marketing sells books…if you do it right!  by Barb Drozdowich Did the title catch your attention? I’m older and the word “Dork” speaks to me. I didn’t grow up with social media in my life. The phone that I talked on was still attached to the wall. A smart phone and communicating electronically […]

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Filed Under: Social Media and Marketing For Writers Tagged With: Barb Drozdowich, Hashtags, social media bio, social media etiquette, social media for authors

December 3, 2017 By Anne R. Allen 77 Comments

Easy Blogging for Authors: 10 Tips for a Successful Author Blog

Easy Blogging for Authors: 10 Tips for a Successful Author Blog

The Author Blog: Easy Blogging for Busy Authors is here!   by Anne R. Allen I’ve made some spectacular blunders in my blogging career. But since we learn from our mistakes, I’ve got a boatload of information now. As Ruth and I say: “We made the mistakes so you don’t have to.” The worst decision I […]

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Filed Under: Blogging for Authors, Social Media and Marketing For Writers Tagged With: Author blogs, Barb Drozdowich, Blogging, blogging for authors, Book Marketing, Easy Blogging for Busy Authors, slow blogging

July 10, 2016 By Anne R. Allen 96 Comments

How to Get Book Reviews: 10 Tricks for Getting Your Book Reviewed by a Book Blogger

How to Get Book Reviews: 10 Tricks for Getting Your Book Reviewed by a Book Blogger

Book review bloggers are friends, not foes–get to know them! by Barb Drozdowich So…who are book bloggers anyways? I know that Anne periodically talks about book bloggers on this blog – but many authors that I talk to seem a bit fuzzy on the subject. I’m going to see if I can help you understand […]

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Filed Under: Blogging for Authors, The Publishing Business, Writers Dealing with Reviews and Rejection Tagged With: Barb Drozdowich, book bloggers, Book review blogs, Book Reviews, How to query a book blogger

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writers digest 101 best websites for writers award

Anne R. AllenAnne R. Allen writes funny mysteries and how-to-books for writers. She also writes poetry and short stories on occasion. She’s a contributor to Writer’s Digest and the Novel and Short Story Writer’s Market.

Her bestselling Camilla Randall Mystery Series features perennially down-on-her-luck former socialite Camilla Randall—who is a magnet for murder, mayhem and Mr. Wrong, but always solves the mystery in her quirky, but oh-so-polite way.

Ruth Harris NYT best selling authorRuth is a million-copy New York Times bestselling author, Romantic Times award winner, former Big 5 editor, publisher, and news junkie.

Her emotional, entertaining women’s fiction and critically praised novels have sold millions of copies in hard cover, paperback and ebook editions, been translated into 19 languages, sold in 30 countries, and were prominent selections of leading book clubs including the Literary Guild and the Book Of The Month Club.

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