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July 12, 2015 By Anne R. Allen 29 Comments

Indie Authors: How to Get Visible in Libraries

Indie Authors: How to Get Visible in Libraries

  We’re jazzed to have a visit this week from one of the most respected journalists in the publishing industry. Porter Anderson‘s resumé includes CNN, The Dallas Times Herald, and the Village Voice. He also writes for online biggies like Writer Unboxed, ThoughtCatalog, and FutureBook. He visits most of the major publishing industry conferences worldwide […]

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Filed Under: E-Books and Technology for Writers, Self-Publishing, The Publishing Business Tagged With: bogus writing contests, Chanel and Gatsby, Hugh Howey, indie publishing, Porter Anderson, self publishing, Self-E Library Journal, Victoria Noe, writing contests

October 26, 2014 By Anne R. Allen 55 Comments

Is Perfectionism Slowing Your Writing Process? 7 Ways NaNoWriMo Can Help

Is Perfectionism Slowing Your Writing Process? 7 Ways NaNoWriMo Can Help

by Anne R. Allen   We’ve all met those people who think their sojourn on earth is meant to be a fault-finding mission. They can spot lint on your jacket at fifty paces, provide a litany of your imperfections whenever there’s a lull in the conversation, and be counted upon to tell you why your pumpkin […]

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Filed Under: The Writing Life, Writing Craft Tagged With: Amazon countdown, Anne Lamott, Chris Baty, How to Be a Writer in the E-Age, Hugh Howey, Inner critic, NaNoREADMo, NaNoWriMo, Perfectionism, sucky first drafts

February 23, 2014 By Ruth Harris 44 Comments

From Pathetic to Professional: 8 Ways to Beat the First Draft Blues

From Pathetic to Professional:  8 Ways to Beat the  First Draft Blues

by Ruth Harris You’re happy, even delirious. You’ve finished your first draft! Then you read it. OMG, you think, did I write that?Yes, you did. 🙂 It stinks. It sucks. It’s so rancid it threatens to warp the time-space continuum. Think you’re alone? Here’s Hugh Howey in a blog post: “I suck at writing. Watching a rough […]

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Filed Under: The Publishing Business, The Writing Life, Writing Craft Tagged With: Character names, crutch words, how to write dialogue, Hugh Howey, know your genre, reverse outlining, Ruth Harris, Scrivener, Self-Editing, self-editing tips, sh***y first drafts, Zuri a love story

January 5, 2014 By Anne R. Allen 49 Comments

Is Writing a Hobby or a Profession for You? Why Either Path Can be a Good Choice.

Is Writing a Hobby or a Profession for You? Why Either Path Can be a Good Choice.

by Anne R. Allen   If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to become a successfully published author, it’s a good idea to consider first what that means to you.What is your personal definition of success?Do you want to be a professional writer or a hobbyist? Before you burst into high dudgeon and say, […]

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Filed Under: The Writing Life, Writing Craft Tagged With: Dan Holloway, hobbyist writers, Hugh Howey, Jay Asher, Porter Anderson, professional writers, Publishing Industry, Readwave, self publishing, Wattpad

June 16, 2013 By Anne R. Allen 151 Comments

7 Ways Authors Waste Time “Building Platform” on Social Media

7 Ways Authors Waste Time “Building Platform” on Social Media

  by Anne R. Allen   Authors are getting hammered with more and more demands on our time. We get escalating pressure to blog more! tweet more!! send more newsletters!!! churn out 12 books a year!!!! And don’t query unless your Klout rating is as high as Justin Beiber’s !!!!! It’s making us all feel as […]

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Filed Under: Blogging for Authors, Self-Publishing, Social Media and Marketing For Writers, The Publishing Business, The Writing Life Tagged With: Blog hop, Blog tour, Blogging, Burnout, Hugh Howey, Jon Morrow, Nathan Bransford, Newsetters, Porter Anderson, slow blogging, Social Media Marketing, The Slow Blog Manifesto

March 24, 2013 By Anne R. Allen 48 Comments

Is it Really Time for Authors to Stop Blogging?

Is it Really Time for Authors to Stop Blogging?

by Anne R. Allen   In a guest post on Jane Friedman’s blog on March 15th, L.L. Barkat said “blogging is a waste of time” for experienced authors. She feels blogging is only helpful for beginning authors who need “to find expression, discipline, and experience.” Her piece suggests blogging is for farm-leaguers only. Once writers […]

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Filed Under: Blogging for Authors, Social Media and Marketing For Writers Tagged With: blogging for authors, Hugh Howey, Jane Friedman, Kristen Lamb, L.L Barkat, Rachelle Gardner, Reddit, slow blogging, The Slow Blog Manifesto, Wool

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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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