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June 21, 2025 By Anne R. Allen 22 Comments

You’re Not Failing to Get Published. You’re Building Inventory

You’re Not Failing to Get Published. You’re Building Inventory

  by Anne R. Allen I’ve been going through my blog archives, and I found one of the first pieces I wrote for the blog—15 years ago. This was before the “Kindle Revolution” had really taken hold, so almost all beginning writers were desperately trying to “land an agent.” (We seemed to treat agents like some […]

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Filed Under: Self-Publishing, The Writing Life Tagged With: Anne R. Allen, landing an agent, practice novels, The Hour of the Moth

June 14, 2025 By Anne R. Allen 11 Comments

Chekhov’s Gun: Does Your Story Have a Forgotten “Gun”?

Chekhov’s Gun: Does Your Story Have a Forgotten “Gun”?

by Anne R. Allen This week I’m visiting the writing blog, Writers In the Storm, talking about “Chekhov’s Gun.” “If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired. Otherwise, don’t put it there.”…Anton Chekhov Chekhov, the Russian playwright, also wrote short stories, […]

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Filed Under: uncategorized Tagged With: Anne R. Allen, Chekhov's Gun, The Hour of the Moth, Writers in the Storm

May 25, 2025 By Anne R. Allen 19 Comments

Why Do We Read Murder Mysteries?

Why Do We Read Murder Mysteries?

  This week I’m visiting the Sleuthsayers blog, with a blogpost about why murder mysteries are so popular in times of chaos and upheaval. Here’s the opener. Why Do We Read Murder Mysteries? By Anne R. Allen I once met an aspiring writer who been forced to move in with Mom after a year of […]

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Filed Under: The Publishing Business, The Writing Life Tagged With: Sleuthsayers, The Hour of the Moth, writing a mystery

April 19, 2025 By Anne R. Allen 27 Comments

10 Pieces of Bad Advice New Writers Get from Unhelpful Friends

10 Pieces of Bad Advice New Writers Get from Unhelpful Friends

Bad advice and false friends can destroy a career before it starts by Anne R. Allen Happy Easter! I hope everybody is enjoying biting the ears of chocolate bunnies, eating expensive hen’s eggs you’ve dyed garish colors, and other fun seasonal rituals. Yes, I love them all, and I admit to nearly decapitating a chocolate […]

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Filed Under: The Publishing Business, The Writing Life Tagged With: Anne R. Allen, Bad advice for new writers, The Hour of the Moth, Tips for new writers

April 12, 2025 By Anne R. Allen 22 Comments

6 Book Marketing Tips for New Authors

6 Book Marketing Tips for New Authors

Multi-author anthologies are a great marketing tool by Anne R. Allen A couple of weeks ago, a European blogger asked if she could reblog a post I wrote 10 years ago. She said it was the best piece on marketing she’d ever  read. (Aw shucks. Here’s me blushing.) The truth is I’d forgotten all about […]

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Filed Under: Blogging for Authors, Social Media and Marketing For Writers Tagged With: Book Marketing, multi-author promotions, The Hour of the Moth, Volumes of Pleasure Bookshoppe

February 1, 2025 By Anne R. Allen 32 Comments

Can Marathon Writing Sessions Lead to Depression?

Can Marathon Writing Sessions Lead to Depression?

  by Anne R. Allen Last July, I put this blog on hiatus after 15 years because I had a novel to finish and blog business seemed to be taking all my time. I also felt worn down by the daily disrespect from the 1000s of wannabe guest bloggers who will not read or follow […]

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Filed Under: The Writing Life Tagged With: Anne R. Allen, Fast writing, Thalia Press, The Hour of the Moth, Work-life balance, Writing and Depression

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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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