Writing is an art. If you want to do well, you have to learn the craft. The saying goes, “practice makes perfect.” But it is equally important to study the craft of writing. Writing alone isn’t enough to improve. You have to study the art of writing and practice writing well. In this post, I […]
6 Great Books For Non-Fiction Authors
While most non-fiction authors don’t need to study plotting and character development, knowing how to craft a sentence, use correct grammar, and outline a book are all still important. Finding books to help non-fiction writers with their craft is much more difficult than finding books for fiction authors. I was recently at my local Books-A-Million […]
What to Look for When Hiring an Editor
Before hiring an editor, there are several things you will want to look at and ask before agreeing to work with them. In this post, I’ll share 4 things you want to know before you consider working with an editor. We recommend checking their websites for these things before even contacting someone. However, not every […]
How to Become an Award-Winning Author
While reasons may vary, every author wants to get their book into the hands of readers. We write, publish, and market our books with that goal in mind. It’s how we sell books. One of the ways we can interest new readers in our books is by letting them know of our success. We share […]
JumpStart Your Book Marketing (with this jumpstart checklist)
I love checklists. They always help me make sure I have everything done and keep me headed in the right direction. When my husband published his first book last fall, I wish I would have had a checklist for new authors. I’ve been writing and publishing books for close to 5 years now – it’s […]
Building A WordPress Author Website From Scratch In 6 Simple Steps
Author websites are a key factor to book marketing. I always consider them the foundation of any good book marketing plan. When you market your book, you’re always sending readers somewhere. Having a base of operations can give you a good place to send your fans as well as a place where they can go […]
4 Tips For Using Facebook Events to Their Full Potential
I’ve spent all day on Facebook today. And it wasn’t a waste of time. Shelley and I were invited to join Bryan Cohen’s “March to a Bestseller” event on Facebook a while back. The live event is today and we’ve been having some amazing conversations. 16 authors got together (at Bryan’s request) and each of […]
Why an Author Should Have a Booth at Live Events
I turn my head from left to right scrutinizing the setup of my booth. The tables are in the shape of an L and are situated toward the back of the booth space. This set up leaves plenty of room for readers to come in and browse. The tablecloths are fitted and reach the floor […]
{Q&A Session} Self-Publishing Your Books
We asked our following what questions they had about writing, publishing and marketing their books, and we answered them in a live Q&A session. The majority of the questions focussed on self-publishing books, so that was our focus. We answered questions about ISBN’s, book distribution, choosing a title, formatting, and more. Here’s what some of the […]
5 Steps to Self-Editing Your Writing
Poor editing detracts from the reader’s experience, and it also can cast you in a bad light as an author. Needless to say, good editing is a huge part of being a successful author. In this post, we’re going to cover 5 steps to self-editing your writing, but first, I wanted to share a few […]