The Joys and Benefits of a Critique Group
© 2018 Michelle Shafer I’ve spent the last seven years writing a fantasy trilogy. Though not published yet, my work has been read and reviewed by talented writers from two…
Divine Grace and Human Imperfection
© 2018 Jon Woodhams I tell people that one of my claims to fame is that I was the proofreader for Jan Karon’s first Mitford book. It’s true—back in the…
Gotcha! Catchy Headlines Cause Readers to Slow Down, Take a Look
© 2017 Beth Gooch You’ve put the finishing touches on a blog post or an article, but your work isn’t complete until you’ve topped it with a headline that tempts…
Writing Online: Remember Your Reader
© 2017 Gaye Clark Hundreds of media outlets lure writers online to get their work “out there,” with a promise of reaching millions of readers. Facebook users alone share 2,460,00…
How to Create a One Sheet
© 2017 Bethany Jett When I first heard that I had to take a one sheet to a writers conference, I thought, “A one sheet of what?” My book was…
Five Ways NOT to Attract an Editor’s Attention
© 2013 W. Terry Whalin Will Rogers is credited with saying, “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.” As an acquisitions editor, I read book…
Creating a Quality e-Product
© 2013 Susan K. Stewart Publisher’s Weekly reported that e-book sales rose by 117% in 2011 while print sales fell. That trend seems to be leveling off now. So for most…
Wild Apostrophes
© 2012 JoAnn Reno Wray I haven’t read articles in the newspaper, seen Internet stories, nor heard it reported by TV newscasters, but I’m convinced a large herd of wild…
Four Surprising Lessons
© 2011 Dennis E. Hensley Someone sent me an email recently with the header, “Twenty Classic Novels You’ve Probably Never Read.” Since I consider myself to be a well-read person…
Silence Your Inner Editor
© Edie Melson, May 2011 Is your Inner Editor a friend or foe? For most of us the answer is dependent on where we are in the writing process. This…