As an author of ten novels, AJ Eversley is no stranger to the manuscript drafting and editing process. She's seen her fair share of filler words, excessive info-dumping, and flat characters. But that also means she has developed techniques to spot these flaws in her first draft and correct them for an iron-strong final draft. She shares some of her tried-and-true strategies with us in this episode.
Publishing a book doesn't tend to pay the bills, so authors are turning more and more to crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter to support themselves and their work. It's not as simple as throwing a campaign up on the site and letting it run itself, though. Luckily, award-winning author and accomplished Kickstarter runner David Hankins has loads of advice on how to maximize your own campaign, so you can jump into the process prepared.
Some writing tips are specific to genre, but there are at least a few critical tools that writers need to know no matter what kind of prose they're writing. Understanding perspective, utilizing storytelling, and crafting sentence structure and rhythm will all level up your writing. Developmental and copy editor Katie Chambers gives us how-to advice to help you address these elements of your manuscript and take your draft from an 8 to a 10.
Whether you pursue traditional or hybrid publishing is an important decision for authors to make, but on top of that it's also worth considering whether to work with a literary agent. Literary agents give authors crucial connections to publishers and are full of key guidance to help you realize your publishing dreams. Agent and editor Amy White explains the role of literary agents, as well as why and how authors should enter into this relationship to advance their goals.
The editing process is a crucial step toward publication for authors to take, but it can also be an overwhelming one. There's new jargon to learn, new relationships to build, and new expectations to set. Editor and writing consultant Mary Vensel White has tons of advice for writers to know before they enter into a contract with an editor, so tune in and take notes, because you'll want to have a solid understanding of the editing process to take your book to the next level.
No matter what genre you're writing in or what age group you're writing for, book series are quite the beast to tackle. E. L. Tenenbaum is a writer of multiple series, so she has the much-needed experience to lay out tips on how you can write your own series. From identifying the unique challenges of your project to keeping yourself organized to triple-checking your work, these tips will help you stay on track.
As the podcast market grows, every author is turning to podcasts to promote their books. But with a non-zero learning curve and a novel's worth of podcast types, niches, and angles, it's hard to know where to start. Y. M. Nelson comes at this topic from both sides of the mic as an author and podcaster. She gives us advice on how authors can find podcasts, put together a solid pitch, make your appearance, and market published episodes so that you can become a sought-after podcast guest in your own right.
We all remember the books that shaped our childhoods, and for many authors, it's a dream to create those childhood-shaping books for future generations. The real challenge these days is actually getting your book into the hands of readers, no matter their age. Peter Felton, a teacher and critically acclaimed writer of chapter books, is here to give his advice on how to reach young readers and deliver exciting and rewarding author visits in schools.
Kids have big emotions, but so do adults, and that's where children's literature can come in to help kids process their emotions -- and help their parents facilitate that processing. As a children's book author, writing stories to start these conversations is a big responsibility to carry! Michelle De La Mora is one such author who used her own experiences with her grandson to not only write a gorgeous story about separation and love, but also to create companion materials adults can use to connect with the kids in their lives.
Jo Sparkes writes in a variety of genres, including children's media, fantasy, YA fiction, and screenwriting, so she's perfected the use of a 360 view to create and write characters so authentic they make readers believe they exist in real life. You can create such dynamic characters yourself using her techniques. Tune in to learn what questions Jo asks her characters, what situations she puts them in, and why it's so important to use this approach if you want to write better characters.
Music and poetry have long since gone hand in hand, so it's no wonder that an exciting artistic opportunity for composers and poets is to collaborate on new creations. Award-winning poet Athena Kildegaard is here to tell her story of working with musicians and has advice on how other poets can pursue similar endeavors.
For those of us with access to more than one language in which to write, jumping between languages can help us express ourselves more authentically and connect us with our communities. It can also give us the tools to communicate ideas that may be limited in one language but enhanced in another. Charnjit Gill, award-winning poet and playwright, weaves between English and Punjabi in her work, so she's the perfect artist to describe the challenges and joys of multilingual storytelling.
Writers struggling to find the time and motivation to finish their manuscript and take that next step toward publication is a tale as old as time. Danielle Blum, author and entrepreneur, has perfected the art of organization with her three-tier planner setup. She shares her insights and discoveries with us to help you manage your own creative chaos and reach your goals.
An MFA in Creative Writing can open creative and professional doors for writers, from giving you a consistent like-minded community to connecting you with agents. It can also be a significant expense that requires considerable lifestyle changes. Rhonda Zimlich, the Director of the MFA in Creative Writing Program at American University, explains the benefits of getting an MFA and what to consider before you apply.
Whether you're writing fiction, memoir, or even poetry, there's a balance to be struck between telling the truth and telling an interesting story. How do you preserve narrative interest and personal truths? Short fiction writer Rhea Thomas shares insights and examples to help you infuse your writing with creative authenticity.
Writing outside of your usual genre, working for big-name clients, exploring your creativity -- these are all things you could have access to as a ghostwriter. If you want to get paid to do all this and produce manuscripts, ghostwriting could be the way to advance your career. Alison McBain, award-winning novelist and ghostwriter for both celebrity and New York Times-bestselling authors, is here to talk us through how to get started.
Literary and speculative poetry have their similarities, but speculative poetry is new on the scene when it comes to award recognition, literary journal space, and reader popularity. How do you get recognized as a writer of speculative poetry in this evolving sector of the publishing industry? Wendy Van Camp, Poet Laureate Emerita and co-chair of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, gives us a comprehensive overview of speculative poetry -- including how you can get paid to publish your work.
You’ve written a book, you’ve gone through all this work to get it published, and you arrive at release day to realize: you had no idea how much work it takes to publicize your book. Nicki van Ingen Schenau, a published author and accomplished entrepreneur, is here to help. She advises us on how to put on the entrepreneur hat to sell your book, from overhauling your approach to maximizing your social media content.
From editorial reviews to consumer reviews and everything in between, book reviews are a crucial marketing and workshopping tool for any author. If you want to know why and how to put them to work for your book, tune in to hear advice from an expert in the field: Joe Walters. As the founder of Independent Book Review and author of The Truth About Book Reviews: An Insider's Guide to Getting and Using Reviews to Grow Your Readership, Joe has all the chops to walk us through important definitions, common misconceptions, and what to prioritize in your book reviews.
Teri M. Brown's books are all highly decorated with award wins. How does she know which awards to submit her book to, and what pros and cons does she weigh when she makes these decisions? In this episode, Teri lays out all the important information and advice to get you set up for success as you dive into your own book award submissions.