by Laurie Schnebly Campbell “You’re building a WHAT?” “A world.” “The whole THING?” That’s where the next response will be different for each writer. Yes, some of us do build an entire world for our stories. No, some of us don’t. But regardless of how detailed or how sketchy it might be, we can never […]

Penny Sanseveri From a business standpoint, giving something away for free to get a sale may seem counterintuitive. How can giving something away for free help you make money in the long run?   Think of offering those freebies as a marketing expense: the cost of exposure. Free promotions are a great way to get you […]

Turning Whine Into Gold by Kathryn Craft It was 2001 and as a dance critic, I’d been getting paid for my published writing for eighteen years. I had this writing thing in the bag! I just needed an agent to get my recently drafted novel out into the world. (Experienced authors: I hear you. Quit […]

Laura Drake There are SO many things that I wish I'd known in the beginning (or even yesterday). We all could use help/encouragement, and some advice is just too good not to share. Like my all-time go-to: If you don't know who's POV to be in in a scene, choose the character who has the […]

Angela Ackerman A common frustration for Pantsers is being told that the way they write is “wrong” and what they should do instead is plan more so their first draft will hold together better. This happens because Plotters are focused on ensuring their first draft is structurally sound so revising will be easier. They don’t […]