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Posts by Guest Contributor

Writing the Dreaded Synopsis

July 26, 2022

Writing the Dreaded Synopsis

July 26, 2022

Many authors would rather write a whole new novel than cram the one they’ve already written into a 500-word summary. If I wanted to write a short story, I would…

Avoiding Stereotypes in Fiction: People of Color

June 30, 2022

Avoiding Stereotypes in Fiction: People of Color

June 30, 2022

Readers have spoken: they want more diversity in fiction. And writers are stepping up, but it can be hard to write about someone who’s different than you. Careful research is…

3 Design Secrets for Captivating Book Ads

June 28, 2022

3 Design Secrets for Captivating Book Ads

June 28, 2022

By Teresa Conner With so many books in the world and ads on every platform imaginable, social media can often feel like screaming into a void. In order to get…

Avoiding Stereotypes in Fiction: Characters with Mental Health Issues

June 23, 2022

Avoiding Stereotypes in Fiction: Characters with Mental Health Issues

June 23, 2022

Readers have spoken: they want more diversity in fiction. And writers are stepping up, but it can be hard to write about someone who’s different than you. Careful research is…

Avoiding Stereotypes in Fiction: LGBTQ+ Characters

June 9, 2022

Avoiding Stereotypes in Fiction: LGBTQ+ Characters

June 9, 2022

Readers have spoken: they want more diversity in fiction. And writers are stepping up, but it can be hard to write about someone who’s different than you. Careful research is…

The Ins and Outs of Blurb Requests

May 24, 2022

The Ins and Outs of Blurb Requests

May 24, 2022

By Liz Alterman After tons of hard work, your book is almost ready to be published. But before the celebration begins, you have one more hurdle to overcome…securing author blurbs.…

Six Tips for How to Write a Compelling Action Scene

April 14, 2022

Six Tips for How to Write a Compelling Action Scene

April 14, 2022

By Emily Young Did you know that when you read a novel, your brain thinks you’re experiencing the events? “The brain, it seems, does not make much of a distinction…

Spinning a Yarn out of History: How to Craft a Plot from your Historical Obsession

February 24, 2022

Spinning a Yarn out of History: How to Craft a Plot from your Historical Obsession

February 24, 2022

By E. C. Ambrose Some of the most compelling fiction arises out of the writer’s engagement with a narrow aspect of history. It might be an event with an exciting…

Your Novel: Concept to Query in 10 Months

February 17, 2022

Your Novel: Concept to Query in 10 Months

February 17, 2022

An Action Plan for Actual Humans By Fred Koehler Like almost every other writer I know, I’m not a full time novelist. Publishing is, at the best of times, really…

Stoking Your Story’s Fire: Three Considerations for Revising Scene by Scene

February 10, 2022

Stoking Your Story’s Fire: Three Considerations for Revising Scene by Scene

February 10, 2022

By David G. Brown The Two Pillars of Storytelling After my first couple years as a fiction editor, I realized that all of my developmental feedback for clients fit into…