(It's probably not what you think.) Most aspiring authors come to me worried about time, platform, and writing experience, but often, what they REALLY need isn't even on their radar.
Read MoreWe all suck at something, but as counterintuitive as it sounds, those weaknesses can be used to your advantage.
Read MoreI recently had the pleasure of connecting with Lucinda Halpern, owner of Manhattan-based literary management firm Lucinda Literary. I talk with her about traditional publishing, self publishing, how to stand out as an author, and what she’s looking for.
Read MoreWord count guidelines matter, and believe it or not, there are good reasons. In this post, I go over word count standards by genre, why they are what they are, why word count matters even for self-published authors, and what to do if your book is too long or too short.
Read MoreAs a writing coach and editor, I rely on these tools myself and frequently recommend them to my clients.
Read MoreBook editing rates are calculated in so many different ways it’s hard to know where to start. Here’s what you should expect to pay for an average-length book of 80,000 words.
Read MoreDevelopmental editors, line editors, copyeditors, acquiring editors…Who are are these people? How and when should you hire and work with them? In this post, I’ll go over the different editorial roles, and then I’ll offer my thoughts on who might be best to hire and when.
Read MoreI am a huge advocate of personalizing query letters. but too many authors are going about this the wrong way. Let’s talk about a better way to open your query letter, a way that convincingly shows the agent why your book is perfect for them.
Read MoreDon’t let rare and complicated scenarios or exceptions confuse you. If you only learn these 7 very simple rules, you’ll be right 97% of the time. That’s good enough for me to see your writing as smart and clean.
Read MoreAre you making any of these grammar mistakes?
If so, you’re far from alone. No need to be ashamed about the past, but now’s the time to clean up your act. Master these 8 English language potholes, and your writing will be more professional, saving you embarrassment and/or the cost of a heavy copyediting job.
Read MoreA good beta reader can save you time and money before you hire an editor....a bad one, not so much. Here are my tips on where to find beta readers, what to avoid, what to ask, and how to make the most out of working with them.
Read MoreEnrolling in an MFA in creative writing is a massive (and often massively expensive) decision. I’ll talk about whether mine was worth it, what to consider as you decide, your next steps for applying and getting funding, and alternatives to an MFA.
Read MoreThese are the books on writing that have helped me and my clients get published.
I’m a sucker for a good writing how-to. I’ve picked up dozens over the years, and no matter how many books I’ve purged over my 21 moves between cities, states and countries, I can’t get rid of a single one on writing.
Read MoreI want to help you edit your book the easy (well, easier or somewhat less hard) way. If anyone tells you writing, editing, or publishing a book is easy, they’re trying to sell you something.
Read MoreGod knows I do. I think about this all the time, so when Lauren Groff famously refused to answer the Harvard Gazette’s question about work-life balance, I was thrown. Like many of us, I cheered her on, but I was also frustrated. I reached out to some of the most prolific writing mothers (mothering writers?) I know and asked what advice they had for us.
I came home and fell into a serious funk. So did my husband. It took us more than a week to shake it off. (If I’m completely honest, I’m still not 100% back. In a minute I’ll get to how I’m addressing it and ask for your suggestions.) Here’s the weird thing, we were especially thrown by our malaise because we’re both lucky enough to LOVE our work and our home and our neighborhood, and now that we’re back home we aren’t sharing an itty bitty stateroom with two kids. So, why?! Why were we so deeply burned out on our lives mere days after returning from a restorative vacation?
Read MoreNope. You don’t. You definitely, absolutely, 100% do not have to write every day to be a writer.
So why do some writers claim you do? Because they do. It’s fabulous that they can sit down and write every single day of their life. Plenty of successful authors do that. Plenty of successful authors don’t.
If a daily schedule works for you, beautiful. But if it doesn’t, that’s okay too. Like athletes, many of us need breaks to recover, adapt, recharge, and prevent burn out.
Want some proof?
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