I just got an email from someone saying they were too depressed to publish, so I’m sharing my response: “Release it first, promote it later; the market decides whether they like it, and the work is what it is, so don’t let your feelings or doubts stop you from getting it out there.” Edit: Now
For the second year in a row, my humble mess of a blog got listed by the WriteLife as one of the top 100 sites for writers – right next to Jane Friedman and Dave Chesson, so I thought I’d mark the moment with some stories. I *met* Dave years ago when I was in Taiwan, and
How to Make the Dream Come True Every journey begins with a single step. Derek Murphy helped me navigate and overcome the obstacle course between me and my destination of becoming a successful Indie fantasy author. We met online after I’d completed my first medieval fantasy novel. I was lurking around his website, CreativIndie. As
It’s been a few weeks since I launched Book Craft, the writing guide I’ve been working on all year, and reviews are terrible. I don’t really have a great place to discuss this, so I’m starting a blog post here. It’s obviously not great marketing to talk about bad reviews in a defensive preface; or
After spending years as a developmental editor, a decade getting my PhD in Literature and a few writing courses where I helped thousands of writers nail the basics of plotting out their story, I decided to put my best tips on the craft of writing together in a book. I already knew I had unique
Twists make readers react. Sometimes, a great plot twist makes your jaw hit the floor, or make you want to turn back to page one and start the book all over again, this time with a whole new perspective. Learning how to write twists will help you entertain your readers and sell your stories, especially
When I tell my friends and family I’m an introvert, they scoff in disbelief. I was a precocious child. I got punished a lot for talking in class. I was Vice-President of my class, President of the international club and voted “Most Spirited.” But my lack of inhibition mostly came from a natural self-confidence and
A few years ago I wrote about how to craft a blurb that converts… but today I need to make a confession: I still suck at blurbs. Sometimes I think I get them right. Sometimes other people think my blurbs are awesome (and I’ve seen authors copy what I’m doing). But other times, competitors destroy
Today I went down the rabbit hole of professional book coaches: you know, those people who help you write books. I’ve talked about this a little on this blog but it was probably mostly negative and my stance might be shifting a little bit. You see, I don’t really believe in coaches. Coaches help give
This is a guest post on how to use a great cover in marketing materials. Writer friends, you may have noticed how the world of design plays a big role in book launches, from covers to ads. If you’ve ever wondered how a career marketer approaches design, read on to see how I aimed for
I’ve been getting frustrated with the internet lately. Every headline I click on – even by big reputable sites like Forbes, HuffPost or Medium … turns out to be a short, numbered list of pretty worthless tips. Nothing moving or life-changing. Nothing practical that I can really use in my life or business. Mostly just
This is an advanced excerpt from Anna David’s new release “Make Your Mess Your Memoir.” If you’re ready to take your own experience and make it into a memoir that can help other people… There are just a few things for you to figure out first. #1 Determine Your Message Determining your message is, as far
