Word Magic
Are you writing short stories? If you aren’t, give them a try. Why? Many reasons: we’ve looked at the many advantages of bite-sized fiction here. The biggest advantage for me is that shorties bring visibility to novels I wrote years ago. If you want to promote older material in a story too, add a link to that published book in … Read more
Are you writing short fiction? Perhaps you’re wondering where to post your material, like the writer who asked: “Should I post a short story on my blog, or on Medium or Simily? If I it post on my blog, no one will see it. A couple of authors are posting to Simily.” My humble opinion: instead of asking where to … Read more
Are you a self-publishing author? Here’s a big tip: start preparing for Christmas holiday sales NOW. It’s July; we’re in the second half of the year. Christmas goodies appear in stores early: consider having your fiction and nonfiction selling by October, at the latest. Speaking of October, if you write fiction, consider writing a few horror stories for Halloween. I … Read more
Have you been procrastinating on your self-publishing ambitions? Procrastination is a challenge for both nonfiction and fiction authors. Nonfiction authors distrust their inspiration. One author told me: “I’ve already started three books—but there’s dozens of nonfiction books on those topics already.” Have you nixed an idea because “it’s already been done?” When you’re looking for nonfiction ideas, competition should encourage … Read more
Love to write short fiction but struggle to plot a short story? You’re not alone. A novel gives you freedom to go off on tangents; a short story or novella doesn’t. Many authors find corralling their story a hassle. I do too. I’m a wordy writer, so I’ve had to learn to stick to the point in short fiction. In … Read more