Should comp titles be necessary?

I don’t usually do publishing hot takes, but I do wonder what everyone else’s opinion on this is. I've seen people agree that comp titles (comparative titles) are necessary, and I don’t think they see the other side. Comp titles are popular in queries, and in some places, they are required. I’ve been in Q&As … Continue reading Should comp titles be necessary?

ARCs — What are they? And why do writers need them?

ARCs—advanced reader copies—are important in the publishing process for every writer. The one major thing to do before publishing a book is build hype. You want your readers to jump up and down with excitement for your upcoming book. Quite similar to how many people get excited every time Marvel releases a new trailer. And … Continue reading ARCs — What are they? And why do writers need them?

NaNoWriMo in February?

Have you ever thought about doing NaNoWriMo during another month? Or even choosing your own month for it? (NaNoWriMo, if you don't know, stands for National Novel Writing Month. It's when writers get together to write a novel—or 50,000 words—in November.) NaNoWriMo is at the start of a busy season itself. Especially when I worked … Continue reading NaNoWriMo in February?

The book industry is top heavy, & what does that mean for us?

When you think of your favorite books, where are they from? Penguin? Hachette? HarperCollins? Or are you one of the few who loves indie books? I read from a bit of all four. But something I've noticed is that when I get excited about an indie book, no one knows what I'm talking about. They … Continue reading The book industry is top heavy, & what does that mean for us?

How many books do you have to write to write a good one?

I've had that question for a while now. How many books do you have to write to write a good one? I knew some authors wrote one book, had a few drafts, and published a brilliant piece of work. Some wrote a few novels before one of theirs got published. Some writers told me that … Continue reading How many books do you have to write to write a good one?

How many rejections is too many?

A while back, I was on a live stream with Anna Akana when she did something that surprised me. Instead of saying "aw man" or so when I mentioned how many rejections I have gotten, she got excited. She said it was good for me. After the rejections made a mountain on my desk, they … Continue reading How many rejections is too many?

Reevaluate it all

As a blogger, or even as a writer, do you take a step back and reevaluate past blog series? Recently, I went through every book review that I've made on this site. One, I didn't think there'd be so many. (Sooo many tabs.) Two, I fixed some formatting mistakes. Three, I also rearranged my review … Continue reading Reevaluate it all

Can you stop writing—take a break—for “too long”?

On the first day of class, eighteen students sat in a circle, facing each other as awkward as can be. We didn't really look at each other, and most of us had no idea what we were doing there. Our teacher leaned forward and turned to look at each of us. She asked how long … Continue reading Can you stop writing—take a break—for “too long”?

To writers? To readers?

Do I write for writers or for the readers? The obvious answer would be for the readers, because their opinions are what I need. They're the ones who buy books, read books, and write the reviews. They're the ones who will get excited to see me if I write well. But writers are the ones … Continue reading To writers? To readers?

Should we write what we read?

They say to write what you read, but I think that confines us in a way. If we only write what we read, must we always read something we love? I'd only read fantasy/sci-fi then, never knowing any nonfiction or poetry much. I'd limit myself the number of stories I dive into. My world would … Continue reading Should we write what we read?