A friendly reminder

The publishing world may seem bleak. Literary agents and editors have been quitting. Less agent engagement in pitch contests. Barnes and Noble doesn't want to stock new and some already established writers. Lots of barriers are still in place for diverse writers. The list goes on. But while the world may seem gloomy, remember that … Continue reading A friendly reminder

My short story got published!

My short story—The Guardian Monster—is now published and available through Cloaked Press! Here's a link. You can even find my name under their meet our author family section. It’s on the beautiful front cover as well! This is my first published short story, so it's the longest work that I've ever published up to this … Continue reading My short story got published!

Author Interview — Rita A. Rubin

Recently, I posted a review on Amulet of Wishes, and now I get the chance to interview the wonderful Rita A. Rubin. I hope you enjoy. What has influenced you the most as a writer? Other books, I'd say. Especially fantasy books. For Amulet of Wishes, did plot or characters come first? Characters. Derek and … Continue reading Author Interview — Rita A. Rubin

Author Interview — P.D. Alleva

Last week, I posted my book review of The Rose by P.D. Alleva, and now I have an exclusive interview with him. I hope you enjoy. Where do your story ideas come from? Dreams? Real life? What-if questions? Story ideas come from a mixed bag of dreams, real life, and what ifs. Typically the idea … Continue reading Author Interview — P.D. Alleva

Author interview — Arthur Swan

I got nineteen questions for you all, and I hope you enjoy. Thank you, Arthur, for this opportunity. Where did you grow up/live now? I grew up in Wilson, a small tobacco town in eastern North Carolina. I now reside in Los Angeles. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew … Continue reading Author interview — Arthur Swan

How to write an author bio for submissions

Author bios can seem difficult. It's impossible to narrow a person down to a few sentences. But writers also do the impossible all the time. My experience with this is limited to Submittable. Most places ask for a bio between three to five sentences long. Bios are simple and can have a bit of creativity … Continue reading How to write an author bio for submissions

Common writing mistakes #10

#10 — Adding too many details with commas Lately, I've had a few authors use commas to add detail after detail onto a sentence. But they don't realize how jam-packed the sentence becomes. Here are two fictional examples: Laurence came through the door, looking for answers, looking for something to turn his path around, and … Continue reading Common writing mistakes #10

Is “said” worthless?

In college writing classes, we sit in a tight circle, facing each other. Sometimes, we critique our own works; other times we discuss writing. But one time—and only once—everyone raised their voices against what I suggested. I disagreed with the author using the word said for every single dialogue tag. I raised my hand and … Continue reading Is “said” worthless?

How does a book become a book? — part three

If you missed the first two parts, here's part one and part two. #5 — Making the most of your marketing plans Look at where you can submit your book to win awards. (I suggest the Writer's Market book for this. They list many places you can to submit to. They also come out with … Continue reading How does a book become a book? — part three

Book review – Flash Cards (Spoiler Free)

“To compare spring to a temple    to say a tree is a god both are illegitimate metaphors but metaphors is all I have” Title: Flash Cards: Selected Poems from Yu Jian's Anthology of NotesAuthor: Yu JianTranslators: Ron Padgett, Wang PingGenre: PoetryPages: 144 pagesPublication date: September 28, 2010Publisher: Zephyr Press Lately, I've been looking more … Continue reading Book review – Flash Cards (Spoiler Free)