I found that I'm better at achieving my goals if I write them down and then check back on them later. So, in December, I wrote down some goals that I'm going to go through now. Get a job in publishing Kind of. I have been applying to publishing jobs since January, but I haven't … Continue reading 2021 goal updates
Tag: publish
6 things editors need to know from writers before editing
Editors are essential. It's important to communicate some information with them though when y’all first talk. Here are six things to keep in mind: Word count, not page count Knowing how many pages there are isn't as helpful as one might think. There is the general standard that every page is about 250 words. But … Continue reading 6 things editors need to know from writers before editing
Fantasy and sci-fi tips from an award-winning editor
I attended a Reedsy Live where Jonathan Oliver gave some wonderful tips for fantasy and sci-fi writers that I'd like to share. Some of these tips are for all genres though. What's a word count for fantasy and sci-fi? For adult fantasy, he mentioned the range to be about 130,000 to 250,000 words. Sci-fi landed … Continue reading Fantasy and sci-fi tips from an award-winning editor
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
2021 writing goals
Happy New Year (a few days early)! I got some of my 2020 goals done, including publishing two short stories. One was published this November while the other will be published early next year. For 2021, my goals are: Get a job in publishingPolish up my novelPublish another poetry, flash fiction, etc. in a publication … Continue reading 2021 writing goals
A writer’s journey (part nine) – getting published in a journal
Getting published in a journal was one of my hardest goals to hit. Writers take different paths toward this. Some submit through email. Others submit through websites like Submittable. Both have their pros and cons. Where to Submit? When I submit through email, I tend to not hear back from the publisher for months, but … Continue reading A writer’s journey (part nine) – getting published in a journal
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 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 an updated version … Continue reading How does a book become a book? – part three
How does a book become a book? – part two
If you missed part one, here's a link. #3 - Editing your manuscript Don't panic, but this can take many rounds. Editing a book is difficult, and sometimes minds will disagree. You're about to dig deep into your work. How is your dialogue? Believable? Does your character's motivations seem valid, true to character? How is … Continue reading How does a book become a book? – part two
How does a book become a book? – part one
Books become books in different ways, but they usually take the same general path. But how does that work? Here's a general sense from a manuscript to a book in hand. #1 - Decide trade vs self-publishing If you want to go into trade publishing, your next step is to get a literary agent. Once … Continue reading How does a book become a book? – part one
2020 goal updates
I've found that the best way to achieve my goals is to check up with them. Reminding myself of what I want to accomplish sometimes lights the fire underneath me to continue. So, back in December, I set some 2020 goals. Since June is halfway through the year, I'm going to go through them one … Continue reading 2020 goal updates
