January 2012

The Editing for Indie Writers series continues… Chapter 1: Roadmap from First Draft to Final Product So you have a manuscript that you want to indie publish, and you have no idea where to start.  You’ve heard all kinds of things about how terrible indie writers are at editing, from how book bloggers refuse to […]

Note: Preorder at Amazon, B&N, or most bookstores.  Available February 28, 2012. Disclaimer:  I begged Julie for an advance copy, which she sent to me.  It’s pumpkin orange. Okay, think of the books that you quote.  Not books of literature, but the ones where you grab nearby passers-by and say, “Wait, wait, listen to this!”

"Exciting and challenging, and everything a children's book should be." Adventure, spies, and magic for $.99: http://t.co/kYEcFLNj # A new review for Tales Told Under the Covers is up! http://t.co/amxkvDCs #middlegrade #thrills #chills and #bunnies # 10 Signs You're Not Getting Published http://t.co/mWDpUmER # Laura Reeve on why SF writers design great fantasy magic systems.

Coreena at Books & Other Creative Adventures reviewed Tales Told Under the Covers: I think kids will like this collection of stories if they like supernatural stories.  These are not scary, but there is a lot of tension that will keep them turning the pages.  I love how her stories have both boys and girls as

Signs…or habits?  Sometimes when I talk to new writers, they say certain things that make me think, “this person isn’t getting published anytime soon.” Sad to say, but you can usually pick this up within a few minutes of conversation.  So here’s my personal top-ten list of things that wannabe writers say that are red

So you’d like to edit your own ebooks and POD books?  Great!  Please follow me to the torture chamber!  Just kidding…mostly. Most writers don’t like to edit.  And they have no idea how to edit, so the idea of editing causes them fits. “But wait,” you say, “I like to edit.” More than likely if you’re

I get my ideas from my story muscle.  Grrrah! Almost everyone has one.  They start really forming when you get object permanence: during a baby’s first games of peek-a-boo.  Maybe earlier.  But definitely by then.  The toy was gone!  What happened to it? This is a story. Beginning: there was a toy, and it went

RT! @Read_2_Review check out these updates: 4/5 to Tales Under The… http://t.co/LInZs3hV #reviews # RT @planitbusiness RT @WriterDe because she and kids travel to wonderland to fight against monsters who won't make their beds! # The results of my Goodreads giveaway are in! Did you win? http://t.co/flgwceMb # Editing for Indie Writers: http://t.co/Ax9BvkOs # How

I have a guest post up today at Read 2 Review that’s part of the Kid Writers series: How to describe your book.  A lot of grownup writers hate writing descriptions of their books…I’d hate to see that happen to you!  Whether describing your book to your friends or sending your book to a book publisher,

Something you learn about editing:  checklists are good.  No matter how many times you think you’ve looked at something, unless it’s marked off on your checklist, you probably haven’t looked at it that one last time that it needed to be looked at. I had to get this down quick because someone asked for it,