Three Writing Workshops in February at Cayuga Nature Center
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January 19, 2013

Cayuga Nature Center sits on 100 acres overlooking the  largest of the Finger Lakes with a lodge built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s as a “preventorium,” a temporary home for families members of tuberculosis patients at the nearby “sanatorium” (near the present Cayuga Medical Center). The lodge, recently renovated, is quiet and comfortable in the winter months. Writing workshops are being offered for… [Read More]

Table of Contents in a Book Proposal
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January 15, 2013

Preparing a book proposal for submission to a publisher or an agent requires you write a Table of Contents (TOC). This should be an outline of the book concept you plan to propose. Simple enough? Simple is not the same as easy. To begin this document, start with a list of your chapters. Do you have chapter titles? Are the chapters divided into sections or… [Read More]

Synopsis: Key document in your book proposal
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January 12, 2013

Planning to write a non-fiction book in 2013? Do you have a work-in-progress memoir? And your goal is to publish? Then start the New Year with a timeline and plan to write a book proposal. Now that you’ve updated your biographical profile, write a synopsis of your book concept before the end of this month. In less than 1,000 words, write an essay in third… [Read More]

Time to update your bio. It’s January, Authors.
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January 8, 2013

Now is a good time to update your biographical profile. January starts a new year and every author needs a short (i.e., 250-500 words) description of themselves in addition to a good head shot. The Bio is a big part of an author’s brand. Your book is the product, but you are the brand. And to keep your brand fresh and current, it’s time to… [Read More]

Homegrown Honey Bees: Book to Buzz
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December 15, 2012

So it’s cold outside. Steep a cup of tea and put in a teaspoon of pure, local, raw honey. Then take a sip, close your eyes, and feel that warm golden glow. Give thanks for the angels of agriculture: bees. Homegrown Honey Bees: Beekeeping Your First Year, from Hiving to Honey Harvest by Alethea Morrison is an introduction to beekeeping and a recruitment tool for… [Read More]

New strategy for authors to use Facebook cost effectively
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November 17, 2012

You’ve been told that as an author you can’t afford to ignore Facebook with its 3 million followers. So you created a Page and worked hard to gain those “Likes” with compelling content.  You stopped complaining that you had to do double duty with both a personal profile and an Author Page to maintain. You even accepted the changes with the new timeline without much… [Read More]

The Poet’s Daughter: Parvaneh Bahar
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November 6, 2012

Parvaneh Bahar will talk about her father, her life, and her passion for freedom and human rights in Iran this Thursday, Nov. 8, at 6:30 pm in the Community Foundation Theater at Cinemapolis on Green Street in Ithaca, NY.  On Saturday, November 10, Buffalo Street Books will host the author of The Poet’s Daughter: Malek o’Shoara Bahar of Iran and the Immortal Song of Freedom… [Read More]

Memoir and memories: unvarnished truth
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October 20, 2012

Many memoir writers worry prematurely about the people they plan to write about and whether they might take offense or be hurt by recollections and revelations of past events. Stop worrying. Start writing. Give them something to talk about, as Bonnie Raitt sings. For those who struggle to sit down and inscribe their personal memories, the internal editor kicks in as soon as they pick… [Read More]

Johnny Depp’s Imprint Infinitum Nihil makes the heart pitter patter
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October 16, 2012

10/17/2012 UPDATE: In Publisher’s Marketplace I just discovered Michael Signorelli is the acquisitions editors for Harper Collins new imprint Inifinitum Nihil and their publication of folk singer Woody Guthrie’s 1947 Dust Bowl novel. I remember 20 years ago when Michael used to cut my lawn. That’s right. The boy next door on W. Enfield Center Road at the edge of the Tompkins County line. Now… [Read More]

Writing Memoir: Getting Started
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October 13, 2012

Where to begin? Getting clarity on the genre of memoir is a good start. Then writing one memory. It can be intimidating to think of writing your life story beginning at your birth. So, don’t write autobiography. The classical forms of autobiography are called apologia, oration, and confession. Apologia are written as self-justifications for one’s actions. Orations are written to document one’s literary talents in… [Read More]