“Quotations”
by,
September 6, 2016

Do we need quotation marks? Who needs punctuation? Times are a-changing. One of the signs punctuation marks are in flux is the air quotations people make with their fingers when using words ironically. In print, we’ve seen the rise of single quotation marks around sarcastic words or phrases, even though the standard rule for single quotation marks are for use inside double quotation marks to… [Read More]

Children’s Picture Books
by,
August 23, 2016

Those who think writing a children’s picture book might be easier than writing one for adults may be surprised to learn it is not. Children’s books are treated differently in the publishing industry. The market is highly segmented by age, grade, and reading levels. The content of any children’s book needs to be age-appropriate. And to complicate things further, children don’t buy books. Adults do…. [Read More]

Front and Back Matter: An Overview
by,
August 2, 2016

Front Matter is one of the last sections of a book manuscript for an author to complete. But it’s the first thing a reader sees. Before page 1, there are several items that appear in the front pages of any book. Some pages are mandatory: title, copyright, and table of contents. Others are optional. Every page before the first one in Chapter 1 is paginated… [Read More]

How Reading Poetry Makes You a Better Writer
by,
May 24, 2016

Contemporary poetry strays from traditional ideas of a poem: rigid structure, definitive rhyme scheme, commonly about nature or love. Poetry exemplifies and dissects certain internal states, tracing racial, political, and gendered themes of universality and solitude. At my university, I’m currently enrolled in a class dedicated to Contemporary American Poetry where we discuss the complexities of this genre. I’ve found studying poetry makes me a… [Read More]

Q & A about Query Letters
by,
May 10, 2016

Who should you send a query letter to? Agents – If you are writing fiction, memoir, or a children’s books, you must have an agent who will represent your work to publishers. Publishers – If you are writing nonfiction or poetry, you can query the publisher. TIP: Research the agency or publisher. Visit their website and check their submission guidelines.   How do I find… [Read More]

Going Public
by,
January 19, 2016

I drive my 87-year old father to his memoir writing group every other week, where he meets with 8-10 peers to discuss short vignettes they have written. Each of them takes a turn having their piece of writing “critiqued” by the others. He’s been in this group for seven or eight years, and has written more than 117 stories about his life. I usually wait… [Read More]

The Business of Being an Author in 2016
by,
January 5, 2016

A new year begins and it offers authors an opportunity to set calendar goals and prepare a budget for the coming year. Here are 10 things to help you in your business of being an author in 2016. 1) Prepare a list of business expenses you anticipate. Look over last year’s expenditures. Postage, webhosting, submission fees. Consider what new expenses you may require to achieve… [Read More]

Don’t Forget About Your Legs!
by,
December 29, 2015

When writers come in for a massage, they rarely ask the therapist to focus on their legs. Understandably, it is the neck, back, and arms that usually feel the brunt of long hours working. But legs have some of the biggest muscles in our bodies. Most of us depend on them to get around: walking, climbing, playing sports, dancing, and supporting our upper body as… [Read More]

I Love My Library
by,
December 1, 2015

In this day of high priced books and new technology, public libraries are an invaluable resource for authors as well as readers in general. I sometimes think my local library, the Tompkins County Public Library is beyond compare, but I constantly run into articles and posts by people around the country, around the world, who love their libraries just as much. For an author, a… [Read More]

Writer’s Cramp
by,
November 17, 2015

There are two diagnoses in the 2015 International Classification of Diseases which afflict authors. Organic Writer’s Cramp and Occupational Neurosis. The former is caused by natural deformations or weakness in the hand and wrist. The latter is caused by gripping a pen too hard, pressing down too hard, or holding the wrist at an awkward position when writing by hand. Insurance may pay for physical… [Read More]