Nom de Plume: permission to write with abandon?
by,
December 23, 2014

French for ‘pen name,’ a nom de plume is a fictitious name under which an author publishes. Mark Twain was the nom de plume of Samuel Clemens. George Eliot sounded more serious than Mary Ann Evans.  Theodore Geisel was known as Dr. Seuss. In 1899 William Sydney Porter took the name O. Henry so editors might never know the stories were submitted by a convicted… [Read More]

Writing a book review and maintaining your dignity in the digital era
by,
November 18, 2014

Typically written for new releases 30 days before publication date or up to 90 days afterwards, book reviews are 500-750 word essays which give other readers an idea of what the book is about so they can decide whether or not to read it. I blogged about the reasons to consider book reviews a couple of weeks ago. Here I provide suggestions on what to… [Read More]

Diversity: The Never Ending Story
by,
October 14, 2014

I’ve been reading since I was three years old and I can’t remember a time when diversity wasn’t an issue in children’s literature. Week after week, I’d peruse the Scholastic book orders searching for brown faces. Other than Michael Jackson biographies or the occasional Dynamite magazine cover featuring Kim Fields or the cast of The Cosby Show, the pickings were slim. It didn’t keep me from being a voracious reader but… [Read More]

Reading is the gateway to good writing
by,
October 7, 2014

Should I write or should I read a book? When I am short on time it’s easy to read a few pages on the bus, in the waiting room, or even in the bath. The number of pages accumulate quickly even though I only have time to read books in short bursts on most days. This is also true for writing. I grab every opportunity… [Read More]

In Defense of the Notebook: Why You Should Consider Writing by Hand
by,
April 18, 2014
Jenna Goodman provides editorial services for Swenson Book Development, LLC

The coffee shop is packed with them: young, hip, ironic writer types purporting to work on short stories, dissertations, even a couple of novels. Small wobbly tables support MacBook Pros with Retina Displays, along with half empty mocha latte cups, and the latest version of iPhone. The human operators of these machines are creative and intelligent, if somewhat distracted. In between all of their tweeting,… [Read More]

Why you should not self-publish your book
by,
April 4, 2014
Information for the Swenson Book Development Writer's Workshop

“Should I self-publish?” No. No. No. It’s one of the most frequent questions I get from aspiring writers and 99 out of 100 times my answer is no. If it’s Grandma’s recipes you want to put together, your wedding photo album, flash or fan fiction, or a poetry chapbook, then maybe. But I don’t recommend authors self-publish. This doesn’t make me popular and I’m certain… [Read More]

Blurbs for your book
by,
March 28, 2014

It is the author’s responsibility to seek endorsements for their books and publishers expect you to get them. Blurbs – often only a few words from an endorsement from a high profile author, celebrity or expert  –  appear on a book’s cover or dust jacket flaps. Blurbs are used in letters to solicit book reviews, on tip sheets to booksellers, in marketing materials and press… [Read More]

Slow down and get further
by,
March 7, 2014

Shortly after her novel Ten Thousand Saints came out in early 2011, Eleanor Henderson answered a question at a book reading held at Buffalo Street Books in Ithaca. When asked how long it took her to write the novel, Henderson said nine years. Nine years. She explained that the first version didn’t even include several of the central characters in the final version. It made… [Read More]

Beta-Readers
by,
January 17, 2014

You finish a piece of writing. It’s polished. It’s done. You feel the sense of completion in every atom of your being as a writer. Savor that moment. The end. Done. You save it. You print it. You revise it again. You read it aloud. It’s ready for reader feedback. So who do you ask? Not your lover or spouse. Not your best friend or… [Read More]

Becoming an author is about more than your writing
by,
November 1, 2013

Coaching a writer to become an author involves more than writing. I’ve had the good fortune to work with writers for 30 years and I’ve discovered one secret to an author’s success that has nothing to do with their writing talents: professional behavior. I see too many good writers make mistakes without knowing they inflict self-injury to their publishing efforts. Here’s a list of things… [Read More]