Whether you are an aspiring author or on your sixth or seventh book, professional development comes with the territory. The business of being an author can be overwhelming for many people who don’t have the background. How can you best prepare for today’s marketplace? I’ve worked with writers on their craft for decades and these are the secrets to the success of their writing and publishing efforts. Read. I mean read a lot. Obsessively. Read deeply in your genre. Read broadly beyond your comfort zone. Read for craft. Read for fun. Patronize your local public library. Volunteer. Get to know your reference librarian. Attend events and participate in programs there. Shop at your local brick and mortar bookstore. Befriend the bookseller and encourage others to frequent the store. Give books as gifts. Attend author events and buy a copy for the author to sign. Join a book club. Reading titles you might not otherwise is good practice. You refine your sense of what you like and learn what other readers like, or don’t, and why. Take a class or writing workshop. Continuing professional development is always encouraged. No matter how many books you’ve got under your belt, you continue to grow your writing talents. Join a writer’s group. Meeting with other writers who commit to improve their work has many benefits. Not the least of which is the support and accountability you provide to one another. Read your work-in-progress or poetry to an audience. Or tell your story at a…
One of the things no one tells writers about becoming a successfully published author is the importance of building your literary community and participating in book culture long before you land an agent or a publishing contract. There are no shortcuts to creating a career as an author. I hate to disillusion you of the idea that you will be “discovered” and become rich and… [Read More]
Filed Under: Authors Guild, AWP, book fairs, literary festivals, Loft LIterary Center, public library, TEDx
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I feel anger when I look at the cover of the new graphic novel adaption of Kindred, originally written by Octavia Butler in 1979. The cover shows two wrists bound, and the colors are red, beige, brown and black. The uplifted arms are brown, the handcuffs are black, and the hand grasping one wrist is beige. The title, Kindred, in red burns upwards from the… [Read More]
Not every book gets a starred review from Kirkus. Whether it’s a review from a literary critic or the crank on Amazon, negative reviews hurt. They hurt a lot more than you’d think and in ways you can’t always imagine. But how do you react to the pain inflicted from a negative assessment of your book? What do you do with your feelings? It’s increasingly… [Read More]
Larry Scheckel’s I Always Wondered About That will be published by Tumblehome Learning in Fall 2017. This new book has 101 scientific answers to questions you ponder while driving, mowing the lawn, or watching a beautiful sunset. Jill Swenson: When did you first become excited about science? Larry Scheckel: We did not have a television set when I was a kid on the farm in… [Read More]
It’s January and the time of year when you need to prepare your taxes or gather the information together to take it to a tax professional. Before January 31 you are required to file 1099-MISC forms for income you paid to independent contractors during the last year. If you paid more than $600 to an individual or a contractor for professional services related to the… [Read More]