Common sense tells us that when writing a novel, especially your first, you should write about what you know. During my degree the one thing my lecturers drilled into my passive skull was that I needed to write from memory 'as you can’t write about what you haven’t experienced’, or so they said. I was 21 at the time and had been through two childish break ups. Both, in … [Read more...]
Encourage Reader Feedback
Writing and publishing your book is not the end of your literary involvement. When readers have questions, authors have a responsibility to respond by email, mail, telephone and in person at book signings and other events. Use these opportunities to gather material for the book’s revision or your next book. Maybe you were not clear enough in your writing or perhaps the … [Read more...]
Get in Tune with Your Demographic (Before You Even Start Writing)
One of the many difficulties of being a working writer is knowing what will appeal to a certain target demographic and then finding a way to work what you want to say into a style and format that will appeal to your readers. Of course you want to strive to be yourself, but tackling a job that is meant to be viewed by senior citizens with medical problems is going to entail a … [Read more...]
Don’t Make Me Throw Your Book Across the Room: Top Ten Ways You Can Alienate the 1.1 Million Lawyers Who Are Also Readers
As an attorney who has practiced law 24 years, I have a hard time watching shows or reading books involving the law. Why? Because so many of them get so much of it wrong. It takes me right out of the story to sit there thinking, “That would never happen.” Most lawyers I know can’t read or watch stories about law because the factual errors are too frustrating. For instance, … [Read more...]
For Book Marketing Research, Authors Can Use a Nifty New Tool Called TitleZ
Effective book marketing begins long before the book is actually written and the more diligence paid to pre-publishing efforts the better the author’s chance of success. Before hiring a book publicist to garner book publicity for you, get a cup of coffee and get ready for a little online research on book marketing. A key strategy in any marketing program is to know your … [Read more...]
How Authors Can Use Their Networks
Remember when networking was so popular there were networking groups everywhere you turned? I was living in Orange County, California, during those days and I belonged to networking organizations like Women In Management and breakfast clubs in which members gave each other job leads and I gave speeches on creativity to a dozen different kinds of groups in the OC business … [Read more...]
Getting it Right for Kid’s Books
Hang Out With Your Readers Before You Write
How much do you know about your target readers? To write a successful book, you need to be crystal clear on the characteristics of your perfect readers and their needs. It also helps if you can weave in stories and examples to illustrate your key points. … [Read more...]