First, the disclaimers: Since the algorithm Amazon uses to generate its sales ranking is proprietary, the details contained herein are extrapolated from research and field tests. The resulting consensus finds Amazons system to provide marginal sales data at best. To whit, read Amazons ow ...

Sometimes I can be dense when it comes to realizing the potential of my own life experiences as essays for magazines. I, of course, fully believe that everything in my life is newsworthy, but sometimes have trouble figuring out which experiences will hit home with other people. I re ...

What am I supposed to give Anthony as a wedding gift I asked Kristin, my bridesmaid and person-who-was-married. I mean, what kinds of things do brides give their grooms I was thinking of hiring someone to clean the house before we left for the honeymoon so wed come back to a spotle ...

The Big Idea Okay. So youve figured out that you would like to write for magazines, newspapers, and e-zines. Unfortunately, so have about eight gazillion other people on this planet. Therefore, you have to stand out from the crowd. You have to sparkle. How do you do this Simple. It a ...

Being a great writer is no longer enough if you plan to score a big publishing deal, especially as a nonfiction author. Particularly if your book idea falls into the how-to or self-help categories, you not only have to sell your terrific writing, but you also have to sell yourself as ...

Make your book stand out from the crowd! Test your book's significance, find your market before you write, and treat your book as part of your business. 1. Test your book's significance fun, humor easy to read teach something interesting, new original, unique info potential to pos ...

Open up your favorite calendar and circle today's date. Why Because no matter what day it is, you've been given a wonderful gift: a bright and shiny year ahead to make your writing dreams come true. What are your writing goals for the coming year If you don't have any, this is the perf ...

Writing is a muscle that needs exercise to stay in shape. I realized how true that saying is when I took what I called "a well-earned break" after I finished my first novel. The last few days of writing that novel felt as sweet as whipped cream--I was in a writing groove, humming along. ...

If your writing muscle isn't in shape, writing a novel may seem like a sheer, unscalable cliff. ("Gee, I don't think I can write today. I left my climbing shoes in my other backpack...") Keep in mind that you don't need to write the whole book today, so stop beating yourself up. Instead ...

How to Pitch a Story Ever wonder why we refer to convincing an editor a story is worthy by pitching a story I have. Im a baseball enthusiast, and it makes a lot of sense to me. When the editor is at bat with you, he or she has a few swings to make before making a connection through the ...

Think of writing like karate...it's about DISCIPLINE. Writing, like other forms of art, work or talent, requires discipline. It won't ever be enough that you say to yourself that you are a writer. Only when you write and write with discipline can you call yourself one. Before you can ea ...

We're born creative. However, this innate characteristic becomes buried as we get older. Our logical left brain usually takes the driver's seat. Here are 5 ways to help you unearth your creative self. 1. Surprise Your Mind. List laughable, ridiculous, outrageous and bizarre ideas. Don' ...

‘Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.” Stephen King Ever wonder what the hands of fate will deal you in the way of success as a writer Or why some individuals reap the rewards of literary ...

If you earn income as a writer, or use writing as a marketing tool, you know how difficult it can be at times to write. I started writing for my website and newsletter a few years ago. Sometimes it would be two or three weeks between articles. Sometimes writing would be torture. Then one ...

Far too many inexperienced writers create flat, stereotypical characters: the brave fireman, the damsel in distress, the strict schoolmistress. The best characters are those who evoke emotions within the reader fear, admiration, affection, laughter, horror If the writer fails to make us ...

As an aspiring or an established entrepreneur, you are an expert in something, but does the rest of the world know You have a wealth of information, experience and knowledge that you can package into a book that will benefit others. This truly is the information age and people want t ...

Short Story Writing Tips: Your title is your selling tool. Its the first thing readers will scan and contemplate whether to read your story. What your titles job is, it has to lure the readers into your story it has to be so compelling that they wont even have a chance to ask themselv ...

Calling all publishers, editors, journalists and freelance writers. It's time to breathe more life into your copy. Turn your articles into living pieces that spark measurable debate, get closer to your readers and engage their mind and soul - we're talking revolution. As it was in th ...

Creative Writing Tips By now you should have an idea that your theme has to reach its conclusion just as your story does. But our theme has to do more than reach its conclusion it has to be reinforced in the end and by doing this, it will strengthen all that we have said in our story ...

Creative Writing Tips What a plot is and what a story is can be sometimes confusing. If you think they are the same They are not. A plot is the outline of your story. The story is everything included. I will illustrate the difference by asking you to visualize two pictures 1. Visual ...