How Change Can Be a Good Thing – In Life and In Writing

April 12th, 2021  |  Season 2  |  4 mins 38 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips

Last time I moved houses, I talked about how sometimes -- change is exactly what you need -- both in your own life and in your writing.

4 Ways Querying Is Like a Religion

April 5th, 2021  |  Season 2  |  7 mins 22 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips

Querying can almost be like a religion. You've got: the common tenents, the different sects, the proper rituals, and the heretics.

Will You Read My First Chapter? A Rant

March 29th, 2021  |  Season 2  |  6 mins 12 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips

I love being supportive and encouraging of my fellow authors, but sometimes, I've just got to rant. And one thing that makes me rant is being asked to read a first chapter.

A Starter’s Guide For Fiction Writers Trying To “Establish A Social Media Presence” Part 6: YouTube & Other Videos

March 22nd, 2021  |  Season 2  |  14 mins 36 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, social media, writers, writing, writing tips

Since I recorded this episode, I've gotten active in the online #AuthorTube community. For readers, there's the #booktube community. And all the things you can stream to youtube, also work on Twitch and more!

But I still follow ALL these tips.

A Starter’s Guide For Fiction Writers Trying To “Establish A Social Media Presence” Part 5: Tumblr & Reddit (The “Dark” Side)

March 15th, 2021  |  Season 2  |  9 mins 47 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, social media, writers, writing, writing tips

While tumblr has dropped a lot in popularity since this episode was first recorded, there are still a lot of good reasons to use both Tumblr AND Reddit.

A Starter’s Guide For Fiction Writers Trying To “Establish A Social Media Presence” Part 4: Instagram & Pinterest

March 8th, 2021  |  Season 2  |  12 mins 23 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, social media, writers, writing, writing tips

The visual side of social media! You don't have to take photos for this either, resharing content is fine (assuming you're not breaking copyright) I've got a lot more tips and tricks, though.

A Starter’s Guide For Fiction Writers Trying To “Establish A Social Media Presence” Part 3: Facebook, Twitter, and Hashtags

March 1st, 2021  |  Season 2  |  21 mins 12 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, social media, writers, writing, writing tips

Today I'm talking about ways to establish your presence and best practice guides fro using Facebook, Twitter, and hashtags. (which I use ironically and wrong ALL the time.)

A Starter's Guide For Fiction Writers Trying To "Establish A Social Media Presence": Part 2/6

February 22nd, 2021  |  Season 2  |  13 mins 24 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, social media, writers, writing, writing tips

If you want to be a writer, the ubiquitous “they” tell you that you need to “Establish a Social Media Presence”, but so much of the advice out there is aimed at Non-fiction writers.

Non-fiction writers sell books based on establishing their expertise in a particular area.

Fiction writers? We sell books based on the story, the writing, and word-of-mouth.

So how do we make social media work for us?

In Part 2 - I talk about setting up a website and the decision to blog.

A Starter's Guide For Fiction Writers Trying To "Establish A Social Media Presence": Part 1/6

February 15th, 2021  |  Season 2  |  13 mins 32 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, social media, writers, writing, writing tips

If you want to be a writer, the ubiquitous “they” tell you that you need to “Establish a Social Media Presence”, but so much of the advice out there is aimed at Non-fiction writers.

Non-fiction writers sell books based on establishing their expertise in a particular area.

Fiction writers? We sell books based on the story, the writing, and word-of-mouth.

So how do we make social media work for us?

In Part 1 - I talk about my personal approach to establishing a 'brand'

Why You Should Consider An Agent If You're Hoping To Be Traditionally Published

February 8th, 2021  |  Season 2  |  11 mins 50 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips

You can only spend so long revising and editing a novel. Somewhere between revision 3 and revision 12, you’re probably going to be done with your book. But now what?

If you want to get your novel traditionally published, you’re gonna need to query some agents. But why?

In today's episode, I'm answering your burning questions: What are your publishing options? What are the benefits of having an agent? Where do you find an agent? And more!

Fix Your Rough Draft In 30 Minutes Or Less!

February 1st, 2021  |  Season 2  |  6 mins 15 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips

Getting a rough draft out on paper is a monumental achievement... but then? You've got to polish it. By using this trick, you'll be all set to have a clear plan to fix that rough draft in about 30 minutes.