Finding and Fixing Your Sacred Flaws
A funny thing happened when I was reading Will Storr’s The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better. […]
Money Making Opportunities from Your Published Book
Books are treasures, to be sure, but earning a living as a writer, or building a business using your authorship as a marketing tool, is why you wrote the book in the first place. I am quite sure you didn’t plan to write it or put it up for sale (on Amazon and your website and Barnes & Noble online, and so many other places) just for your own pleasure.
Don’t Write a Good Book – Write a GREAT Book – Here’s How
Everyone wants to write a good book. I want you to write a GREAT BOOK! Your first job is to decide Yes! I’m going to […]
Wanna Bet? – Why Authors Need a Scout Mindset
This edition of Marginalia focuses on The Scout Mindset: Why Some People See Things Clearly and Others Don’t, by Julia Galef. As the subtitle suggests, it’s […]
Should You Write That Nonfiction Book? Are You Ready?
It takes courage to be vulnerable and authentic to the whole world. That’s pretty much what writing a book is about. That vulnerability. That courage. […]
BLACK HISTORY MONTH BOOKS: A Reading List for Your Bedside Stand … or anywhere else
Ailey is reared in the north in the City but spends summers in the small Georgia town of Chicasetta, where her mother’s family has lived since their ancestors arrived from Africa in bondage. From an early age, Ailey fights a battle for belonging that’s made all the more difficult by a hovering trauma, as well as the whispers of women—her mother, Belle, her sister, Lydia, and a maternal line reaching back two centuries—that urge Ailey to succeed in their stead.
Writing a book only FEELS like herding cats
Take your book writing project from herding cats to the Hero’s Journey!
Are You and Your Book Ready for Prime Time?
Two: Your book must be complete. No wishy-washy maybe endings. Even in fiction, you must bring your story to a close. You may have more to say. You may already be starting another book or planning a series, but this book, the book you’re announcing, must be complete. If you don’t know whether or not it’s complete, ask your beta readers.
Weighing the investment in your book: Indie, Hybrid, or Traditional Publishing
This edition of Tips from Tom’s inbox flows from the questions we get all the time in emails, calls, and in-person, in two basic flavors: […]
Which BIG DOG will you choose for your book?
[A version of this post first appeared in our weekly newsletter, which of course you should sign up for.] I called this entry “manufactured marginalia” […]