This post is numbered 600. I’m in my 13th year of weekly roundups. When I started the blog, I didn’t know what the future would hold. How long I would be doing this- Where it would take me. I started the blog to share what I had found out about writing. Along the way, I had a ringside seat at the launch of the Kindle and online publishing, Print On Demand and subscription-style consumption of entertainment. I’ve seen the humble beginnings of what now are huge online careers and little publishing ideas that turned into global resources.
Tonight, the family speculated about reaching one thousand… an impossibly high number in my head. That will be another eight years and who knows what the future will bring for publishing. I hope to still be in my little corner writing what my friends call The Weekly Homework Sheet that they have to read.
To everybody who has commented, emailed, followed, bought me a coffee or just stared at me in a writer gathering saying ‘You write that blog,’ Thank you for the encouragement.
To the international writers who have picked my brains or asked advice- thanks for thinking I am worthy of the ask.
To my writer friends- online and IRL – Thank you for being there.
It’s been a rocky road at times but the one constant has always been my weekly appointment with the blog and the 11:59pm deadline. Cheers.
And Now To The Reason You Are All Here…
Recently Savannah Cordova from Reedsy wrote a blog post on Writers helping Writers about the predictions for publishing in the next half of 2020. Will dystopian ever become fiction again…
This week Kris Rusch has been looking at the art of the pivot…when things go belly up what can you do? First, you need to have a plan. Kris details how you can remain nimble in your business dealings.
James Daunt new CEO of Barnes and Noble has been thinking that the pandemic might be a good thing as he uses it to streamline the stores. But he also has found another side to Barnes and Noble Digital Book Sales… didn’t they have an e-reader? The Nook may be saved.
Dean Wesley Smith has been discovering that many writers have got book covers and not got contracts for the artwork. This could be problematic in the future. I have seen an instance where the writer had to junk several thousand dollars of covers because the designer had ripped off another artists work. It does happen. Be Careful.
I love Penny Sansevieri’s monthly roundups of interesting days to use for content post ideas.
Penny has got September sorted… but you can also download a years worth to put on your wall.
David Farland writes about the mental toughness that authors need to develop when they are writing to deadlines or to other stressors. How do you cultivate the right attitude to get you through? Yesterday I listened to The SPA Girls podcast on empowering women- Their guest was talking about strategies authors could use to make a difference in their productive lives- What are your body’s resistance tricks?- Brilliant podcast!
How is your writing going? Mine is inching along. Some days feel great, the words flow and other days I feel like I’m getting nowhere or going around in circles. I came across this article, How to write a marketable genre fiction series and wondered if I was doing everything all wrong… although all is not lost….
In The Craft Section,
Line edits- How to do them- Writelife- Bookmark
Scene sequels- K M Weiland- Bookmark!
The biggest writing craft issues new novelists face- Anne R Allen- Bookmark
How to thread backstory into your narrative- Heidi Croot
Common reasons protagonists are unlikeable- Mythcreants- Bookmark
Worldbuilding tips- NowNovel- Bookmark
Why lack of structure is killing your characters- Lucy V Hay
In The Marketing Section,
Author collaboration- Emma Lombard- Bookmark
How to approach book clubs- Jenn Hanson dePaula
Social media tips- Frances Caballo
Nine digital book marketing ideas- Hayley Zelda
Amazon ads keywords- Jay Artale- Bookmark
Timing your book launch- Penny Sansevieri- Bookmark
To Finish,
Nate Hoffelder has an informative article on Zoom tips for authors. As we look into the next few years of dealing with this pandemic we all must get comfortable with using this sort of technology to interact with readers and peers. And then there’s Instagram… many authors are on there – take a look at this article on making a home photography studio… Get creative.
Here’s to the beginning of the journey to the next milestone…
Maureen
@craicer
My monthly newsletter with loads of bookmarked links and tips will be going out this weekend. When you subscribe you will also get a nifty mini book crammed full with marketing notes as a thank you.
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