Support Groups: Why Every Writer Needs One

In a post on his website, author Max Florschutz wrote about the need for writers to have support groups. The stereotype of writers sitting lackadaisically in cafes is far from accurate. Writing, Florschultz rightly notes, comes with very real stress. To get through it, you need someone–or a few someones–who back you, not only as an author,…

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Querying Agents: How Many Times Should You Try?

If you’re thinking about querying agents about your book, or if you’re in the middle of that process, then you’ll quickly find that the most efficient way to go about it is to send off emails in batches. As responses come in, you can take the feedback, tweak your query/book, and try again, rather than having everybody reject your…

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Writing Markets Are Polarized (and That’s Bad)

In a previous blog post, I lamented the fact that genre labels can be limiting for writers, both creatively and when it comes to publishing. But as I’ve thought more about the issue, I’ve also realized that there’s a related problem: polarized book markets. To tell the story or change it The book I previously queried…

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3 Practical Ways to Cope With Rejection as a Writer

Locked inside my head are multiple famous stories of writers who got rejected, only to become famous and make it big: J.K. Rowling, Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss), Jack Canfield, John Grisham, and Stephen King are just a few people who heard “no” from publishers and agents. These tales remind me not to give up.…

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Adult Books Should Have Pictures, Too. Here’s Why

The progression is a familiar one: As you move up in years, the number of pictures in your books goes down. Right?! This is the way it is, but maybe it shouldn’t be. Reading as a multi-sensory experience Part of the fun of reading is that your brain can take whatever is on the page…

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