TakingDictation

You Have a Writing Mentor. Now Get an Advocate

When I was a teenager still at home, I wanted to do only two things -- study music and write. But when you grow up in a small town of less than 1,000 people, resources...

Small Press Distribution Is Gone, But You Still Have Options

Small Press Distribution got thousands of books into readers' hands. Now that they've shuttered, we writers can't quit. I'm sharing this list of indie presses from Electric Literature hoping to lend a hand. Let's check...

Why Every Writer Needs a Good Cavalry

Planning things out to get your writing done? Awesome! *fist bump* But a solid cavalry of supportive people can help ensure that plan actually manifests. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LWPr8Xv8So Watch/Subscribe:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LWPr8Xv8So I've been writing now for almost two decades....

Want to Write in a Niche? Do This to Succeed

For years now, most of my income has been from business writing. That's my niche, and it's been good to me in terms of keeping a roof over my head. I've learned an incredible amount...

How to Set Writing Goals

If you don't already set writing goals, now is the time to start. In this video, I break down how to do it. https://youtu.be/vBVRLCy_1QI Watch/Subscribe:https://youtu.be/vBVRLCy_1QI In complete disclosure, in the past, I didn't make it...

4 Bad Writing Habits That Make Drafts Worse

Most writers who want to get better at their craft ask themselves what they can add to their process or strategy. That trend probably comes from our cultural tendency to favor expansion rather than reduction...

Why the Use of Comps in Querying Books Needs to End

In a few short weeks, I'm going to begin the querying process on my first Christian self-help nonfiction work. As part of this process, I have to find titles that are comparable to my own....

The Value of NOT Paying Someone to Help You Publish

Paying someone to help you launch a book can be a great move -- it's best for some authors. But as I discuss in this video, learning how to launch on your own has long-term...

Got Feedback as a Writer? Here’s How to Make Sense of It

Every writer needs feedback to improve. But in this video, I share how to make sense of the data others give you so you know how to revise. https://youtu.be/5oGS3iM5VGY Watch/Subscribe:https://youtu.be/5oGS3iM5VGY When I was still pretty...

5 Places to Write That Aren’t Coffee Shops

The picture is familiar -- a writer, furiously typing away at a laptop, sipping a beverage, contentedly pausing here and there to people watch as people come and go from the coffee shop. The first...