M.L. Desir's Blog, page 50
June 6, 2018
Hiatus . . . continued.
A lot has been going on in my corner of the universe.
So, I’ll need to take a longer break to focus more on what’s most important:
Writing and family.
With that said, I bid you all adieu for a little while longer. Not sure when.
Sincerely,
Monique
May 22, 2018
Beta Reading Checklist (What to Do Before Sending out Your Manuscript)
When I’m getting ready for a beta reader, one of my problems is I’ll sometimes obsess over certain descriptions while not paying enough attention to other parts, such as character motivation. Not always the case, but it’s a trend I’ve noticed. So, ::pulls up sleeves and cracks knuckles:: time to work smarter, not harder by keeping these oversights in the front of my mind as I write!
Ideally, a beta reader is someone who reads your manuscript to give you a sense of how reade...
May 21, 2018
Alpha Readers, Betas & Critique Partners: The ABCs of having a book that doesn’t suck.
I’m so glad I found this! I needed to know more about these ABCs.#amreading
Relationships with alpha readers (“alphas”) beta readers (“betas”) and critique partners (“CPs”) are RELATIONSHIPS. That fact, so key I’m yelling in bold, permeates every aspect of this topic. For starters, those relationships can range from “If you show me yours, I’ll show you mine” casual one night stands to serious, long-term “I feel as invested in your writing as I do my own” literary soul mate...
May 9, 2018
What’s Expected of a Beta Reader?
Tips for Beta Readers from Patricia Hollett.
April 29, 2018
Did You Choose the Wrong Topic for Your Blog?
Admit it. You’ve asked yourself this question at least once since you started to blog. Maybe even twice.
Perhaps you ask yourself this question every single time you write your heart out, only to get little to no traffic. No comments. You’re not getting the kind of feedback you were hoping for when you decided to blog about your topic.
To make matters worse, you’ve done all the things popular bloggers say to do, like publishing great content and commenting on other popula...
Facebook Floods Amazon With Fake Reviews
As you know, comments on an Amazon page can make or break a product. That’s why the company says that more than 99 percent of its reviews are legitimate because they are written by real shoppers who aren’t paid for them.
But a Washington Post examination by Elizabeth Dwoskin and Craig Timberg found a majority of reviews in certain categories with certain characteristics such as repetitive wording that people probably cut and paste in. In other words, fake reviews.
Amazingl...
April 27, 2018
34 Calls for Submissions in May 2018 – Paying Markets – by Erica Verrillo…
Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog
There are nearly three dozen calls for submissions in May.
Every genre and form is wanted, from speculative fiction to fairy tales and from novel excerpts to essays.
All of these markets pay, and none require submission fees.
See the full list and details HEREWho Will Interpret the Data?
Just found another blogger to follow!
April 24, 2018
How to Write a Proper Short Story Cover Letter
I love this blog post about writing a proper short story cover letter by Alex! Cover letters shouldn’t get in the way of the story and they should be a great way of introducing you to the editors who you want to consider your work.
Alex Shvartsman's Speculative Fiction
As an editor I see a lot of bad cover letters. I can’t help but think folks are following some bad advice out there, so I wrote a thing that might help. It’s long and it’s a little ranty and cranky (because I’ve seen a lot of b...
April 17, 2018
Commenting on Other Blogs: What Works, What Doesn’t
Useful for building a more interactive blog.
