Anne R. Allen's Blog, page 10
April 23, 2023
Think You Want to Write a Book? Follow These 10 Dos and Don’ts
by Anne R. Allen Back in 2002, a New York Times survey showed 81% of Americans want to write a book. With the indie ebook revolution, the percentage has only expanded. Of course, most of that 81+% won’t ever write a word. There’s an old, unkind joke that says, “Most people think they have a […]
The post Think You Want to Write a Book? Follow These 10 Dos and Don’ts appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
April 16, 2023
How to Communicate with Your Designer to Get the Best Book Cover Design
by Vasalysa Zaturets You can write an award-worthy story, but nobody will find it out if your book cover design doesn’t appeal to the target audience. Book cover design matters, and here’s why: It creates the first impression and proves that the story deserves the readers’ time and money. No advertising campaign is possible […]
The post How to Communicate with Your Designer to Get the Best Book Cover Design appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
April 9, 2023
Theme and Symbolism in Fiction in a Nutshell
by Becca Puglisi When it comes to storytelling elements, we’re all pretty familiar with symbolism. You basically take an object, word, color, phrase, etc., and apply it in a story to give it a deeper meaning. Tolkien’s one ring (evil) in Lord of the Rings The floating feather (destiny/fate) in Forrest Gump A Mockingjay (rebellion) in The Hunger […]
The post Theme and Symbolism in Fiction in a Nutshell appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
April 2, 2023
How Much Description Should You Put in Your Fiction or Memoir?
by Anne R. Allen A blog reader asked me recently to address the question of description in fiction. How much is too much? How much is enough? And why are contemporary novels so devoid of physical character description? Is this a new rule — or is it lazy writing? The answer to all of […]
The post How Much Description Should You Put in Your Fiction or Memoir? appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
March 26, 2023
THE BEST WRITING ADVICE EVER: RESCUE YOUR STALLED BOOK WITH ONE WORD
writing advice from the creators of South Park by Ruth Harris The book you started with so much energy and optimism? That idea you thought was so great? Well, now that you’ve written mumble-mumble number of words, you’re not so sure. You’re beating up on yourself. You’re out of ideas. Out of gas. You’ve wasted […]
The post THE BEST WRITING ADVICE EVER: RESCUE YOUR STALLED BOOK WITH ONE WORD appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
March 19, 2023
How to Write for the Web: All Writers Need to be Web Content Providers Now
by Anne R. Allen These days, pretty much all writers need to learn to write Web content. Yes, even if you’re a Victorian romance author whose readers care more about reticules and spatterdashers than retweets and SEO. Even if you don’t have your own blog. Any website needs content. Plus you may want to […]
The post How to Write for the Web: All Writers Need to be Web Content Providers Now appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
March 12, 2023
7 Tips for Negotiating a Literary Agent Agreement
by Joseph Perry Congratulations! You’ve received an offer of representation. The next stop is the bestseller list. But before you start planning your book tour, you should take a few minutes to review your literary agent agreement (or lack thereof) Oral Agreements Some literary agencies do not have written contracts. They work with a verbal […]
The post 7 Tips for Negotiating a Literary Agent Agreement appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
March 5, 2023
What’s Autofiction? Should You Fictionalize The Story of Your Life?
by Anne R. Allen A trendy word in publishing recently is “autofiction,” short for “autobiographical fiction.” The term isn’t new. It was first invented in 1977 by author Serge Doubrovsky when talking about his memoir-sh novel, Fils. And what about those Creative Nonfiction essays that fill literary magazines? (A goldmine for memoir writers.) Can you […]
The post What’s Autofiction? Should You Fictionalize The Story of Your Life? appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
February 26, 2023
The Dark Side of Charisma — A Writer’s Guide
Charisma can have a dangerous side by Ruth Harris You know who they are. The superstars. The BFDs. They get the best tables, fly private, live on palatial estates. They are the ones who Have. It. All. They’re actors, influencers, corporate honchos, entertainers, TV personalities, rock stars, religious leaders, politicians and presidents. They’re the Superstars, […]
The post The Dark Side of Charisma — A Writer’s Guide appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
February 19, 2023
Top Ten Ways to Market Your Book in a Month from @BadRedheadMedia
You can market your book with these 10 strategies By Rachel Thompson It can be daunting for authors when you have no idea how to market your book, yet it is essential to get your book in front of readers to make it successful. Here are the most important and effective book marketing strategies […]
The post Top Ten Ways to Market Your Book in a Month from @BadRedheadMedia appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
