Anne R. Allen's Blog, page 23

Branding 101 by Ev Bishop

Does the idea of “branding” yourself or your work make you cringe? (I’m an artist, dammit—not a corporate sleaze bag!) Are you confused by what “branding” for novelists, essayists, poets, or even general non-fiction writers even means? Or, conversely, are you sold on the necessity of branding your writing and excited about the opportunity, but […]

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Titles and Comp Titles — How To Find the Best Ones For Your Book

A Prince by any other name would still be a Prince. (I hope.) Meghan by any other name would still be a princess Ditto Diana. Lord or Lady. Peasant or serf. Professor or student. Beginner or expert. Titles orient us to where we are and what we should expect next. Doesn’t just apply to people, […]

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Surviving—and Thriving—In The Brave New World Of Publishing

by Paul Dinas Once upon a time Publishing used to be a leisurely enterprise.  Authors could submit their work directly to the “slush” pile. Editorial assistants would carefully sift through the submissions looking for books that could be turned into solid commercial properties.  Submissions were sent in hard copy, and editors’ offices were piled high […]

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Use a Character’s Career to Support Your Story’s Theme

By Becca Puglisi Successful stories are often ones whose elements are employed subtly. You may not be able to say exactly why they work, and as a reader, you probably don’t care; you just like the feeling of rightness that settles in as you read. Theme is one of those important elements that are quietly […]

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How To Write, Market, And Be Mentally Healthy by @BadRedheadMedia

Part of living in the now, right now, is being on all the time. Constant notifications about news, meetings, phone calls, texts, emails, gaming (if you’re into that), and of course, social media. I’m exhausted just thinking about it. Watching my 21-year-old daughter checking her Apple Watch gives me hives, yet she loves it. Maybe […]

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8 Simple, Effective Ways to Conquer Lower Back Pain That Work For Me—And Might Help You, Too

By Ruth Harris Q: How do you know you’re a “real writer?”  A: Your back hurts. So do your shouders and neck. (And maybe your hands and wrists don’t feel so great, either.) Sorry about that—I truly am—but I’ve been there and I (literally) feel your pain. Not just the existential kind resulting from rejection […]

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Tips for Historical Writers

By Sue Coletta Historical true crime requires the writer to don a detective’s hat to unearth real details about the case(s), and the research can seem daunting at times. Historical fiction also demands that the writer get his/her facts straight. Today, I offer tips to help you find reliable source material, from which to build […]

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Situation Versus Plot

 by David Brown and Michelle Barker Have you ever had what you thought was a great idea for a novel, sat down and wrote madly for fifteen pages, and then it just… fizzled out? Or maybe you managed to make it through a whole novel on the energy of that one idea, but somehow it […]

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How to Change Your Kindle Keywords, by Dave Chesson

Many authors don’t know that Kindle keywords aren’t something you should set and forget. In fact, there are tactics you can use to increase your sales that involve changing your Kindle keywords. In this article, we’ll go over those tactics — and why you should consider changing your Kindle keywords at least once every few […]

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Who do you think you’re kidding? Writers’ dirty little secret — how to right-size Impostor Syndrome.

by Ruth Harris Fake it until you make it. It’s old advice, and for some people it works. Sometimes. But what if you’ve made it? You’ve finished your book (or books), you’ve been published or you self-published. You’ve sold copies, you’ve received checks from your agent, your publisher or from Amazon and iBooks, you’ve been […]

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