Anne R. Allen's Blog, page 26
April 5, 2020
Why it’s so Tough to Write Now: Tips for Dealing with Our Collective Grief
Collective grief is loud and unrelenting. But there are ways to tune it out. by Anne R. Allen There are a lot of jokes out there right now like the cartoon in The New Yorker showing a young woman saying something like “I couldn’t decide whether to work on my novel or my screenplay, so […]
The post Why it’s so Tough to Write Now: Tips for Dealing with Our Collective Grief appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
March 29, 2020
How to Rescue an Endangered Book and Find your Author Mojo
Is your book as endangered as the Siberian Tiger? by Ruth Harris You’ve kinda/sorta finished your book/first draft/whachamacallit. In drastic cases, it could even be an outline that’s gone off the rails and landed in a ditch. But. Your original brilliant idea is drowning in a sea of ugly clutter. There are dust bunnies in […]
The post How to Rescue an Endangered Book and Find your Author Mojo appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
March 22, 2020
Amazon’s Review Rules Have Become Even Stricter in 2020
Amazon’s review rules are enforced by robocops. by Anne R. Allen One of the things we can do when we’re hunkered down at home during the pandemic is read books. And after we finish something, it’s helpful to other readers and authors if we write a review. (Good karma, too.
March 15, 2020
Planning to Go to Your First Book Fair When the Plague is Over? 13 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Experience
Your first book fair? Here’s how to prepare! Note from Anne: Book fairs are being cancelled all over the world right now. But even pandemics run their course. And as Nate says here, you need to start planning for a fair booth a year ahead of time. I don’t recommend book fairs for new novelists […]
The post Planning to Go to Your First Book Fair When the Plague is Over? 13 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Experience appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
March 8, 2020
The Biggest Mistake New Novelists and Memoirists Make
by Anne R. Allen A lot of the problems new novelists and memoirists encounter stem from one thing. I see their plaintive posts and emails all the time. “I self-published my novel last year and promoted it free with a Bookbub ad, but after the freebie run, I’ve only sold a handful of books.” “I’ve […]
The post The Biggest Mistake New Novelists and Memoirists Make appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
March 1, 2020
Clueless Advice People Give New Writers: 10 Things to Ignore
Clueless advice abounds. Everybody’s an expert. by Anne R. Allen I’m always amazed at the people who start giving me advice as soon as they hear I’m a writer. Even though I’ve been published for over 30 years, they’re always sure they know more than I do. And it’s worse for new writers. They’re bombarded […]
The post Clueless Advice People Give New Writers: 10 Things to Ignore appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
February 23, 2020
5 Common Mental Traps That Stand Between You and Writing Success
5 common mental traps: how to ID them, how to fight back by Ruth Harris Last week Anne wrote about scams and scammers — the enemies out there ready to pounce on unwary writers. This week I want to follow up with some words about the enemies within — the traps writers set for themselves. Traps […]
The post 5 Common Mental Traps That Stand Between You and Writing Success appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
February 16, 2020
10 New Publishing Scams to Watch Out for in 2020
Lurking predators are always coming up with new publishing scams. by Anne R. Allen I read a quote recently from an indie author who said he felt sorry for new writers who fall for scammy vanity publishers — because they obviously have no writer friends to clue them in. It is true that networking with […]
The post 10 New Publishing Scams to Watch Out for in 2020 appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
February 9, 2020
Don’t Give Your Readers a Reason to Reject your Novel
Fire up your fiction and don’t give anybody a reason to reject your novel by Jodie Renner …fiction editor and author of writing guides Have your trusted friends or beta readers told you your WIP novel is too long, confusing, or just doesn’t grab them? Here are some typical “big-picture” weaknesses to watch out for […]
The post Don’t Give Your Readers a Reason to Reject your Novel appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
February 2, 2020
Is That Me in Your Novel? When Life Imitates Fiction, and Vice-Versa
by Anne R. Allen Recently I got a furious Facebook message from a stranger who accused me of “using her life” in one of my books. It’s amazing how sometimes life imitates fiction. She had apparently been a Facebook friend, and she dramatically unfriended me after sending a distraught DM describing the traumas in her […]
The post Is That Me in Your Novel? When Life Imitates Fiction, and Vice-Versa appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
