M.G. Herron's Blog, page 33

The Benefits of Travel for Writers with John McLean

John McLean joinedus on January 3rd to talk about:

How to make a living as a writer How he uses his writing to fund his globetrotting adventures How to travel on a budget The mind-expanding power of traveling, and why this is important for writers His year-long trip to eastern Europe, on which he embarks February 1st And what it’s like to be named after the main character in the Die Hard movies

Learn more about John at thejohnmcleanexperience.com. Original Meetup event located here.

ONE: T...

How Retail & Wholesale Buyers Make Buying Decisions

We will go into detail on every aspect of a book that the buyer looks at to determine whether they should put the book on their shelf or not. We will walk through everything from cover design to price point. We will take a look at why buyers make their decisions. We will also get into the mind of a customer, and their buying habits. By getting into the mind of a buyer, an independent author can make better decisions on the vital aspects of a book to make it appealing to those buyers and book...

MG Herron’s No Nonsense Novel Template for Scrivener

Scrivener comes with two standard templates for novels, but as usual I wasnt satisfied with the way they set things up, so I changed and added a bunch of stuff to create my own.

Heres what youll find in MG Herrons No Nonsense Novel Template for Scrivener (can also be used for short stories):

Character and Setting sketch template sheets Front Matter for standard manuscript format, ebook, and print book Research folder Sales Copy folder Six Core Competencies folder Nine Point Outline folder (t...

Further Reading Recommendations for Writers

There are a ton of fabulous books out there that you can read to improve your craft, your grammar, and your know-how as a writer.

Here is a long list of my favorites.

Craft Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft by Janet Burroway Story Engineering by Larry Brooks Story Physics by Larry Brooks The Modern Library Writers Workshop by Stephen Koch Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell Writing in General and the Short Story in Particular by Rust Hills 2k to 10k by Rachel Aaron On Writing by...

Book Marketing: Play Ball with Magdalene Thomas

Advances in technology for publishers and readers also affects book marketers. With the rise of digital publishing and the shift to buying books online, authors now have a new set of tools and opportunities to reach readers. Join Magdalene from Greenleaf Book Group to learn what tools you have at your disposal, how to get the most out of your marketing, and what three things you need to consider before you start promoting your book.

Big thanks to Magdalene Thomas and Greenleaf Book Group for...

NaNoWriMo Author Panel and Prep Event

By all accounts it was a wild success. Here’s a summary of the event and where you can find notes from the panel.

NaNoWriMo Author Panel and Prep Event

NaNoWriMo (aka National Novel Writing Month) takes place every November. It’s an opportunity for writers to start with a blank slate and write something new, with the official goal of writing 50,000 words in the month, or 1667 words per day. “Rebels,” people who work on non-fiction, short stories or existing novels can also participate. The p...

Ebook and Print Book Formatting with Scrivener

Why Scrivener? 1. A Structured Way of Thinking

Most word processors are designed linearly. A Microsoft word or text document, for instance, is one very tall column of digital paper in which you type words top to bottom, left to right. What you see is what you get.

Scrivener is designed structurally. One document can contain any numbers of folders, and files within those folders. If MS Word is a column, then Scrivener is a tree.

2. Superior Usability

When it comes to usabilitythe ease with whi...

THE AURIGA PROJECT, Chapter Two

Ebook on Amazon Kindle Paperback Book on Amazon

The excerptfrom my scifi thriller novel,The Auriga Project, continuesbelow with the self-titled second chapter. Chapter Onewas posted yesterday.

The Auriga Project 2 The Auriga Project

A hundred bursts of light blinded Amon as he stepped through the doors. Photographers crowded around them, pushing cameras into their personal space. He tensed at each flash, involuntarily gripping Elianas hand tighter. She kept moving. By focusing on putting one f...

THE AURIGA PROJECT, Chapter One

Ebook on Amazon Kindle Paperback Book on Amazon

In celebration of the release of the my new scifi thriller novel,The Auriga Project,tomorrow, here’s the first chapter of the book.

The Auriga Project 1 The Demonstration

Eliana tried her best to look elegant in a black cocktail dress as she drifted across the lawn to greet arriving guests. When her cheeks ached from smiling, and the portion of the quad decorated for the demonstration began to fill up, she adjusted centerpieces and worried the ba...

What I Learned from Card’s HOMECOMING SAGA This Summer

I’m giving away my personal copies of first three books in Orson Scott Card’s Homecoming Saga in celebration of the release of my upcoming novel. Go here to enter for a chance to win!

While I was editing my novel,The Auriga Project, this summer, I started researching and reading (in many cases, re-reading) science fictionseries’ by other authors so that I could study up on the tricks of the trade, and see how I might emulate their success.

Also, because I am a sucker for a good series.

That’...