Caution: This Article Contains Sensitive Content about Trigger Warnings

April 14, 2021 / Laurel Kallenbach / Getting Published, Publishing Choices / 10 Comments

Writing a memoir, novel, essay, magazine article, or blog post sometimes requires authors to tackle some tough topics, including content that might be psychologically or emotionally difficult to read, especially to those who have experienced a trauma. How do we balance realistic depictions or discussions of challenging content with the needs of readers who could potentially be traumatized? Trigger warnings might—or might not—help. Here’s how.

How to Get Your Article Published in a Magazine

January 13, 2021 / John Wilcockson / Getting Published, Publishing Advice, Publishing Industry / 5 Comments

There are over 7,300 magazines published in the United States. Given these numbers, if you have an article you wish to submit to a magazine, it seems you have a good chance of getting it published. But the wide variety of publications, from news to general interest to niche to literary, also means that there is no one right way of submitting your work. Here are some ways you can get published in a magazine.

Dreyer’s English: A Book Review

July 11, 2020 / Alice Levine / Editing Advice, Getting Published, Proofreading vs. Editing, Publishing Industry / 4 Comments

Several years ago, I made a resolution: I would not buy any more books. That might seem an odd resolution for someone who has been editing books for fifty-five years. Practicality and kindness motivated me as I considered the task of our daughter, who after our deaths, would have to deal with all the possessions […]

What Are Hybrid Publishers?

September 10, 2019 / Sue Campbell / Getting Published, Publishing Advice, Publishing Choices, Publishing Industry / 2 Comments

You may feel that you know what a traditional publisher is, and what a self-publisher is, but what is a hybrid publisher? How do you know a good one from a rip-off vanity press? The publishing model makes the difference A “traditional” publishing model works like this: A publishing house derives all its income from […]

How to Write Fiction for Children in 10 Steps

July 23, 2019 / Martha Freeman / Fiction Writing, Getting Published, Writing Advice, Writing Children's Fiction / 2 Comments

I guess I’m an extreme version of what I’ve heard called a “pantser.” Not only do I plot by the seat of my pants, I do everything that way. I’ve read the usual books on writing (Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg, On Writing by Stephen King, Plotting and Writing Suspense by Patricia Highsmith) […]

How Can a Ghostwriter Help Me Write My Book?

February 16, 2019 / Stacey Stern / Editing Advice, Getting Published, Ghostwriter / 3 Comments

Mystery tends to swirl around ghostwriters and what they do, but it needn’t. I’m pleased to lift the veil . . . First, there isn’t one singular job description for a ghostwriter. Nor is there one uniform way a ghostwriter can help you. There are many possibilities, and the relationship can be explored and developed […]

Your Book is Being Published–Yay! What to Do Now: Part 5

August 15, 2018 / Rivvy Neshama / Getting Published, Inclusion in Language, Marketing Your Book / No Comments

The ways of Amazon are mysterious and known to few

Selling on Amazon and Giving Your Book Away All authors clamor to receive the potential blessings of Amazon. But the ways of Amazon are mysterious and known to few (they even puzzle most publishers). Still, one widely spread belief is that you get more leverage and publicity via Amazon if you acquire a sufficient number […]

Your Book Is Being Published—Yay! What to Do Now: Part 4b

August 2, 2018 / Rivvy Neshama / Getting Published, Marketing Your Book / 4 Comments

Getting book talks: Easy. Getting folks there: Priceless.

What My Publisher and Publicist Did, What I Did, and What We Did Together One of my pre-pub fantasies was seeing my book displayed at airports and watching rushed travelers grab a copy for the plane. Read on…. Airports My publisher’s distributor tried to get us airport bookstore placement to no avail. (You or your […]

Your Book Is Being Published—Yay! What to Do Now: Part 4a

July 13, 2018 / Rivvy Neshama / Getting Published, Marketing Your Book / No Comments

Gift shops can provide great displays

What My Publisher and Publicist Did, What I Did, and What We Did Together The two most meaningful things my publisher gave me were their faith in my book and a beautiful, inviting cover. (Your title and cover are your two best tickets to success.) They also gave me a small advance, a small PR […]

Your Book Is Being Published—Yay! What to Do Now: Part 3

June 15, 2018 / Rivvy Neshama / Getting Published, Marketing Your Book / No Comments

Create buzz

And Then You Do This . . . . Yes, it’s a full-time job—or more. Here are some things I did as soon as I could: Have cards made: This meant finding a good but affordable designer and printer and then doing the writing and proposing the design plan myself. Later, I had oversized postcards […]