My Courses

When setting up your authoring business, you will need a physical address for it. Even though most of your work is done in a virtual digital world and that you may only write at a variety of coffee shops, you still need a single location where you can be reached for official purposes. For most authors,…

When writing a blurb for a nonfiction book, there are certain words that can be used to increase the odds of purchase. In fact, five words – you, free, instantly, because and new – have more sway than others, if used in the right context, according to a recent article in Copyblogger.  YouResearch shows that people generally are more receptive…

Ever notice how you can identify some writers by the way they write? That’s because they have a distinct voice. Each writer sounds unique because each of has our own world view. Someone who is cynical likely is to write in a cynical style. He accomplishes this by creating rhythm and diction, by shaping sentences. These…

Among the most popular social media today is Pinterest. If you haven’t used Pinterest before, it’s fairly simple (and cool!). Imagine that you have a bulletin board hanging on your wall. When you see something you like – a favorite quotation, a scenic picture of a place you want to go, a pic of your favorite…

If self-publishing a book, do you need a business plan? The answer depends on your goals and objectives. A business plan lays out your financial goals and a detailed action plan for achieving them. For the most part, a business plan is created to obtain a loan from a bank or other financial institution. Even if…

Sometimes authors write themselves into a corner – they’ve created an extremely suspenseful story but have failed to provide clues that would allow the main character to resolve the tale’s central problem. They then introduce a miraculous solution to an otherwise apparently insoluble problem. This contrivance is called a deus ex machina. The term comes from ancient…

When organizing a book signing, reading, or other presentation related to your title, you might want to break down your effort into several smaller steps. Doing so will allow you to better tackle what is a much larger endeavor that most imagine. Among the steps to consider are:• Determine if a book presentation is right for you…

Some mainstream media will ignore your release because they deem it as less news than an advertisement for your product. Indeed, an announcement that your book will be released or that it has been released usually won’t cut it. When writing your press release about your book, you need to identify a “news peg,” that is,…

All stories are constructed of smaller parts, known as scenes, in which the main character attempts to resolve a primary, central problem. This overarching problem is what set the story in motion, and the main character’s resolution of it essentially marks the tale’s end. In each scene, the main character must address a different aspect of…

For many writers, public speaking – even if it’s just reading from one’s book – is a daunting experience. Nervousness about speaking can turn into stage fright. While some fear is natural, if unchecked it will negatively affect your presentation. Fortunately, there are a number of steps you can take to dampen your apprehension:• Practice beforehand. Familiarity with…