Facebook strategy
If you're like most authors I know, you've wondered about how to best use Facebook. Should you stick to your ...
Writer Unboxed
Today I'm a guest over at Writer Unboxed, where I discuss how finding your unique writing voice is not so ...
/ Marketing & Promotion
Megaphone
Articles about the ineffectiveness of online advertising are a dime a dozen. (See this one and this other one, from ...
/ Marketing & Promotion
Email symbol
After last Friday's post, 4 Ways to Immediately Improve Your Book Marketing Efforts, I received a few responses questioning the ...
/ Marketing & Promotion
Super Mario Mushrooms
When I see bad book marketing out in the wild, I wish I could do something productive to help that ...
/ Marketing & Promotion
E-publishing
Here's a list of what I consider to be the most trusted resources on e-books and e-publishing. If you think ...
/ E-Books
Paradigm shift
A couple weeks ago I wrote a column for Writer Unboxed, "Should You Focus on Your Writing or Platform?" In ...
Superdog by Laura Diehl
When I was in 5th grade, my mom spent hours working on a middle-grade novel. These were the days before ...
/ Improve Your Writing
Jane Friedman at 2012 National Magazine Awards
Jane at 2012 National Magazine Awards (NYC) I had the very good fortune of attending this year's National Magazine Awards ...
The Education of Millionaires by Michael Ellsberg
Right now I'm teaching a senior capstone course that prepares e-media seniors to graduate and enter the workforce. There are ...
/ Marketing & Promotion
Daniel Torday
There are few things more obsessed over by writers than word count: required word count, in-progress word count, goal word ...
/ Improve Your Writing
Digital Native / Flickr
I'm often asked, "How much time should I spend on writing and how much on building my platform?" It's a ...
/ Improve Your Writing
Flickr / tq2cute
Flickr / tq2cute This post really needs no introduction. Let's just get to the rant, in my favored numbered list ...
/ Social Media
Delacroix, Faust Trying to Seduce Margarete (detail)
Over the weekend, I was a speaker at the Missouri Writers Guild conference (a terrific group of people and an ...
Flickr / Giovanni Orlando
Writers often ask, "How do I get published?" But I don't like to answer that question until I know what ...
/ Getting Published
Brian Hathcock / Flickr
Today I'm revisiting a few of the basics of getting published. (There are always people new to the writing and ...
/ Improve Your Writing
Writer's Digest May/June 2011
In the latest issue of Writer's Digest to hit the newsstands (May/June 2012), you'll find my feature article on "The ...
/ E-Books
Brad Beauregard
I often hear writers say they're struggling to find their voice or their style. So it was unexpected to read ...
/ Creativity
Jane Langton, Open Road Media
Here's a lovely way to start your Sunday. With a nod to Women's History Month, Open Road Media has created ...
/ Creativity
Writer Unboxed
You have to target a market. You can't shoot for everyone. That's the topic of my latest post over at ...
/ Marketing & Promotion
Avery Monsen & Jory John
It is a pleasure to share this interview with two authors who are also marketing geniuses, Avery Monsen (@averymonsen) and ...
Beatrice by Ron Hogan
Today's Q&A is with Ron Hogan. For anyone who's worked in publishing for more than two minutes, Ron hardly needs an ...
Searching for best blogs / Marcel Germain
I often advise new bloggers to identify the top blogs or communities for their target audience, and build relationships with those ...
/ Marketing & Promotion
Eugene Cross
Here's an absolutely fabulous and honest piece by Eugene Cross about what it feels like to study writing as an undergraduate/graduate ...
/ Improve Your Writing
Effective Website [Robert Hruzek / Flickr]
by Robert Hruzek / Flickr Every author website should include these elements, whether on the homepage or elsewhere. About/bio page ...
/ Author Websites
Goodreads
I really admire the folks at Goodreads, not just for their site, but also for the data they share with ...
e-publishing, e-books, e-reading, self-publishing
Last updated in January 2019 With new services continually appearing on the market that promise to help writers self-publish or distribute their ...
/ E-Books, ebooks, self-publishing
blog to book
It's been a trend ever since I worked full-time as a book acquisitions editor: Blog-to-book deals. I acquired or oversaw ...
/ Getting Published
free ebooks
Last year, I rounded up some of the best free e-books for writers. That list deserves an update, so once ...
/ Improve Your Writing
Yelizaveta P. Renfro
As writers, we can spend so much time "fleshing out" our characters as individuals that we forget about the connections ...
Writer Unboxed
Today I'm over at Writer Unboxed, discussing the types of attitudes that make me want to issue red-flag warnings to ...
/ Getting Published
Red Maple by Bruce / Flickr
Passion has become a cheap word. I'm starting to roll my eyes when I hear it. But it hasn't always ...
/ Work-Life
E-Book Sales 2011
This weekend, I'll be speaking at the Writer's Digest Conference about e-publishing. I'm in the process of updating my slides ...
Jane Friedman speaking at the 2011 Writer's Digest Conference
Once again, I'll be speaking at the annual Writer's Digest Conference in New York City this coming weekend. They have ...
/ Improve Your Writing
Joe Vastano
In the latest Glimmer Train bulletin, Joe Vastano has a lovely essay on how writers have to acknowledge the duality ...
Closed for Business / Maistora / Flickr
Maistora / Flickr I recently received this very challenging question and scenario from traditionally published author Dr. Liz Alexander. I ...
/ contracts, ebooks, Legal Issues, rights
photo by André Freitas
I recently received the following question from a writer who wishes to remain anonymous: Every new writer wants to know ...
Writer Unboxed
It's the most common question I get: How do you find the time to do everything you do? Until now, ...
/ Creativity, Improve Your Writing
Keynoting the Indy Authors Fair (2011)
As part of the 2012 Missouri Writers Guild conference faculty, I did a Q&A for their conference blog that discusses ...
/ Improve Your Writing, Social Media
Wordpress
One of the easiest ways for an author to get a site up and running is to use Blogger or ...
/ Author Websites
Janice Hubschman
I just discovered this wonderful article, "Steal This List," by Janis Hubschman (featured in the latest Glimmer Train bulletin). It ...
/ Improve Your Writing
Writer Unboxed
Today I'm the featured contributor at Writer Unboxed, where I talk about copywriting: The No. 1 Overlooked Skill for Every ...
/ Marketing & Promotion
website
J Garrattley / Flickr When I tell writers it's mandatory they have a website, those who are unpublished will immediately ...
/ Author Websites
How Should You Spend Your Book Marketing Budget?
Author Brad Swift asks the following: I have a number of fiction and nonfiction books now available through Amazon as ...
lone tugboat
Today's guest post is by Louisiana writer Darrelyn Saloom. Read more of her posts here. On a brisk, clear morning ...
/ Guest Post
Jane Knows
I received the following question from Jan O'Hara: I have a dilemma to sort out about author names. These are the ...
Laura Oliver
I love this insight from Laura Oliver on the writing life, in a post called "Territory." She discusses the themes that ...
/ Creativity, Improve Your Writing
Jane Knows
I received the following question from published author Lisa Earle McLeod—who I remember first meeting at a Foothills Writers Guild ...
Writer Unboxed
Yesterday was my regular contribution to Writer Unboxed. I discussed how some independent authors are putting their work out there with ...
/ E-Books, Getting Published
Blank Faces by Rommel Adao
This is part rant, part advice. I don't write this post as if my needs were everyone's. But it's frustrating ...
/ Marketing & Promotion