Amy L. Bernstein

Amy L. Bernstein is the award-winning author of seven books, including, most recently, Tent City, a family saga about the decline of the American Dream; and Wrangling the Doubt Monster: Fighting Fears, Finding Inspiration, a popular source of encouragement for self-doubting creatives. Amy brings a compassionate and insightful voice to the challenges and joys of the artistic process at writers’ conferences around the U.S. and podcasts around the world. A former journalist, Amy also runs a nonfiction book coaching business. She is a past recipient of grants from the Onassis Foundation, Puffin Foundation, Maryland Humanities, the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation, and others. Learn more at amywrites.live.
3 Structural Components of Essay: Form, Voice, and Outcome
Image: a painter's hand dips a brush into one of several buckets, each containing a different paint color.
The essay is like any other literary genre: There are guidelines worth following, and style choice dictates different points of ...
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/ Free, Guest Post, Nonfiction Craft
The Case for Shrinking Your Novel
Image: a miniature hardcover book, only about an inch wide, rests atop a standard sized hardcover book.
Even experienced novelists overwrite. Here are five insights about ruthlessly cutting a manuscript—and why that’s a good thing ...
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/ Fiction Craft, Free, Guest Post, Self-Editing & Revision
The Secret to a Writing Career May Boil Down to Sheer Grit
Image: a turtle walks over a white lane marker while beginning the long journey across a rural highway.
An artist’s life is unpredictable, so tapping into your inner grit will give you and your career a fighting chance ...
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/ Author Earnings & Careers, Free, Guest Post
Borrow From Fiction’s Toolbox to Elevate Your Nonfiction Book
Image: an illustration of a woman walking through a city, with her face buried in a book. Immersed in her reading, she walks on a path of small clouds that hover a couple of feet above the ground.
Nonfiction authors can adopt some of the tricks novelists use to make readers care deeply about the topic and want ...
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/ Free, Guest Post, Nonfiction Craft
A Framework for Moving Beyond Your First Draft
Alone on a deserted road, a woman leans against the front of her car while examining a road map.
Finished a first draft and unsure where to go next? Here’s a 5-point checklist of what the second draft revision ...
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/ Free, Guest Post, Self-Editing & Revision
Doubting Yourself Is Not Failing
Image: illustration of a woman sitting on the ground, with her hands covering her face. The landscape around her is filled with shadowy plants and tall, tree-like arms and hands, towering menacingly.
We do not live without a persistent undercurrent of questions, both tiny and tremendous. Doubt is part of us, so ...
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/ Creativity & Writing Life, Free, Guest Post
Keep Your Novel Out of the Dreaded DNF—Did Not Finish—Book Club
Image: at a table, a woman has fallen asleep on a stack of books
As an author, what steps can you take to write a book that the vast majority of readers will want ...
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/ Fiction Craft, Free, Guest Post
Publishing Advice from a Serial Submitter to Literary Magazines
Image: colorful envelopes arranged in a grid, with their flaps open.
The outcome of submitting short work for publication is never in your control, but a thoughtful, realistic strategy can improve ...
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/ Free, Guest Post, Researching & Evaluating Publishers
The Other Pitch Packages Authors Should Prepare
Image: a hand holding a die-cut sticker of the word "Hello!" in handwritten script with a graphic of a smiley face beneath.
When soliciting blurbs or appearances on podcasts, its important to convey—in just a few lines—what you and your writing are ...
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/ Author Platform, Free, Guest Post
The Peril and Promise of Writing in First-Person POV
Image: a point-of-view photo of a man's hand pushing its way through tall green grasses, beyond which a body of water is barely visible.
Writing a compelling first-person novel requires creative ingenuity, extraordinary empathy, and a boatload of courage ...
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/ Fiction Craft, Free, Guest Post
Writing a Really Short Book Description Is Harder Than It Looks
Image: A roughly-fashioned cardboard sign on which is written in black magic-marker "All you need is less".
A well-crafted book blurb gives us just enough to care, to empathize with the protagonist’s plight, and leaves us wanting ...
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/ Free, Guest Post, Queries & Synopses
The Case for Pursuing a Traditional Publishing Deal Without an Agent
Image: a hiker wearing a backpack climbs over the locked gate of a fence in a rural area.
Kicking off your publishing career with a small press is a great way to get to know the industry, build ...
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/ Free, Getting Traditionally Published, Guest Post, Literary Agents