Guest Post

A developmental editor is like any tool in your toolbox. Knowing whether and when to use one will help you get the most bang for your buck.

Self-publishing offers so many paths and options that it can seem intimidating. One debut novelist shares her journey, with valuable tips.

Identifying comparable titles helps agents and publishers understand where your book fits in the market and who your most likely readers are.

This post explains four critical types of book editing, why you need an editor, how to choose one, and what your editor can and cannot do.

There are a lot of publicists out there. How can you pick the right one? This is a crucial decision, so it needs to be approached with care.

Writing coach and author Angela Ackerman discusses techniques for identifying and connecting with your target reading audience.

Brooke McIntyre of Inked Voices explains what to look for in a critique group and how to find the best writing critique group for you.

Writers aren’t born fully formed. Talent exists, but good writing rests on wide reading, learning the rules, and steady practice.

The philosopher Seneca advised studying few writers rather than skimming through many, but authors must read broadly to develop their craft.

When turning real life into historical fiction, being clear about the story you want to tell will help inform how to go about your research.

Some see “plotter or pantser” as an identity, but it’s really just a method applied after ample preparation either in your head or on the page.

Sylvester Stallone offers a masterclass in something we don’t talk about often enough: writing is a learned skill.

Like a Slinky, a good memoir has moments of expansion and contraction as it reaches its goal, slowing down or speeding up when necessary.

Writing short pieces based in your novel’s world can spark ideas that might add depth and nuance to your main story’s characters.

If your agent is suddenly fired, what happens next depends on your agent contract. Learn what steps to take and which resources, including the AALA and Authors Guild, can help.

What makes a travel memoir unique isn’t the places you’ve been but what you’re wrestling with inside that the journey illuminates.

Specific context about your characters helps readers understand them within the backdrop of their lives, bringing your stories fully to life.

The essay is like any other literary genre: There are guidelines worth following, and style choice dictates different points of view and structures.

A standout writing voice is a mixture of your natural style and sentence-level decisions that bring who you are to life.

A debut nonfiction author examines the path by which an initial idea was honed through beta readers and proposal writing into a contracted book.

It can be scary to approach a bookstore for a partnership—especially if it’s your only local store. Here's how to do it with confidence.

One children’s author reflects on the chain of adults whose trust, money, and permission stood between her book and its young target reader.

Whether or not your memoir is published, it’s important to get it off your chest before the rest of your life’s work can come through.

An effective case study allows your reader to connect with what works and what’s possible for them, and most importantly, keeps them turning pages.