Sensitivity Reading in Speculative Fiction: Why It Matters More Than You Think
No matter what story we read, we bring ourselves with it. That’s why sensitivity should be the forethought, not an afterthought, in our world-building.
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POV Bright Spots and Blind Spots
Every narrative point of view has something it does well and something it doesn’t do as well. Here’s a look at how they compare.
The Hidden Costs of AI Copyediting Tools: An Editor’s Review
AI copyediting tools are a mixed bag, performing some mechanical tasks well but with a tendency to introduce errors and flatten author voice.
It’s a Book, Not a Slide Deck: Avoiding Fast-Content Habits in Nonfiction
Bulleted lists and unbridled text formatting might work online, but overuse in a book can risk distracting readers instead of guiding them.
Immersive Interiority: How to Collapse Narrative Distance to Get Emotion on the Page
A few simple language shifts can take your reader from watching people on the page to feeling like they’re right inside the scene.
Bottom Line April 2025 Bestseller Lists
Three distinctive monthly bestseller lists: top 50 hidden gems, top 50 self-published ebooks, and top 50 self-published print books.
Do You Really Need IngramSpark?
IngramSpark has helped level the playing field for indie authors, but does that mean every self-publisher should be using it?
An Argument for Why The Christmas Carol Is Really a Coming-of-Age Story
One writer asserts that Scrooge’s arc isn’t that of becoming a new person, but confronting his core wound and rediscovering his true self.
Building Devices That Drive Story Suspense
Thriller writers don’t always need a plot to get the creative juices flowing—they need a trigger, a simple idea that creates unease.
Borrow From Fiction’s Toolbox to Elevate Your Nonfiction Book
Nonfiction authors can adopt some of the tricks novelists use to make readers care deeply about the topic and want to keep turning the pages.
Reimagining Your Competitors as Collaborators
Engaging with authors whose books are similar to yours is a valuable opportunity for inspiration and collaboration.
Beyond the Accent: Writing Speech Patterns Authentically
Writers bear a responsibility to represent diverse voices authentically rather than falling into the trap of stereotype or caricature.
More Than Setting: Centering Nature in Your Fiction
If the natural world is important to your story, be sure to engage it on a deeper level than descriptions of pretty scenery.
The Second Edition of The Business of Being a Writer Officially Releases Today
This new edition dramatically revises and re-envisions how to best help writers understand the business they’re entering.
Lay the Professional Groundwork for a Successful Nonfiction Book
If a nonfiction book is an immediate or distant goal, start thinking now about how to visibly position yourself as an expert in your topic.
Self-Publishing Assistance Is Becoming Threatened
In an attempt to crack down on bad actors, KDP and IngramSpark have made it very difficult for anyone but the author to publish a book there.
The Secret to Avoiding a Sagging Memoir Middle
The finest memoirs are distilled experiences: the more you compress, the more potent your story becomes.
Bottom Line March 2025 Bestseller Lists
Three distinctive monthly bestseller lists: top 50 hidden gems, top 50 self-published ebooks, and top 50 self-published print books.
Planning for the Life of Your Work (Even If You’re Not Famous Yet)
Legacy planning is neither morbid nor presumptuous—it’s a sign of love for your work, your readers, and anyone who may one day carry your stories forward.
Trust Your Instincts: Why Writing for Yourself Leads to Better Books
When we try to write something because we feel we ought to, not because we want to, we stack the deck against ourselves.
Timely Yet Timeless: Crafting Nonfiction That Outlasts Current Events
In a world changing at breakneck speed, how do you prevent a researched nonfiction book from being outdated by the time it is published?
AI Made Me Want to Trademark My Name. Here’s How I Did It.
How one author protected her brand without hiring a lawyer. It just takes time, patience, and a few hundred dollars.
How to Budget for Your Book Launch
Each author’s budget is different, but these guiding principles can help frame your decisions about where to spend and where to save.
Why All Authors Should Try Notion
Consolidating documents, tasks, decisions, and communication into this powerful app might dramatically simplify your writing project.
Structural Mastery: Why the Classics Endure
Studying the structural choices in classic literature is one of the best ways to understand how story architecture fuels emotional impact.
No Twists for Twists’ Sake: Earn Your Ending
When writing mystery or thriller, you earn your ending by properly laying the groundwork so that readers don’t feel cheated by plot twists.
The Silent Bestseller: How Some Self-Published Books Thrive Without Viral Marketing
Your book doesn’t have to be an overnight sensation. It just has to find its audience—and sometimes, that takes time.
If You Don’t Define and Present Yourself Online, Others Will Do It for You
We are storytellers, are we not? Let’s use that skill to our advantage when building the language of our websites to help readers find us.
Exophonic Writing: Crafting Fiction in a Foreign Language
Writing in a non-native tongue—exophony—means letting go of certain habits and navigating cultural aspects without compromising one’s truth.
Want to Write Faster? How Tracking Your Word Count Can Boost Your Productivity
Whether you write fiction, nonfiction, or memoir, tracking word count to measure your daily progress yields numerous benefits.
Dodging the Scarcity Trap
The best way to support your book, especially in the nonfiction world, may be sharing your ideas freely long before the book appears in print.
Bottom Line February 2025 Bestseller Lists
Three distinctive monthly bestseller lists: top 50 hidden gems, top 50 self-published ebooks, and top 50 self-published print books.
Remembering Susan DeFreitas
Remembering author and editor Susan DeFreitas, whose life was cut short by cancer.
This Memoir Could Have Been an Email: Telling Your Story With Different Forms of Communication
Different forms of communication—letters, voicemails, social posts—can enrich your memoir, so long as they help tap into something universal.
Sometimes It IS About the Research
One writer reflects on the importance of original reference material when a digitized version might be missing critical context.
The Biggest Memoir Mistake: When Too Much Backstory Derails Your Narrative
Backstory in memoir works like a traffic light—stopping too often stalls your journey. Learn which past events truly serve your narrative.
3 Little Words That Will Unlock Your Revision
Ensuring your stories are imbued with meaning can be a huge task. Luckily, three magic words will help you strengthen your story’s trajectory.
A Tiny Tomato a Day Keeps Writerly Woes at Bay
When life’s too busy for the pomodoro technique to help you get writing done, try even smaller increments of time—or pomodorini.
Too Intimidated (or Risk Averse) to Organize a Writing Retreat?
How one book coach decided to make the leap from attending writing retreats to hosting one herself.
The Humble Neighborhood Library: Why It Should Be Part of Your Book-Enthusiasm-Generating Plan
Since most readers don’t have an independent bookstore in their neighborhood, public libraries can be an ideal spot for author events.
January 2025 Bestseller Lists
Three distinctive monthly bestseller lists: top 50 hidden gems, top 50 self-published ebooks, and top 50 self-published print books.
Bottom Line January 2025 bestseller lists
The January 2025 bestseller lists are now available at the Hot Sheet website, free to everyone. Here are some points of interest.
Expect the Creative Process to Be Uneven and Messy
Getting stuck is a lousy feeling, but a normal part of the messy and uneven creative process. Here are some tips for working through it.
The Perfect Guide for Where to Submit Your Writing (Does Not Exist)
We often long for perfect guidance about where to submit our writing, but there’s no substitute for getting to know the landscape ourselves.
6 Tips on Writing Disabled Characters
Writing characters with disabilities doesn’t have to be difficult. It only requires a little work to understand how things look from the character’s position.
Free Yourself from Rewriting Paralysis
When the revision process meanders off-course, leaving a project stranded, here are some tips for regaining momentum.
Scene and Structure: The Wave Technique
To keep readers engaged, build each scene toward a breaking point then reveal something new about the characters, their world, or the plot.
Turn Your Short Pieces Into a Finished Nonfiction Book
If you’ve amassed a heap of assorted essays, flash pieces, chapters, and ideas, here’s a step-by-step guide to shaping them into a book.
It’s Time to Interview Your Own Inner Diminisher
If an inner voice criticizes your creativity, consider addressing the judgy elephant in the room. To whom does that voice belong?
Key Methods for Direct and Indirect Foreshadowing in Your Story
In story as in art, what’s hinted at in the shadows can add intriguing layers of depth and interest.