August 2024 Bestseller Lists
Three distinctive monthly bestseller lists: top 50 hidden gems, top 50 self-published ebooks, and top 50 self-published print books.
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The 7 Habits of Highly Ineffective Writers: Powerful Lessons in Personal Sabotage
Here’s how highly effective people and highly ineffective writers share the same seven habits, but apply their efforts in different directions.
Spontaneous Generation and Author Platform
We all fantasize about overnight success, but building an audience—and platform—takes time, persistence, and strategy.
The Secret Sauce for Writers: Intuition
Creative intuition is about trusting yourself to make bold choices, even when you can’t immediately justify them.
Co-Authoring: How to Keep the Drama On the Page
Whether your writing partner is your spouse, best friend, or a colleague, here are some tips on setting expectations and sharing the work.
Publishing Advice from a Serial Submitter to Literary Magazines
The outcome of submitting short work for publication is never in your control, but a thoughtful, realistic strategy can improve your odds.
Crowdfunding for Writers Who Need First-Time Guidance
An experienced crowdfunding author offers an overview of the current landscape and tips for how a novice can plan a successful campaign.
The Importance of Interiority in Novels and Memoirs
Interiority adds emotional context for what your characters experience. Learn when interiority is appropriate, and how much to use.
6 Hidden Benefits of Creating a Book Proposal
A proposal is often necessary to present your nonfiction idea to agents and publishers, but the process offers important side benefits as well.
Overcoming Trauma-Induced Writer’s Block Through Mindfulness
Mindfulness practices can help you reconnect to your inner voice, calm your nervous system, and gently approach difficult material.
Cooking Up Success: The TikTok Personality Behind a Bestselling Self-Published Book
A Q&A with Matthew Bounds, who within two years went from no social media at all to millions of followers and best-in-class cookbook sales.
Is It a Book? 5 Ways to Test Your Nonfiction Book Idea
Asking yourself these questions can reveal whether your big idea is well suited to be a book—vs. a podcast, newsletter, or something else.
July 2024 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 July 2024 bestseller lists
The July 2024 bestseller lists are now available at the Hot Sheet website, free to everyone. Here are some points of interest.
Choosing Story Perspective: Direct Versus Indirect POV
Point of view is rarely the first storytelling element authors focus on in creating their stories, but it can arguably be the most important.
How I Went From “Big 5 or Die!” to Ecstatic Self-Published Author
One author reflects on the journey that caused her to embrace self-publishing not as a last resort but as a victory.
When It Comes to Characters We Love, Vulnerability, Not Likeability, Is Key
In general, we don’t turn to fiction for stories about perfect people. What really makes us care is understanding another’s vulnerabilities.
4 Questions to Strengthen Lean Manuscripts
Readers crave stories that are rich and immersive; novels that fall far below the standard word counts might be ripe for improvement.
How to Use Tarot to Build Your Brand as a Creative
The tarot is a powerful brand building tool for creatives, because it gives us a rich language for finding—and articulating—ourselves.
How to Write a Story Retelling
Retellings, like any genre, come with their own characteristics and conventions to honor the original text and meet reader expectations.
Attention, Please! 7 Drug-Free Concentration Boosters for Writers with ADHD
Writing with ADHD comes with its unique set of challenges, but the right strategies and tools can help harness creativity and maintain productivity.
Moving Characters Around in Your Story Space: Improve Your Choreography Skills
Your characters’ movements and gestures in any given space must convey enough to paint the scene for readers without becoming too detailed.
How to Create a Believable Magic System in Your Fantasy Story
Believable magic systems will not only keep fantasy writers organized but will also help readers stay more immersed in the story’s world.
The Florence (Italy) Enigma for Creative People
While London and Paris are classic destinations for literary sightseeing, one retreat organizer draws inspiration from the magic of Florence.
Like It or Not, Publishers Are Licensing Books for AI Training—And Using AI Themselves
Before long, every major publisher will be earning money from AI training, whether through collective licensing or directly with tech companies.
The Platform Authors Need Now (That Isn’t Social Media)
We best create an audience of readers by publishing our work, carrying out projects we care about, and making personal connections.
When You’re Able to Crowdsource Priceless Writing Advice
In a search for external validation while drafting a memoir, one author found herself invited onto a popular podcast in esteemed company.
How an Independent Midwestern Publisher Not Only Survives, But Thrives
Doug Seibold, the founder of Evanston-based Agate Publishing, is doing his part to foster publishing careers in America’s heartland.
It’s Not About the Research: How to Write for a General Audience When Academia Is All You Know
Academia lets writers get away with stringing together facts, but appealing to a general audience means constructing a compelling narrative.
June 2024 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 June 2024 bestseller lists
The June 2024 bestseller lists are now available at the Hot Sheet website, free to everyone. Here are some points of interest.
How Printing Innovations (and More) Created an Enduring Class Divide in Books
An excerpt from Michael Castleman’s The Untold Story of Books details the origin of copyright, and how paper innovations created pulp fiction.
Why Your Revision Shouldn’t Start on Page One
Just as you wouldn’t paint a house under construction, you need to revise with an eye on story structure before you dress up the writing.
Be Yourself So Your Readers Can Find You
Brand strategy helps you understand and articulate your value in a world that desperately needs you to show up as who you truly are.
Free Resources for Writers at the Public Library
Writing is often a lonely endeavor, but it doesn’t have to be. Your library offers valuable services and a gateway into the local writing community.
How an Academic Editor Can Help a Scholar Write a Better Article
A good editor can help a scholar ensure that the complexity of what they are writing about is intelligently and clearly conveyed.
The Pitfalls of Expert Advice
Expert advice is valuable but it’s how you assess it that makes it meaningful and useful, because what works for one writer may not work for another.
Keep Your Novel Out of the Dreaded DNF—Did Not Finish—Book Club
As an author, what steps can you take to write a book that the vast majority of readers will want to read all the way through?
The Missing Link in Memoir Character Development
Knowing your character’s worldview, carry-in, and carry-over issues will help you build strong cause-and-effect that propels your story forward.
What to Ask Your Beta Readers
Giving your beta readers structure makes it easier for them, and helps ensure that your specific concerns will be addressed.
How Symbols Can Support Your Writing Life
Life speaks to us through symbols that help us learn, grow, heal, and create, if we slow down and listen.
What Do We Really Mean When We Say “Show, Don’t Tell”?
Limit telling to between-scene summaries. In-scene, showing is what pulls readers into your story through clear actions and emotions.
How Naming a Character Is Like Naming a Child
Choosing a name, either for a real human or a fictional one, involves a blend of logic and intuition and can feel deeply consequential.
May 2024 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 May 2024 bestseller lists
The May 2024 bestseller lists are now available at the Hot Sheet website, free to everyone. Here are some points of interest.
When Writing Gets Hard: 3 Hidden Causes of Writer’s Block
When your writing hits a wall the solution is often to stop for a moment, take stock, and look deeper into what it is you’re trying to write.
Writing Lessons from Jane Austen: Story Questions and Northanger Abbey
As an early architect of the novel form, Austen’s use of a unifying thematic question contributed to the development of long-form narratives.
Crafting Memoir with a Message: Blending Story with Self-Help
When executed well, a memoir with a message can touch lives through the power of personal narrative combined with practical wisdom.
Choosing Story Settings Based on Genre
Whatever settings you choose, they need to align with your theme, support the plot, and help define your characters.
The Compounding Value of Small Group Writing Retreats and Intensives
A writing retreat attendee shares some of the unique benefits that intensive study offers versus conferences and online classes.