Publications / 323 posts found
5 Skills to Master Before You Launch Your Book
In the good old days, authors worked hard to revise, hone, and shape their books until they fairly gleamed, then sat back with a sigh of relief and turned their precious baby over to their publisher’s marketing team to do the rest. Those days are over. (How I Landed My Literary Agent at the Annual Writer’s Digest Conference Pitch Slam) Not a week goes by without groans from my fellow debut authors in private Facebook groups. “I mean, isn’t it enough I wrote the darn thing, now I have to publicize and market it as well? Is that my job?” […]
Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 603
For today’s prompt, write a gift poem. The gift could be something given or something received. It could be a physical gift (like a necklace or bicycle), or it could be something like a talent (the gift of song or gift of gab, for instance). This prompt is my gift to you. Remember: These prompts are springboards to creativity. Use them to expand your possibilities, not limit them. Note on commenting: If you wish to comment on the site, go to Disqus to create a free new account, verify your account on this site below (one-time thing), and then comment […]
Is It Easy To Self-Publish For A First Time Author?
Yes, it’s very easy to self-publish a book if you are a new author. All you need is a computer with an Internet connection, your manuscript in a Word docx file, and a book cover image. Once you create an account with a publishing platform, you are ready to publish your first book. Self-publishing an ebook is the easiest way, and anyone can do it. But if you want to publish a print book, you need to know just a little about page formatting. The quick and easy way to self-publish your first book By far, the easiest way to […]
Breaking the News
Moriah Richard is the managing editor at Writer’s Digest. Since obtaining her MFA in fiction, she has worked with over 100 authors to help them achieve their publication dreams. As a reader, she’s most interested in horror, fantasy, and romance, although she will read just about anything with a great hook. Beyond the page, she enjoys cooking, World of Warcraft, and playing endless hours of fetch with her golden retriever. Find Moriah on Twitter @MoriahRichard93.
Need a Better Book Title?
Like many novelists, I also have a day job. Mine happens to be as a brand strategist—someone who makes people fall in love with companies and products. Yes, this is a real job, and one that’s far from trivial. Strong brands sell well, but they can also build communities of loyal fans and even spark cultural movements. As an author, you can harness the power of branding too. Beyond the manuscript, consider every element of your project as an opportunity to tell a bigger story, including the title. After completing my latest thriller, Don’t Get Close, I contacted my former […]
Libby Hubscher: On Revision Shifting Genre
Libby Hubscher is an author and scientist. She studied biology at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, and holds a Doctor of Philosophy in molecular toxicology from North Carolina State University. Her work has appeared online and in textbooks, scientific journals, and literary journals. Her short story “The Unwelcome Guest” was long-listed for the Wigleaf Top 50 in 2018. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, two young children, and a menagerie of pets. Find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Libby Hubscher In this post, Libby discusses writing between genres for her new contemporary romance novel, If You Ask […]
Pacifica Literary Review: Market Spotlight
Pacifica Literary Review is an online literary publication that seeks poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction (in addition to art and photography). This publication has been in print and online since 2012 when it was founded by two writers, Matt Muth and Kodiak Armstrong. (New Letters: Market Spotlight.) The editors say, “We are an inclusive space for the best emerging and established writers. Seattle is our home base, and everything you’ve heard is true: The coffee is good, it rains a lot, and we have the best writing community in the US. Writers from all backgrounds, races, orientations, occupations, and sports […]
WD Poetic Form Challenge: Seadna Winner
Here are the results of the Writer’s Digest Poetic Form Challenge for the seadna along with a Top 10 list. You can check out all the seadna entries in the comments on this post. Click here at any time to see what current WD Poetic Form Challenge we’re running. We’re currently running one for the chanso. Here is the winning seadna: “YEAST,” by Pamela L. King Fairies visit the old vineyard,vaulting in colorful capes.Before fleeing for the garden,they shake dust on golden grapes. Golden grapes mashed in oak barrelsbegin the journey to wine.The vintner smiles with fey visageas he tends […]
Writing Short Film and Video Game Adaptations (From Script)
In this week’s round up brought to us by Script magazine, exclusive interviews with Uncharted screenwriters Rafe Judkins and writing team Art Marcum and Matt Holloway, and After Yang filmmaker Kogonada speaks with Script about adapting the short story by Alexander Weinstein into a feature. Plus, Script Talk video interview series is back with host Cherry Davis speaking with “The Kings of Napa” TV show creator Janine Sherman Barrois. Adapting a Video Game to Film: A Conversation with the Writers of Uncharted Columbia Pictures; photo by Clay Enos The creative foundation for both games and films is the writing. The […]
De-Escalate Or Deescalate? An Unsightly Word Either Way
In either form, de-escalate or deescalate is an awkward word you would rarely use in writing. Most dictionaries use the hyphenated form because of the problem with two Es. But the interesting aspect is how the word escalate was invented. Also, how politicians then exploited its opposite meaning. Adding the prefix de to negate words is in everyday use now. But it is not always the best or most pleasing choice. The origins of the word escalate The first use of the word escalate dates back to 1900. At the Exposition Universelle in Paris that year, Charles Seeberger, an American […]