Get Published / 26 posts found
Why Audiobooks Are Skyrocketing, and How Writers Can Take Advantage in 2022
Audiobooks are the fastest growing format in publishing, but what exactly does that growth look like, and what should authors be doing about it? In January 2022, The New York Times reported that book sales rose during the first year of the pandemic and kept rising, with sales increasing 13% from January to November of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020, according to the Association of American Publishers. Despite re-openings and a “return” to more varied forms of entertainment, reading remains on the rise. (15 Tips on How to Record an Audiobook So People Will Listen) Back in […]
Writing Mistakes Writers Make: Correcting Submissions Before You Hear Back
Everyone makes mistakes—even writers—but that’s OK because each mistake is a great learning opportunity. The Writer’s Digest team has witnessed many mistakes over the years, so we started this series to help identify them early in the process. Note: The mistakes in this series aren’t focused on grammar rules, though we offer help in that area as well. (Grammar rules for writers.) Rather, we’re looking at bigger picture mistakes and mishaps, including the error of using too much exposition, hiding your pitch, or chasing trends. This week’s writing mistake writers make is tying to correct errors in your submission before […]
How I Landed My Literary Agent at the Annual Writer’s Digest Conference Pitch Slam
I grew up around writing. My mother is the author of 75 traditionally published books. She had an agent, she has had a bevy of editors, her books have won awards and have sold hundreds of thousands of copies. Even so, she also has had a slew of titles go into remainders—leaving the shelves never to return. Not every book has been a success with her audience. (Julie Bogart: On Navigating the Digital World) As a passionate child-writer, I imagined I would like to write books one day. But I also knew that I wanted my books to last—to be […]
The Rewards of Writing Epic Fantasy Fiction (After Writing in Another Genre)
My first historical novel, The Magician’s Lie, was published in 2015. When interviewers asked how I started writing historical fiction, I told the truth: It was an accident. I hadn’t meant to become a historical novelist, not exactly. (How to Write Time Travel Historical Fiction.) I’d been writing contemporary fiction until I got a book idea I couldn’t shake: Why is it considered unremarkable for male stage magicians to cut women in half, and what would happen if a female stage magician cut a man in half instead? As I developed the idea, it became clear it should be set […]
4 Key Places for Writers to Find Those First Freelance Clients
Typing this question in a search engine will send you down a rabbit hole so deep and voluminous as to make you reconsider why you considered freelancing in the first place. First, the ads that pop up range from apps to job sites to current freelancers who want to teach you how to be a freelancer. Everyone has a trick, and no two offers of advice are the same. (20 Literary Agents Actively Seeking Writers and Their Writing.) Believe it or not, that’s a good thing! The wide diversity of advice tells you that there is no right way. You, […]
Brevity: Market Spotlight
Brevity: A Journal of Concise Literary Nonfiction publishes excellent flash nonfiction. That means, Brevity publishes nonfiction essays of 750 words or fewer. And Brevity has been doing so for more than 20 years. The current editor-in-chief is Dinty W. Moore. (Lee Gutkind: The Godfather Behind Creative Nonfiction.) The editors say, “Though still committed to the mission of publishing new writers, Brevity has been fortunate over the years to include the work of three Pulitzer prize finalists, numerous NEA fellows, Pushcart winners, Best American authors, and writers from India, Egypt, Ireland, Spain, Malaysia, and Japan. … Work from Brevity has been […]
Reader’s Digest: Market Spotlight
Established in 1922, Reader’s Digest began with a simple, yet powerful, mission: to collect condensed versions of the most important stories found in other magazines each month. In other words, it was a magazine built around curating content. (The Iowa Review: Market Spotlight.) The editors say, “Reader’s Digest unites its readers and their families like no other brand through the simplest of acts: sharing stories, laughs, and great advice. Heading into its 100th anniversary, Reader’s Digest is America’s fourth largest-circulation magazine brand, standing out more than ever in today’s cultural landscape due to its themes of optimism, faith, heroism, trust, humor, […]
3 Reasons to Update Your Book on Amazon
Did you know Amazon sells nearly 50% of all print books and over 70% of all e-books in America? No other retailer comes close to their dominant marketshare of the industry. If you want to sell more books, you must master selling books on Amazon. (3 Crucial Changes to the Book Publishing Industry.) For example, if you have a book displayed on Amazon’s website that looks outdated or lacks convincing marketing copy, you could be losing sales on a daily basis. Fortunately, you can take easy steps to improve the appearance of your book on Amazon. Here are three reasons […]
Michigan Quarterly Review: Market Spotlight
(Editor’s note: MQR has updated their open submission period to March 1 to April 1 for 2022.) Founded in 1962, Michigan Quarterly Review is the flagship literary journal of the University of Michigan. It publishes distinctive poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction (and works of translation) by writers from around the world. (The Iowa Review: Market Spotlight.) The editors say, “Our magazine embraces creative urgency and cultural relevance, aiming to challenge conventions and address long-overdue conversations. As we continue to promote an expansive and inclusive vision, we seek work from established and emerging writers with diverse aesthetics and experiences.” This is […]
Get Published With the Latest Market Books Editions
Recently, I’ve had the pleasure of announcing the release of each of the new editions of the Market Books series. In this post, we collect them all together and help explain which edition is probably best for your writing project and publishing goals. Writer’s Market, 100th Edition Also known as “the big book,” Writer’s Market has the most listings of paying markets for writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. In addition to helpful articles on the business of writing, this book includes listings for literary agencies, book publishers, magazines, and writing contests. Best for writers of multiple writing genres and/or […]