I’m sitting at my gate waiting for my overnight flight to take off from the Seattle Airport back home to Ohio. This is a perfect time to get this post written!
For the past few days, I’ve proudly served on …
The Unintended Consequences of the Phrase “Book Baby”
In honor of Mother’s Day weekend, let’s discuss a popular, but loaded term in the writing world that means something good, but can have some unintended, negative consequences.
What’s the phrase? Book Baby
Perhaps you’ve heard the following examples:
I …
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Eight Questions to Get to Know Your Audience Better
Who is your book for?
While this isn’t intended to be a trick question, the quizzical looks that I often receive from writers during pitch sessions suggest otherwise.
After a few moments of chin-tapping or staring into space, here are …
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How to Make a Literary Agent Smile
When you imagine a literary agent behind his or her desk, what kind of expression do you see on their face? Depending on how you feel about your recent interactions with a literary agent, you may imagine a grumpy face, …
Three Questions to Help You Celebrate Your Writing Year
Ahhh, it’s mid-December. It’s the point at which we have one foot in 2021 and we’re thinking about testing out the waters for 2022. Before 2020, we used to get excited about rushing into the new year. Now, we’re a …
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Happy Thanksgiving from Books & Such!
A Thanksgiving Prayer for This Year
God, as we gather around our tables,
remembering all far and near,
We are grateful for Your keeping provision
that’s kept us through another wild year.
Through ups and down, the ins and outs,…
Three Stereotypes to Avoid When Writing African-American Characters
Today, I want to discuss three stereotypes that we should avoid when creating a diverse character, particularly African-American characters.
Before we jump into the three stereotypes that should be avoided, let’s refresh the “why” behind the need to increase diversity …
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Pitching Your Project During a Face-to-Face Appointment
How do you feel about pitching your book to a literary agent face-to-face?
- Sounds like a dream come true! Sign me up!
- I’ll sign up for it (but I may back out).
- Do I have to?
- I’m afraid that I
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A-B-C Strategy for Choosing Platform Priorities
Growing your platform is like climbing a mountain. Often we focus our eyes on the size of the mountain and it’s easy to doubt our ability to successfully make the climb. The result of our doubt often leads to fear …
Daring Greatly: The Courage to Show Up and Keep Writing
Why is that one criticism or even a well-meaning critique has the power to neutralize a hundred compliments or accolades?
As writers, our words are the scripted hearts that we wear on our sleeves. We put ourselves out there with …
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