Blogger: Mary Keeley
Let’s face it, all things Christmas are demanding our attention, and rightly so. You’ve worked hard at your writing career this year, and it’s time to enjoy your accomplishments and put the year’s unfinished goals aside for …
Authors
Beta Readers
Blogger: Mary Keeley
Conversations with several clients in the last couple of weeks had one thing in common. All of them were waiting for feedback from their beta readers. Music to my ears. I highly recommend participating in a critique …
Self-Promotion
Blogger: Mary Keeley
What is your knee-jerk reaction to the concept of self-promotion? Negative or positive? In the coming year we’ll be surrounded by self-promotion of all kinds via the media until we do an eye roll and cover our …
What If
Blogger: Mary Keeley
I try to stay informed about publishing news and culture so that I can keep you informed, because I know you’re busy writing and learning and writing more, growing relationships with readers, and marketing your books. Publishing …
Arcs and the Synopsis
Blogger: Mary Keeley
This week an author asked me to take a look at her synopsis and offer suggestions because she was struggling to get it right. She isn’t alone. I talk to writers all the time who say the …
Stress Relief
Blogger: Mary Keeley
List the goings-on in the publishing industry in the last months and writers and authors have had plenty of stress inducers. The important thing is, how are you responding to them? It makes all the difference. Stress …
Trade Show Overview
Blogger: Mary Keeley
The 2015 International Christian Retail Show, ICRS, held in Orlando, came to a close yesterday. This annual trade show is a switch in gears for agents from the writers conferences we attend during the year. Instead of …
Writing Mechanics and Grammar Checklist
Blogger: Mary Keeley
A recent review of the most common writing rules revealed that I’ve forgotten a few. Perhaps you have too, in which case there’s no time like the present for a review. Being human, we all overlook a …
Traits of a Writer on Track for Success
Blogger: Mary Keeley
If you have followed our blog for long, you’ve read our posts on the usual must-do’s to progress in your goal of publication: learning craft and practicing it, beginning to grow your reader following as you write …
Sensitivity at Conferences
Blogger: Mary Keeley
Today’s topic is an extension of Rachelle Gardner’s post yesterday on etiquette but focuses specifically on sensitivity at conferences. Prepare for mental overload as you take in workshops, general sessions, and meetings with agents and editors, but …