July/August 2013 Issue
July/August Issue
Writer's Digest Magazine
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There Are No Rules Blog by the Editors of Writer’s Digest
Get on the cutting edge of today’s publishing trends and how authors can succeed in a world of fast-paced technological change, guided by the editors of Writer’s Digest. You’ll get an inside look at the work, play, and passion of the publishing business and find practical tools for success.
How to Avoid Sabotaging Your Online Marketing Efforts
Today I’m a guest over at Writer Unboxed. I discuss 5 reasons why your online marketing might not work. Here’s a snippet: 1. It’s not personal. None of us like impersonal message blasts. … Read more
The Value of Experimentation
I’ve recently come to know and appreciate Brad King‘s work, both as an innovative media professional, as well as a university professor. So I’ve been keeping an eye on a project that he … Read more
Looking Into the Future of Bookstores: 4 Angles
There’s lots of emotional activity over on my Facebook page—and everywhere else online!—about the future of bookstores. Some of the activity feels like examining the veins of the leaves on trees (e.g., I … Read more
Borders Failure Is a Small Part of Bigger Phenomenon
Today I was on NPR’s Morning Edition, offering my take on the Borders’ liquidation. Click here to listen. Many of my colleagues insist Borders’ failure had nothing to do with e-books. Yes, … Read more
Why Take the Time to Read Your Work Out Loud?
On July 11, I was a featured speaker at True Theatre. True Theatre is a Cincinnati storytelling event, where everyday people tell true stories about their lives to a general audience. Each … Read more
Best Tweets for Writers (week ending 7/15/11)
I watch Twitter, so you don’t have to. Visit each Sunday for the week’s best Tweets. If I missed a great Tweet, leave it in the comments. Best of Best Put … Read more
More and More Days
Today’s guest post is by longtime NO RULES favorite Darrelyn Saloom. Follow her on Twitter, or read her previous guest posts. I have never met Cynthia Newberry Martin (pictured above), but it … Read more
Creativity Isn’t Magic
Building on a guest post earlier this week by Todd Henry, I wanted to share a recent discovery, Everything Is a Remix. I particularly love part 3, which starts out by saying … Read more
5 Factors to Help You Evaluate Blogs & Online Authorities
Today, over at Courage 2 Create, I’m the featured interviewee. I discuss online authority, and how to decide which people and organizations you should trust. Here’s a small snippet: Authority … Read more
3 Great Blogs for Children’s Writers
I rarely cover the children’s market on this blog, since I haven’t directly worked in that area of publishing and I consider it the province of my colleagues. But here are the … Read more
Seeking Qualified Judges for Writer’s Digest Competition
The Writer’s Digest competitions department is seeking first-round judges for the Self-Published Book Awards. Judges are responsible for completing critiques due the first week of August. Judges … Read more
Be Strategic in What You Consume to Boost Productivity
Today’s guest post is from Todd Henry, founder and CEO of Accidental Creative, a consulting firm that helps organizations like P&G, Mattel, and State Farm generate creative ideas. He has one of … Read more
The Hidden, Secret Ingredient of Platform: Relationships
Today I’m a guest over at Marketing Tips, a blog by Tony Eldridge. I try to tackle one of the more difficult aspects of platform, relationships. Here’s a small … Read more
Speed: Writing Fiction That Reads Fast
Today’s guest post is by writer Susan Cushman. Read her personal blog, learn about the 2011 Memphis Creative Nonfiction Workshop, and follow her on Facebook or Twitter. Above: John Brandon signing his … Read more
The Importance of Defamiliarizing Words
The latest Glimmer Train bulletin is available, and I love this piece by Kevin Haworth on why he started to read poetry to improve … Read more
5 Questions Every Writer Should Ask (Periodically)
I’m the guest today over at Writer Unboxed, discussing what I think are more important questions to ask than “Do I have talent?” Here’s a brief snippet: I have … Read more
Are Agents Just Looking for an Excuse to Reject Your Work?
Q: Doesn’t it seem like agents are just looking for excuses to reject work? —Anonymous A: Actually, the complete opposite is true. Agents don’t want to reject your work, they want to … Read more
Off on Vacation Through July 8
Tomorrow I fly to Spain, where I’ll spend a few days in Sevilla before continuing onto Fes (Morocco), and wrapping up with a few nights in Barcelona. (Photo above: Me in Barcelona … Read more
A Literary Father's Day Weekend (Part 2)
In honor of Father’s Day, I’m sharing 2 wonderful videos that feature the children of writers, speaking about their dads. Go here to see the first. Today’s video features the children of … Read more
A Literary Father's Day Weekend (Part 1)
In honor of Father’s Day, I’m sharing 2 wonderful videos that feature the children of writers, speaking about their dads. Here’s the first featuring Stanley Elkin, John Gardner, and William Styron. Thanks … Read more
How to Create Free Video Tutorials
This past week, I’ve been in a tech workshop for faculty at the University of Cincinnati. (Yes, even I need to broaden and sharpen my skills!) So I’ll be sharing some of … Read more
Glimmer Train Monthly News
Glimmer Train has just chosen the winning stories for their April Family Matters competition. This competition is held twice a year and is open to all writers for stories about family. The … Read more
The Necessity of Failure Plus How "Accidents" Happen
Photo credit: Mindful OneWhile reading Kevin Kelly’s blog (which focuses on technology + the future), I came across this wonderful quote for writers. Lucky accidents seldom happen to writers who don’t work. … Read more
4 Steps to Useful Critiques: The Lerman Method
Photo credit: Deirdre Saoirse Moen Today’s guest post is by Wolf Pascoe. Wolf is a playwright, poet, and physician. Visit his blog, Just Add Father. – What do we really have to … Read more
5 Excellent Tips for Platform Building
This past weekend, I had the honor of keynoting the Writers’ League of Texas Agents Conference in Austin.
During that weekend, I also had the opportunity to hear some wonderful advice from other publishing experts. Here’s some excellent online marketing advice I heard. All are direct quotes unless in brackets. Read more
