Purple Prose [Search results for publishing] 

For many writers, once we’ve made the decision to pursue a writing career, we become so focused on finishing our book, we often don’t think about what comes afterwards. And with more options available to us than a few years ago, it’s important that we look at the big picture, no matter where we are in the pursuit of publication.

How to Publish and Promote Your Book Now! By L. Diane Wolfe is a thorough guide that will benefit writers, no matter where they are in the writing process. It covers everything you could possibility want to know about writing and beyond. In total, there are eighty-four chapters, each ranging between two to three pages. Topics cover all aspects of traditional and self publishing, social networking, marketing, and promotion. And with each topic, the book explains everything you need to know so that you can make the choices that are right for you and your project.

Chapters include:

• Pros and Cons of Traditional Publishing

• Going the Traditional Route

• Business Setup (i.e. what you need to know if you’re self publishing)

• Developing a Website

• The Media

• Reviewers

• Where to Send Review Copies

• What to Expect From Reviews

• Newsletters

Because each chapter is short, you won’t find the level of information that you might find in a book or online workshop focused on that specific topic (for example, writing newsletters). But it is a great resource for figuring out what you need to do to succeed. The book is also filled with links you can click on for additional information on various topics. This makes the book invaluable, regardless of which publishing route you choose.

Have you thought much about promotion, regardless of where you are on the publishing path? (and that includes those of you writing the first draft of your first novel).

Note: I’d like to thank L.Diane Wolfe’s publisher for providing me a copy of the book for the review.

Available February 5, 2012
Publishing/Marketing, 214 pages
$14.95 Trade paperback ISBN 978-0-9827139-5-2
$4.99 Ebook ISBN 978-0-9827139-9-0
Available in all Ebook formats

Barnes and Noble -
Amazon -
Amazon Kindle -

More and more fiction writers are joining the growing trend of self publishing. Some have delusions of becoming the next Amanda Hockings (seriously, who wouldn’t want to be her?). Others have realistic expectations and know what it takes to produce an excellent product that will be noticed. These individuals also know that it will take a while to grow their career, just like for most traditional authors. They do their research, and they based their decision to join the ranks because it fits their goals.

With YA, things aren’t as clear cut as for other genres. There are two types of readers who read YA stories: teens and adults. As we know, teens are not adults. When it comes to adoption of eReaders, nothing is truer. Teens haven’t jumped onto the ebook train like adults have. This, though, is slowly changing.

When it comes buying books, again, both groups are very different. Teens have less disposable income and most don’t have credit cards. They tend to borrow books from friends and libraries (although there are a lot of teens who do buy books instead of borrowing them). The majority of the YA books sold are being bought by adults. Some are giving them to their kids as gifts. Many are being read by adults who love YA stories.

So what does this have to do with self publishing? Plenty when it comes to your goals. If you don’t care who reads your books, just as long as someone buys them, then self publishing is a viable option for you. Currently, there are about a dozen self-published YA books that have made it to the top 125 selling children’s chapter books on Amazon. The majority of the books in the top 125 are YA novels.

However, if you hope teens will read your books because you deal with issues that are important to them (think Speak and Thirteen Reasons Why), then you might want to focus on traditional publishing—for now. With traditional publishing, your books have a greater chance of ending up in public and school libraries (unless they are banned, but that’s a discussion for another day). This means they have a greater chance of being read by teens.

What YA genres do well self published? Paranormals and science fiction. This could be because they tend to be part of a series, and this is a great way to develop a fan base. These genres do much better than YA contemporary books. The contemporary novels that did well on the list were all through traditional publishers, most notable the big six.

If you’re interested in self publishing, but you would love teens to read your books, don’t fret. You can take this chance to build your list. That way, you’ll have a solid base when the teens take over as buyers of YA ebooks.

For more info on YA ebooks, check out the following links:

Breakdown of YA book sales according to format
Are teens embracing ebooks?
Teens on ebooks
YA Confidential (scroll down for the ebook question)

Have you figure out what your publication goals are? Have they determined which path you want to take?

(You don’t have to pick only one route. It’s fine to pursue both paths. It just depends on your goals.)

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YARWA is offering the workshop “author branding in YA.” It will be held online May 14 to 25. For more info, check out this link. You don’t have to be a member to register.

©Stina Lindenblatt

On Monday, I talked about creating your writing goals for 2013. Now, I’m going to show you how to turn them into your business plan. If you’re planning to make money with your writing, you need to start thinking of it as a business. And all successful businesses have business plans.
When you create your goals, think about the following:

Product: This is your book.

• What do you need to do to create a query-ready book? Figure this out for each story you plan to write next year.

• What’s going on in your genre?

• Are you approaching the tail end of a trend?

• Is your genre saturated and difficult to break into?

• What are agents and editors saying? What are readers saying?

• Is there a less saturated genre you love that you might want to focus on instead?

• Of course, the only way you can answer these questions is by reading LOTS of books in your genre and following industry blogs, so . . . what are your reading goals for next year?

• This includes books and workshops to help you improve your writing craft and knowledge related to anything dealing with publishing (e.g. creating a website, social networking for authors, creating your author brand).

• Start researching services (editors, cover designers, book formatters, website designers, etc) early in your planning process. If you spread it over a few months, it won’t be so daunting, and it will give you time to find the right person. This applies to researching agents, too.

• If you’re querying next year, who are you planning to query (agents or editors)? How many queries are you planning to send out with each batch, and how often will you be sending them out? When are you planning to write your query and synopsis?

• If you’re self publishing, research what you need to know to be successful. Some great resources to check out include: Smart Self-Publishing by Zoe Winters and Self-Publishing Attack by James Scott Bell.

• Are you planning to use Facebook? Twitter? Pinterest? Come up with goals that you can live with and that will enable you to have enough time to write.

• How’s your website working for you? Do you have one?

• What are your marketing plans for before, during, and after your book launch? You might not be releasing a book next year, but it wouldn’t hurt to start brainstorming ideas for the future. Some agents and publishers want to know your marketing plans before they sign you. Make your life easier and plan ahead.

• How much have you budgeted for your business next year? By planning ahead a year or two in advance, the costs can be spread over that time period, and it will feel less intimidating.

Do you create goals every year? Have you created business plans for your writing career?

Great things are not accomplished by those who yield to trends and fads and popular opinion.
(Jack Kerouac)

We constantly hear that we’re supposed to write what we are passion about. Only then will you achieve success. But what happens when the types of stories you prefer to write aren’t what agents and editors are looking for? For most of us, we are so driven to be published, we bow to their words of wisdom and follow their rules. We’re told, for example, that if your main character is eighteen years old and in college, your story is not YA and no one is publishing New Adult. The only time NYC will look the other way is when you’re already an established author, then you can do pretty much anything. And it’s not just Young Adult stories that are affected. I’m sure you know numerous examples in your genre that go against the “rules”, because of who the author is.

Fortunately, among us are the defiant and determined. They step out of the box, gain a following, and show NYC how wrong it is. And then a beautiful thing happens. Publishers, both big and small, start listening to the cries of the readers demanding more, and agents start scurrying to benefit from this new trend. A trend a few brave souls knew there was a market for. A few brave souls who introduced us to our newest (reading or writing) passion and proved that there is a demand for these quality self-published books.

And to you, brave authors, I say THANK YOU. Thank you for embracing your passion when others told you not to bother.

What do you think of the current trend of NYC publishing self-published books that have hit the major bestselling lists? Do you feel this will open doors for those pursuing traditional publishing? Do you shy away from writing genres that are considered niche, because NYC isn’t publishing them?

Giveaway

I’ve recently read the above New Adult novels* and thought they were great (there have been others but NYC has already grabbed them). If you are interested in winning one of these ebooks, let me know which one in the comments, and I’ll pick two lucky winners this weekend. Just click on the picture for more information about the book. If your email address is not on Blogger, please include it in the comments.

*I haven’t read Rouge yet. It’s on my TBR pile. Down to You comes with an adult content warning.

For more info on this blogfest, click on the picture.

Miranda Hardy is doing a cover release this week for her new picture book, Wacky Waddles, and generously offered to share her knowledge on the U.S. tax rate for writers and authors who reside outside the U.S, and for those who are doing a joint venture with a non U.S resident. This is very important information. Thanks, Miranda. :)

* * *
Thank you Stina for allowing me to take over your blog today. I hope that I may bring some knowledge to those who plan on doing business in the U.S., but may reside elsewhere.

When I was paired with an illustrator on an anthology project, I had no clue where Maldives was located, but I knew I needed to work with Rimi no matter the consequences. Working with others who reside outside of the U.S. requires knowledge of certain tax laws.

Are you thinking of publishing in the U.S., but live in another country? Maybe you are working with someone else in another country on a collaboration, perhaps even a business partnership? Regardless of whether you plan on self-publishing or going the traditional route, if your work will be published in the U.S., you’ll need to understand certain aspects of our tax laws.

The U.S. government requires companies to withhold 30% of royalties made in the U.S. and paid to entities residing in other countries…unless the U.S. has a tax treaty with your country.
Click HERE for a list of the countries in which the U.S. has treaties established.
So, what do you do if you’re entitled to an exemption or reduction in the U.S. tax rate?
1.) You need to apply for an ITIN (Individual Tax identification Number) or EIN (Employer Identification Number) with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. Applying for an ITIN is a long process, involving sending in original documentation for identification purposes. Click HERE for the instructions.

Applying for an EIN is simpler. International applicants call (267) 941-1099. They will give you the EIN instantly over the phone. Hours are 7:00AM – 10:00PM Eastern Time.

What’s the difference between the ITIN and the EIN? EIN’s are used by employers, sole proprietors, corporations, partnerships, non-profit associations, trusts, estates of descendants, government agencies, certain individuals, and other business entities. Since I am a writer, I deduct writing expenses, as well as keep track of my writing income separately; therefore, I’m a sole proprietor.

2.) Fill out a W-8BEN and send it to the company you may be dealing with (Amazon, your publishing company, etc.). Make sure you send the original through the mail to the entity you will be receiving the monies from. This form can be found HERE.

That’s it! You can always, for your reading pleasure, examine the U.S. foreign withholding procedures for yourself with the IRS Publication 515. It’s 64 pages of complicated forms and acronyms.
Although my background is in accounting, this post is for information purposes only, and does not constitute professional legal tax advice. The U.S. Internal Revenue Service updates publications often, and tax policies are subject to change.

Miranda Hardy
Blog | Facebook |
Miranda Hardy writes children's literature to keep the voices in her head appeased. When she's not in her fantasy world, she's canoeing in alligator infested waters or rescuing homeless animals. She resides in south Florida with her two wonderful children, and too many animals to mention.

Rimi Rasheed
Blog |Facebook | Twitter
Rimi Rasheed is a professional in primary education yet follows a passion in digital illustrating, and much of her work is focused on children. She is well known for her colourful creations of lovable characters, most of which can be found on her blog. She lives in Maldives with her husband and two children.

Wacky Waddles is a rhyming picture book for young readers. Take the journey with Wacky Waddles as he explores his new home.

Paperback available through Amazon.
Ebook available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

When Justine Dell announced the release of her book, Recaptured Dreams, I asked if she could write about her experience working with a publicist. Something we all hope to get to do one day. Thanks, Justine, for sharing your insights with us.

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Right after my book was accepted at Omnific, before I even got my editorial letter, I was thrown into the waiting arms of my publicist, who I would learn would be my guide through the publishing process and would direct me into the world of getting the word out about my book.

Phew, I thought. No big deal. But then came the lists. I mean like LONG lists about things I needed to do--accounts I needed to set up (Shelfari, Feedburner, Goodreads, Library things, Twitter, Facebook author page, book page, a book website, a blog just to name a few). Because I had most of them, I flew through them. I was pretty well prepared in the social networking department, but I would feel sorry for anyone who wasn't. Thank goodness I was prepared for that!

Traci (that's my publicist!) also guided me through the process of developing my book trailer and cover. Omnific did all the hard work, mind you, but I did get the chance to put my two cents in! It was Traci who keep the communication between them and me open and happy! Traci also helped with my official book blurb, my author bio, my press release, etc. She's also helping with my online and on-sight book launch party.

As we got closer and closer to the publishing date, Traci and I started to work out the details for a blog tour. Now again, because I had such a strong social networking presence, I was able to set up over a month's worth of stops on my own with my own blogger friends. Traci set up book reviews by romance bloggers. Together, Traci and I decided to give away a free ebook at each stop (22 in all), and I designed the bookmarks and offered them up as another prize. Basically, it was a lot of brainstorming between Traci and I. I would have an idea, she would have one, and we'd put it together so it would work for *me*. Together we set up the blog tour, the reviews, the month long giveaway on my blog, Goodreads giveaway, etc. She's great. If I need something or have a question, she's right there.

The main idea is to get word out the about your book. And your publicist helps you arrange that. (And bloggers rules...remember that!)

What you need to expect from your publicist is someone who will help you organize yourself (if you're not organized, which thankfully I am!) and bounce around ideas that would work to market your book. In the beginning it's a lot of leg work, setting up those accounts and stuff, getting YOU, the author out into the world, and then it's time to get your book out there, too. The main thing you need to have ready is an open mind. No one formula works for every person, so you have to be thinking about things you would like to see. Did you write a book about aliens? Maybe you would have a twitter twitpic contest of the reader who comes up with the best costume #aliensrule. You see? Your imagination has just as much in this as your publisher. You work together.

Now even though I had a lot of connections and did some stuff on my own, it's important to point out that my publisher, Ominific can do a variety of things. It depends on the author. Sometimes they exclusively use book bloggers to get the word out. Sometimes the word gets out early and then people approach them. My publicist is a big proponent of giving the book away because for all the marketing, the best thing IS the book. Once people read it, you'll get fans. And word of mouth is a powerful thing. Omnific can set up twitter chats, twitter contest, conference appearances and all sorts of stuff. It really depends on your book...and you.

Working with a publicist is the most amazing thing there is. But it's also a lot of hard work :-)

Has anyone else worked with a publicist? Any words of wisdom you would like to share with us?

©Stina Lindenblatt

Facebook, Twitter, and blogging (along with other social media sites) are great ways to connect with writers, readers, agents, and editors. We know that we need to filter what we say so we don’t damage our reputation and books sales. But what about the private groups we join, where we’re supposed to be able to chat or ask questions about the publishing industry? How open can we be there?

Not long ago, members from one author group became upset when it was accidentally discovered that an author in the group was also a popular agent. Members of the group felt betrayed, because they were saying things that they didn’t necessarily want someone directly involved in the publishing industry to hear.

A similar incident happened to me. I was going to share something with a group I’m in, but then changed my mind at the last moment. And good thing I did. What I didn’t know at the time was that there was someone in the group I didn’t want to share my news with—for good reason.

With more and more agents and editors becoming authors, we have to be careful what we say. The person you might be complaining to could end up being the agent or editor you wanted to query, and you’re just turned them off. Or you might announce something prematurely, not realizing you’ve just announced your news to the “wrong” person.

Do you monitor what you say in private groups when sharing your news and concerns regarding the industry? Do you think that industry professionals should make it clear that they are agents or editors (I’m not referring to freelance editors) when they’re in a private group with other writers?

If you’re looking to spice up your writing, check out today’s QueryTracker.net blog post on rhetorical devices. They’re my new best friend. You’ll be surprised at how many you already know.

And now for my guest blogger, Marie Rose Dufour. Drum roll please . . . .

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Contract! Yes! Whoo-hoo! Open the champagne, baby, because someone liked your work enough to offer you a contract. Week, months, and sometimes years of work is now going to be validated in print. My husband and I celebrated on the waterfront, toasting to my hard work for this book over.

Not! What I didn’t realize at the time was that writing the actual book was the easy part. The hard part came afterwards and it’s called promo, promo, promo. In this economy, more and more publishing houses are relying on the author to promote their own books.

So here are some tips on promoting your book:

• Create a budget (I know this sounds unreal but real advertising costs money. If you are a first time author, it’s all about getting your name out there.)

• Create a “promo folder” on your computer with a jpeg of your book cover, blurb, excerpt, head shot, and purchase links. (Having everything in one folder is a timesaving in case someone last minute asks you to blog, or interview you. You just pull up the file.)

• Make sure you are “social networking” (Facebook, My Space, Twitter). You want to use these for some free advertising.

• Design promotional items (A big thing in the romance circles right now is trading cards. I hear they are big at conferences. Think of these as your business cards.) (Yes. I love using these as bookmarks.)

• Arrange to do guest blogs! (Just what I’m doing now. And I’d like to thank Stina from the bottom of my heart for hosting me today.)

I hope someone finds these tips helpful. It was wonderful guest blogging here today. Please leave a comment and e-mail address and I will pick a person to win a copy of Fated Mates. Enjoy!

Book Blurb: We know that we are no longer alone in the universe. Descendants of Earthly ancestors have returned to find the other halves of themselves, their destined mates.

Dragon, a scarred Serralian warrior drawn to the planet of his ancestors, never believed the Goddess had a mate for him but no matter what he believes, he’s unable to resist the pull of the planet deep within in soul.

Liz, a curvy teacher who escaped an abusive marriage three years earlier is afraid to take another chance on love. Tired of being a
bystander in her own love life, she participates in an ancient ritual to identify Serralian mates. Taking that chance changes her life forever. Can these two people overcome their pasts to become each other’s true Fated Mates?

Author blurb: Marie Rose Dufour is a first time (and hopefully not the last time) author. She writes erotica for Secret Cravings Publishing. Her first book, Fated Mates was released last month. She lives in Rhode Island, USA with two very curious cats and a husband who swears he’s the inspiration for all of her heroes. Her book is available through her publisher and Amazon.

A smile. An encouraging word. A thoughtful gesture. Each day people interact with us, help, and make our day a bit brighter and full. This is especially true in the Writing Community.

Take a second to think about writers you know, like the critique partner who works with you to improve your manuscript. The writing friend who listens, supports and keeps you strong when times are tough. The author who generously offers council, advice and inspiration when asked.

So many people take the time to make us feel special, don't they? They comment on our blogs, re-tweet our posts, chat with us on forums and wish us Happy Birthday on Facebook.

Kindness ROCKS!

To commemorate the release of their book The Emotion Thesaurus, Becca and Angela at The Bookshelf Muse are hosting a TITANIC Random Act Of Kindness BLITZ. And because I think KINDNESS is contagious, I'm participating too!

I am picking Laura Paulingfor so many reasons:

• Laura has an amazing blog. My favorite posts are when she analyzes books and movies using Save the Cat by Blake Synder.

• She’s a great beta reader. When she suggested a better way to restructure my WIP, I had one of those “why didn’t I think of that?” moments. And then she offered to reread it.

• She loves to help other writers.

• She has answered my questions about self publishing, and continues to support the self-publishing community.

Laura, my RAOK gift to you is a Amazon gift card. I know you will use it well.

Do you know someone special that you'd like to randomly acknowledge? Don't be shy--come join us and celebrate! Send them an email, give them a shout out, or show your appreciation in another way. Kindness makes the world go round. :)

Becca and Angela have a special RAOK gift waiting for you as well, so hop on over to The Bookshelf Muse to pick it up.

Have you ever participated in or been the recipient of a Random Act Of Kindness? Let me know in the comments!

A year ago, I received a rejection on my full in which the agent suggested I hone my writing skills some more (okay, more like a lot more). Within 24 hours, I had signed up for two writing courses (one focused specifically on YA) from a reputable online organization.

The advantage was that the instructor in each (along with my fellow students) would provide feedback on the assignments. While I did learn a few things I didn’t know, most of what I learned wasn’t new to me. Actually, I learned a helluva more by reading blogs—for free.

So what about the feedback? Wasn’t that worth it?

Let’s just say I’ve had way better crits from beta readers than I got from my instructors and classmates. Again, for free. After receiving feedback on my first chapter during the class, I sent it in for the critique at the LA SCBWI conference last year. Shortly afterwards, several beta readers read it and gave me much better feedback (especially on how I could tighten my writing). Even Ellen Hopkins had a lot to say about it. Things the instructor should have pointed out. #epicwritingcoursefail

Recently I took an online workshop for writing love scenes. Too bad I’d already read Writing a Romance Novel for Dummies and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Writing Erotic Romance. The class would have be great if we could have had feedback on our work (or at least on some students' work), but that didn’t happened.

Fortunately not all workshops I’ve attended have been a complete flop. A lot of the workshops at the LA SCBWI conferences have been awesome, and I’ve heard great things about the workshops/conferences held through my local RWA chapter (which I’ll be going to this year). And WriteOnCon (the free online conference) is awesome. If you haven’t already, check it out from last year. The organizers will be announcing the 2011 conference dates soon.

If you’re looking at taking an online writing course, here are some things to consider:

• Who’s teaching the course? Have you read any of the author’s books? Some instructors (like in my ‘writing love scenes’ class) spend more time patting themselves on the back than teaching you anything. Warning: This happens at conferences, too.
• Will there be an opportunity for feedback?
• How many people are in the class?
• Is the class for beginners? (This might affect the level of feedback you get or the level of information you’ll receive.)
• What kind of time commitment is expected from you?
• Is the class being held by a reputable organization? (Not that it helped me.)

For feedback, check out forums such as Absolute Write, the Query Tracker Forum, and Verla Kay’s blue boards (for kidlit and YA writers). They are all free.

Has anyone else had good/bad experience with writing courses? Any other recommendations to help a writer hone his skill?

It doesn’t matter where you are in your writing career, the doubt monster will strike.

You read books by your favorite authors and decide your writing will never measure up.

While you’re in queryland, a friend lands an agent and you start questioning if that will ever be you.

While your book is out on submission, someone you know dances around and screams that she’s signed a 3-book deal with a major publisher, and you wonder if you’ll even get a one-book deal with anyone. Period.

You self publish your book and look longing at the list of NYT and USA Today bestsellers, many who are self published in your genre (NA contemporary romance authors, I’m looking at you).
Heck, you do this if your book is traditionally published, too.

You start freaking out as doubts slither in as to whether or not you’ll meet your publisher’s deadline.

As you approach your book’s launch date, you go through emotional outbursts similar to those experienced during pregnancy.

You book does better than expected, but now you worry that you’ll be a one-hit wonder and your publisher and agent will dump you after the sequel turns out to be lame.

No matter where you are on your publishing career path, the doubt monster will strike. Don’t be afraid of him. Embrace him. Let him help you push your writing to a new level.

And while you’re at it, sign up for the monthly support group hosted by Alex Cavanaugh. The Insecure Writer’s Support Group meets the first Wednesday of each month (I’ll be joining it in the fall).

And in the meantime . . .

©Stina Lindenblatt

GIVEWAY NEWS: Adventures in YA and Children’s Publishing blog is doing a HUGE giveaway (well, several actually) for both readers and writers. The giveaways run this past Saturday and Sunday and next weekend. You’ll want to check it out!

Source for quote

If you’re considering self-publishing your stories (or your publisher has asked for input on your cover), check out my Querytracker blog post today. I’m talking about covers from a photographer’s point of view and how to get one you’ll love.

<<<3

Gina was tagged last week for the Lucky Seven Meme. She didn’t tag anyone (I love those), but I wanted to participate (minus the tagging part).

Instructions
1. Go to page 77 of your current MS
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next seven lines as they're written--no cheating!
4. Tag 7 other writers
5. Let them know

The book I was querying landed a revision request and is currently as messy as my house while I edit it, so I decided to take the excerpt from my YA horror novel (first draft) instead:

The cruiser pulls away from the curb with Kirk in the back, his head slouched forward. He doesn’t bother to look up at me as they drive past.

A hand presses gently on my lower back. “Are you okay?” Aiden asks. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

I’m vaguely aware of shaking my head when I say, “No. We were just talking.”

Aiden hooks his finger under my chin and guides my face so I have no choice but to look at him. “I thought you promised me you wouldn’t talk to him anymore.”

Have you participated in the meme yet? Let me know if you do.

Last week, Heather Howland (managing editor from Entangled Publishing) conducted an amazing online workshop. Here are some key points she stressed when writing kissing or sex scenes in YA stories:

• Avoid the cliches we are now seeing A LOT in YA stories. For example, the tugging of the lower lip during the kiss. Many of these things are found in adult novels and are not true to the teen experience. Heather rolls her eyes whenever she reads them in manuscripts. She’s probably not the only one.

• It’s all about the emotions. With adult novels, there’s more emphasis on the mechanics of the kiss or sex or everything in between. Not so with the teen experience. Make sure you have the visceral reactions (no clichés please) and lots of introspection. The focus should be on the introspection (something I still need to work on) and not on the choreography.

• Avoid being graphic with the naming of body parts (I can’t list them here because this is a PG-rated blog, but you get the idea). There are incidences when it’s okay, but this is when the character is viewing the act in a clinical sense. Most of the time, you want to avoid this. Examples used were Forget Me by Jennifer Ecols and The Anatomy of a Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky.

• Write for teens. Don’t write steamy to make adult readers happy. Remember, the teen experience varies when it comes to sex. Someone who has never gone that far might be uncomfortable if you get too descriptive.

• Study how other authors do it (well). Below are a few of the books Heather used excerpts from to demonstrate her points. In the lecture (which I can’t do here), she explained why each excerpt worked.

If you have a chance to take a workshop from Heather (like Sex in YA), I highly recommend it. She’s a great instructor. Someone had a question about rape in YA, and Heather delayed her originally scheduled lesson to post on the topic. She also accepted anonymous excerpts from our WIPs and gave feedback on them. That alone made the course worth it. We all learned a lot from reading her explanations on why things worked and why they didn’t.

What cliches are you tired of seeing in YA or romance?

(This workshop was offered through YARWA, the YA chapter of the RWA).

(Geez, I’m dreading to see what google search words bring people to my blog now!)

<<<3

Update on the course I mentioned last week: Students will be refunded since the instructor is unable to finish the course due to health issues. Hopefully she gets better soon.

Wanna 'TREAT' this Halloween? I'm participating with Lisa Orchard, author of THE SUPER SPIES and the HIGH SCHOOL BOMBER (and lots of other authors) for a Spooky Good Giveaway! One winner will win a Kindle Fire ! We are playing a game called 'bobbing for books'. Here’s how to play and enter the contest via Lisa Orchard’s blog 1. TWEET about the giveaway and then FB share. (Each time you do this, comment on Lisa's blog with the tweet/facebook status URL, HERE) 2. Buy a participating author’s book(s) and post the confirmation code of purchase/book title in a comment on Lisa Orchard’s blog. 3. Enter as many times as you want! There is no limit. 4. Winner will be chosen on OCTOBER 30th. Tweet/share = one entry. Book bought = two entries so enter often... BUT don't forget to leave a comment on Lisa's Blog for each book bought and tweet/fb post to get credit for the giveaway. **All books are clean reads. NO purchase necessary. The amount of chances to win depends on how many entries you have. HERE ARE THE BOOKS... “The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer” By: Lisa Orchard

An innocent game of Truth or Dare spins out of control when Sarah Cole discovers the dead body of the Cat Lady and what’s worse? The lead detective believes they’re responsible for the old woman’s death. Sarah realizes it’s up to The Super Spies to snare the Cat Lady Killer…or die trying.. A great Halloween read! BUY LINKS: Amazon Barnes and Noble

“Crossing the Deep” By: Kelly Martin

Sixteen year old Rachel Harker expects the hiking trip in the mountains to be short and painless. Four days later, injured and scared, she just prays to make it home alive. BUY LINKS: Amazon Barnes and Noble

“Hauntings of the Heart” By Joselyn Vaughn

When lost love shows up on your doorstep, what do you do? Minnie Schultz slams the door in his face. With the help of some paranormal investigators, an Elvis impersonator and a couple of nosey friends, can Minnie and Gordon find the future they were meant to have? BUY LINKS: Amazon Barnes and Noble Find more of Joselyn’s books here: http://joselynvaughn.com

“Abiding Echoes” By: Kay Springsteen

Love is family… Love is endless… Love is timeless… Love is abiding… BUY LINKS: Amazon Barnes and Noble Find more of Kay’s books here: http://kayspringsteen.wordpress.com/

“Vala Appointed” By: J. F. Jenkins

Identical twins Anj and Zes Willam have always been considered odd, even in a world where myth is real. Their magic is powerful and intense, as well as their secrets. None more so than Anj, who has the biggest secret of them all. BUY LINKS: Amazon Barnes and Noble

“Double Crossing” By: Meg Mims

August, 1869: Lily Granville is stunned by her father’s murder. Only one other person knows about a valuable California gold mine deed — both are now missing. Lily heads west on the newly opened transcontinental railroad, determined to track the killer. She soon realizes she is no longer the hunter but the prey. As things progress from bad to worse, Lily is uncertain who to trust—the China-bound missionary who wants to marry her, or the wandering Texan who offers to protect her … for a price. Will Lily survive the journey and unexpected betrayal? BUY LINKS: Amazon Barnes and Noble
“Cruel Justice” By: Mel Comley

The headless body of a wealthy widow is discovered decomposing in Chelling Forest. Detective Inspector Lorne Simpkins and her partner, DS Pete Childs are assigned to the case. A few days later another victim, this time a young girl, is discovered. Who could the killer be and what’s the connection between the two victims? BUY LINKS: Amazon/ US Amazon/UK Find more of Mel’s books here: http://melcomley.blogspot.fr/

“Moonlight on the Palms” By: Lisa Greer

When professor Astrid Kent’s estranged mother dies, she returns to her childhood home of La Casa De La Luz to set things right. But secrets, murder, and her mother’s ex-husband—Astrid’s former fiance before she fled Texas in shame—threaten to entangle her at every turn, even as another man vies for her heart. BUY LINKS: Amazon Barnes and Noble: Find more of Lisa’s books here: http://www.lisalgreer.com/

“Prepare to Receive More” By: Benecia Ponder

A Step-by-Step Guide to Forming Your Prosperity Partnership with God. BUY LINKS: Amazon:

“The Trouble with Charlie” By: Catherine Bennett

Love. Desire. A psycho bent on revenge. But can Charlie Reynolds recognize the most dangerous of the three? BUY LINKS: Amazon Barnes and Noble

“At What Cost” By: J. Andersen

When sixteen year old Maggie Reynolds discovers she’s pregnant at the beginning of Junior year, she’s scared to death to tell her parents for fear of what they’ll do. Luckily, her boyfriend suggests another alternative: abortion, but will it really solve all her problems like she hopes it will? BUY LINKS: Amazon Barnes and Noble

“The Legacy” By: Patricia Kiyono

A family finds and embraces its samurai heritage. The Legacy introduces the Tanaka family, whose story begins in The Samurai’s Garden, available beginning November 6 from your favorite ebook distributor! BUY LINKS: AMAZON

“The Last Time Keepers” By: Sharon Ledwith

When Amanda Sault and her four classmates are caught in a major food fight at school, they are given the choice of suspension or yard duty. It was a no-brainer. A two-week crash course in landscaping leads the kids to discover a weathered stone arch buried in an overgrown backyard. Instead of a forgotten lawn ornament, it turns out to be an ancient time portal from the lost continent of Atlantis. BUY LINKS: Musa Publishing Amazon Barnes and Noble
“There your Heart will be Also” By: Felicia Rogers

The Renaissance Hearts Series – Begin the adventure with Sarra and Cedric. BUY LINKS: Amazon Barnes and Noble Find more of Felicia’s books here: http://feliciarogersauthor.weebly.com/

“A Collie Rescue” By: Lindsay Downs

Former Army Sergeant Sandi Charleston, diagnosed with PTSD and homeless barely survives day to day. By a miracle of fate she meets Taz, a uniquely special collie, who helps turn her life around. BUY LINKS: Amazon Barnes and Noble Find more of Lindsay Downs books here: www.murdersandmysteries.wordpress.com

“A New Dream” By: Elaine Cantrell

Former NFL player Matt McCallum and baker Violet Emerson find a common dream for their lives, but a loose end from Matt’s past returns to jeopardize their future. Will love be enough to save their new dream before it turns into a nightmare? BUY LINKS: Amazon Barnes and Noble

“Psychic” By: John Warnock

What if you awoke one day and discovered you had ESP? Would you feel blessed? Or would you feel cursed? BUY LINKS: Amazon Barnes and Noble: Find more of John’s books here:http://www.johnwarnock.info/

“Secrets of Catalpa Hall” By: Lori Lapekes

BUY LINKS: Amazon Barnes and Noble Find more of Lori’s books here: http://lorilapekes.com/

“No Job for a Woman” By: Sherry Gloag

Circumstances demand Julian and Deborah learn to work together and Julian dares to dream that he might gain the love of the only person he’s ever given his heart to. But will Deborah live long enough to discover that by releasing everything she values, she will gain everything her heart desires? BUY LINKS: Amazon Barnes and Noble Find more of Sherry’s books here: http://www.sherrygloag.com/

****Please be aware that the KINDLE FIRE will be gifted from Amazon and sent directly from there. Therefore, if the winner receives a damaged prize, myself and the participating authors are not held liable for any damages. The winner must work with Amazon to get a replacement. WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED on OCTOBER 30th.

© Lee Lenny

Janet Johnson tagged me last week, so here goes.

Are you hot?
Not right now. It’s kind of chilly in my room.
Oh, you mean the other kind of hot? Nah. I’ve never been hot. Cute maybe, but never hot. (My hubby burst out laughing when I asked him. Hmmm)

Upload a picture or wallpaper you are using at the moment.
Until I got tagged, I had the most unimaginative wallpaper available on my computer. So I changed it to this . . .

. . . which I took on vacation in SF last year. My husband and kids love the new wallpaper, so I guess it’s staying.
When was the last time you ate chicken meat?
I can’t remember. Maybe a few weeks ago (we don’t eat a lot of meat). I made spicy chicken breasts with mangos and coconut milk. It’s yummy.
The Song(s) you listened to recently?
What the Hell by Avril Lavigne
Born This Way by Lady GaGa
Just Can’t Get Enough by The Black Eye Peas
My eleven-year-old thinks I’m the coolest mom because I listen to the same music as him (which means I buy the music without complaint).
What were you thinking as you were doing this?
I was thinking about an email that I need to send after dinner. One which I’ll be blogging about on Wednesday (not to keep you in suspense or anything).
Do you have nicknames?
Technically, Stina is my nickname. It’s short for Kristina. Apparently my parents were going to call me Stina but forgot. Seriously? How can you forget what name you were going to call your first born?

Tag eight Blogger friends.
(You are it!)

1. Lenny Lee
2. Matt MacNish
3. Christina Lee
4. Laura Pauling
5. Heather McCorkle
6. Steena Holmes (writes erotica romance short stories as Anya Winter)
7. Angela Ackerman (from the awesome Bookshelf Muse)
8. Deb Marshall

Who's listed as number one?
Lenny Lee is the coolest kid in the blogosphere, who has the heart and strength to rival most adults. Not to mention, he comes with an awesome fan club. :) (Hugs, Lenny. We're all cheering for you!)

Say something about number 5.
Heather posts cool Twitter publishing industry links on Tuesdays, and describes a mythological creature every Friday.

How did you get to know number 3?
Christina and I got to know each to know each through blogging, and quickly became friends. She’s an awesome friend, CP, and jewellery designer, and I feel extremely lucky to call her my friend. Plus, her writing seriously rocks.

How about number 4?
Like Christina, I meet Laura through blogging. Her posts frequently makes it to Cool Links Friday, for good reason. And she’s one helluva great beta reader and writer.

Leave a message for number 6.
I can’t wait to read your upcoming guest post. ;)

Leave a lovey-dovey message for number 2.
ROFL. I don’t know how to write lovey-dovey messages (and my hubby might get jealous if I sent one to Matt). So I’ll just say, “Hi!”
Do number 7 and number 8 have any similarities?
Angela and Deb both live in Calgary (like me), and they both crack me up (usually while I’m eating). And if that’s not enough, we love hanging out together (with a group of other kidlit writers) at The Cheesecake Café.

(Dear Taggees: You're under no obligation to play the tag game, but I just wanted people to know just how awesomesauce you are.)

Are you, dear friend, frustrated with those pesky commas like me? Has one of your crit partners added or removed a bunch of commas, only for another person to switch half of them back again?

Well, dear friend, I’ve got the post for you. I’ve consulted The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Grammar and Style (idiot, that’s me!) and Noah Lukeman’s A Dash of Style to bring you the answers you seek. So grab your beverage of choice (mine being Diet Coke) and some chocolate (believe me, you’re going to need it), and let’s get started.

1. Use a comma after an introductory expression or before a concluding one. What’s an expression? Well, it can be a:

• Prepositional phrase:

Before I could react, Liam jammed his tall footballer body between me and Aaron, forcing Aaron off my towel.

• Participial phrase:

Dressed in swim trunks, he was looking at me with unsettled eyes, his mouth set in a bleak line.

• Dependent clause:

Contrary to Alejandra’s hints, dating was definitely not part of my plans for the summer.

2. Use a comma to set off words and expressions that otherwise interrupt the sentence.

Ryan suspected it was at the very least sprained, and reminded me, once again, to have it checked out by a physician.

3. When your character is talking to someone, and they use the individual’s name, separate the name from the rest of the words in the sentence with a comma.

“Calleigh, you did mention it, didn't you?”

4. Words that give additional info about the noun should be separated by a comma.

The Evil Trio plus one, all wearing bikini tops, miniskirts, and doused in an overly sweet perfume, approached us on their way to the mall entrance, and not so subtly checked Aaron out.

5. Commas are used to separate words in a series. That’s an easy one, right?

I could feel everyone watching me, waiting, analyzing my hesitation.

6. Do you have a clause that can be deleted without changing the sentence’s meaning? Then separate it from the rest of the sentence with our friend the comma. If you delete the clause and the meaning of the sentence changes, then please skip on those commas.

Only Erik was wearing eye makeup, but unlike Taylor, who had a ring through his lower lip and a ring and stud above his right eyebrow, Erik had no facial piercings.

7. Is your sentence complex? Commas will help keep it from being confusing. Confuse the agent or editor, and it’s rejection ville for you, my friend. Remember to use commas before coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, nor, for, so, and yet).

8. In dialogue, use a comma to separate ‘said’ from a gerund or when describing the voice. Also, study the punctuation in these two dialogue. I’ve seen some wacky uses of the comma and period when a writer has written dialogue with a tag.

“You know, I really am a good listener,” he said, unfolding himself to his full height, “if you just give me the chance.”

“Well, I’ll keep that I’m mind next time I experience an urge to attend confession,” I said, my tone still terse.

Yes, the comma is a beautiful thing. What? You don’t believe me yet? Well, here’s some wonderful things it can do for you. Thanks, Mr. Lukeman, for enlightening us.

1. The comma can link short sentences together to form a longer one. This enables variation in your sentence lengths. Pretty cool, huh?

2. It helps your reader from getting confused. We’ve all read those sentences in the works we critted or beta read in which you’re left scratching your head, unsure what the writer really meant.

Read these two sentences out loud:

When I woke up my pillow was damp from tears.

When I woke up, my pillow was damp from tears.

3. It allows your reader a chance to breathe (even if she’s reading it in her head). This is why reading your manuscript out loud is a great idea. Did you write a long sentence that leaves you gasping for air? Time to add some commas. However, if your character is suffering from out of control thoughts, skipping on the commas is a perfect way of showing this.

Standing under the steamy stream of water, I scrubbed my skin raw, desperate to remove the stench of his aftershave and everything else about him off me.

Standing under the steamy stream of water I scrubbed my skin raw desperate to remove the stench of his aftershave and everything else about him off me.

4. A comma shows the passage of time. I love this one.

Kevin poured some orange paint into the pan, and handed it to Shaelyn.

This sentence pauses for a moment while Kevin pours the paint into the container, and then resumes again once he’s ready to hand it to Shaelyn.

5. The brilliant comma allows you to cut out words. Of course, if you’re writing a 250,000-word epic fantasy, you might want to avoid this use of the comma.

I whirled round in time to see a man emerge from the trees, his features obscured in the shadows.

Without the comma, the sentence would be rewritten like this:

I whirled round in time to see a man emerge from the trees. His features were obscured in the shadows.

Now there one more thing I want to add. Unlike the other forms of punctuation—you know, the period, colon, semi-colon, etc—the comma is a flexible friend (apparently he took gymnastics as a kid). Which means you have a lots of options as to how to use it stylistically (at least according to Mr. Lukeman). And what does that mean? Well, like everything else in publishing . . . it’s all very subjective. Grrr!

You still have time to enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card to celebrate the release of my new book, SAINT SLOAN. CLICK here to enter!

First of all... I chose this dress--- >

You know... from my 'What if the Grace Awards were like the Oscars' post? CLICK HERE for a Refresher...

Well, they were announced a little late, but CROSSING THE DEEP WON!!!!

Here's the link if you don't believe me... I know, it's hard to believe...
So... *IF* this was like the Academy Awards, I'd get to make a speech right about now. Since this *is* my Oscars, here we go...
" I want to thank, first and foremost, God because He put me on this wild ride. To Charlotte Kaufman for filling me in on what 'Nanowrimo' was. To the July '10 Mamas for all the encouragement! You kept me going. To the Feb. '07 Mamas for being so supportive. To Stephanie Taylor and Astraea Press. Thanks for taking a chance on me. To my family for putting up with my writing and the time it takes. I know it's not easy on you. To my sister Karen and my Mama for loving Crossing the Deep and being so excited for me. To my daddy... I wish he could have been here to see it. To K. Victoria Chase for being such a good friend to me all through this. To Megan Wille for pushing me. To Jan Christiansen for giving me priceless advice (both in writing and in life). To Wendy Knight for being such an awesome, pick me up when I'm feeling down, friend.
And to my sister, Kathy, who has read every draft of Crossing the Deep and was my biggest supporter and encourager. If it wasn't for her saying I could do it, I never would have. Thank you all!" Cue the orchestra.
I have other things on my mind besides winning the Grace Award (I still think it's pretty cool to say that... )
In no particular order, here are the top 3 things I'm wondering about right this second...
1. Contemporary 'Civil War' Zombies (See my facebook page for more information on what the heck that is about... https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelly-Martin-Author/136506059763138 )
2. If I really can get 2,000 Twitter followers (See my twitter account to help out... https://twitter.com/martieKay )
and... 3. How cool it is that I 'know' Rachel Van Dyken! Ok... I don't know her, know her. When I signed with Astraea Press, Rachel was one of the people who wrote 'welcome' on my 'official' first thread. I was star struck, let me tell you. I knew who she was and most of all, how successful she was as a writer. I was all like, "Rachel Van Dyken talked to me... " BUT, once you get to know her, you realize, that's her. She talks to everyone... and has never once acted like she was higher on the hog (Southern reference for ya... ) than the rest of us. Plus, she's an awesome writer! My mother loves her regencies, and I very much like her New Adult line. A few days ago, Rachel signed a big ole contract with a big publishing company-- livin' the dream as it were... and she's still just as sweet as ever. Here are a few of her books if you are one of the two or three people in the world who haven't bought a copy ;)

... just to name a few.
I'm so proud of Rachel and am very honored to be able to help her celebrate her success :)
SO... to celebrate Rachel's contract and CROSSING THE DEEP winning Best Young Adult Christian Novel at the Grace Awards, I've decided to do a giveaway.
Two (2) random people will be chosen from the comments of this blog. One (1) will receive one of Rachel's books (you choose) via Nook or Kindle... And one (1) will receive either of my books (Crossing the Deep or Saint Sloan) via Nook or Kindle... your choice
What should you comment? Doesn't matter. All comments are eligible to win, just please put your email address in your reply.
Ready? Let the games begin :)
Linked with: Rachel Got The Contract Blog Hop

For many writers, creating titles is the bane of their existence. Some come up with titles faster than I can sing the alphabet song; the rest of us stare at the screen and sob. And unfortunately, sobbing doesn’t do much for generating ideas.

Last week I realized I had to change the title of the New Adult contemporary romance I’ll be publishing this fall. A self-published YA novel with the same title had just hit the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. Oddly enough, our cover designer is the same. When my CP mentioned the title of my book to another author on Twitter and said it was awesome, it looked like she was promoting the YA book, since mine hasn’t been released yet.

Now, this shouldn’t be a big deal. This happens to authors all the time. It happened to Christina Lee (my CP). The title for her NA contemporary romance was similar to a recently released NA paranormal, and her editor told her she needed to come up with a new one.

They combed through the manuscript and found a phrase (All Of You) that worked perfectly for the title. I tried the same trick and ended up with a title that is more meaningful than my last one. It is something the hero says to the heroine. Yes, the trick really does work.

How do you come up with your titles? Have you been forced to change yours?

(No, Walking Disaster wasn’t my former title. I’m currently reading the book and love the cover.)

I've never participated in Sweet Saturday Samples before. It seems really cool, and I can't wait for it to become a regular part of this blog. Basically, every Saturday-- you get a sample (genius, right?!). Some Saturday's it will be books I'm publishing, some Works-In-Progress, some stories I've just started. So... here we go.
CROSSING THE DEEP~ Young Adult/Inspirational/Christian (OCT. 9th/Astraea Press)

This is from about page 70... spoiler... they are lost in the woods ;)

Asher remained calm all the way past noon. A triumph for him. By two, he was up and pacing. Ever since he was a little boy, he pictured a thin string holding his temper in check. The string was being pulled tightly, threatening to snap. Why hadn’t they heard anything? No yelling. No footsteps. No twigs breaking. Nothing. It seemed like they were the only people left on the entire planet.
“You don’t think the world ended, did you?” he asked, only half joking. “You know, like end-of-days-type stuff.”
He could tell by the expression she gave him that she hadn’t expected that.
“Didn’t think you were into end-of-the-world-type stuff?”
He shrugged. “Thought you were.”
“Don’t joke about things like that.”
“Gotta joke about something,” he said. A nagging thought wouldn’t leave him alone. “If… if… Jesus did come back, and you were still here with me, well, you’d be up a creek, wouldn’t you think?”
“If Jesus did come back, I don’t believe for a second I’d still be here with you.” she said, and it bothered him a little bit. Why, he didn’t know, but it did. What? So, she would, theoretically, be gone to some unimaginable paradise, and he’d be stuck there on the mountain all alone? He didn’t like the sound of that.
“Confident, aren’t you?”
“Very.” The way she sat with her back straight and her eyes unflinching let him know she meant it.
“Wish I was that confident in Sid. I don’t think he’s coming back,” he said, pushing his fists in his pockets to keep from hitting a tree or something equally as stupid.
“He’ll be here,” she answered, sitting where she had for most of the day with her foot propped on her backpack.
“Maybe Sid got lost…”
“He didn’t get lost. He told them where we are.”
“We don’t even know where we are!” he said louder than he meant. This day wasn’t going the way he’d planned it. A search party finding them around one — or sooner if they were lucky — had been his ideal day. Not this.
As the afternoon dragged on, his faith in his friend dwindled. He did not want to spend another night out in the woods, even if the company wasn’t half bad.
“We can’t be as lost as we think,” Rachel said. “There had to be a cutoff or something we just didn’t see.”
“What does it matter? Huh?” Without a doubt, his patience was hanging on by a thread. “Lost is lost, Rachel. “
“Yelling at me isn’t going to help.”
“I’m not yelling.” Okay, maybe he was a little. He’d always promised himself that no matter how mad he got or how frustrated he became, he’d never yell at a girl. That had been his one and only rule. Taking a deep breath, he sat in front of Rachel and tried to form coherent words that got his point across the way he wanted. “Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled. I didn’t realize I was.” Another lie. When was he going to stop lying? “Okay, yeah, I realized I was. I’m just — it’s just…”
“Yeah, me too,” she said. Her comforting emerald eyes, the same shade as her coat, let him know that she accepted his attempt at an apology. “And I’m sorry too.”
“You? For what?”
“You know what. For getting us in this mess to start with.”
“You still holding on to that?” Asher shook his head, amazed. Girls and their guilt. “It’s not like you did this on purpose. No, I’m not happy about it, but it does no good to dwell on it. We have bigger problems.”
“We’ll see if you still feel that way when we're still stuck out here a week from now.”
“Let’s cross that bridge when we get to it,” he said, not wanting to imagine being out there that long with a few bags of chips and no shelter.
Rachel sighed, looking around the trail and stretching her tense muscles. “I don’t see anyone coming.”
“Don’t get pessimistic on me now, girl. Remember you are the positive one.”
“Well, I’m positive I don’t see anyone coming.”
“That’s the spirit.” He laughed despite himself. Rachel had something about her, some spark that made him want to be around her, which was good since he seemed to be stuck with her.

Several months ago, I read a post that caused a lot of controversy within the writing community. I’m not going to mention the individual’s name since she left a not-so-nice comment on one of my friend’s posts, and I don’t want to deal with that attitude here. Blogger Alert, anyone?

So what was this controversial topic? This individual felt that non-published writers shouldn’t write about, well, writing. In her view, only those who are published are qualified to talk about it. Apparently the rest of us, because we aren’t authors, don’t know how to write.

I disagree.

I don’t follow author blogs, with a few exceptions. At this point, the only way authors can grab my loyalty is to write kickass novels. Do that, and I’m all yours. I don’t care if your blog is the most awesome thing on this planet. If your book doesn’t meet my expectation, I’m not buying the next one.

The blogs I do follow are by unpublished writers. These are the individuals whose books I hope to see on my bookhelf one day. Many of them are agented. Others aren’t. A number of them have something in common. They blog about writing. They blog about tricks they’ve picked up in how-to books on writing (and give credit where credit is due). They blog about things they’ve learned through critiques and from conferences. And they share their advice in bite-sized pieces.

To those of you who blog about writing, I applaud you. My writing is a hundred fold better because of you. Although I showcase a lot of great blogs during my Cool Links Friday, I wanted to give a shout out to the following blogs/bloggers:

The Bookshelf Muse
Christina Lee
Laura Pauling
Creepy Query Girl (Katie Mills)
Paranormal Point of View (Lisa Gail Green. She’s published but I’m still including her here.)
Adventures in Children’s Publishing
Operation Awesome
YA Stands
Oasis for YA
Lydia Sharp

Question: Do you feel that only published authors can blog about writing? Have you ever shared writing tips on your blog?