Trope Talks
The Fascination with the ‘Final Girl’ in Horror As writers, we often walk a fine line between tropes and clichés. Sure, tropes may echo other books in the genre or feel predictable as you read them—but as Jennifer Hilt, author of the Trope Thesaurus series, writes, “a skillful application of tropes sells stories.” In her […]
Putting Your Purpose on the Page
Guest Author Megan Haskell Offers Her Advice on Strategizing Better Reader Relationships Seasoned indie authors understand: for your business’s long-term growth, quality often outranks quantity when it comes to reader relationships. But how do you ensure you’re connecting with the right audience? In the second part of her series on finding your ideal author business […]
Does Your Academia Fiction Make the Grade across the Pond?
The Similarities and Differences between US and UK Schools that May Show Up in Your Manuscript School is back in session, and for authors who write YA in academic settings, inspiration may be at the bus stop right outside your door. But if your story has dark academia tropes, light academia vibes, or a boarding […]
Ask the Experts
Why Fact-Checking Can Make Your Fiction Stronger, and How to Find the Right People for the Job Your manuscript is finished; you have taken your beta readers’ input and made changes suggested by your agent or content editor. You are ready to set your manuscript aside until publish day, right? Well, not quite. Whether your […]
Craft Consistency with a Style Bible for Book Formatting
Eryka Parker Book formatting lays the cornerstone for captivating your readers from the very first glance. Beyond aesthetics, it plays a crucial role in enhancing the reader experience and establishing the credibility of your work. Meticulousness and attention to detail are necessary during the writing, marketing, and production stages, especially considering the wide variety of […]
10 Tips for: Crafting the Perfect Blurb
Gill Fernley When it comes to the back cover blurb, many authors think they have to summarize their entire ninety-thousand-word novel in just a few lines. But a successful blurb is not meant to be a summary of your novel. It’s a sales pitch to nudge people into buying it. It’s time to shift how […]
Breathing New Life into Your Backlist
A Guide to Cover Revitalization Eryka Parker The terms of independent publishing are ever-evolving as authors constantly seek ways to expand their readership. To secure shelf space among competitive titles in the marketplace, authors can benefit from exploring ways to rejuvenate their backlist catalog in order to boost sales. Although we’re cautioned against judging a […]
Americanized
Traditional Publishers Edit According to American English. Should Indies Do the Same? Hey. Howdy. Hello. Yo. Greetings. G’day. These word choices for greeting someone tell a lot. They can reflect class, culture, age, and even nationality. But word choices can also reflect a writer’s country and its English usage, and differences go far beyond a […]
The Truth Behind Nonfiction: What It Takes to Write about Real Life
Although we spend a lot of time talking about fiction—writing to market, craft books, whether you should plot or pants your novel, and more—there is a whole different genre of writing to be considered that can be just as profitable: nonfiction. Like fiction, nonfiction contains many genres that encompass a variety of topics and writing […]
The Rights Stuff
Breaking Down the Complicated Lingo of Image Licensing Note: The information provided here is not legal advice and should not be taken as such. It is meant for general education purposes only. Furthermore, these definitions are always subject to change; be sure to do your research and consult legal professionals if you have specific questions. […]