If you are an author of memoir, then you know the story isn’t entirely about you. It’s about the reader. Taking the “me” out of memoir is important if you seek publication for your story. If you use the pronoun “I” in every sentence you actually create a division between you and the reader. Imagine the difference between these two passages. The trees formed a… [Read More]
For thirty years, the Minnesota Book Awards have recognized the best in writers, illlustrators, and book artists who are Minnesotans. Last Saturday evening in downtown St. Paul at the Intercontinental Hotel Riverfront, more than 800 people attended the awards ceremony emceed by Rohan Preston, theater critic for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. With more than 250 books submitted for the annual award, a panel of judges narrowed… [Read More]
It starts with falling down. In the snow. And not being able to get up. Art Hritus. Ben Gay. Johnny Walker. Three men I don’t want to meet up with these days. Of course I wasn’t wearing boots. The mittens had been left on the kitchen counter. I didn’t even have a hat. The wind and the snow came up out of the open expanse… [Read More]
Julie could run like the wind. Claire had trouble adjusting to college. Nick felt increasingly disconnected from his family and friends. Anna was resistant to recovery. May suffered abuse at the hands of her boyfriend. Emma was a secret eater. Like mother, like daughter for Maeve. Each chapter in this new book is a case study of a teen to illustrate the development, nature, and… [Read More]
Publishing is a business. Books are products. When you want to publish your book you need to understand that you are introducing a new product into a crowded market with decreasing demand. The number of books published each year has exploded. The average number of sales for each book continues to decline, despite the increasing number of titles published. For every spot available in bookstore… [Read More]
This Friday, March 16, Routledge releases Understanding Teen Eating Disorders: Warning Signs, Treatment Options and Stories of Courage by three Central New York authors who bring years of experience and expertise in the eating disorder field to the subject. Eating disorders are relatively common among tweens and teens and the numbers have stayed roughly the same for several decades despite effective prevention and early intervention… [Read More]
Recently I finished teaching a six week workshop where one participant asked a tough question that has haunted me. “What shouldn’t I do as a writer? What mistakes can you help me avoid making?” I stumbled through an answer. I like to focus on the positive things writers can do to improve their writing and yet the question was a legitimate one. And in my… [Read More]
It is a privilege to serve on the board of the Fox Cities Book Festival and it is with great excitement I can share the news about the 2018 selection for the Fox Cities Reads. Each year one book brings together the communities of the Fox Cities. This year that one book is Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys. In 1945, World War II… [Read More]
On January 9, 2018, the social media site for readers, GoodReads.com, changed its policy regarding Giveaways. What used to be an inexpensive and clever marketing tool for books is now a new revenue stream for GoodReads, which is owned by Amazon. GoodReads, established in 2007, had more than 65 million members registered in 2017. Until Amazon purchased GoodReads in 2013, it was a rival to… [Read More]
As a writer in the process of getting published, you may have paid more than $600 to a literary agency, editor, photographer, website designer, or book packager to work with you this past year. You can claim this amount as an expense when you file a Schedule C; it will lower how much tax you have to pay on your income. Here is the link… [Read More]
