The Question That Keeps Coming Up Since I write emotionally intense fiction that touches on topics like mental illness, queerness, obsession, and trauma, and because I’m actively involved in communities like StoryForge, people often come to me with questions about sensitivity readers. They want to know if they need one, when it makes sense to […]
One of my biggest struggles as a beginning writer was navigating the publishing world. With so many literary magazines and contests around, I was overwhelmed by the options and would take a shot at anything that came my way, unsure of where to submit my stories. My creative writing students often face the same dilemma, […]
If you’re a coach, entrepreneur, business owner, nonprofit leader, or high-level executive, you’ve likely been told that building trust with your audience is key to your growth. But what if I told you that one of the most powerful ways to build credibility, attract your ideal client, and leaving a legacy is to tell your […]
My first inclination is to stop her, to reach out and fold my hand around the girl’s fingers. She’s holding a soft 2B pencil instead of the regular HB grade and she’s sketching while she should be writing. I am offering a guest workshop on creative writing in the final year at my former secondary […]
Marketing your books as an indie author is hard and most of us dread it. The idea of constantly promoting our work can feel overwhelming, exhausting, or make us feel like we’re the cliché of a sleazy salesperson. But marketing doesn’t have to be about hard sales and endless self-promotion! In fact, the best book […]
Have you ever thought about diversifying your income from your book? I frequently receive questions from independent authors who want to know how they can maximize their books’ impact. But this impact doesn’t have to be limited to sales from a single book. More audiences and income streams are available to you—you just have to […]
Heading into 2025 brings with it some needed adjustments as we, authors and publishers committed to seeing our words impact our world, set out to market the works of our hands. Continuing with this unpacking of the five points set out at the relaunch of this site, in this article we’re going to look at […]
‘I spit in my hands…’ The sentence has been in my mind for a couple of days now. I am not sure what it wants from me. What does it want me to do with it? What does it want to be? I haven’t had the time to write anything properly in the past months. […]
After twelve years as a book editor, before joining a company that built a virtual foreign rights marketplace, I thought I understood the publishing industry’s fundamental dynamics. My first Frankfurt Book Fair proved to be revelatory. As publishing continues its digital transformation, the experience offered valuable insights about the delicate balance between innovation and tradition. […]
Tom Etzel is the founder and executive director of The Global Peace Building Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting grassroots peacebuilding efforts worldwide. In September, he self-published his debut novel Within Our Grasp: Changing Ourselves and the World. After experiencing personal losses in the aftermath of 9/11, Etzel felt compelled to study and pursue peacebuilding […]
