This Artist Hits Publish Without Asking for Permission

Charlotte Eriksson is a 24-year-old singer-songwriter-author who has built a career out of nothing in just the past six years. Today, through the power of social media, she has attracted a global tribe of fans who love what she stands for and the art she creates. And thanks to publishing platforms like Amazon Createspace and… Continue reading

This is What William Zinsser Taught Me About Writing Well

Yesterday I awoke to the sad news that William Zinsser, the writer, teacher, and author of “On Writing Well” and many other books about writing, had passed away. I wrote about Zinsser in an earlier post this year, but in the past 24 hours, I’ve had time to reflect again on what I’ve learned from him. I thought… Continue reading

Buy Your Mom a Book Today

My mom loves to read, and it was largely thanks to her encouragement and guidance that I too have grown to become a lifelong reader. Moms shape a child’s reading life in a number of ways: Moms are often a child’s first reading teacher. Well before programs like Hooked on Phonics were available to help kids… Continue reading

Six Things You Should Do Before Self-Publishing Your Book on Amazon

Self-publishing on Amazon is all the rage today. It gives authors of fiction and non-fiction a platform to turn their manuscript into a published book available for sale to readers around the world in a fraction of the time that it normally takes with a traditional publisher. And the profit margins are higher: compare the… Continue reading

How to Ask for Writing Feedback (Without Having a Nervous Meltdown)

Giving and receiving writing feedback has proved to be one of the toughest  — but also one of the most useful and rewarding — challenges in my career as a writer and editor. I’ve worked with colleagues who have readily accepted my editorial feedback and direct edits to their work. I’ve also worked with some colleagues who have,… Continue reading