Are Book Signings Worth It? Why Authors Should Look Beyond Book Sales

From Edie: From Cindy K. Sproles, Are book signings worth it? Discover how authors can build their platform, connect with readers, and create opportunities beyond immediate book sales.

Are Book Signings Worth It? Why Authors Should Look Beyond Book Sales

by Cindy K. Sproles @CindyDevoted

Nice table setup. Cool sign from Barnes & Noble—Joe Jones, Author. In person. Signing books. Joe is dressed like an important guy, sitting regal behind his book table. Then…crickets. Customers walk through the door and turn in the opposite direction as if Joe has the plague. Zero sales and not one interaction with Joe at his table. 

How Writers Can Meet Deadlines Without Last-Minute Panic

From Edie: Discover how writers can meet deadlines without last-minute panic by managing reminders, avoiding procrastination, and communicating with editors.

How Writers Can Meet Deadlines Without Last-Minute Panic

by Larry J. Leech, II @LarryJLeechII

Imagine if you will …

Sitting at your computer. Cursor blinking. Fingers on the keyboard. 

How to Vary Sentence Structure to Improve Your Writing

From Edie: Martin Wiles shares how to vary sentence structure using gerunds, participles, and infinitives to improve your writing, avoid repetition, and keep readers engaged.

How to Vary Sentence Structure to Improve Your Writing

by Martin Wiles @LinesFromGod

Before I learned to read, Mom, Dad, and my grandparents read me books by one of my favorite authors: Dr. Seuss. 

And what kid in those days didn’t love the rhyme and rhythm of Dr. Seuss’ writings? I took my 1960 edition of One fish two fish red fish blue fish from one of my bookshelves for this writing and relived the joy I must have felt when Mom read, “One fish two fish red fish blue fish. Black fish blue fish old fish new fish.” 

What an NFL Quarterback Can Teach Writers About Reaching Their Goals

From Edie: Beth Vogt shares what an NFL quarterback can teach writers about reaching their goals, avoiding comparison, and staying focused on their own writing journey.

What an NFL Quarterback Can Teach Writers About Reaching Their Goals

by Beth K. Vogt @BethVogt

I would like to be an NFL quarterback.

All right now. Y’all stop laughing. 

Instead of suggesting I concentrate on writing a fictional pro quarterback, ask me, “Why would you ever want to be an NFL quarterback, Beth?” 

3 Fears That Hold Writers Back and How to Overcome Them

From Edie: Lilka Raphael shares how writers can overcome fear of rejection, failure, and success, build confidence, and move forward in their writing journey with faith.

3 Fears That Hold Writers Back and How to Overcome Them

by Lilka Raphael @Lilka_Raphael

Of all the liars in the world, sometimes the worst are our own fears. -Rudyard Kipling

I’ve never been fond of ghouls and goblins, and you won’t catch me reading a gory thriller. Yet as an author, I’ve faced things far more intimidating. Here are three fears every writer must overcome to thrive in their career. 

How Writers Can Find Unexpected Opportunities Along the Writing Journey

From Edie: Discover how writers can recognize unexpected opportunities, embrace creative detours, and find joy and growth along the writing journey.

How Writers Can Find Unexpected Opportunities Along the Writing Journey

by Julie Lavender @JLavenderWrites

Snacks? Check.

Extra diaper and wipes? Check.

Juice cup? Check.

Small, easy-to-lose-but-favorite toys? Check.

Stroller? Check.

My twenty-month-old grandtreasure, Danae, and I were ready for a morning adventure. 

Writing Believable Dialogue: The Art of Character Interruptions

From Edie: Sarah Sally Hamer shares how character interruptions, unfinished thoughts, and competing goals can help writers create believable dialogue that sounds like real conversation

Writing Believable Dialogue: The Art of Character Interruptions

By Sarah Sally Hamer @SarahSallyHamer

Dialogue Isn't Tennis. It's Jazz.

I have a theory that a lot of dialogue problems begin long before the writer ever types the first line of conversation. I think they begin with the picture we carry around in our heads of what conversation actually is, because if we're being honest, most of us don't spend much time listening to people talk. We think we do. We spend our lives surrounded by conversations. We listen to our spouses, our children, our neighbors, the woman in line behind us at the grocery store who's telling her friend about some catastrophe involving a dog and a birthday cake. Conversation is everywhere. And yet, when we sit down to write it, something curious happens. We create exchanges that feel far more orderly than anything we encounter in the wild.