Know what makes it difficult to meet a deadline? Getting in a fight with your book. But I’d vowed to finish this revision by the end of January, and I did it. I e-mailed draft #4,067 of Please Send Pants to my agent in the wee hours of Jan. 31st. I’m pretty excited about the […]
Itching to travel? Check out How to Take a Career Break to Travel. Too many people don’t take the career break they dream about because they’re worried they won’t be able to find a job when they get back. It’s a valid concern, particularly in this tough economy. Especially because you don’t want just any […]
It’s that time of the week again! Links to keep you busy this weekend: To increase your writing income, the Writing Coach tell us how to eliminate distractions. This is a new blog I stumbled upon recently, and it’s worth a browse. Some good ideas in this short video on pitching travel pieces for publication. […]
I’m so close to finishing this revision. So close. But I can’t even enjoy what should be a sense of accomplishment because I HATE MY BOOK. I know I should flesh out this post, tell you why I hate it and how I got here, but I hate my book so much that I don’t […]
I love running in Arlington, my new home in northern Virginia. I love it because on super cold mornings, when I think I’m the only one who’s crazy enough to jog outside, when I’m cursing the fact that I can see my breath, a pack of Army guy will come running toward me, two by […]
Writers who don’t have many published clips often ask me how they can get their foot in the door. By this point, they usually have decent writing skills, but don’t know which publications to approach to get their first few stories published. Here’s what I tell them: Try your alumni publication. Alumni magazines are often […]
Happy Friday! Some helpful and interesting links from this week: Love this post from soon-to-be author Doug Mack about his first draft by the numbers. The Wall Street Journal has an interesting piece on how authors now move their own merchandise. Penelope Trunk his the nail on the head with this post about how to […]
During a recent phone conversation with my agent, she said we were almost ready to approach publishers. I suppose I knew that, but hearing her say it out loud made it real. It made me incredibly excited — and slightly panicked. Because I realized that this might be the last time I revise my manuscript […]
Want more helpful tips on writing? Sign up for my free newsletter! Journalists delete dozens of press releases each day. Dozens! I only write about a small fraction of the releases that pop up in my inbox. So how do you get a journalist to write about your book? Keep in mind that my experience […]
Helpful and/or interesting links from this week: Going to a conference? Hope Clark offers tips on how to prepare so you get the most out of it. When we travel, we often find ourselves alone, says Chris Guillebeau. But that doesn’t necessarily mean we’re lonely. Most visitors to your website don’t scroll down. What does […]