Inspiring writers to write and get published

How to write a fiction query letter

When submitting a novel to a publisher or agent the Submission Package should consist of three parts: a query letter, a synopsis and an extract (normally fifty, double spaced, pages). This article is about the query letter. You can find out more about the synopsis here.
The goal of a query letter is to catch the [...]

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Interview with the Creative Penn

The Creative Penn aka Joanna Penn helps writers who are looking to self publish thier own books…
Tells us a bit about yourself and The Creative Penn…
I have been a business consultant for 12 years working in Europe, New Zealand and Australia. During that time, I met a lot of miserable people who were trapped in [...]

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How to write a fiction synopsis

Many writers find writing a book proposal a daunting and painful process. However, the proposal is one of the most important documents a writer will ever produce and can be the difference between your book ending up in bookshops and sitting unread on your hard drive.
A good Submission Package consists of three parts: a query [...]

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Navigating the self publishing maze

Self Publishing is rapidly becoming a viable option for many writers. However, this route to print is far from simple and with the potential for writers to make very expensive mistakes this blog post aims to try and offer some kind of guidance through the maze of options.
Despite the plethora of companies and websites offering [...]

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The four secrets to getting published

Secret 1 – The book will be excellent: Publishers and agents are inundated with projects and they are looking for something that is almost ready for print. The better you can make a manuscript the more chance you have of getting it published. You should seriously consider paying for a professional edit, since a good [...]

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Death of Microsoft Word

Let’s face it, writers and word processors go hand-in-hand and for the last couple of years Microsoft Word has dominated the market. However, things are now changing and the world of on-line word processors is starting to come of age.
The first choice for online word processors has been Google’s free Google Docs. Though not the [...]

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Interview with editor of The Self Publishing Magazine

Self publishing is rapidly becoming a viable option for many writers. However, in an industry that is still smeared by the reputation of a number of unscrupulous companies, good advice is sometimes difficult to find. One source of reputable self publishing advice is the industry magazine The Self Publishing Magazine.
BubbleCow spoke with Jane Rowland, [...]

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Tips to get you writing

In preparation for BubbleCow’s #wordswrittentoday Twitter challenge here are a few basic tips to get you writing.
Set targetsSet yourself a target for the number of words that you want to write in a week and then break this down into daily amounts. The key is to make sure you are realistic in your expectations – [...]

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How to edit your own book

Word, then line, then sentenceAn important part of editing is being able to de-construct your writing. You must begin by seeing each word independently. Work in paragraphs, looking at each successive word, scanning for spelling and grammar problems. Then lift your focus to the sentence, reading each sentence as a whole, watching for inconsistencies and [...]

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Seven twitter tips for writers

Make sure your profile has a link back to your blog or website.
Use an 80/20 balance – 80% of posts offering help/advice and 20% about you and your stuff.
Always tweet a link to your latest blog post.
Tweet the link to your blog posts twice – once at 9 (ish) GMT the other about 3 GMT. [...]

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