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Amazon currently
sells almost 50% of all print books and over 70% of all e-books in
America. Their stranglehold on the industry will continue to grow as
competitors, such as Barnes & Noble, continue to struggle. If you
want to increase your book sales and boost your author income, then you
must learn how to sell more books through Amazon. Join this webinar to
get the inside secrets.
Rob Eagar is a
marketing expert who has helped books hit the New York Times bestseller
list three different ways, including new fiction, new non-fiction, and
backlist non-fiction. He has coached over 450 authors and consults with
top publishing houses across the U.S. Rob is the instructor of the
popular online course at Writer’s Digest called “Mastering Amazon for Authors.”
In this webinar, Rob will share a
sneak peek of his new course and give away his three best Amazon
book-selling secrets for FREE. In addition, he will be available to
take your questions.
Your author success
is largely determined by how well your books sell on Amazon. Don’t miss
this webinar and the essential tips you need to know. Discover how to
increase your book sales, no matter your genre or experience level, at
the world’s largest book retailer.
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Wednesday, February 17, 1:00 PM EST
Free!
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Instructor:
Rob Eagar
Learn from one of
the most accomplished book marketing experts in America. For over 10
years, Rob Eagar has coached more than 450 authors, consulted with
numerous publishing houses, and helped clients hit the New York Times bestseller
list three different ways, including new fiction, new non-fiction, and
backlist non-fiction. In 2007, he launched his consulting
practice, Wildfire
Marketing, to help authors sell books like wildfire. Today,
Rob routinely consults with authors who’ve made the New York Times, USA Today,
and Publishers
Weekly bestseller lists!
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Active Interest Media
P.O. Box 20730 Boulder, Colorado, 80308 USA
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First Ten Pages Boot Camp
As you may know, agents and editors won't give your work more than ten
pages or so to make an impact. In this invaluable event, you'll get to work directly
with an agent to review and refine the first ten
pages of your novel.
Hurry, Seating is Limited!
February
25-28, 2021
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Mastering Amazon for Authors
Enroll in one of the most popular courses at WDU! Mastering Amazon for
Authors is the premiere online course designed to help you maximize
book sales at the world’s largest retailer. Learn inside secrets from
Rob Eagar, one of the most accomplished book marketing experts in
America.
Hurry, less than 30 seats left!
February 25 -
April 22
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Blogging Strategies That Work in 2021
In this 90-minute webinar, Jane Friedman will teach you the principles
of strategic blogging for authors and the best practices she’s learned
since she started blogging consistently in 2008.
March 11, 2021
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Upcoming Virtual
Conference
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7th Annual Mystery and Thriller Virtual Conference
Gain expert insights from SIX award-winning and best-selling authors on
the finer points of how to write within the mystery and thriller
genres. Then, pitch your novel via query letter to a literary agent
specifically looking for material in the mystery or thriller genre..
March 26-28,
2021
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5
Ways to Generate Great Story Ideas
We all have a million excellent ideas for stories, but,
without fail, they magically disappear the minute we sit down to write.
It seems impossible, but it happens constantly. Hours are wasted
staring at a blank page. And, no matter how many cups of coffee are in
our systems, we still can't find the energy to kick our muses into gear
and develop story ideas.
(25 Plot
Twist Ideas and Prompts for Writers.)
Have no fear: I have
five ways that will help pump up your creativity muscle and build story
ideas that will keep you writing for hours on end. Here they are.
Read the
full article...
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Writing Mistakes Writers Make: Lack of Conflict
Imagine this: A hero is presented with a goal and warned
that the road to get there will be difficult. The hero finds they are
naturally great at everything the challenge throws at them, vaulting
over each hurdle easily without even breaking a sweat. They reach their
goal and celebrate their win. The end.
It’s not a very
compelling story, is it?
(Writing
Mistakes Writers Make: Relying on Perfect Conditions to Write)
When you make your
story too straightforward, it removes a lot of the natural conflict
within your narrative. Readers love conflict; it’s what makes a story
appealing. Will the hero succeed in their venture, or won’t they? Will
the romance continue to build, or will it peter out? Will the character
succumb to their flaws or overcome them? To create a compelling story,
you need to create natural tension within it. Read
More...
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This Week in Writing
 2/15—Galileo
Galilei born 1564
2/16—Henry Adams born 1838
2/17—Andre Norton born 1912
2/17—Charles Portis died 2020
2/18—Toni Morrison born 1931 (7
Morrison quotes for writers)
2/19—Carson McCullers born 1917
2/19—Jeff Kinney born 1971
2/19—Harper Lee died 2016 (Single best
piece of writing advice)
2/21—Charles Scribner born 1821
2/21—W.H. Auden born 1907
2/21—Erma Bombeck born 1927
2/21—Chuck Palahniuk born 1962 (8
Palahniuk quotes for writers)
2/21—David Foster Wallace born 1962
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Robert Lee
Brewer
Robert Lee
Brewer is a senior editor for Writer's Digest and former editor
of the Writer's Market book series. He is also the author of Smash Poetry Journal
and Solving the
World's Problems. Find him on Twitter at @RobertLeeBrewer
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Active Interest Media
P.O. Box 20730 Boulder, Colorado, 80308 USA
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Active Interest Media, P.O. Box 20730, Boulder, Colorado
80308, USA
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Courses
Starting This Week:
Advanced Novel
Writing
Instructor:
Terri Valentine
Push yourself beyond your comfort zone
and take your writing to new heights with this novel writing workshop,
designed specifically for novelists who are looking for detailed
feedback on their work. When you take this online workshop, you won't
have weekly reading assignments or lectures. Instead, you'll get to
focus solely on completing your novel.
Character
Development: Creating Memorable Characters
Instructor: Gloria
Kempton
When you take this online writing course, you will learn how to create
believable fiction characters and construct scenes with emotional depth
and range. Create characters readers will love and develop a strong
point of view for your fiction book today!
Fundamentals
of Fiction
Instructor: Jack
Adler
This workshop will take you through all of the basics of writing a
novel, including how important it is to choose a great setting, how to
build characters, what point of view you should choose, how to write
great dialogue, and more. Learn the ins and outs of how to write a book
with this workshop and get your story to jump off the page!
How to
Catch an Agent's Interest with Your First Pages
Instructors:
Jackie Lindert and Jess Dallow
Writing strong first pages requires a great hook, a strong voice, and a
clear premise. The first sentence should immediately catch the reader’s
attention, while the subsequent text should leave the reader wanting to
dive further into the pages of the manuscript. This course is designed
for writers who are ready to roll up their sleeves and take their
opening pages to the next level.
Writing
the Personal Essay 101: Fundamentals
Instructor: Gloria
Kempton
An excellent way to get your first byline, this course guides writers
through elements of how to write a personal essay, helping them
identify values expressed in their stories and bring readers into the
experiences described.
Introduction
to Copyediting
Instructor:
Kim Catanzarite
If you’ve thought about becoming a copy editor but you’re not sure how
to go about it, this is the course for you. Not only will students
learn what a copy editor does and how she does it, they will also learn
the crucial grammatical rules that will put them at the top of their
game.
The Art
of Storytelling 102: Showing vs. Telling
Instructor:
Terri Valentine
In this course, you'll learn the difference between showing and telling
and when it’s good to tell instead of show. Craft compelling stories
that capture the attention of readers, editors, and agents.
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Featured
Course:
Mastering Amazon for
Authors
Instructor:
Rob Eagar
February 25 - April 22
Enroll in one of the most popular courses at
WDU! Mastering Amazon for Authors is the premiere online
course designed to help you maximize book sales at the world’s largest
retailer. Learn inside secrets from Rob Eagar, one of the most
accomplished book marketing experts in America. Rob removes the
guesswork from publishing and promoting your books on Amazon.
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Upcoming Boot
Camp:
Agent One-on-One:
First 10 Pages Boot Camp
with Talcott
Notch Literary Services
February 25-28, 2021
As you may know, agents and editors won't give your work
more than ten pages or so to make an impact. In this invaluable
event, you'll
get to work directly with an agent to review and
refine the first ten pages of your novel. You'll learn what keeps an
agent reading, what are the most common mistakes that make them stop,
and the steps you need to take to correct them.
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Upcoming
Webinars:
Blogging Strategies
That Work in 2021
with Jane
Friedman
March 11, 1:00 PM EST
There are a lot of mixed messages out there about
blogging. When pursued with knowledge of the craft, blogging can be one
of the straightforward paths to build and engage a readership over the
long term for authors. In this 90-minute webinar, Jane Friedman will
teach you the principles of strategic blogging for authors and the best
practices she’s learned since she started blogging consistently in 2008.
What Agents and
Editors are Looking for in First Pages
with Katie
Shea Boutillier
March 18, 1:00 PM EST
The importance of first pages in query submissions can't
be overstated. Your ultimate goal is to make sure your readers (agent,
editors, and beyond) are into your work immediately. In this webinar,
literary agent Katie Shea Boutillier will provide a step-by-step
demonstration on the importance of strong first pages, focusing on
voice, tone, mood, setting, urgency, pace, description, dialogue, and a
natural approach to your characters.
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Upcoming
Virtual Conference:
7th Annual Mystery
and Thriller Virtual Conference
with 6
Award-Winning Authors
March 26-28, 2021
Gain expert insights from SIX award-winning and
best-selling authors on the finer points of how to write within the
mystery and thriller genres. Spend the weekend learning techniques for
honing your craft from six different published authors, then pitch your
novel via query letter to a literary agent specifically looking for
material in the mystery or thriller genre.
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EXPERT INSTRUCTORS | CONVENIENT ACCESS
INVALUABLE FEEDBACK
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Writers often look
upon outlines with fear and trembling. But when properly understood and
correctly used, the outline is one of the most powerful weapons in a
writer's arsenal.
In this course, you will learn how to write an outline as you explore
what type of outline is right for you, brainstorm plot ideas, and
discover your characters..
"This was my
favorite course with WDU. Miki was excellent! I would love to take
another course with her. She is present every day in the course,
responds to questions immediately, and returns feedback on assignments
quickly. I highly recommend this course!!" -Former Student
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- How
to structure your novel’s scenes
- How
to create, format, and use an outline to write a novel
- The
benefits of outlining
- The
common misconceptions of outlining
- and
much
more!
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Active Interest Media
P.O. Box 20730 Boulder, Colorado, 80308 USA
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The Writer's Digest team has #WDLoveWrites on
the brain! Whether you're an old hat at writing romance or
are including a subplot in your latest work, we have the
tools to help.
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Whether you write in the romance genre or are
just including a love subplot, the most convincing romance
is one that feels natural. In this article from 2017,
author Jeff Somers gives some expert advice for how to
write romance scenes without using the word “love.”
Jeff Somers, WritersDigest.com,
December 2017
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Here’s an exercise: In the Harry Potter books,
when did you realize that Ron and Hermione were in love?
(If you haven’t read the Potter series, feel free to
substitute Emma and Mr. Knightley from Jane Austen’s Emma.
If you haven’t read Emma either, you need to start asking
yourself some very difficult questions about how you’re
going about things.)
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Most people answer by citing the third or
fourth book in the series, when the characters were older
and more emotionally complex—but in truth, the signs are
there from almost the very beginning, though they’re
subtle. Upon first read of Sorcerer’s Stone, Hermione
and Ron playing chess together in the common room might not
seem like much. But go back and read it a second time with
foreknowledge of their eventual relationship, and the
subtext is clear—and remains clear for the hundreds of
thousands of words that Rowling spins about the two,
despite the conspicuously minimal appearance of the phrase
I love you.
Which is as it should be, because love is one
of the trickiest subjects to figure out—in real life as
well as in fiction. Love is also where the irritatingly
omnipresent writing advice “show, don’t tell” really hits
home for any writer. If you want pure, heartfelt emotion to
land, you should avoid the words at all costs. In writing,
as in the real world, actions speak much louder than words.
Read the full article on our
website...
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Moriah Richard is an editor at Writer’s Digest
with a particular interest in discussing craft and genre.
As a reader, she’s most interested in horror, fantasy, and
romance, although she will read just about anything with a
great hook. Find Moriah on Twitter @MoriahRichard93
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Mastering Amazon for
Authors
Hurry, only 27 seats left!
Learn inside secrets from Rob Eagar, one of the most
accomplished book marketing experts in America. Rob removes
the guesswork from publishing and promoting your books on
Amazon.
Learn More
& Register
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It’s time
that self-published authors earn the respect they deserve. All
that time you spent writing and rewriting, editing, and making
your own choices about covers, layout, and distribution
shouldn’t go unnoticed!
That’s why Writer’s Digest has been honoring self-publishing
writers for 29 years with the Self-Published Book Awards.
Here’s the
scoop: Submit your self-published, printed and bound book in
one of eight categories (mainstream/literary fiction, genre
fiction, nonfiction/reference, inspirational, life stories,
early reader/children’s picture books, middle-grade/young
adult, poetry) for a chance at:
- A Grand Prize
package that includes $8,000, a trip to New York City for
the Annual Writer’s Digest Conference and a feature
article about you and your book in the March/April 2022
issue of Writer’s
Digest.
- One of eight
First Place prize packages that include $1,000 in each
respective category and promotion in the March/April 2022
issue of Writer’s
Digest.
Every
entrant will also receive a brief commentary from one of our
qualified readers—all who have experience in their respective
categories and/or the publishing world.
Ready to earn the recognition you deserve? Send us your book,
which must have been published between 2016 and now, and we’ll
take care of the rest. You’ll be well on your way!
The best deal on entering will expire on April 1, so enter now!
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In this issue, we look at worrying about
finding success as a writer (before finding it), an
interview with Kristin Hannah, tips on writing about
controversial topics, and more!!
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Are You Worried About Finding Success?
Have you ever done
this: Looked at one of those billboards that shows what
the jackpot is for a lottery like Mega Millions or
Powerball and thought to yourself, "Wow! I wonder
what I'd do with millions upon millions of
dollars." And then, you start to think about bills
you might pay, things you might buy, and perhaps even
people and causes you might support. It's a lot of fun,
but then, if you're anything like me, things start to
get serious. Read the full article...
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Craft & Business of Writing
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5 Tips on Writing About Controversial
Topics
I might not be the
right author for this piece. I just want to admit that
upfront.
Yes,
my work is considered controversial in some quarters. I
mean, my next book is called The Bad Muslim
Discount. Obviously, that was always going
to raise some eyebrows.
But
I truly don’t set out to be controversial. My fictional
worlds are based on the truths I know and have
experienced. My goal has always been to tell these
truths in the most entertaining way possible. That’s
it. It just so happens that there are people—holding a
wide variety of beliefs on the ideological spectrum—who
find these truths uncomfortable.
Read More...
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2021 February Flash Fiction Challenge
It's never too late
to join the first ever February Flash Fiction
Challenge. Each day, editor Moriah Richard shares a
writing prompt, her own attempt at the prompt, and many
writers around the country and world share their own
flash fiction pieces in the comments. So come on over
and get your fiction on this month. Read More...
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Kristin Hannah: Author Spotlight
Kristin Hannah is
the #1 New
York Times bestselling author of more
than 20 novels, including The
Nightingale and The Great
Alone. The film version of The
Nightingale, starring Dakota Fanning and
Elle Fanning, is slated for December 2021. Netflix
released a series based on Firefly Lane in
February 2021. A former lawyer turned writer, Hannah
lives with her husband in the Pacific Northwest. Here's
a quick interview with Hannah about her new novel, The
Four Winds. Read More...
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Send Your Work
to 2nd Draft Critique Services!
No matter your style or genre, Writer's
Digest Shop offers a high-level view of your writing.
Gain a critique of your manuscript, query letter,
synopsis, and more! Click here
to learn more >>
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5 Ways to Increase Conflict in a Story
The curse of a
vivid imagination is that you can almost always imagine
something that would make the situation worse. This is
why if there is a sudden lurch on a flight, you can
count on me to grip my armrest, mentally picturing the
wing suddenly falling off of the plane. Strange noise
in the middle of the night? Zombie apocalypse. Hacking
cough and sniffle? No doubt the beginning of Ebola. It
makes my life anxious, but it’s great for writing
fiction. Read More...
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Robert
Lee Brewer
Robert Lee Brewer is a senior editor for
Writer's Digest and former editor of the
Writer's Market book series. He is also the author of Smash
Poetry Journal and Solving the
World's Problems. Find him on Twitter at @RobertLeeBrewer
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Writer's Digest
University is pleased to present an exclusive online event for mystery
& thriller writers! On March
26 and March 28, our 7th Annual Mystery &
Thriller Virtual Conference will provide expert
insights from SIX award-winning
and best-selling authors on the finer points of how to write within the
mystery and thriller genres. Spend the weekend learning techniques for
honing your craft from six different published authors*, then (if you
choose) pitch your novel via query letter to a literary agent
specifically looking for material in the mystery or thriller genre. The
agent will provide you with a personalized critique of your query – and
maybe ask to see more.
Click
here to see the schedule of sessions!
All
participants will benefit from:
- SIX all-new, one-hour webinar presentations
provided by award-winning and bestselling mystery & thriller
authors*,
all examining different aspects of writing novels in these genres.
Each session will include an opportunity for live Q&A with the
authors!
- A critique (with written feedback) of your
query letter from an agent with experience in the mystery and
thriller genres.
- A bonus 90-minute On Demand webinar covering
how to write a query letter so you’re prepared when pitching your
novel to agents. (A $79.99 value!)
- The
ability to network
with mystery and thriller writers via
discussion boards that will be open throughout the weekend. Share
ideas, and even your work if you choose.
- Unlimited OnDemand viewing! All conference
sessions will be made available for download in the week following
the live presentations. Even if you can’t attend every session
live, you will be able to view each lecture on your own whenever
you choose.
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Experience the education, camaraderie, and opportunities
provided by a live writing conference without ever having to leave your
home!
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In this issue, we share a recently updated
list of 20 literary agents actively seeking writers,
lessons learned from Bridgerton: The Duke & I, a
new flash fiction challenge, and more!
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20 Literary Agents Seeking Writers
Earlier this week,
I updated our list of 20 literary agents actively
seeking writers with our most recent new agent alerts.
Newer agents are great, because they're the most likely
to be interested in your project if it's good and a
good match for what they're seeking. So let's get into
this. Read the full article...
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Craft & Business of Writing
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Join the 1st February Flash Fiction
Challenge!
We're four days
into February now, but there's still plenty of time to
join and catch up on our first ever February Flash
Fiction Challenge! Each morning, editor Moriah Richard
shares a prompt and example short short story; then,
writers from around the world write their own, some
sharing in the comments and others writing along
silently at home. Find the prompts and guidelines for
this free challenge here. Read More...
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How I Used Grad School to Write My First
Novel
It was my husband who
first suggested that I just write my novel.
Just?
What did he know about it? I had recently graduated
with a PhD in English but had decided not to pursue an
academic job, and the reality was sinking in. The way I
saw it, I had spent six years destroying my mental
health and racking up a mountain of debt, only to come
out the other side with nothing but a degree that
overqualified me for normal jobs and a dissertation no
one would ever read. Read More...
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6 Lessons From Bridgerton: The Duke &
I
There are some pieces
of writing advice that are so common that everyone
knows them. One such piece of advice is that writers
learn to write by reading other writers. So let's take
a look at Julia Quinn's romance novel, Bridgerton: The
Duke and I (that was originally
published as The
Duke and I).
If
you haven't read this novel yet, please go read it
first. Then, come back and see if you agree with these
lessons—or if you have additional lessons to share.
Consider this your spoiler alert.
Read More...
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Send Your Work
to 2nd Draft Critique Services!
No matter your style or genre, Writer's
Digest Shop offers a high-level view of your writing.
Gain a critique of your manuscript, query letter,
synopsis, and more! Click here
to learn more >>
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Keys to Building Conflict in Romance
Novels
As a romance
acquisitions editor, I find that one of the biggest
problems writers struggle with is creating a believable
conflict, or series of conflicts, that will sustain the
novel its entire length. Conflict is the core of any
work of fiction—it's what makes your readers care what
will happen next. Read More...
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Robert
Lee Brewer
Robert Lee Brewer is a senior editor for
Writer's Digest and former editor of the
Writer's Market book series. He is also the author of Smash Poetry
Journal and Solving the World's Problems.
Find him on Twitter at @RobertLeeBrewer
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