Writer's Digest

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In this issue, discover why some authors cross out their name when signing books, one piece of advice from 21 authors, how much should writers charge for writing, and more!  Why Do Authors Cross Out Their Name When Signing Books? When I attended my first book signing (for the Market Book series), a fellow editor advised me to cross out my name when signing copies. It's a practice I've kept up since, and I've seen other authors do it as well, but I still wonder, "Why do authors cross out name when signing book?" Of course, like any well-connected editor, I knew how to get feedback on my question. I took to Facebook with the following query: "Authors! When you sign books, do you cross out the printed name in the book before signing your own? If so, why?" (21 Authors Share One Piece of Advice for Writers.) And then, the replies started piling in. Here are a few of the more interesting answers I received. Read the full article... Craft & Business of Writing How Much Should Writers Charge? Recently, I saw a job posting for freelancers "with initiative" to curate content on social media. They were offering up to 75¢ per social post, based on quality and quantity. While 75¢ per Tweet or Instagram post sounds great, most writers would probably find it difficult to create 10 "quality" posts per hour (or every six minutes). If they could, that rate would come out to $7.50 per hour—or just 25¢ better than the national minimum wage and below most state minimum wages. (When and how should writers negotiate better terms?) In other words, many serious freelance writers would skip on this job posting. Or if they responded to it, they would try to negotiate a better rate. But how much should writers charge? And how should they determine what an appropriate rate would be? These are common freelance writing questions. So let's look at how to handle them. Read More... 2021 April PAD Challenge: Day 8 For today's prompt, write a metaphor poem. A simile is when something is like a something else (example: I am like a tree); a metaphor is when something is something else (example: I am a tree). So take a moment to consider possible metaphors and then poem them out. Read More... 100 Common Publishing Terms I've spent more than two decades in the publishing (and/or media) business now, working on everything from books to magazines to websites to databases to events and, well, whatever allows me to write and interact with other writers. Over time, it can be easy to forget that publishing has its own jargon that may not be familiar to people new to the business. So here are some common definitions in this post. Read More... 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. You'll not only learn what's working in your writing, but what's not, and—most important—how to fix it. Gain a critique of your manuscript, query letter, synopsis, and more! Click here to learn more >> Authors Share Their Biggest Surprise in the Publishing Process Writing a book is serious business. There are so many things to keep in mind, including character development, setting, world building, pacing, and more—and I didn't even get to the revision process. But writing a book is still focused on the craft. The process of submitting your work and getting published is the next level. Read More... 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 Active Interest Media P.O. Box 20730 Boulder, Colorado, 80308 USA

This week, the WD team is interested in the intricacies of genre. Whether you want to write spies or high-fantasy, here are some tips to guide you.   5 Tips for Writing a Spy Thriller Novel   Writing a spy thriller is harder than it appears. Even though I was working in intelligence when I sold my first book, The Taker, it was not a spy novel. All five of my books have a combination of historical fiction and horror or fantasy. Nary a secret agent in sight. It would take me ten years to crack the code and write my first spy thriller, Red Widow, which came out March 23. If you’ve got your heart set on being the next Ian Fleming or John le Carré, the following five tips should give you food for thought. Read the full article...     Focusing On Genre   Writing a Romance Series That Keeps Readers Coming Back for More   So, you want to write a romance series. How do you know from the first book that you've hooked readers enough to follow you to book two? Bestselling romance author Michelle Major has some tips. Read More...   Building Better Worlds: Select or Create Fantastical Animals   In this article, WD editor Moriah Richard guides genre writers through the selection and creation of fantastical animals for their world-building. Read More...   Below the Harbor   Writer's Digest Weekly Writing Prompt   For this week's writing prompt, pick one of the items from the list in this article. Write a scene or story that imagines how the item ended up submerged in the New York harbor. Read More...   Copyediting Certificate Program   Writer's Digest University   Writer's Digest is proud to offer our Copyediting Certificate Program. This workshop will provide training for aspiring copy editors in order to give them practical and marketable workplace skills. As a student in this certification course, you will progress from the fundamentals of grammar, form, and composition to advanced copyediting skills. Read More...     From Page to Screen—'A Wrinkle in Time'   A Script Magazine Feature   Joy Cheriel Brown compares the adaption of the Disney film A Wrinkle in Time to its source children's novel, exploring which liberties the screenwriters took and left behind in adapting the novel to screen. Read More...   Writing the Middle Grade Book   Writer's Digest University   Any middle-grade book author will tell you that writing an effective book is more challenging than reading one. Take this online workshop and learn the essential elements of writing for kids and how to break into children’s publishing. Read More...   Moriah Richard 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.       Active Interest Media P.O. Box 20730 Boulder, Colorado, 80308 USA     Upcoming Boot Camp   How to Craft Query Letters & Other Submission Materials When your submission materials – a query letter, synopsis, manuscript, or book proposal – arrive in an agent's inbox, they land among hundreds of others. Get valuable agent feedback on your submission materials and more! April 20-23, 2021 HURRY, SEATING IS LIMITED!   Upcoming Webinar Writing & Selling the Historical Novel Writing and Selling the Historical Novel is a crash course jam-packed with advice from the start of your novel to the finish, from picking a concept with immediate appeal to pitching your finished product to the agents and editors who will take it to publication. April 29, 2021   LEARN MORE & REGISTER Featured Resources     March/April 2021 Issue   40 Plot Twist Prompts for Writers   Sell Books on a Shoestring Budget   Creative Writing 101   Upcoming Webinar Social Media Bliss Just about every writer has a love-hate relationship with social media, and for some it serves as a serious distraction from important writing work. This class focuses on how to take a holistic and fits-for-you approach to social media that’s based on long-term reader engagement and sound principles of online marketing. May 13, 2021   SIGN UP NOW! Upcoming Virtual Conference   Short Story Virtual Conference Spend the weekend learning techniques for honing your craft skills, marketing your short fiction, editing, and getting the tools you need to advance your career as a writer from six different published authors, then (if you choose) submit up to 500 words of a short story to an editor for critique.. May 21-23, 2021 LEARN MORE & REGISTER   Explore More Resources   Active Interest Media P.O. Box 20730 Boulder, Colorado, 80308 USA     Writing & Selling the Historical Novel: From Idea to Publication   Writing a successful historical novel is challenging, especially in today's market! In order to appeal to the modern reader, you must be aware of changing expectations, keep an eye on social awareness, and develop a keen ear for dialogue. Mastering these aspects, while staying true to your time period, requires extensive study and skill.   Writing and Selling the Historical Novel is a crash course jam-packed with advice from the start of your novel to the finish, from picking a concept with immediate appeal to pitching your finished product to the agents and editors who will take it to publication. All registrants are invited to submit their query letter and the first 10 pages for critique post-webinar.   How to balance historical detail with pace How to create authenticity without stiff or stilted dialogue How to incorporate real historical figures into your novel About winning combos - historical pairings editors love About major happenings or hidden historical gems - should I base my story around true events? The Top Ten mistakes historical writers make, and how to avoid them When to stop researching and start writing The best resources for the historical writer and much more! Writers aspiring to write historical fiction Established historical writers looking to keep abreast of new developments Editors and agents working in historical fiction Fans and readers of historical fiction who want to learn more about what goes into the books Writers needing guidance on writing dialogue Writers seeking help with pacing Writers looking for inspiration of story concepts     April 29, 1:00 PM ET   LEARN MORE & REGISTER!   Instructor: Gina Panettieri   Gina Panettieri is the Founder of Talcott Notch Literary, a 3-member literary agency representing more than 100 authors of adult and juvenile fiction and nonfiction. She's worked in the publishing industry for nearly 30 years as an agent, editor, and writer, and has helped hundreds of writers achieve their dreams of becoming published authors.     Active Interest Media P.O. Box 20730 Boulder, Colorado, 80308 USA 100 Creative Writing Prompts for Writers Because I am an improviser, I get my best writing done when I have some sort of suggestion to get me going. Just like using a suggestion from the audience can give improvisers the setup to begin a scene, a small kernel of an idea is all I need to nudge me in the direction of a productive first draft of a short piece of writing. (2021 April PAD Challenge: Day 5.) These ideas mostly come from a small notebook I carry around to jot down ideas whenever they come to me and would probably make no sense to anyone else if they read my notes—such as “that time I put a rubber chicken in my purse and brought it to school” or “letter to that annoying kid Byron in the line at Dollar Tree.” Or sometimes it’s an idea that I’ve been obsessing over recently. Read the full article... 5 Tips for Writing a Spy Thriller Novel Writing a spy thriller is harder than it appears. Even though I was working in intelligence when I sold my first book, The Taker, it was not a spy novel. All five of my books have a combination of historical fiction and horror or fantasy. Nary a secret agent in sight. It would take me 10 years to crack the code and write my first spy thriller, Red Widow. (Plot Twist Story Prompts: Prank Pulled.) If you've got your heart set on being the next Ian Fleming or John LeCarre, the following five tips should give you food for thought. Read More... This Week in Writing 4/5—Booker T. Washington born 1856 4/5—Saul Bellow died 2005 4/6—Leigh Bardugo born 1975 (8 Bardugo Quotes for Writers) 4/6—Isaac Asimov died 1992 4/7—William Wordsworth born 1770 4/7—Donald Barthelme born 1931 4/9—Charles Baudelaire born 1821 4/10—Joseph Pulitzer born 1847 4/10—Paul Theroux born 1941 4/10—Anne Lamott born 1954 4/11—Kurt Vonnegut died 2007 (Vonnegut on the Shape of Stories) 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 Active Interest Media P.O. Box 20730 Boulder, Colorado, 80308 USA          Writer's Digest online writing workshops cover every aspect of writing, from how to get started all the way to getting your project published -- all from the comfort of your home! Click here to view the full course calendar >>   Courses Starting This Week:    Copyediting Certificate Program Instructor: Christine Pingleton This workshop will provide training for aspiring copy editors in order to give them practical and marketable workplace skills. If you complete all the assignments and pass the comprehensive test, you will receive documentation from Writer's Digest of your completion of the Copyediting Certificate Program.   Breaking into Copywriting 101 Instructor: Naveed Saleh Writing is your passion. Why not make it your day job, too? Whether you’re an aspiring screenwriter, novelist or playwright, or even just an avid reader, you can turn your love for words into a lucrative career as a professional copywriter.   The Art of Storytelling 101: Story Mapping and Pacing Instructor: Gloria Kempton Discover how the seven core competencies of storytelling—concept, character, voice, plot, theme, scene construction, and style—combine to create compelling narrative.   Focus on the Short Story Instructor: John DeChancie When you take this online workshop, you will learn how to write short stories that will delight and entertain your readers. By the end, you’ll improve your creative writing skills and write two complete short stories. Don’t delay, start writing your short story today!   Advanced Blogging Instructor: Naveed Saleh Do you want to dig deeper into what makes a successful and unique blog? Perhaps your blog isn't performing the way you would like? By the end of this course, you will have the confidence and the know-how to build your blog into something extraordinary.   Upcoming Webinars:   Writing & Selling the Historical Novel: From Idea to Publication with Gina Panettieri April 29, 1:00 PM EDT Writing and Selling the Historical Novel is a crash course jam-packed with advice from the start of your novel to the finish, from picking a concept with immediate appeal to pitching your finished product to the agents and editors who will take it to publication.   Social Media Bliss: How You Can Engage With Meaning and Without Losing Your Mind with Jane Friedman May 13, 1:00 PM EDT Just about every writer has a love-hate relationship with social media, and for some it serves as a serious distraction from important writing work. This class focuses on how to take a holistic and fits-for-you approach to social media that’s based on long-term reader engagement and sound principles of online marketing. Join popular WDU instructor Jane Friedman and sign up today!   Upcoming Boot Camp:   How to Craft Query Letters & Other Submission Materials That Get Noticed with Kimberley Cameron and Associates April 20-23, 2021 When your submission materials – a query letter, synopsis, manuscript, or book proposal – arrive in an agent's inbox, they land among hundreds of others. This WDU Boot Camp is designed to help you streamline your submission materials to stand out in a good way. Get valuable agent feedback on your submission materials and more! Seating is limited so sign up today.    Upcoming Virtual Conference:   Short Story Virtual Conference with SIX Award-Winning Writers May 21-23, 2021  Writer's Digest is pleased to present an exclusive virtual conference for short story writers! Spend the weekend learning techniques for honing your craft skills, marketing your short fiction, editing, and getting the tools you need to advance your career as a writer from six different published authors, then (if you choose) submit up to 500 words of a short story to an editor for critique.     Featured April Courses:   Creative Writing 101 - New! Instructor: Ran Walker April 15 - July 8 Are you one of those people who have thought, “I’d like to write a book someday, but I don’t know where to start”? If yes, then this is the course for you. This course combines teaching the key elements of storytelling with developing the protagonist. Once you understand who this character is and how to make sure you’ve included the key story elements, you are well on your way to writing that book you have been squelching.   Sell Books on a Shoestring Budget Instructor: Rob Eagar April 22 - May 20 You're an author on a tight budget. Or, maybe you've got some money, but you're tired of wasting it on marketing that didn't work. It's possible to sell a lot of books - even on a shoestring budget. Let Rob Eagar, one of the most accomplished book marketing experts in the industry, show you the way.   Hate being tied to a schedule? Check out our affordable, Self-Paced Courses >> EXPERT INSTRUCTORS | CONVENIENT ACCESS INVALUABLE FEEDBACK   Active Interest Media P.O. Box 20730 Boulder, Colorado, 80308 USA