First and foremost, writers must tap into their imaginations to inspire and influence their work, but they must also go beyond that to produce quality stories that speak to readers. Thorough research must be done to create authenticity when writing...

Author and biographer Brian Jay Jones can't recall how he ended up on Jim Henson's Wikipedia page, but instinct led him to pursue writing the biography, Jim Henson: The Biography. When Jones realized that a biography hadn't yet been written about the...

Author and biographer Brian Jay Jones can't recall how he ended up on Jim Henson's Wikipedia page, but instinct led him to pursue writing the biography, Jim Henson: The Biography. When Jones realized that a biography hadn't yet been written about the...

Libraries are unique places to market a book. In a library, there are rules and competing interests that don’t exist in a bookstore. Amy Collins, President of New Shelves Books, talks about the ins and outs of getting your books onto library shelves...

Like it or not, social media has become a primary way for authors to connect with readers, create awareness for their work, and promote their books. Author Annie Sullivan is very active on social media in order to stay engaged with readers of her young...

A newsletter list is one of the best ways for authors to connect with their readership. Email marketing is even more effective than social media networks and can help an author build lasting relationships with his or her audience. An email list should...

Most people have come to grudgingly respect the phrase ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.’ But, if your job is to write, how do you get to know the right people and build a network? While writing is typically a solitary act, the business of...

The well-known wisdom phrase, “the best way to learn something is to teach it to someone else,” is easily applied to the craft of writing. The best way to learn and practice storytelling structure is to spend some time giving feedback about another...

To create realistic and interesting villainous characters, author, teacher, writing coach, and speaker Mandy Jackson-Beverly recommends turning to psychological research. For her own research, she's read psychology magazines and Dr. M. Scott Peck’s People...