Read and then read some more. That is fantasy author Matthew Ballard's recommendation for new writers who are planning to write genre fiction. He strongly recommends reading what is currently selling in the genre in which you plan to write. Ask yourself...

Read and then read some more. That is fantasy author Matthew Ballard's recommendation for new writers who are planning to write genre fiction. He strongly recommends reading what is currently selling in the genre in which you plan to write. Ask yourself...

Rewriting is what distinguishes amateurs from professionals. It’s what brings your work to life. When you write a rough draft, you may pour yourself into it, but the rough draft is really just for getting the story down; the key to making it great is...

If you’re looking to publish a book for the first time, there are probably at least a few publishing concepts and terms you’re not completely familiar with. We’ve assembled a glossary of common terms with brief definitions to help you navigate your...

Dan Watanabe, Entertainment Expert and Media Arts Instructor, explains the differences between backward engineering a novel and a film project. Backward engineering a novel, says Watanabe, means a writer drafts the ending first and then writes the...

Listening to other authors’ writing and editing processes can be helpful as writers learn what works best for them. Some authors plot, some discover the story as they go. Some authors edit at the end of chapters, some edit at the end of an act, and...

One thing that is very important for authors to understand about Hollywood is that Hollywood does not read books. Of course, there are many individual people in Hollywood who read, but as a rule, when it comes to deciding which projects to produce, Hollywood...

Public relations can be either a blessing or a nightmare, depending on how they are handled. When is the right time to hire a PR firm? Most PR experts agree that you should not to seek a PR firm when you’ve just begun to market your book. Rather, get...