The old adage about books and their covers is wrong. Plain and simple. We DO judge a book by its cover, so authors need to understand the important elements of cover design, including the title and subtitle, cover art, book summary, about the author...

Your "About the Author" should be a lot more than just your resume or a long, boring list of your achievements. What should it include if you want to sell more books and generate more business for your nonfiction book? Cathy Fyock, author of The Speaker...

Watch to learn the basics of the Author Learning Center in just 18 minutes! This site demonstration includes everything you need to know to get the most out of your ALC membership, including: - Filling out your Profile - Setting up a book project...

(Whether you're traditionally publishing or not!) As a nonfiction author, you know that you need to prepare a written proposal to be considered by a traditional publishing house. But, even if you are going to self-publish or work with a hybrid publisher...

The term “plot” is used as one of the three cornerstones of creating a fictional story: 1) Characters, 2) World, and 3) Plot. Starting from the definition of what a plot is, fiction author Valerie Willis dives into how genres play a part in plot development...

What makes a book a “keeper”? Plot is key, writing is vital, but it’s the characters who really let a reader fall in love with your story. Multi-published author Allie Pleiter shares how to build characters that engage and enthrall your readers. Learn...

What separates good novels from bad? What turns a page-turner into a snoozer? What turns your protagonist from someone readers deeply care about to someone they couldn't care less about? Oftentimes the reason boils down to lack of story structure and...

Dialogue can be a tricky problem for many writers. The way we talk and the way we think doesn't always look right on the page. New writers often struggle creating dialogue that doesn't sound stilted, forced, or just plain weird. Good writing strikes...

Strong stories need a plot, a setting, and most importantly, engaging characters. Agents and editors will tell you that all stories are character-driven. However, if your characters are stereotypes, one-dimensional, or predictable, the reader will soon...

You are now a couple of months into writing your book and the August 3rd deadline for your first draft is quickly approaching – what’s your plan to get it done? Do you feel behind and need some advice on how to catch up? Are you struggling with how to...