I think there’s one thing we can all agree about: it’s pretty awful that life doesn’t have a pause button when it comes to things like death and grief. One of the things that Kristen always says (I call them Lamb’s Laws) is that real writers don’t wait for all the stars to align, perfect …
Jul 27 2018
Readers Crave Stories with a Twist: Tips for Writing Great Plot Twists
When it comes to stories, everyone LOVES a good twist. Whether this is in a movie, short story, or a novel audiences LOVE to be fooled. Twists and misdirection can not only cultivate passionate fans, but they’re crucial elements that keep any story from the dreaded label…”formulaic.” Who wants to spend precious time with a …
Jul 24 2018
Targeting Readers: Audiences Have Evolved & So Should Marketing
How many times have we been told we should be targeting our readers, audience, and customers? Am I the only one disturbed by this advice? Targeting seems like it should involve a Predator Drone…or at least a trebuchet. For the record, I imagine many authors would view sales (and targeting) with far more enthusiasm if …
Jul 18 2018
Author Newsletters: The Good, the Bad & the PLEASE JUST STOP!
Today we’re tackling author newsletters. Do we need one? Do they sell books? Does a human sacrifice help? Oops. Last time I posted at length about sales, namely what it is, what it isn’t, and why we shouldn’t be afraid of it. Science proves that, the better writers are at sales, the more books they sell. Sort …
Jul 13 2018
The Evolution & Devolution of Sales: Why Your Books Aren’t Selling
Sales can be one of the most terrifying words in the English language. If one happens to be a creative professional, let’s just multiply that fear level by ten…or a thousand. In fact, many writers long to sign with legacy publishers for the sole reason they believe a major publisher will tend to all that …















