Don’t take it personally when it isn’t personal What to do if you receive a form rejection Try and put yourself in their shoes What to do if you receive a semi-personal rejection Recognise encouragement where you find it What to do if you receive a personal rejection...
What is a mini consultation? How is a mini consultation different from a consultation? Is a mini consultation like a ‘power hour’ or a ‘1-2-1’? Why have I created a mini consultation service? Who is the mini consultation for? Who is the mini consultation NOT for? How...
Organise time to write Plan what you will do with each writing session Try micro goals: a micro word count goal or a micro time goal Designate a writing space Get rid of distractions Don’t put it off – start now ‘I’d love to write a book, if I had the time.’...
Reading will improve your writing It’s difficult to contribute to an artform you don’t like or understand Read the classics if you enjoy them Read a variety of books Read shorter books ‘You know, I don’t read, I write’ – Umberto Eco ‘A writer writes.’ This is...
This post was originally published on 2nd August 2020. It has been edited to add additional links to useful posts, and a new photo. What does a literary agent do? How does a literary agent get paid? Who needs a literary agent? What’s the alternative? This is such a...
Contents Self-publishing, hybrid publishers and vanity presses: a simple guide Self-publishing vs traditional publishing What is a hybrid publisher? What is a vanity press? What is a self-publishing service provider? I see it happen far too often: A writer has been...
5 Reasons Why You’re Not Ready to Hire an Editor You have an idea for a book … and that’s all You’ve just finished the first draft of your first book What you really need is some writing classes What you really need is to learn a bit about the industry You’re...
The question of how long a book should be is a common one. But it also seems to be an increasingly confused one, as self-published books don’t necessarily follow the same conventions as traditionally published titles, and challenges like NaNoWriMo suggest at least the...
This is my last post of 2020, and what a long and difficult year it has been. To finish the year on a high note, I’ve collected my favourite pieces of writing advice from great writers: Read, and Write “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all...
Literary agents are not created equal, and a bad or incompetent agent is worse than no agent at all. A literary agent needs to be a) legitimate b) have a suitable track record and c) be a match for you, your work, and your career. Finding the right literary agent to...
