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Launching a Book is the Starting Line (Not the Finish Line)

Aminah Mae Jun 19 2019
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Beginner Resources, Industry Life, Writers Toolbox, Writing Life

Greetings people of the internet! I’m back on the other side of launching my second book! Woo hoo! I did it, right? I can chill out, relax. Maybe take a nice long bubble bath. [cue the laughter from other published authors] The truth is, launching a book is the start line not the finish line. I know that’s a hard thing to hear. So much work— so much y’all— goes into before launching a book. First there’s […]

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Pitching Historical Romance Series (and Small Presses)

Julie Jun 11 2019
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Guest Post, Miscellaneous, Speakeasy Sharing, Writing Life

There is one genre convention in romance that may never be broken: the happily ever after. Hearts must flutter at the close or heads will roll (or both, in the case of my Tudor books). But how do you pull off a romance serial—following the same two lovers—in which each novel features a happily ever after, yet keeps the story going, and is set in a different time period? I faced this conundrum while writing […]

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Finding the best agent for your career

Patrice Jun 5 2019
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Beginner Resources, Industry Life, Tips From Industry Pros, Writing Life

Hey Readers, Hope you’re well! Happy June, Happy Pride Month. Gosh the time has flown—I swear it was just April, LOL. I often get asked for advice on querying and how to choose an agent. And usually when I do, I say something like you want to find someone who’s best for your career. But what does that really mean? I always feel like my “brand” is talking about things we often sweep under the […]

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Learning To Be A Better Writer Through Reading

Jules Apr 22 2019
Posted in:
Inspiration, Writers Toolbox

Recently, I purchased THE ANATOMY OF STORY by John Truby, which has long been held up as a sort of Bible on craft for Hollywood screenwriters. I had seen a lot of praise for the book among fellow YA writers, so I decided to give it a try, especially because I haven’t ever read craft books. My honest opinion? The exercises are helpful and have enabled me to delve deeper into my work and think […]

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There Is No Wrong Way To Write A Book

Aminah Mae Apr 17 2019
Posted in:
Beginner Resources, Writers Toolbox, Writing Life

I was lucky enough to sit on a panel this weekend and I’ve been thinking about something that kept coming up— the process. The process is how you write a book. How you get from the start of a book all the way to the end. That secret, sacred, all-magical, all-encompassing trick that a writer has for producing a story. And there I sat, in the middle of a group of panelists, who all had […]

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