I was sitting on the judges panel for the 2012 San Francisco Writers Conference Pitchfest, which is usually a contest—we changed the rules at the last minute this year, when my literary agent and fellow judge, Verna Dreisbach, leaned over and said, “It’s okay, Nina. It’s okay.” I realized I had sort of gone off the deep end. It was…
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Why look for a contract with a big traditional publisher when you can raise your own money for an advance and control your project start to finish? Jim Kukral can’t think of many good reasons. I thought I’d begin podcasting with a bang! That’s why I decided to make my first interview with Jim Kukral of Digital Book Launch. As…
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I spend a lot of time on social networks every day—maybe more than I should or have to if I knew how to do a better or more effective job with my social marketing. However, those efforts have garnered me a decent—not huge—platform, one that grows every day. In fact, it’s growing faster every day. I’d like it to grow…
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Many aspiring and published authors balk at the idea of getting involved in social networks. My clients continually tell me they don’t want to have to “sell” themselves and their writing via social media nor do they want to “waste” their precious writing time on this endeavor. So, when I found myself at BlogWorld and New Media Expo 2011 in…
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Some of the best articles I’ve written came out of the issues I faced in my life. Not only that, they solved those problems for me and for other people who faced them as well. Thus, your life issues may be the best article idea file you can find. In other words, look to your life for article and essay…
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More blogs become books every day. Why? Publishers see them as successfully test marketed book ideas. If the blog has enough unique readers, they assume it will also attract book buyers. Not everyone agrees with the premise behind blogging a book—writing a book and building author platform at the same time (and maybe even hoping or trying to get discovered…
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I’m not a football fan—at all—but I spent the afternoon and evening yesterday keeping my husband company as he watched the Super Bowl. I watched the commercials and the halftime show and kept a running commentary on them on Twitter as I pigged out on junk food. With the exception of the dip and chips, I found the time actually…
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