Authors use pen names for assorted reasons. Here are some that come to mind. To Hide Their Identity Sometimes an author needs to not identify themselves to protect them and their loved ones. This might be because they write about a highly volatile topic or a significantly personal one. A pen name protects them and […]
Here are the pros and cons of indie publishing versus going with a traditional publisher: Traditional Publishing Pros and Cons: In most cases, traditional publishing requires less of the author, should result in more book sales over a wider distribution, and carries the prestige of a publisher selecting your book for publication. The negatives include […]
It’s harder now than ever to land a traditional publishing deal. Publishers are risk-averse and generally require that you have a platform to promote and sell books. Most traditional publishers won’t work directly with authors. They require you to have an agent. An agent only makes money if they land a publishing deal for their […]
Third-person omniscient is out of favor. Do you wonder why? While we could attribute it to a trend, the best explanation I have is that we’re so conditioned to watching TV and movies, which limit us to the camera’s vantage (third-person limited, if you will), that as readers we expect books to do the same […]
Each chapter in my friend’s book starts with a quotation. Most of the quotes came from internet sites. She wonders if she needs to include a page citing sources where she obtained each quote. Here’s what I said to her. For Traditionally Published Books For traditionally published books, your publisher will have its own requirements […]
To submit content to print publications, the first thing is to familiarize yourself with the target publication. Look at the type of content they print, how long each item runs, the style they use, and their tone. To make your periodical submission a success, your goal is to match those characteristics as closely as you […]
If you want to write a book and blog, what should you do? It’s a book versus blogging debate. Too many writers starting out try to do both and end up doing neither one well. Or they try to write a book before they’re ready. Then they end up with something not suitable for publication, […]
Do You Have Questions about Writing? Publishing? Peter Lyle DeHaan has answers, which he shares in Successful Author FAQs. With over three decades of experience as an author, blogger, freelancer, and publisher, Peter will help you on your writing journey. On this grand adventure: But there’s more. In fourteen chapters, with over one hundred entries, […]
Do you have questions about formatting numbers? There are two main rules that apply to writing numbers: 1. Write out single-digit numbers (one through nine) and use digits for numbers for 10 and higher, or 2. Write out one hundred and everything less. Use numbers for everything greater than one hundred. Some style guides say […]
Self-editing is hard for most writers, I suspect all writers. We know what we meant to write, so that’s what we tend to see when we try to edit our work. To combat this, try these self-editing options. To find errors, such as typos, missing words, extra words, and confusing phrases, I use text-to-speech software […]