Writing and publishing articles by author Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD
Sharing writing tips with other writers helps the whole writing community I spend a lot of time learning about writing. I read blogs, listen to podcasts, attend conferences, scrutinize magazines, and study books. Though I will never finish growing as a writer, I have learned so much. In fact, everything I know about writing came […]
There are three types of book editing and you need a different editor for each type Every book needs three basic types of editing, and each type of edit requires a different editor. 1) Development Edit: The developmental edit, sometimes called substantive or comprehensive edit, is the big picture stuff. Basically it asks the questions, […]
Writers need to balance the considerations of self-publishing and traditional publishing There is much debate in the writing community about going with a traditional publisher versus self-publishing. Neither is a panacea. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Considerations include career objectives, time investments, speed to publishing, potential revenue, and personal goals. Though I am pursuing […]
No one likes to hear “no” but it’s part of writing, and we need to understand it We work hard to write a book. We edit, seek feedback, and hire professional help. It’s our baby, and we love it. We cherish each word. We send it into the world with high expectations, but someone shoots […]
The journey of writing a novel in one month has much to teach about being a writer Many times in this blog, I’ve talked about NaNoWriMo—the effort to write the first 50,000 words of a novel in the month of November. I also announced in October that this was the year I would actually participate. […]
Writers can learn a lot by reading the posts of authors, agents, and publishers While it’s fun to follow my friends’ blogs (and there are more than I have time to read), I learn about writing and the publishing industry by reading the blogs of authors, agents, and publishers. I’ve followed some of them for […]
Being a writer means developing a thick skin, which is easy to say and hard to do Part of being an author is putting our work out there for other people to see. Sometimes this means sharing our writing with other writers, passing it out to family and friends, or posting it on a blog. […]
If a picture is worth a thousand words, why not use photos to inspire what you write? I’ve heard of fiction authors who tape a photo of their main character next to their computer as they write. The picture inspires their words and focuses on their character description. This seems like an intriguing idea, one […]
Too many novice writers don’t invest in the craft and expect seasoned authors to give them an easy button to publication I post on this blog, send out a writing newsletter, and speak at conferences because I want to give back to the writing community, to share with others what I have learned over the […]
Participating in writing conferences is a great opportunity to move forward as writers Writing conferences offer many benefits. They provide education, encouragement, networking, and making friends. At conferences we can learn about writing, the industry, and promotion. We can meet editors, publishers, and agents. We forge friendships. And we have the opportunity to immerse ourselves […]