Writing and publishing articles by author Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD
Consider both publishing options for your next book For the past few years, there has been a great deal of press—and hence a great deal of excitement—about e-books. Correspondingly, there is also significant debate about the relative merits of each option. The purists insist that the printed version is the way to go, nearly sacred. […]
Does using a story device guide our work or hamper our creativity? In many books and most movies, something will happen about three-fourths of the way through. With the desired goal within reach, a roadblock pops up to thwart our protagonist’s progress. While this is sometimes an ingenious plot twist, too often the problem seems […]
As someone who’s written 2,500 blog posts and counting, you may be surprised that I don’t think a writer must blog. Here are two considerations, followed by a blogging option: Fiction Writers It’s hard for fiction writers to build a following with a blog. Unless you want to blog and have ideas for posts that […]
We can find encouragement and instruction in reading great writing quotes Two weeks ago I asked you to share your favorite quotes about writing. Mine was “Omit needless words.” Here are some more great writing quotes. “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write […]
To self-publish—or indie-publish—you do it yourself. You don’t go through someone else. To pay someone else is called assisted publishing or subsidy publishing. Some are good, some are not, and some are rip-offs. I’ve heard of rates from several hundred dollars to over ten thousand. And that’s a lot of money to pay for something […]
Here are the key steps to write and indie publish a book. Since I’ve written and published many books, I made my own checklist (on which the above list is based) to make sure I cover everything and don’t miss a step. As more options become available and I learn more about the writing and […]
For years I made the mistake of not investing in learning the craft of writing. Though I certainly put in the time, for years I was reluctant to spend money. But taking the cheap way out merely held me back. Here are some investments I’m now making to become a better writer: Of course, none […]
The Elements of Style is an excellent writing resource. Start with it. Then build on that foundation. For a comprehensive reference on punctuation and formatting, there are several notable resources. Unfortunately, none of them are in complete agreement, with obvious conflicts. Each guide has its advocates. And many have specific applications. While some people know […]
What do the days ahead hold for those of us who publish books? What is the future of book publishing? Given the rapid changes the industry is undergoing, we anticipate a different tomorrow, but just how much different will it be? Will today’s roles even exist in a decade or two? Predicting the future or […]
At one time, I became preoccupied with my writing platform. This was a huge mistake. It nearly ruined my career and almost destroyed me as a writer. I lost the joy of writing and was ready to give up. It wasn’t until I stopped fixating on growing my platform that my passion to write returned. […]