How to Get Published

by Nadine Laman
Author of the Kathryn’s Beach trilogy

I BETA read for other writers, but not so much anymore as time is a factor. Beta reading is not editing. However, sometimes while beta reading there are things that glare so much that even I can see them. What I’ve noticed (often) is that the beginning writer has given me the first draft to beta read, which I did for free. It takes hours of reading, note making, and writing examples of what I mean. Rather than ‘thank you,’ I get a phone call or email from the writer explaining, defending, and/or arguing most points.

First of all, if the writing isn’t clear, the writer can’t call or email each reader and explain what they meant. The three best editors in the world can’t work their magic until the writer is ready to let go of their ‘perfect FIRST draft’ and turn it into a perfect final draft. (more…)

The story…must be a conflict, and specifically, a conflict between the forces of good and evil within a single person. - Maxwell Anderson

by Al Philipson

by LuMaxArt

For a story to be interesting, there must be conflict. If your goal is to describe some utopian society filled with all sorts of technological wonders, you don’t have a story, just a boring travelogue.  How interesting would Beowulf have been without Grendel, his mother, and the dragon?

Ben Bova once described “a story” as “a narrative description of a character struggling to solve a problem.”

So, what do you need to do to provide the problem or “conflict”? (more…)

by Al Kalar

He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish. -Ernest Hemingway

In one short sentence, Hemingway wrote the background for The Old Man and the Sea. The sentence tells the reader who, where, and what the story is about.

In times past, it was not unusual for the author to devote and entire chapter (or more) to tell the background scenery and information for the story. Modern readers won’t stand for that. (more…)

by Al Kalar

The movies

You’ve seen it dozens of times, most often in a disaster movie.

Picture by Shane H

• The opening scene is on a businessman in a meeting. For whatever reason, he has to get out of the meeting and fly somewhere.
• The next scene is a happy little family.  Well, maybe not too happy since the two pre-teen kids squabble all the time.  They’re getting ready for their vacation at Fun World in another state.
• Then the fighting married couple.  He’s a traveling salesman looser and she’s a shrew.  He storms out of the house with his luggage. Does it contain a bomb? (more…)

by Jessica James

Look between the pages for new ideas to market fiction

Photo by galleryquantum

If you’re like me and have finally gotten that novel published, you’re beginning to realize that writing it was the easy part-now you have to sell it.

There is probably no tougher job in today’s marketplace than promoting fiction, so I thought I’d share a few ideas that have worked for me, including a cross marketing plan that is just coming to fruition. (more…)