Latest posts
Fact-Checked Mistakes That Can Cost You Clients, Credibility, and Income
/ 2026-07-04
I'd always worked directly with my editor. We'd go back and forth, smooth out phrases, maybe tweak a section or two, and then the piece would move forward to the publication phase. But one day, she said she wanted to pass the copy to a fact-checker first. Admittedly, in the... Read More
What Copycatting Says
/ 2026-07-04
By copycatting, I'm talking about you copying someone's style, plagiarizing their description, stealing a story concept, or using AI. The creative world is anti-AI, in case you hadn't noticed, and regardless of what those using it are saying, readers do want to know if a human or machine wrote it.... Read More
What I Learned After Losing Money on Writing Contests
/ 2026-06-22
I used to treat writing contests like a gamble. I'd scroll through listings, pay my entry fees, and hope for a miracle. It was a strategy built on "maybe," and it left my bank account empty. The issue wasn't that my writing was bad, it was that my strategy was... Read More
Accidentally Culling Your Own Readers
/ 2026-06-22
For years, I've counselled writers to avoid religion and politics in their branding unless they are part of their brand. There are always potential readers on the other side of the fence, and with so much competition for book sales, do you really want to alienate a chunk of them?... Read More
Got the Guts to Get Your Piece Published?
/ 2026-06-22
I'm not a talented writer. I'm not even steeped in writing qualifications. Yet my website is splattered with published features. How? In three words - pitch, ballsiness and research. Pitch - Turtles inspired me to write. While out having coffee, I noticed a company advertising string bags as alternatives to plastic... Read More
Promo Lesson
/ 2026-06-22
Once upon a time not long ago I did an event where several authors appeared. It was at a library. The library didn't advertise except in its own material to its patrons. They thought the writers would really appreciate the recognition. I asked if they had advertising prepared that I... Read More
The Author Bio: A Tiny Tool That Can Open Doors
/ 2026-06-22
When I started submitting my work in 2017, I didn't have an author bio. At the time, I thought the writing should speak for itself. The bio felt like filler; plus, I had no idea what to say about myself. I didn't have a long list of publications yet, and... Read More
Three Unique Ways to Find New Markets to Pitch
/ 2026-05-27
As freelance writers, we struggle to find markets that suit our interests. Even sites dedicated to providing freelance listings, while excellent for the most part, can't list every available market. Often, the smaller niche publishers aren’t even included in listings, but with some effort there are ways to find them.... Read More
Pitching Mags and Online Sites
/ 2026-05-27
Believe it or not, online sites and magazines are seeking freelance writers they can rely upon. And if they develop a reliable relationship with them, they'll use those writers as long as they can. The reason? Reliable writers who can follow direction, think intelligently, and write well without AI are... Read More
The Instruction Book
/ 2026-05-21
A week doesn't pass that someone doesn't write me and ask what books I recommend on learning how to write well. And I never fail to go to a conference and not meet a writer who thrives on how-to-write books, with a library of two dozen or more. To them... Read More
