There Are No Rules Blog Categories
May/June2013 Issue
May/June Issue
Writer's Digest Magazine
Preview the Issue
Buy It Here
Give a Gift SubscriptionSave 58%!
Website of the Week
There Are No Rules
Getting Published
How to Build Your Website Without Knowing Code
Today I sent out the latest issue of my e-mail newsletter, which I call “3 Happy Things.” Each issue has a different theme, and this one focused on how to build a … Read more
Why Do We Think Talent Ought to Be Rewarded?
I’ve been having conversations on Twitter about whether determination is more important than talent. (It was sparked by this recent blog post.) These seem to be the key concepts at stake: Talent. … Read more
Determination: More Important to Success Than Talent
Now that I’m a full-time teacher, one of the greatest pleasures I have is supporting the talent of my students. When I was in college, I often wondered if my writing professors … Read more
Ask the Agent: Kelly Mortimer
In the March/April 2011 issue of Writer’s Digest, you’ll find Kelly Mortimer featured in my Ask the Agent column. Kelly went above and beyond the call of duty in answering my questions, … Read more
The Big Lesson I Learned This Year As a Professor
It’s all about structure! In my guest post this month for Writer Unboxed, I offer 3 specific ways to add more structure into your writing life. I also point to free worksheets … Read more
Back to Basics: Writing & Publishing Memoir
It can be very difficult to sell a memoir when you’re not famous. Without a celebrity’s fan base, or a loyal and captive audience, then you need to write like a master, … Read more
The Two Rules for Successful Freelance Pricing
Today’s guest post is from Laurie Lewis, who has had a freelance medical writing business for more than 25 years. She is the author of What to Charge: Pricing Strategies for Freelancers … Read more
My E-Book Production Process
Over at Christina Katz’s blog, I offer an inside look at how I produced my e-book, The Future of Publishing. Here’s a snippet: Writing an e-book that is high-enough quality to charge … Read more
The Future of Publishing: Enigma Variations
Today marks the long-anticipated release of The Future of Publishing: Enigma Variations! It is now available as an e-book (PDF only) for $1.99. It’s packed with 39 pages of juicy predictions. To … Read more
Writing Can Be Learned—But It Can't Be Taught
The following guest post by Lawrence Block originally appeared in the October 1982 issue of Writer’s Digest magazine. It ran under the headline “Crockpot Macramé.” – Good morning, class. Good morning, sir. … Read more
4 Key Categories of Self-Publishing
Let’s start with the obvious. The self-publishing landscape is changing rapidly. It’s becoming more difficult to explain the options available not just because there ARE more options, but because there are subtle … Read more
How to Write a Thriller That Sells
Tomorrow, novelist Hallie Ephron is teaching a live course on writing a mystery or thriller that sells. If you’re not familiar with Hallie’s advice, here are a few places where you can … Read more
Catch SXSW PubCamp Streaming Live!
Tomorrow I’ll be giving a brief talk at SXSW PubCamp in Austin, along with some outstanding speakers from the publishing industry. The free event is now wait-listed, but catch it live and … Read more
Ask the Agent Power Panel
This weekend, Writer’s Digest is hosting its first online “power panel” that features 4 agents ready to answer all of your questions related to getting published. The price of $129 comes with: … Read more
The Relationship Between Authors, Agents and Publishers
Today’s guest post is by John Rember, author of MFA in a Box, as well as a memoir and two short story collections. He is Writer at Large at The College of … Read more
The Future of the Novelist
This week, I’ll be at SXSWi in Austin, where I’m presenting a brief session on your publishing options at PubCamp (free!), and moderating a SXSWi panel, The Self-Publishing Novelist. I can’t envision … Read more
Do Your E-Book Right
You’ve probably read the reports that some bestselling books now sell as many e-book editions as print editions, at least through outlets such as Amazon. With the wider adoption of e-book reading … Read more
Excellent Online Learning Opportunities (Free + Paid)
There are so many interesting opportunities coming up for online education that I wanted to take a moment to round them up! FREE: The Evolution of Self-Publishing webcast, brought to you by … Read more
What Digital Natives Can Teach Us About Publishing
First, I don’t really believe in the idea of “digital natives.” Digital natives are the students entering college right now who have never experienced life without the Internet. (See more about the … Read more
You Don't Have to Blog, Tweet, or Be on Facebook
I’m often giving many reasons for writers to start a blog, be on Twitter, or use Facebook. But the truth is, you don’t have to do any of these things to get … Read more
Who's Listening to You? (AWP Thoughts)
While delivering a session at the Writer’s Digest Conference (read this very kind & generous recap from George Davis!), I mentioned a few ways that writers can waste their time: By not … Read more
5 Key Takeaways for Authors From Digital Book World
Last week, on the heels of the Writer’s Digest Conference, more than 1,000 publishing professionals gathered for Digital Book World to discuss the challenges of transitioning a very traditional business into the … Read more
How to Spot Questionable Writing Advice
Today, I’m a guest over at Writer Unboxed, where I detail how to identify what might be “bad” writing advice: How to Avoid Being Fooled By Bad Writing Advice Usually what constitutes … Read more
MASTER Recap of 2011 Writer's Digest Conference
This post is a collection of: Best tweets from the 2011 Writer’s Digest Conference Links to official live blog posts of selected sessions Best recaps of the event by attendees & presenters … Read more
A Writer's Platform: How to Make It Natural and Happy
The following guest post is by writer Erika Robuck, who attended the Writer’s Digest Conference on Saturday and generously offered to recap the sessions she attended. “The business of writing is the … Read more
