BY KIP LANGELLO Here’s why you should be crafting your book with one specific reader in mind—and that reader isn’t who you think it is.

Agent Barbara Poelle tackles reader questions giving thoughtful (and funny) answers.

All the editors on Writer’s Digest staff aren’t just 9-5 editors, we are also writers and storytellers—which is why we are so passionate about writing and publishing. “WD Editors Are Writers Too” is a column on this blog to give you a sneak peek at the folks who lead the WD community—including their...

BY JIM DEMPSEY An explanation of the corrections an editor can make to a manuscript, and how editors and authors can work together to make a great novel even better.

BY KERRIE FLANAGAN The former Brat-Pack actor and director followed his passion into a new career: award-winning travel writer. Here, he shares his best tips.

If you're uncertain whether subjects joined by and should be singular or plural, you've come to the right place. The simple answer is here.

BY ROBERT LEE BREWER So what are the pros and cons of publishing with a small press, and what should you expect if you decide to give it a go?

What are editors' pet peeves? What can you do to get more and more assignments tossed your way by editors? Do editors expect you to know SEO? (Do you know what SEO means?) I was honored to be interviewed by Laura Pepper Wu, editor of The Write Life magazine, where we discussed many important...

BY PAUL CICCHINI Mashups seem to be one of the hip, ‘in vogue’ things these days, although in actuality the idea is not new at all. For the uninitiated, a ‘mashup’ novel is ...

Thanks to everyone who participated in our #AprilFools4Writers content. If you missed it, here are the details. There were tons of hilarious and clever entries this year and I enjoyed reading through all of them. More than 400 people participated, which is amazing! Anyway, without further ado here are the winners (chosen at random,...

BY NINA AMIR If you are a writer who dreams of landing a traditional publishing deal, you might have a nagging question in your mind. It’s probably phrased something like, “Is my book idea what a publisher wants?” In fact, a better question to ask yourself is, “Do I have what publishers really want?”...

BY ROGER MORRIS Use these 8 strategies to turn occasional assignments into steady paychecks.

Are you ready to have a little fun? It's April Fools Day, which means it's time for my annual #AprilFools4Writers contest! Here's how it works: Create entertaining, clever and witty headlines that would appear in an Onion-style newspaper for writers about anything writing related (grammar, authors, books, etc.) and post it in any of...

BY DANA SITAR You can easily waste a lot of effort producing guest posts for little gain if you don’t have a solid plan. Follow these steps to ensure you get the most out of every guest post appearance.

BY DAVID JAUSS The best writers almost always seem to know, either consciously or intuitively, when to use present tense. Many of us, however, do not. Present tense has become something of a fad, and we often use it even when past tense would serve the story better. Whatever the causes for the prevalence...

You know more about music than any of your friends and can hold your own with all of these so-called critics. But where to begin? How do you break through to the printed page and music blogosphere? Here's how.

Visits to literary landmarks reveal powerful lessons every writer can carry home.

5-Minute Memoir is exactly what it sounds like—a personal essay on some facet of the writing life, be it a narrative or a reflection, pensive, touching or hilarious. Enjoy this installment from Steven Rowland.