Let’s step once again into the role of the unconvinced, perhaps even curmudgeonly or fool-hearted editor: What harsh rejection letters might the authors of some of our favorite hit books have had to endure? This contribution comes from Chris Gay of Manchester, Conn., who found Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol to be as...
Writing Articles
Writing for the Young Adult Audience
There’s no question about it: The young adult (YA) audience is a hot market, one that is steadily growing in popularity and garnering attention from young readers as well as literary critics. This means that this market is healthier than ever–and so is the competition for getting published. So what are the keys to...
How (& Where) to Get a Short Story Published
Fiction publishing creds are a great way to build your bio and propel your career. Here’s how—and where—to get them.
How to Build Your Author Platform
A major buzzword floating around the publishing world these days is “platform.” There’s a lot of question about what it means and whether or not authors really need to have one. Writer’s Digest publisher Phil Sexton says the importance of having a platform ultimately depends on your goals for your book. If you’re a...
5 Steps to Book Publishing
Set your goals.When it comes to indie publishing, the best place to start is at the very end. Before you dive in to the process, consider what main goals you have for your book. Do you aspire to commercial success? Are you looking to supplement your speaking career or business? Maybe seeing your name...
Writer’s Digest Mark of Quality
With the Writer’s Digest Mark of Quality review — included in nearly every Abbott Press publishing package — your manuscript will be evaluated by a professional Writer’s Digest editor. Titles deemed to be of exceptionally high literary merit will receive the Writer’s Digest Mark of Quality distinction and benefit from these unique advantages: Increased...
8 Simple Tips to Write Better
Great writing begins with an appetite for life. Try these 8 approaches to get out of your comfort zone, break rules and reap rewards.
The Basics of Building a Writer’s Platform
If you want to sell more books or simply get your name out there, a writer’s platform is essential. Chuck Sambuchino, author of Create Your Writer Platform explains what a platform is and the common building blocks of a writer’s platform. What is a Writer/Author Platform? Platform, simply put, is your visibility as an...
Improve Your Craft and Get Published
Since the 1920s, Writer’s Digest has been providing quality resources to writers like you. Today, Writer’s Digest continues to supply top-notch advice to help you refine your writing skills, but we don’t stop there. Through Abbott Press, a division of Writer’s Digest, we offer serious writers an effective way to publish and distribute high-quality...
4 Ways to Revise as You Write
Writers differ in their opinions of the revision process. Some balk at it–they see it as the “no fun” part of writing, and much prefer drafting and creation to fixing and rethinking. Other writers embrace the process and consider it an act of strengthening, polishing, and ultimately making their novel the best it can...
How to Write a Romance Novel: The Keys to Conflict
Conflict is the core of any work of fiction. Here are tips to improve your romance novel's conflict so it catches the eye of agents.
Write Fiction that Grabs Readers from Page One
In your novel, the inciting incident is the first sign of trouble for your protagonist: it’s the catalyst, the chemical reaction, that sets the plot into motion. But the inciting incident isn’t only important for your main character. Understanding how to harness it is also crucial to hooking your reader from the very first...
Selling Your Book’s Movie and TV Rights – What You Need to Know
If you’ve ever wondered how something gets made into a film—and how your work can be tapped for one, too—here’s the inside scoop on options.
The Ideas that Inspired The Hobbit, Animal Farm & 8 Other Famous Books
Ideas often percolate and simmer over time, but every once in a while lightning strikes—and a sudden flash of creativity can alter a writer’s career forever. Take, for example, these 10 famous works inspired by unexpected bolts of inspiration.
Writer’s Digest Article Index 2011
All feature articles and columns published in Writer’s Digest during 2011 are indexed by topic.. Back issues may be ordered at The Writer's Digest Shop.
Writer’s Digest Article Index 2010
All feature articles and columns published in Writer’s Digest during 2010 are indexed by topic. Back issues may be ordered at The Writer's Digest Shop.
What is the Throughline of a Novel? (And Why It’s Important You Have One)
The best way to travel the length of your story is to grab hold of the throughline—the driving force of the book—and refuse to let go. Understand the throughline of your novel by studying these examples.
Namedropping: Finding Solid Names for Your Unique Characters
BY ELIZABETH SIMS What’s in a character’s name? Everything. Here’s how you, the writer, can master the neglected art of moniker-making.
The 3 Skills Every Successful Freelance Writer Must Have
Today’s writing tip discusses freelancing for a living. If you are thinking about becoming a freelance writer and wondering what skills you need to survive within the freelancing world, today’s writing tip from I’m an English Major–Now What? can help. Whether you are writing, editing, or both, being a freelancer is a challenging enterprise....
Writing 21st Century Fiction: A Sneak Peek
Donald Maass, bestselling author of Writing the Breakout Novel and The Fire in Fiction, now takes an in-depth, comprehensive look at the craft and method of writing 21st century fiction. You might be asking, “What exactly is 21st century fiction?” Read this exclusive sneak peek from Writing 21st Century Fiction to find out: Change...
Questions to Ask (& Strengthen) Your Minor Characters
If your supporting characters aren’t working toward an understanding of the main character or situation in some way, you might ask yourself what they’re really doing there, hogging time and space in your book. Here are questions to ask about your minor characters to make sure they have a purpose.
The 21 Key Traits of Best-Selling Fiction
Do you wonder want readers want? In today’s writing tip, you’ll discover the 21 key traits of best-selling fiction excerpted from The Writer’s Little Helper by James V. Smith, Jr. The 21 Key Traits of Best-Selling Fiction Utility (writing about things that people will use in their lives) Information (facts people must have to...
16 Blogging Tips For Writing Fresh Content & Attracting Readers
If you already write a blog or are thinking of creating one, you’ll need to know how to attract and keep your readers interested. Today’s tip comes from Christina Katz’s book Get Known Before the Book Deal. Use these tips to help you write fresh content that lures your readers back for more: Keep...
Meet the Real Andre Dubus III
He did not set out to follow in his famous father’s footsteps, nor is he as dark and brooding as his own House of Sand and Fog. And those are just the first of many things that will surprise you about the bestseller.
Take Your Author Website to the Next Level
Is your online home ready for visitors—say, editors, agents and your future fans? Tidy up your digital den with our blueprint for success.