Writing Exercise: Judge a Book By its Cover
Everyone knows the old adage that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. However, imagining what a book might be about based on what you see on the cover can be a useful writing exercise.
Third-Person Limited: Analyzing Fiction’s Most Flexible Point of View
From fast-paced action to intimate drama, third-person limited POV can be adapted to any scene or situation.
Self-Publishing Audiobooks: Why Should You Consider It?
As WD author Jessica Kaye shares in the opening paragraphs of her book The Guide to Publishing Audiobooks, audiobooks are reaching more people than ever. Here are her thoughts about why you might consider self-publishing audiobooks.
indieLAB: The Rise of Self-Publishing 3.0
What is Self-Publishing 3.0? Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) founder Orna Ross explains the shift from the earliest iterations of self-publishing to today's landscape with Self-Publishing 3.0.
Crowdfunding a Novel: Fantastic and Frustrating
Interested in crowdfunding a novel? Susan K. Hamilton, who has crowdfunded two novels, shares the joys and frustrations authors can expect when publishing via this 21st century route.
Interview With WD’s 26th Annual Self-Published Book Awards Winner Dima Ghawi
Breaking Vases author and Self-Published Book Awards Winner Dima Ghawi talks about finding the strength to tell her personal story and how she produced the book while building her new business.
Min Jin Lee: Finding Story Ideas That Truly Provoke Your Passions
Pachinko author Min Jin Lee talks about finding story ideas that truly provoke your passions and how to tune out the burden of expectations.
Who Is Your Target Audience? Use This Simple Trick to Figure Out If They Actually Exist
A major conundrum that trips up many new writers is defining your target audience before you have any actual readers. Dana Sitar explains how to identify them.
5 Things Author Websites Need to Find More Success
When it comes to finding success as a writer, there are few elements more important than a website. This post shares the five things author websites need to find more success. Sure, authors can get more advanced, but checking every box on this list is imperative. Believe it or not, these...
19 Diversity-Focused Writing Conferences & Events in 2019
Although 2019 is well under way, there’s still time to register for these diversity-centric writing conferences and events taking place later this year.
A Writer’s Job Is to Persevere: Not Stopping at 96
Eugenia Lovett West, who's still actively writing and publishing at age 96, takes perseverance to the next level.
Breaking In: Debut Author Christy Stillwell on Perseverance and Publishing with Small Presses
In our Breaking In column in Writer’s Digest magazine, we talk with debut authors—such as Christy Stillwell, author of The Wolf Tone—about how they did it, what they learned and why you can do it, too. Here, Stillwell talks about her experience publishing with a small press and more.
7 Tips for a Successful Relationship with Your Book Cover Designer
To help you get the most value out of a partnership with a book cover designer, we turned to some of the top professionals for their across-the-aisle tips on how authors can build and maintain such successful working relationships.
Best Settings in Literature
While prepping for the upcoming Virtual Conference for Novelists, it occurred to me that I have my favorite heroes and villains of literature. But what about the best settings in literature? I mean, the Harry Potter series of books would be so different without Hogwarts. Winston’s experiences in 1984 wouldn’t have...
3 Key Novel Writing Tips: Wisdom from the Authors Speaking in the 2019 Virtual Conference for Novelists
Check out a sneak peek at a few of the things you can expect to learn from three of the presenters at the 2019 Virtual Novel Writing
Conference, plus a little bit about each of them.
Imagination Unchained: BIRD BOX Author Josh Malerman on Film Adaptations, Theatrical Book Readings and More
Bird Box author and multidisciplinary creative Josh Malerman shares insights into his writing process, what it's like having a story adapted for the screen, his unique theatrical book readings and more.
The 30 Book Challenge: Responding to Marie Kondo and Tidying Up
Are you ready for the 30 book challenge? If you haven’t seen it on social media yet, there’s a new meme making the rounds related to Marie Kondo and her Tidying Up show on Netflix. Apparently, she feels people ideally should have fewer than 30 books. Crazy, huh? Now, I’ve got...
Tips for Writing About Controversial Topics in Fiction
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling novelist Bryan Gruley offers his best tips for writing about controversial topics—social, political and otherwise—in your fiction.
Begin from the Middle: How to Start Your Story In Medias Res
By starting a story in the midst of action, writers can hook readers with a literary technique as old as the Greek epics—in medias res. Paul Buchanan explains.
5 Steps to Overcoming Fears of Writing about the Deeply Personal in Your Memoir
Jane Binns discusses the difficulty some memoir writers experience about publishing deeply personal life events and emotions.
How to Keep Your Book Relevant After Its Release
Most writers aspire to publish a book that will remain popular among future generations of readers. Gary McPherson offers five things to consider if you want your book to remain relevant for years after its release.
How to Pitch Articles and Get Published: An Effective 4-Step Strategy
Freelance writers who want to get published in magazines and on websites need to learn one skill above all others, and that’s how to pitch articles. Of course, writing skills are needed too. But freelancers, especially when they’re starting out, spend a significant amount of time marketing their services. The more...
N.K. Jemisin to Present Opening Keynote at Writer’s Digest Conference 2019
We're thrilled to announce that author N.K. Jemisin will present the opening keynote at the Writer's Digest Annual Conference. Learn more about Jemisin and two more exciting announcements.
A Nest of Words: What Kind of Writer-Bird Are You?
What kind of writer-bird are you? Gayle Brandeis looks at different species of birds and their nest building techniques and considers how our fine feathered friends’ creative processes might intersect with our own as writers.