What Are the Guidelines for Formatting a Manuscript?
Before sending your novel out to potential agents and publishers, be sure to follow these important formatting guidelines.
What is a Poetry Chapbook?
Cindy N. asks writing expert Brian A. Klems "What is a poetry chapbook, and how is it different from a regular book?" Here he gives a detailed explanation.
How Do First North American Serial Rights Work?
What are First North American Serial Rights, how do they work and what does it mean for you when trying to get your writing published? Find out here.
Should You Use a Non-AAR Literary Agent (& What Does That Mean)?
There are plenty of things writers should worry about—writer’s block, plagiarism, memoirs by the cast of “Jersey Shore”—but an agent who isn’t a member of the Association of Authors’ Representatives shouldn’t be high on the list. Here’s why.
How Many Sample Chapters Are Necessary?
When submitting your work to an agent for consideration, how many sample chapters should you include in your proposal? Writer's Digest online editor Brian A. Klems explains.
Is it E-mail or Email?
Everywhere I turn I see "email" (or is it "e-mail"?) punctuated differently. Can you tell me which is correct? —Kate T. WD online guru Brian A. Klems says that punctuating "e-mail" with or without a hyphen is ...
Should Your Interview Subjects Sign a Release?
When interviewing someone for an article or a book, do I need to have the interviewee sign a release form so I can use his or her quotes? Get the answer here.
Why “Start Your Novel Is With Action” is Bad Advice
The cliché "start your novel with action" has a flaw—and it's a major one: What good is the action if it isn't grounded in context that’s important to the story or draws you to the main character? It's much, much better to start your story with tension, like a character conflict...