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How To Use ProWritingAid As Your Coach And Writing Editor – by Derek Haines…
on Just Publishing Advice:
Every writer would like to have an editor
In a perfect world, having an editor to rely on would be your preference. But in reality, we know that the cost of hiring a professional is beyond the reach of the majority of writers.
There are many self-help, short story and fiction writers using self-publishing today. But it is unrealistic to think that all of them can afford to pay for someone to help in the writing and editing process.
But there is an expectation from readers that when they buy a book or even read a blog post or online news article, that the texts will be perfect.
If you read some of the major newspapers online, you will know that even with professional copy and line editors, mistakes still occur.
However, that is not an excuse. You should always be looking for ways to improve your writing…
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Ten Things I love Most in the World
Ten Things I love Most in the World…
1. Mother Nature has been the number one love in my life for longer than I can remember. My idea of heaven would be to live in a forest with a river nearby.
2. The way I feel about horses goes way beyond love. Sometimes I think I must have been a horse in a former life, from the strong and powerful connection I seem to have with them.
3. I have always been a bit of a freak for thunderstorms. The noise, barely contained power and the majesty of the lightning speaks to me in ways I cannot describe.
4. Whenever I have spare time, and even when I don’t, I have to track down a puzzle. It can be a jigsaw, a computer game, or a simple game of solitaire. My idea of heaven.
5. Something about the…
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North-easterly: Sidetracked and gobsmacked
Quite interesting…
Is it time for you to do a rebrand?
Welcome back to another Monday Marketing post! Today I’ve been thinking about branding.
Now as writers, we don’t always remember to think about our branding but it is important. I’ve discussedbeing consistent in your branding, but what about the idea of rebranding?
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20 Tips to Proofread Like A Professional
Proofreading. Some writers love it, some writers despise it. But whatever your feelings, proofreading is your final task when preparing to share your words with the world.
Writers often read their words the way they believe they wrote them, not how they actually wrote them. This means spelling mistakes, typos and grammatical errors, such as poor sentence structure, wrong choice of words and punctuation can all go unnoticed by the writer. These factors impact the context and readability of the work.
The good news is that proofreading skills can be learned, developed and improved. Where is the best source for information on learning how to proofread, I hear you ask (at least I hope you are).
Fear not my friends, help is at hand and The Haunted Pen is here to save the day!
The best source for hands-on information is a professional proofreader – someone who has spent years…
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Finding Christmas Love and Other Stories
Finding Christmas Love and Other Stories by Juliette Hill
This week, we are pleased to feature : Juliette Hill, Author. Welcome to my blog Juliette. You have such a beautiful names.
When did you start writing and how did that come about?Sometime in 2010, I met Annie Acorn, a friend of my sister’s, after Annie started a small writers’ group in the DC area. Subsequently, Annie founded her boutique publishing venture, Annie Acorn Publishing LLC and asked me to be a charter member of her group From Women’s Pens, contributing to the first Annie Acorn Christmas Treasury with a short Christmas story in the fall of 2011.
Tell us about you, what you want readers to know. After an almost 11-year career as senior editor for an educational journal, I left that job in 1998, to care for an aging parent. Having had the time to really consider my next career move, I went back to school and received my Legal Assistant Certificate in 2004, but soon came to the realization that I needed to do something more creative.It took a few years, but low and behold opportunity knocked, and I started writing inspirational, romantic fiction. Now I enjoy writing, and in my spare time, cooking, traveling with my husband, going to antique and flea markets, and collecting vintage items.
Do you have suggestions for new authors? Tell us how you started and what struggles you overcame. My suggestion to new authors would be to never give up! Your first book may be a hit, and the second my take a year of two to gain its audience. My continuing struggle remains balancing the tasks of writing, while maintaining a strong marketing effort for multiple works. I have found that organization and diligent time management skills help in this regard.
How do you structure your works and what is your current work in process? I am definitely a plotter/planner, rather than a pantser. Most often, I start with an idea for a story, then move forward with a basic outline and deeper character development. Once I begin to write, my characters tell the story, although sometimes, they do get a little side-tracked. Currently, I have two new works in progress. (I tend to like to work on at least two projects simultaneously.) The first is my newest Love Inn Style series story, A Blueberry Lane Christmas, and the second is the fifth installment of my Christmas Shoppe Magic series called Christmas Shoppe Magic Strikes Again.
How do you relax? Travel, anything you like to do in your downtime? My happy place is the beach! I love the water no matter if it’s a lake, river, sea or ocean. I love the sound of the water of waves pounding against the shore. Taking walks, playing golf (I’m just a beginner), collecting cookbooks and experimenting with new recipe’s are just a few of the other activities I enjoy.
Chocolate or vanilla? Both! I prefer one scoop of each with hot fudge and whipped cream! Good choice!
Have you thought of writing a screenplay? Yes! I would love to write a screenplay someday and have been learning more about that format in my spare time.
Name one actor you think would make the perfect protagonist in your book and why? In my book, Finding Christmas Love, my protagonist is a strong, independent woman with a deep sense of family and tradition. I would love to have Keira Knightly play my character Holly Carlyle. She usually plays a strong female lead character, but also has a sweet, feminine quality as well, which shines forth on the screen.
If you could move in time, such as going back in time or to the future, which would you choose and why? I think if I could go back in time, I would want to experience life during the early 19th century including Pioneer life – exploring the western wilderness and blazing new trails with unexpected challenges and adventures.
Tell us anything else you want my audience to know. I also write a collaborative, contemporary women’s fiction, family saga series, Captain’s Point Stories along with Annie Acorn. Our collaborative writing pen name is Charlotte Kent (aha! I know that name!). Our series consists of four novels, a boxed set, as well as various short stories, novellas and novelettes. I love writing Happily Ever After stories. My story, Finding Christmas Love was a joy to write, and so vivid in my mind. I had a lot of fun creating a Christmas Tree farm in Vermont and picturing the characters’ day to day lives. Over the years, my writing tends to center around New England, a region I romanticized about a lot growing up. Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Delaware seem to dominate my locales, but I’ve expanded to Texas and the Great Plains in a few of my latest works. I also want to thank my loyal readers, talented fellow authors, and aspiring writers for their awesome support and making this experience the most rewarding career I have ever embarked upon.
Book links: FINDING CHRISTMAS LOVE AND OTHER STORIES
Amazon US http://amzn.to/2c50lvL
Amazon UK http://amzn.to/2c8Dzpp
Amazon CA http://amzn.to/2cmbmed
Amazon AU http://amzn.to/2cegDHQ
Amazon (Paperback) https://amzn.to/2pz0YXe
Kobo http://bit.ly/1FC1kB1
Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/1KNXvFV
iTunes http://apple.co/1MSDROS
Now available as a novella!
Amazon US http://amzn.to/2m8kW92
Amazon UK http://amzn.to/2EohhLJ
Amazon CA http://amzn.to/2CVvpA4
Amazon AU http://amzn.to/2FdZjwK
Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/2mgNU7R
Kobo http://bit.ly/2m9pRqt
Links to all social media:
Twitter: @JulietteHill1
Amazon Author Page
Blog
Website
Goodreads
Thank you Juliette Hill!
How To Make A Book You Can Offer As A Gift Or Keepsake – by Derek Haines…
on Just Publishing Advice:
It is easy to make a book that you will be proud to share
Many years ago, I used to do my own hand book binding. It was a slow process, but I wanted to have a handful of copies of my book for family and some close friends.
Luckily, I had access to a small printing press, but after that, it was all manual.
Continue reading HERE
Sites That Pay You For Your Writing
Making it as a writer is tough. But if you love writing, you can’t imagine doing anything else. Maybe these links, compiled by freelance writer Jasmine Eclipse, will help you find some paid work to help you make a career out of your passion!
Sites that pay you for your writing
Babble
- Pay: This Disney company pays up to $150 per article
- Topics: Family, parenting, lifestyle
Cracked
- Pay: Up to $250 per article
- Topics: Comedy, pop culture, personal experiences
Paste Magazine
- Pay: ~$50 per article (in the form of feature profiles, essays, reviews)
- Topics: Music, TV, video games
Dorkly
- Pay: ~$75 per article
- Topics: Video games, anime, pop culture
Confrontation Magazine
- Pay: Up to $200 per article
- Topics: Short stories, poetry, nonfiction
Affiliate sites for writers
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Twitter: Another Tool in an Author’s Arsenal
In today’s post I try not to sound like a grandad teaching his grandchildren to use a computer as I provide an introduction to one of the most popular social media platforms today, micro-blogging site, Twitter.
Just for clarification, I’m nowhere near being a grandad yet, but I am still a relative notice when it comes to social media and in particular for Twitter, having only been using the platform since July this year, so less than two months. I have around 1,730 followers and my top tweet earned 3,000 impressions and 60 people engaged with it. In this short period I’ve learnt so much and I thought I’d explain for those who would like to start using the platform and want a head start, or those thinking about using Twitter as part of their strategy for building an author platform.
As always if I get anything wrong or you…
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When Angels Fly 