When I originally gave Scrivenera whirl several years I didn’t know how the software worked. But I read several articles and posts about how other writers put this writing tool to good use. I took my time working through the provided tutorial after which I began using it with increasing regularity.

Over the time I’ve used Scrivener, I shifted to using it for almost all of my writing. I’m so impressed with its usefulness, I’ve begun writing about this software to share my ideas. I’m getting lots of mileage out of blogging with it and used it for my newsletter and other writing projects, including freelance assignments.

Here are 8 ways Scrivener boosts my efforts as a writer:

1. I’m better organized from the beginning of projects. Because Scrivener is an organizational tool, I’m able to develop structure from the beginning of the project.
2. I can easily make changes to…

Do you want professional looking print and ebooks to delight your readers? Of course you do!

Following my post about the best tools I found to create and produce books, here are some 14 specific, highly-useful tips about how to use Adobe InDesign to create print-ready PDF files and ready-to-upload ePubs for the best effect!

1. Using InDesign

First, let’s be clear that this is a tips column, not a general instruction on how to use InDesign. It’s a tool I love and have used to produce several books (mine and others’), but it has a steep learning curve and price. If you’re unfamiliar with it, you might want to get the 7-day free trial from Adobe. Spend those 7 days with some free learning resources (like YouTube videos) and play around with it. Refer to the list below as you go, and see if you can make sense of…

Writing descriptively scenery and surroundings comes more naturally to some writers than others. If you’re wondering why your novel is too short or moving too fast, that’s sometimes due to a lack of character development or to the plot itself. Sometimes, though, it’s caused by a lack of description, including descriptions of settings.

Why is it important to write about setting? Well, arguably, it’s not as important as it was one hundred years ago, when readers didn’t have ready access to images of other places through TV, movies, and the Internet. Contemporary readers can draw on many more visual memories of settings than readers of past centuries could. That’s why nineteenth-century novels tend to have lush, detailed visual descriptions.

But even in modern novels, which we expect to move more quickly, setting or a sense of place is important. It’s often neglected, but it can be a writer’s secret weapon.

This is a guest post by author Gary D. Holdaway. Gary is a young writer from the UK with big ideas, and an even bigger passion for words. A multigenre author of both novels and short fiction, Gary has a flare for the suspenseful, the frightening, and the unknown.

5 Simple Tips To Take Your Writing to the Next Level

Strip away the book sales, SEO, analytics, marketing, covers, editing, social media engagement, and publishing deals, we’re all here because we share the same creative passion—writing. All those other things are the unforeseen jobs we take on when we commit to the one thing we love, and they have a huge part to play in a writer’s success. But let’s put all that aside for a few minutes. In fact, for the duration of this article, I want words like ‘SEO’ and ‘analytics’ locked up in a box and chucked…

Dreams of publication? Yes!

Here’s support from ALLI, the Alliance of Independent Authors, for my claim that you SHOULD NEVER PAY SOMEONE TO PUBLISH YOUR BOOK. Yes, there are some reputable book packagers out there who will charge you for various services, but the chances that you will make back what they charge you are slim. YOU CAN DO THIS YOURSELF. This ALLI article explains why it is so easy to fall for vanity scams. Here’s an important quote:

Many vanity presses will try to persuade authors that they are incapable of producing a professional book without an expensive full-service publishing package. This is particularly effective on authors who may not be comfortable with new technology; the idea of handing off the details of publishing to someone who will take care of it for you is alluring.

Do not be fooled. You can start your book off with a…

Vellum. It’s not just for illuminated scrolls. For those of you not in the self-publishing world, or those newer to book formatting, Vellum is also a popular software option that helps magically transform your manuscript from a document processing file into something the non-publishing world might call a book. (This post includes affiliate links)

I know plenty of authors who basically describe it as the bee’s knees when it comes to formatting your book. But what if you are allergic to bees? What do you do then? I say that as a bit of a joke, however as Vellum is limited to Mac users and isn’t cheap to use, it isn’t for everyone. Nor is the entire process of book formatting for that matter, but that is an entirely different subject.

So what is an author intent on publishing a new book to do?

I’m glad you asked as…

I was recently hired by SearchNurture to help them write a series of posts on Amazon Advertising. SearchNurture is a Digital Marketing Agency which matches specialized advertisers with companies and professionals. They also offer training in digital marketing and even help graduates find a job (and pay $6,000 upon placement).

My first two posts were recently published on their website. I don’t like tooting my own horn, but anyone interested in how Amazon Advertising works should have a careful read, as this is the most exhausting guide I have seen on the Internet yet–and I’m mighty proud of my part in creating it.

What Is Amazon Advertising?

The first post deals with the basics of Amazon Advertising. It explains how it works, how to target your audience, which kinds of campaigns exist and how to pick the one that’s perfect for your needs.

You can read the full post here: What…

It Etches

Regina Puckett

This wrinkled skin you picked apart

Covers a pure soul and my heart

You see gray hair and shaky hands

Underneath these hairs are great plans

And these hands are my tools of creation

Old age is a gift and not an abomination

It is wisdom and such wonderful grace

It etches the roads taken on our face