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Blog Posts on Writing
How often do you save?
Losing some work due to a computer glitch is a frustrating moment. Losing your entire book is a crushing event. Okay it wasn't an entire...
Are you making writing time?
I work with writers all over the world to help them get their books written and then published. And what is the one thing that published...
Are you making writing time?
I work with writers all over the world to help them get their books written and then published. And what is the one thing that published...
Who are the writers and who get published
Starting a book? That is the (relatively) easy bit. Keeping going is a bit harder. Who wants to sit alone in front of a keyboard while...
Who are the writers and who get published
Starting a book? That is the (relatively) easy bit. Keeping going is a bit harder. Who wants to sit alone in front of a keyboard while...
How to finish, not just start, writing your book
One of the most common complaints I always hear from writers is that they can’t 'find the time' to write. They may start their books but...
Writers are moving from novels to memoirs
I started the first writing course and agency ten years ago and focused only on novels. Almost all the writers who found me saw...
Should I plan or just write?
I get asked this so often. There is only one answer to this question (in my view). YES of course you should plan a book! I believe in...
How many books get sold in SA every year?
Ever wonder how many books get sold in SA every year? What SA publishing looks like from the inside? How many books the average South...
Should you write about yourself? And how?
When I started teaching writing over a decade ago I always used to tell writers NOT to write about themselves. This was in the interests...
Sending off your book- How many publishers should you approach?
Sending off a manuscript is terrifying. It is adrenalin inducing, heart-stopping stuff for any writer. But so many writers bail or fail...
What’s the theme of your story?
Your book needs a theme. A theme is closely aligned to your plot and often the words are used interchangably. I see them as different...
So, what is stopping you from writing your book?
So many writers get stuck at the very start. They simply cannot get off the starting block. Either they get stuck with the very idea of...
How to write for the young adult genre
Are there... in fact, writing and marketing tips specific to YA fiction. The elements of what makes a great story are the same across...
How literary agents get paid: Standard commission practices and payments for literary agents
Have you ever wondered how literary agents make money? Or how much commission a literary agent makes on the sale of a book or novel? The...
How to write a query letter
A query letter is pasted into the body of an email. It is the first thing an agent or publisher is going to see. You are going to send...
How well do you know your market
In a non-fiction proposal you need to be specific. Who did you write this book for? Who is most likely to buy it, and why? When you...
How to work out your estimated book sales
How many copies do you think your book will sell? A publisher wants to know what your expected sales are. But how do you work that...
How well do you know your market
In a non-fiction proposal you need to be specific. Who did you write this book for? Who is most likely to buy it, and why? When you...
Are you doing the work to get your book placed at a publisher?
Sending off a manuscript is terrifying. It is adrenalin inducing, heart-stopping stuff for any writer. But so many writers bail or fail...
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