Writing Lessons 2/7

WRITING ADVICE FOR AUTHORS

Do you need to be an expert to write?

Here's the question that lurks in the back of the mind of many writers … am I actually qualified to write a book? The book could be about...

Book Lengths What Are You Aiming For?

Where are you going with all this writing? Well, you are mostly likely shooting for a minimum of 50,000 words. Why 50,000? It is the...

The 10 Revision Stages of a Novel

It takes a lot to write a novel. Even those who haven’t tried would say, “well, duh!” to this. But it’s not so much the mind space or the sh

But is this book really yours?

What is original thought in writing? And all those things you think….. those ideas you have….. Are you aware where they come from? Are...

7 questions writers most often ask me

1. How long will this book take? 2. Can I get on the New York Times Bestseller list? 3. Where do I start? 4. Why are publishers

Self publishing your book? Independent Publishers in South Africa

Should you pitch a traditional publisher or simply bite the bullet and self-publish (or indie publish)? This is an important question and...

How to get a barcode and ISBN for books in South Africa

There are two steps to this process. Step 1: Get an ISBN Step 2: Order a barcode The National Library of South Africa (NLSA) is the...

Book titles really do sell books

‘When you write non-fiction, you sit down at your desk with a pile of notebooks, newspaper clippings, and books and you research and put...

Writing is about keeping going

‘The pathos, and the gift of life, is that we cannot know which will be our defining heartbreak, or our most victorious joy.’ Alexandra...

The types of scenes all books need

‘I am 54 years old. Large important parts of my life receive virtually no attention in my memoir — a sentence for a traumatic love...

Should I traditionally publish or indie publish?

One of the biggest questions I hear from authors is this. Should I traditionally publish or indie publish? Since 2013 Jane Friedman has...

Key things authors can do to get a book promoted

So you have got a book out there into the world. Massive congratulations. But getting a book published is one step, getting it to...

Editing your book – Second Draft Rules

I just got back from the annual month-long writing residency in Greece, and I read a LOT of working manuscripts there. Many authors came...

Sending your book off to publishers and agents

Now that you have done all the hard work, it’s time to press play. If you want to get a publishing deal, this is where the rubber hits...

Beta Reader? Manuscript Appraisal? Editor? How to take the next steps

You have written your best possible version of your book, and now you may just need someone to make it better. The good news is that...

Rewriting (and rewriting and rewriting)

Rewriting (and rewriting and rewriting) is not only completely essential – it is the lifeblood of an author. In writing the first draft you

Let's Netflix your book

AUTHORS are having to adapt and adjust with reader demands. That means you have to get tighter on delivering a book that is ‘on point’...

Create your Author Brand - with brand expert Tessa Graham

As authors, we need to be savvier than ever about who reads our books. We have the ability to market our books directly to our readers....

Writing your story - how do you hook a reader from the start?

Where should your story start? Few stories start at the beginning. Most stories start in the middle. All stories - whether it’s a novel,...

How to sell that book (once its published)

‘I didn't know how much marketing would be involved in actually getting my book sold.’ ‘My publisher did some PR for the first few months...

Sarah Bullen is an international writing mentor and literary agent. She works with writers all over the world to tell their stories, and write that book. Founder of The Writing Room and Kent Literary, she has had over 180 books published by writers she has mentored over the last two decades. As well as being a regular guest on talk shows, podcasts, literary festivals and writers’ circles, Sarah has been leading international writing retreats and adventures since 2014.