

Books that shine a light
What books have been important to you in your life? Which books do you keep on your shelf, no matter how many times you move and box and...
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What publishers are looking for in 2022
People are devouring books in lockdown and stories that capture imaginations are rising. We did a talk recently on what books are being...
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5 reasons you are not writing right now
We are all stuck at home. Life is slower and smaller. Is this not the place all writers want to find? A quiet, empty place to allow the...
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How to write a memoir
Writing your own story is sometimes not an option - it is something you have to do. I'd Iike you to do it well. These tips are to take...
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How to send your book to publishers and agents
If you have done all the long and hard work writing and polishing your book, it’s time to press play. If you want to get a publishing...
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Closing a decade of no writing
I have come to believe that life offers us some heroic stories that can form and shape us into better people. The bad news is, seldom are...
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Should you PUBLISH your story or TMI?
When is it a good time to share your story? And..... should you share it at all? ​ I always encourage writer to WRITE their stories....
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Say what! How many drafts of my book must I write?
I have just finished writing my 11th book in 15 years (three are my own books and the other eight I ghostwrote for clients over the last...
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Do you REALLY need an author blog?
Author blog? Author brand? Do you even need one? I can answer this in one simple word. Yes. Oh yes! If you are writing any form of...
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​Writing a Children’s Book? You need to get clear on the categories
You want to write a book and your brain goes. …PING! ‘I will start with a children’s book’. Enid Blyton did it. Who hasn’t read...
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How to get paid on Amazon in South Africa
South African authors have drawn a short straw from Amazon for years as we have been unable to link a bank account for royalty payments. ...
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Cancer vs Corona? No contest for me
I want to first disqualify myself by saying I have not had Covid-19. At least not that I know of. Or not yet. But I have ‘had’ cancer. In...
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What got my book sold? Self publishing my cult memoir
Kelly Alder's memoir TheFourteenth Wife is a tale of self-discovery and an insider view of a polygamous tribal 'family'. She wrote it...
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Sarah's Rules of Writing Your First Draft
There is no right or wrong way to write a book, but after working with writers for over 15 years to get them published, I do have some...
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What books are getting published? And read?
Book publishing is an old and complex industry. It is both timeless and on-trend. I have been contacted this week by a few publishers...
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How to Write a Solid Novel Synopsis (With Example)
Writing your synopsis can be even tougher than writing your entire novel. Or it certainly feels that way. The reason is that it is often...
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How to write a sellable non-fiction book proposal
You may have written (or want to write) a non-fiction book that is based on your professional expertise. Or a memoir (also a non-fiction...
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Ten sexiest dirty romance novels
I make no secret of being a romance addict. I love the genre and consider myself a bit of an expert. Of course the best expert is one...
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Your character needs to be his own worst enemy
A book wouldn't be very readable if everything went your hero’s way would it? Imagine a romance where the hero and romantic interest met...
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Writing tricks to make your characters come alive in your novel and memoir
Readers want to live and breathe your characters in a novel. They want to walk in your shoes in a memoir. But how do you make your...
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