Public Content

There are bits of advice scattered all over the internet on how to write a book, how to market it, how to outline, how to write a great ending, beginning, middle. But that’s exactly what it is: scattered. Seeing writing, publishing, and marketing a book as a linear process will help you to do everything in the right order without missing a step — and that is something I don’t see anywhere else. I would love to tell how to do every step in this one article, but that would take, well, an entire website. But seeing the steps will help …

Why do you want to sell your book? Is it to make money? Or is it to be validated as an author? (Hint: there is no wrong answer.) I was a traditional author. Published nine novels through houses of varying sizes, from the Big Five to small presses and a few in between. Even won an award. But I left it behind to self-publish. Why? There were a lot of factors involved, but what it mostly came down to was control. In traditional publishing, I had no control. Publishers told me whether the book would be published or not. Editors …

We talk a lot about the hard work involved in becoming a self-published author, but the real answer to this question is an enthusiastic “Hell, yes!” If you follow the paths we’ve created, spend the time learning how the system works, and work hard, it is absolutely possible to quit your day job and make real money as a writer.  Self-publishing got a bad rap, because for many years it was almost impossible to make a profit as a self-published author. You had to buy a print run of books — expensive! — and then find ways to sell them. …

Thrillers are about tension and movement, long odds and fighting to overcome them, and a hero so brilliant and determined that they win anyway. They may have to make a big sacrifice, but in the end the hero saves the world.  Thrillers are usually written in third person, specifically, in third person limited. It’s a visceral genre, so first person is good, too, but thrillers often feature complex and/or convoluted plots that need several viewpoint characters to work. For first person, make sure your plot is on the simpler side, the twist demands the reader not know anything that the …

A cover might bring the reader in, but it’s the description that seals the deal. So, how do you write a description that turns browsers to buyers? Discoverability vs. Conversion A good description both makes your book easier to find through good use of keywords and search terms as well as “conversion” — getting someone to buy the book. When writing descriptions, I lean far more toward conversion over discoverability, because if you get eyes on the your book that don’t buy, you’ve wasted ad money and are telling the algorithm that your book doesn’t sell. Booksellers give higher priority …

There’s a lot of pressure on the opening sentence of a book to hook the reader in, the belief being that if you don’t get your reader quick, you likely won’t get them at all. I tend to spread the responsibility around, and instead of talking about the first sentence, I talk about the whole opening of a book. And there’s more to a good opening than just being a “hook.” Especially if you’re writing genre fiction. First of all, I like the first sentence to be genre specific, or at least hinting at the genre the book is written …

The Three Act Story Structure is one of the most basic story structures and one of the most useful, in my opinion. It gives the author plenty of room for inspiration, innovation, and invention while still keeping them on track to an exciting and satisfying conclusion. Some may need a more detailed plan (the 27 chapter structure extrudes this structure into granular detail), but for those who seek only a little order to help them tell their tale, this structure does the job. Act 1: Setup Exposition The main character is introduced in their natural habitat. The length of this …

If you’re looking for an easy way to write blurbs, why not use the structure most writers use — whether they know it or not. It’s based on the three act story structure, as featured in this portal fantasy blueprint. The structure is three acts split into three sections each like this: Act I — Set Up Exposition — The setup. Show your protagonist in their ordinary life. Inciting Incident — The thing that happens to start the protagonist on their journey through the plot. Plot Point One — The thing that solidifies the protagonist going on their journey (despite …