Can I Really Make Money in Self-Publishing?

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. …

Written Well — The Journey Begins

I am beyond excited to start work on this website with my longtime friend and business partner, Chris Wallace. We came to writing from very different trajectories, but the great passion and intensity we feel for it is the same. A little background on us: I come from a writing family. My mother is renowned children’s book author Jane Yolen. My sister is an award-winning children’s book author, as well. I’m a rebel. I write mostly adult books. I was traditionally published at the age of sixteen with the publication of The Lullaby Songbook, a collection of lullabies that my …

How to Quit Your Day Job and Write Full-Time

The first thing to know about quitting your day job and writing full-time is don’t quit your day job. 99.9% of writers got into writing for the love and joy that writing provided them. It can be difficult to maintain those emotions when you have to do it for work. If you have a job that you can stand and provides you a decent living, hold onto it and write in your free time. You won’t burn out on the writing and you might make a little money on the side. But you’re not here for that, are you? Good,...

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Thriller Guide

Thrillers are about tension and movement, long odds and fighting to overcome them, and a hero so brilliant and determined that they win despite everything being stacked against them. 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...

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