Certain books reappear on ‘you must read’ lists of writing manuals. Stephen King’s On Writing is a prime example. Dorothea Brande’s seminal text on creative writing is another such title. Becoming A Writer was first published in the 1930s, yet the wisdom it contains is still just as relevant today. Most writing books focus on the mechanics […]
Awful first drafts are not the end of the world
Awful first drafts probably make up the bulk of the tweets I see about writing. If you’re reading this, then many of your contacts are probably writers. They’ve been through this too. Hell, maybe you’ve been through it! Maybe you’ve written something and thought “this is abysmal, who will want to read it?” And I […]
21 Easy Things Writers Can Learn From the Design World
It’s often easy for writers to get stuck in the mindset of only ever learning from other authors. Whether it’s the interminable round of online courses, reading blogs, or listening to podcasts, writers educate themselves by following other writers. Often, it’s absolutely the best way forward. But writers can learn from a much wider range […]
4 easy ways to start your successful author brand today
You’ve dreamed of writing novels since you were a nipper. You were probably the only kid who shouted ‘Hooray!’ when your teacher announced a creative writing exercise. How can that translate into a successful author brand for you? Oh, you’d be surprised. But seriously. A lot of authors don’t want to touch branding. It’s the kind […]
How to edit your author photo just using a smartphone
Writers know there are plenty of things they’ll ultimately need for their marketing efforts. And the author photo often strikes fear into many hearts, despite it being one of the most important. But Icy! I hear you cry. Surely the books are far more important? Meh. Yes and no. Plenty of people will buy books […]
Author brands and social media: How not to be a tool
In 2018, social media is no longer a new platform. It’s developed rules and etiquette that seem to change every other week. But combining author brands and social media needn’t be difficult. It can even be fun. Some authors refuse to use social media. They’re still living in the 1970s, when publishers still handled marketing and […]
