Sell sheets, also known as one sheets, are often requested by booksellers, award competitions, reviewers, and other industry folks. They are useful tools for people to get quick information about your book and make decisions, such as whether or not to stock your book in their store. It’s important to have all the standard elements on your sell sheet and to make sure they are organized in a structured way. So what exactly do you need to have on a … Read More »

You have a great idea for a workshop and there is a conference coming up. Time to fill out the faculty application. How can you give yourself the best chance of being selected as a presenter? Write a stellar workshop description! Many times writers view the description as a little nonfiction blurb stating the basics of what they will be sharing with the group. Incorrect. You are selling your workshop, and not just to the person selecting faculty, but to … Read More »

Amazon is without doubt a massive force in the book world. Having a strong presence on Amazon makes it easier for readers to find your work and buy your books. One tool you can use to boost your visibility as an author on the platform is by having an Amazon author page. This is where you can click on an author’s name on Amazon and learn more about them. My Amazon author page:   You’ll notice it has my headshot, … Read More »

Drum roll! The scores are in, and the finalists have been named for the 2021 Royal Palm Literary Awards competition. RPLA is a service of the Florida Writers Association established to recognize excellence in members’ published and unpublished works while providing objective and constructive written assessments for all entrants. RPLA covers some 26 genre-categories for adults and 5 for youth. The categories cross the broad areas of fiction and nonfiction—short works and book-length, as well as poetry and submissions in … Read More »

Many folks earlier in their writing journeys wonder when they can start using certain titles including “writer” and “author.” They wonder if there are specific achievements to be earned or rites of passage to be done before they can label themselves as such, perhaps even use the phrase “aspiring writer” to not jump into using a label too soon. But calling oneself a writer or author feels so official, like you’ve finally made it to your destination. It also sends … Read More »

ISBNs and barcodes aren’t exactly the most exciting parts of creating a book. Yet, they are very important pieces. An ISBN, short for international standard book number, is a thirteen digit numerical code that identifies an exact book and the format it is in. If you’d like to know what all the numbers in an ISBN represent, you can click here to visit the International ISBN Agency. Two university students invented the barcode in 1948 and based it off Morse … Read More »