A frequent question we get here at FWA is: Where can I find an agent/publisher for my book? There is an awesome *free* tool to help you not only find agents and editors, but learn the specifics of what they like and how to query them. This magical gadget is called Manuscript Wish List, and yes, it is completely free. No subscription required. Manuscript Wish List, or MSWL, acts as a search engine for agents and editors. Your quest has … Read More »

Making book ads can be a pain and take a lot of time. There are many programs out there that you can use to create ads, but one that is particularly easy to use and makes eye-catching ads is Book Brush. There are five tools in this program: Instant Ad Mockups, Custom Ad Creator, Video Creator, Box Set Creator, and Cover Creator. You can sign up for a free account and have access to some of the tools, but for … Read More »

Market research is an essential step of the book creation process no matter how you publish. It is basically seeing what is already out there in the market and how your book will (or will not) fit in. Luckily for us, we live in the age of Amazon so you don’t have to spend hours at a book store picking through different titles. If you are working to be published traditionally, you will often have to list what are called … Read More »

It’s gotten hot, the grass is fried…and so is your brain. Well good news! We have a batch of writing prompts as big as a five-scoop sundae. So do a few stretches, get that pencil ready, and take a gander at 25 summer writing prompts. Writing Prompts Based on Images Check out the following picture bank and see if any of these spark something for you.   Writing Prompts Based on Senses Sensory details make things vivid for the reader. … Read More »

Print on demand (POD) is a wonderful new technology that allows authors to have their books printed quickly with little upfront cost. Plus, books integrate with online retailers without any effort from the author. Woohoo! And if you thought that was great, POD also handles all the logistics for customer orders so you don’t have to go to the post office and ship books. Double woohoo! It’s never been easier to be an indie author. There are many companies that … Read More »

You spend hours upon hours on your blog, why not make sure as many people as possible see it? The point of a blog is to reach readers, and there are little tricks you can do to boost your visibility and gain more readers. Also, you want to make sure your content is delivered in a way that makes sure people are actually reading what you post. Blog audiences have expectations for content, just like genre readers. In fact, thinking … Read More »