Although I now own and run and a publishing company, all my books were self-published. I don’t like the connection that people often make between self-published books and “bad” or substandard writing. The truth is, the vast majority of self-published books (I’ve read a lot of them) are indeed substandard […]
Gotcha! Hooks: What They Are and How to Create Page-Turning Fiction
What’s a hook??? I admit to scratching my head over that term, and for a much-too-long time. I would hear it when people were discussing top-selling novels; I’d see it in articles about the craft of writing. It was a frequent comment from my critique partners. “Not much of hook […]
Networking and the CWCL
As a Catholic writer, do you sometimes feel out of touch with other Catholic writers? Do you feel out of place at your secular writers’ group? Years ago, when I first began writing fiction, I joined a local secular writers group. However, I soon felt like a fish out of […]
Ms. Manners Goes to Conference! Conference Etiquette for a Better Experience
Headed for Catholic Writers Conference? Are you excited? You should be! What an opportunity to rub shoulders with industry professionals, to put faces and personalities to folks you’ve met online, to renew friendships, and to network. This is a once in a lifetime experience; make the most of it. There […]
Working With An Editor
All authors need an editor. Self-published authors should not publish a manuscript without hiring a competent editor to improve and polish it. For the purposes of this post, an editor is someone who suggests changes in overall plot, setting, characters and theme. I am not talking about a copy-editor (although […]
The Importance of a Good Cover
A book’s cover is the first thing a prospective reader sees so it is important that it be professionally created. If it is poorly designed or if it is too simplistic, it can turn your reader away. I know of some self-published books in which the story and writing were […]
The Value of Live Conferences and Long-Lasting Friendships
“There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.” St. Thomas Aquinas When I self-published my first novel seven years ago, I joined a local secular writers’ group but never quite felt a connection. It was only through the Catholic Writers Online (Yahoo group) that I […]
Critique – Tips on how to do it well
Critique – a word that often scatters writers like a firecracker tossed into a flock of sparrows! But it doesn’t have to be that way. Since critique groups are forming in the Catholic Writers Guild forums, this is a good time to talk about critique, namely, how to be a […]
Awards Contests for Self-Published Authors: Are They Really Worth It?
In my post last month, I gave a link which lists some popular awards contests for self-published authors: http://www.selfpublishingreview.com/blog/2009/01/self-published-book-contests/ This list doesn’t claim to be all inclusive, but it is helpful. And be aware that most of these contests require an entry fee. One award that doesn’t require an entry […]
Marie-Antoinette and Me
The following is a reprint of an interview by British author Gareth Russell about how I came to write about a certain Queen of France. GR: I think one of the things that made “Trianon” such a joy to read is that you and I have both written works that […]