A (Hope)ful Blog

It doesn't seem like a radical concept until you get your first publishing contract. I had no idea just how many authors were out there until I joined Facebook groups for other writers. The first rule in every one of these groups? Rule: Don't promote yourself. No spam. As authors, we're told that we have to put ourselves out there constantly. But sometimes many of us can take it overboard and constantly spam our followers with, "Buy my book posts." And these never work. What

If you've read any of my newsletters, you'll recognize this tip. I almost always include it. "If you want to write in a genre, read books published within the last five years." Five years may sound specific, perhaps limiting (although trust me, in your genre, thousands of books per year release), so why have I set up such stringent guidelines? Well, first of all, it's not me. Industry standards dictate this rule. But I'll uncover why the five years, and why you probably shoul