Every writer who’s ever attended a conference has cringed at being told to build platform. It seems especially difficult for novelists. A platform is simply the people who are willing to listen to you. It is, as Seth Godin says, permission. J.K. Rowling had permission from millions, and gave it …
Category: Writing
Q&A: What website platform is best?
Q: Great blog! Do you have any suggestions for aspiring writers? I’m hoping to start my own website soon but I’m a little lost on everything. Would you propose starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so many choices out there that …
What’s ahead for print media
Q: Is there a future for print media? A: There is, but it’s not what most people in the print media business think it is. The biggest obstacle for print media is that by the time news is printed with ink on dead trees, it’s no longer news.
Comma rules, condensed
Misplaced commas are the most common punctuation error I see. We all need help with commas at one time or another. Even experienced writers place them where they’re not needed and omit them where they are.
Fiction Q&A: How long is a chapter?
Q: Is there a rule of thumb for how long chapters in novels should be? Also, how should I place chapter breaks? I try to put them in when I’m writing, but then I wind up moving things around and having to renumber them. It’s kind of a pain. A: …
The difference between writing and oratory
A common piece of rhetorical advice is usually phrased this way: “Tell them what you’re going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you told them.” This advice, which some attribute to Aristotle, is great if you’re giving a three-hour speech in the agora. If you’re writing …
Q&A: How does writing a book feed your social media marketing?
Q: I’m told having a book will help me build my social media platform. Can you explain how that works? A: It’s not so much that the book helps build the platform. Actually, you need the platform to sell the book. But the book can be one plank in your …
Writing Q&A: Do I need to study English to be a writer?
Q: I’m interested in writing a book. I’ve always enjoyed writing, and I’ve been blogging for a while, but I’ve never tried writing a book. Should I go back to college and take some English classes? I’ve also considered getting an MFA. Would that help? A: You certainly need to study, …
Q&A: Do you need permission to mention a product name?
Editors are frequently asked whether it’s permissible for writers to mention product or business names in books. The short answer is yes. The long answer is be careful.
Establish Your Authority by Defining Terms in Your Own Words
I’ve seen a lot of books, both published and unpublished, in which authors use what I call the “Webster cliché.” This is the bit where the author brings up some aspect of his topic, and then, assuming the element is unfamiliar to the reader, writes something like this: Webster’s defines …