I finally accomplished my most procrastinated writerly task: my website. After learning how to use WordPress, taking photos, and setting up email forwarding, I was excited to assemble my publication credits. But when I looked for the link to a piece of flash fiction I published in 2016 by A Long Story, Short, I couldn’t find it. The website was gone. Everyone always warns that the internet is forever— that things...

Picture yourself getting ready for a writing session: fixing up your drink of choice and maybe some snacks,  getting out all your notes and opening your files, reminiscing on the great ideas you had last night while you were trying to fall asleep or this morning when you were in the shower.  You’re excited.  But then your fingers hover over the keys and…nothing.  Those notes you scribbled down in between...

Does something feel… off in your writing life but you can’t put your finger on it? I may have some insight. Writing can be lonely (even with the supportive #writingcommunity at your back!) and sometimes we don’t realize when we fall into bad habits that hurt, not help, our writing. If you feel like something’s missing, here are five question to analyze if you have toxic writing practices that might...

Aspiring novelists typically know they need a completed manuscript to land an agent or publisher, and certainly to self-publish their book. What they aren’t sure about is whether they need a social media presence and what it can or can’t do for them. So today we’re answering your #trending social media questions. Let’s go! Do I need to have a social media presence to get a book deal? Nope. In...

Other than a writer’s time, editing services can be one of the costliest purchases for a manuscript. However, paying an editor will increase your final project’s value. Whether you are considering hiring a copyeditor for your fifth published book, or you are halfway through your first experience with an editor, here are five steps to help you get the most value out of your editorial experience. Step #1: Diagnose Your...

There is nothing more painful for authors than the rejection that comes during the publishing process. (Well, maybe writing synopses, but we don’t speak of that.) When I started querying my novel, I tried to think of a way to make the inevitable rejection a fun and inspiring part of the journey. Rejection needed to spur me on rather than discourage me, and as with any unpleasant task, a little...

We’d like to begin this post by thanking everyone who submitted to our Microfiction Contest. It’s truly a pleasure reading your amazing work each month, and the amount of talent in this community impresses us constantly. We were especially impressed by the author of our winning entry, Kimberly Straub.Writing microfiction is tricky to navigate, so we’d love to dive deeper into what makes a great piece of microfiction great. Here...

It’s no secret that the first chapter is one of the most important chapters of your manuscript. In fact, many writers argue that it is the singular most important chapter, and we’re inclined to agree. After all, the first chapter is, for many readers, the deciding factor on whether or not to continue reading. For this reason, this chapter must contain a hook, the first steps for plot development, and...