Inspiration? Motivation? Publishing news?  Check out today’s reads:

Cory Doctorow – Apple Won’t Carry an Ebook Because it Mentions Amazon

Amanda S Green - Where Are the Howls of Outrage?

Chris Meadows – Is David Pogue Bourne to be Wild, or a Bourne Loser?

James Scott Bell – 7 Things Writers Need to do Right Now

Ed Cyzewski – When Self-Publishing is More Useful as a Marketing Tool

Jane Friedman – What Authors Seem to Forget About Marketing – Especially Those Who Dislike It

Self-Publishing Review – Book Sales Aren’t Everything

Adrien-Luc Sanders – Six Minutes

Joanna Penn – Marketing Direct to Kindle Readers

August McLaughlin – Pinterest-Friendly Blog Posts: 5 Important Steps

Missed any Fictorians articles this week?

Nancy DiMauro – Promises to Keep

David Carrico – It’s a Book Review! (Fictorian style)

Frank Morin – Building Wisdom

Share on Facebook

Looking for some reads to inspire you?  Check out these.

Brian Keene - How to Write 80,000 Words in a Weekend

Erin Bowman - Facing the Blank Page

Guest Blogger Patti Larsen at The Other Side of the Story - One Writer’s Process

James Scott Bell - Successful Fiction Begins With a Great Concept

Roger Colby - 5 Ways to Work With Stubborn Writing

Kyle Wiens - I Won’t Hire People Who Use Poor Grammar

Rachel Aaron - A New Look at Plotting

Amanda S Green - And Now We Wait

Dystel & Goderich - What Really Happened with the Pulitzer

Alison Strachan - Writing Goals: Learning How to Learn About Writing

Missed any Fictorians articles this week?

Evan Braun – Interlocking Pieces (a.k.a. The Martin Effect)

Leigh Galbreath – How to Make Highway Robbery Work for You

Matt Jones – Distractions – Stop Working Against Your Technology

Share on Facebook

It’s Sunday!  And that means we have 10 reads worth your time:

Jason Black discusses the important of the denouement in Cause of Death: Denouement.

Kristen Lamb has 5 Common Writing Blunders That Can Annoy or Bore Our Readers.

Over at Anne R Allen’s Blog, Ruth Harris lists 11 Reasons Writers Get Rejected – And Why Only 3 of them Matter.

At Writer Unboxed, Shari Stauch examines some unique blogs in Seven Out-of-the-Box Author Blogging Ideas.

Catherine Ryan Howard talks spam marketing in This is an Ethical Way to Sell Your E-Book? I Disagree.

Natania Barron discusses Five Ways Social Media Can Destroy Your Writing (And, Potentially, Your Career) and offers some solutions.

S James Nelson talks about How I Won David Farland’s Writing Contest by writing a specifically-targeted story.

Roni Loren has a warning about copyright in Bloggers Beware: You CAN Get Sued For Using Pics On Your Blog.

A class action lawsuit has been lodged against Harlequin, alleging under-payment of royalites.  See the details at Harlequin lawsuit.

Interested in writing for Writer Beware?  They have recently put out a Call for Guest Bloggers.

Missed any Fictorians articles this week?

Guest poster Jordan Ellinger – Flexing Your Writing Muscles with Help from the Writers of the Future Contest

Dylan Blacquiere – Writing Doctors

Colette Vernon – Can Goldfish Channel Muse?

Share on Facebook

10 reads worth your time:

Ryann Kerekes has some tips for getting a first draft down fast in How Long Does it Take to Write a Book?

On the other hand, KM Weiland suggests some novels can’t be written quickly in Are You Writing Your Novel Too Fast?

Jeffe Kennedy talks about When To Stop Revising and Move On.

And when you do move on to revising, Matthew Salesses has some tips in A Month of Revision.

Matthew Iden examines Kobo as a competitor to Amazon in Kobo: The Heavyweight Challenger?

Jane Friedman has some e-publishing basics in The Best E-Publishing Resources.

Marcy Kennedy talks about increasing your blog’s audience in Four Little-Known Factors That Could Destroy Your Blog’s Chances of Success.

Victoria Strauss details one writer’s nasty shock in Editing Clauses in Publishing Contracts: How To Protect Yourself.

Bob Mayer recommendings letting go of bad reviews in How Should Authors Handle Book Reviews?

Finally, check out a unique advertising campaign from Mignon Fogarty (aka Grammar Girl) in What If Grammarians Had Their Own Magazine?

Missed any Fictorians articles?

Ann Cooney – Writing Stillness

Ann Cooney – Critiques Part 1 – Understanding the Process

Mary Pletsch – Filing Off the Serial Numbers: Part Two: Real Life

Share on Facebook

10 reads worth your time:

Agent Kristin explains the difference between action and activeness in Writing Craft: Action vs Active Openings to Grab Attention.

Dean Wesley Smith dispells the perception that being picked up by a traditional publisher means the book will actually make it onto bookstore shelves in The Secret Myth of Traditional Publishing.

Anne R Allen has tips on guest blogging in How to Blog VI.

Amber West also has tips for bloggers in Do Writers Need To Blog?

Rachel Kent shares Twitter and Facebook tips in Why Do Readers Connect With You Online?

The Savvy Book Marketer looks at how writers can utilise Goodreads in Promote Your Book on the Goodreads Network.

The Bluestocking Blog examines how not to annoy your followers in Balancing Promotion.

Porter Anderson demystifies the @ symbol in Get A Grip On Twitter Handles.

For inspiration: Writer’s Digest has 72 of the Best Quotes About Writing.

For writing contests: check out the list at Bucks County Writers’ Group.

Missed any Fictorians articles this week?

Guest poster Mignon Fogarty – “OK”, “Okay”, and How to Deal with Other Troublesome Style Choices

Clancy Metzger – Writing Guerilla Warfare Style

KD Alex – Writing Between Naps

Share on Facebook

Wow, we’re already into the second half of the year.  What writing goals do you have for the next six months?  I’m hoping to finish edits on the WIP by early October but that seems a long way off yet.  If you’ve finished your writing for the day, here’s 10 reads worth your time:

Kristine Kathryn Rusch talks audio rights in The Business Rusch: Time and the Writer.

Jody Hedlund has 8 Reasons Not to Quit Social Media When You’re Burned Out.

At SF Signal, Zack Parsons Talks With Authors About Writing and Music.

Craig Mod discusses the changing role of the book cover in Hack the Cover.

Raphyel M Jordan discusses the importance of sci fi writers staying up-to-date with scientific advances in The ISS Caught a Dragon’s Tail. So What?

Ed Cyzewski looks at the need for a head for business in When Self-Publishing Is More Useful as a Marketing Tool.

RD Meyer talks about what he learnt during the writing of his latest manuscript in Wrongful Death – Lessons Learned.

Eugenia Williamson considers whether self-published writers are really better off in The dead end of DIY publishing.

Damien Walter advises writers to respect their fans in Fandom matters.

And, finally, Fictorian Evan Braun’s first novel, The Book of Creation, secures a lovely review by the Winnipeg Free Press.

Missed any Fictorians articles this week?

Brandon M Lindsay – Never Surrender!

Evan Braun – A Matter of Perspective

Kylie Quillinan – First Drafts: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

Share on Facebook

We hope you enjoyed Publishing Month as much as we did.  Stayed tuned for our next theme month – details to come in a few weeks.  In the meantime, here’s 10 reads worth your time:

 Aaron Hildebrandt talks about how writers need to be experts in so many areas in Writing is Hard.

Zoe Winters discusses earning the title of writer in Labels: Writer vs Author.

Cyndi Pauwels talks about the need to recharge in All Good Things.

Charles Passy examines a few movie industry gimmicks that writers should be aware of in 10 Things Hollywood Won’t Tell You.

Susannah Breslin offers Why You Shouldn’t Be A Writer.

And Sarah A Hoyt responds with Why You Should Be A Writer.

i09 has The 22 Rules of Storytelling, According to Pixar.

Writers’ Village discusses The Laziest Way To Find a Winning Plot.

Looking for some feedback on the structure of your writing? Check out Pro Writing Aid.

Upcoming convention, plus a short story contest: CopperCon 32.

Missed any Fictorians articles this week?

Guest post by Gini Koch – Why I Like Traditional Publishing

Frank Morin – Is It Still Worth Trying To Get An Agent?

Guest post by Brandon Sanderson – Brandon Sanderson Dishes On Publishing

Share on Facebook

Well, Publishing Month is drawing to a close.  We’ve got just one week left to go.  Stay tuned for our  final Publishing Month guest bloggers, Brandon Sanderson and Gini Koch.

In the meantime, here’s 10 reads worth your time:

Rachelle Gardner talks about what to expect from your agent in Understanding Your Agent.

Also on the topic of agents, Red Sofa Literary lists some basic mistakes writers make when approaching an agent in How to “win” over an agent.

Lois H Gresh discusses the necessity of submitting your work in Rewriting Treadmills: Traditional Publishing versus ePublishing.

Philip Goldberg talks about the benefits of traditional publishing in Who Needs Publishers? We All Do!

Writers In The Storm discusses how a writer’s business needs should affect his choice of publisher with Gettin’ Busy With It.

Dean Wesley Smith dispells a few common myths in The Secret Myth of Traditional Publishing.

The Intern discusses Five Signs You’re About to Land an Agent.

At The Art and Craft of Writing Creatively, Cheryl Shireman guest blogs about the prejudice against indie writers with Dear Traditionally Published Writer.

Rainy of the Dark looks at Just What Percentage of Book Sales are eBooks?

Ashley Barron discusses lessons learnt during the indie journey with A Self-Publisher’s Dilemma.

Missed any Fictorians articles this week?

Moses Siregar III – So, You’re Considering Indie Publishing…

Nancy DiMauro and Colette Vernon - Women Writing the Weird: Publishing in an Anthology

Joshue Essoe – Editing Saved My Life. And It Could Save Yours

Share on Facebook

We hope you’re enjoying our Publishing Month as much as we are.  We’ve had some great posts already from both Fictorians and guests, and there’s more to come, including Brandon Sanderson and Gini Koch.  In the meantime, here’s 10 reads worth your time:

Vickie Britton looks at Compiling A Short Story Anthology for Print or eBook Publication.

Rachelle Gardner discusses whether self-publishing and agents can mix in Self-Published Author Seeks Agent.

Laura Hazard Owen sums up the recent BookExpo America with 5 Things the Book Industry Will Be Talking About Next Week.

Victoria Strauss has a warning for those thinking about jumping into self-publishng with ePublishing Revo: It’s A New Electronic Publishing Service, But There’s A Catch.

Karen Schechner looks at how indie bookstores are responding to the growing self-publishing phenomenon in Working With Self-Published Authors.

Rich Adin asks Should Editors Certify That an eBook Has Been Edited?

Confused about creative commons?  Check out Matt Enis’s article Ebook Crowdfunding Platform Unglue.it Launched for an explanation.

Nail Your Novel muses about Where Will Self-Publishing Get Quality Control?

Dear Author lists some Publisher Experiments I’d Like To See.

Publishing Crawl discusses The Not-So-Secret Backdoor to Publishing.

Missed any Fictorians articles this week?

Guest poster S. James Nelson – Abandon All (Unreasonable) Hope

David Carrico – I Haven’t Given Up

Guest poster Laurie McLean – Literary Agents in the New Publishing Era

Share on Facebook

Still to come in our Publishing Month: guest posts from writers Brandon Sanderson, Stephen Nelson, and Gini Koch, and literary agent Laurie McLean.  In the meantime, here are 10 reads worth your time:

Anne R Allen examines the different types of publishers in Who Are the Big Six? What Does “Indie” Really Mean”? Answers to Not-So-Dumb Questions You Were Afraid to Ask.

At Writers in the Storm, Susan Squires explains her own publishing options in Too Many Choices.

The Intern takes a somewhat tongue-in-cheek look at The Publishers Weekly: The Deals You Don’t See.

Teleread crunches numbers in Amazon Price Bots Result In Unusually High- and Low-Price Books.

Mhairi Simpson talks about how Self-Publishing Is Not the Easy Way.

Still on the topic of self-publishing, The Huffington Post discusses The Changing Politics of the Self-Publishing Stima.

Nathan Bransford talks about how Traditional vs Self-Publishing is a False Dichotomy.

The Guardian examines writers’ incomes in Stop the Press: Half of Self-Published Authors Earn Less Than $500.

Interested in checking out some books by small or independent presses?  Take a look at Small Press Reviews.

Missed any Fictorians articles this week?

Guest post from David Dalglish – The Triumph of the Dalglish: How I Sold 2ook Novels While Not Knowing Squat

Nancy DiMauro – E-Publishing – Why I Chose It

Guest post from Jordan Ellinger – Coming Up In The Trenches

Share on Facebook

Since we’re focusing on publishing options during June, this week’s Sunday Reads are all about aspects of publishing.

Boyd Morrison takes A Detour in the Publishing Journey.

MJ Rose reflects on the E vs P Debate.

Pub(lishing) Crawl discusses Bringing Your Baby To Editorial Board.

The Write Type discusses Self-Published vs Traditional: Candid Tales from Frontline Authors.

Slate asks What Will Become of the Paper Book?

Lindsay Buroker has 3 Tip for Self-Publishing Success.

Amanda Hocking discusses reasons to pursue traditional publishing in How Am I Doing Now?

Nathan Bransford discusses The Biggest Challenges in the New Era of Publishing.

Tonya Kappes asks How Bad Do You Want Success?

Failure Ahoy! examines Amazon’s Ever-Changing Algorithms.

Missed any Fictorians articles this week?

David Carrico – Anatomy of a Collaboration

Kylie Quillinan - June: Publishing Month

Guest poster Celina Summers – Different Paths to Publishing

Share on Facebook

We’re looking forward to June during which we will be exploring publishing options.  With guest posts from writers Brandon Sanderson, David Dalglish, Stephen Nelson and Gini Koch, literary agent Laurie McLean, and publisher Celina Summers, it’s going to be a big month.  We look forward to exploring publishing options with you.

In the meantime, here’s 10 reads worth your time:

The Undiscovered Author talks Amazon, Apple, Antitrust and You.

Speaking of Amazon, Carl Franzen discusses Amazon Ready to Lower E-book Prices In Wake of Publisher Settlement.

The New York Times explores Writer’s Cramp: In the E-reader Era, a Book a Year Is Slacking.

Heroes and Heartbreakers.com explores the issue of race in romance novels with Choosing Between White, Off-White, and Beige.

Warriot Poet discusses 5 Undying Myths About Published Writers and their Eerie Powers.

Kristan Hoffman talks about Learning To Embrace My Limits.

Courtney Carpenter discusses how to Discover The Basic Elements of Setting In A Story.

Writing about an animal?  Kaitlin Ward looks at some essential elements of Animal Behaviour.

Janice Hardy discusses Fixing A Stalled Scene.

For inspiration, check out The Scale of the Universe.

Missed any Fictorians articles this week?

Guest post from Marsheila Rockwell – Tie-in Fiction

KD Alexander – Life Block

Mary Pletsch – Filing Off the Serial Numbers: Part 1 – Fan Fiction

Share on Facebook

June is going to be a big month here at The Fictorian Era with a special focus on publishing.  We have guest posts from a publisher, an agent, and writers who are at a variety of stages of their careers, as well as posts by some of our regular Fictorians.  We’ll be spending the month exploring publishing options, looking at both traditional and independent publishing.  More info in a few days.

In the meantime, here’s 10 reads worth your time:

Jane Friedman has 3 Possibilities For Defeating Writer’s Block.

Tonya Kappes talks about how to boost your creativity in Creative Flow: Scene by Scene.

DiYMFA identifies 5 Pockets Of Time You Never Knew You Had.

The Millions discusses The Appeals and Perils of the One-Word Book Title.

Over at The Bluestocking Blog, they’re talking about The Chasm Between Intentions and Execution.

John A A Logan talks epublishing in Fending Off The Next Dark Age.

Interested in writing contests? Writers’ Village has an ebook on How To Win Writing Contests for Profit.

For some motivation, check out Writers Digest’s 23 Timeless Quotes For Writers.

Listen to screenwriter Michael Arndt talk about writing Little Miss Sunshine.

And head over to Musa Publishing to check out Fictorian Nancy DiMauro’s new release, Paths Less Traveled.

Missed any Fictorians articles this week?

Ann Cooney – The Great Spring Migration

Matt Jones – Motivations

Leigh Galbreath – How To Be A Better Tease

Share on Facebook

10 reads worth your time:

Liza Palmer has 5 Tips For Starting and Finishing Your Novel.

Janice Hardy has Four Tips On Adding A New Twist To An Old Plot.

Carly Watters talks about How Writers Build Successful Online Communities.

Rachelle Gardner has advice for a writer’s family in This Post Is For The Ones You Love.

Jonathan Gotschall explores Why Fiction Is Good For You.

Jason Boog recounts an Ohio State University study on how Fictional Characters Can Influence Real Life Actions.

Looking for a place to connect with both readers and writers?  Check out the World Literary Cafe.

And for another place to connect with readers, check out Book Blogs.

Deadman’s Tome has a horror writing contest open until the end of June.

Finally, for images and inspiration, check out Retronaut.

Missed any Fictorians articles this week?

Guest post by Dean Wesley Smith – Stop Being In A Hurry

Frank Morin – Burst Writing – Case Study

Colette Vernon – Brandon Sanderson’s Rules of Writing & Other Notes

Share on Facebook

10 reads worth your time:

At Writer Unboxed, Barbara O’Neal discusses the need to figure out what you’re really writing about.

At Editor Devil, read about how to Delinate Characters Through Dialogue.

Over at Romance University, Theresa Stevens talks line editing.

Marcy Kennedy discusses the use of smell in How to Make Your Novel Scratch and Sniff.

Over at YA Highway, Veronica Roth talks about the Strictly Objective Critique Partner.

Julie Butcher-Fedynich has A Ten-Step Program For More Writing Time.

Nathan Bransford lists The Top 5 Social Media Blunders You Shouldn’t Make.

Andrew Jack has some no-nonsense advice in It Doesn’t Matter How You’re Published – We’re All Self-Promoted.

Over at Genreality, Bob Mayer talks about the necessity to Have A Career Plan As A Writer.

And, just for fun, check out the The Terrible Crossover Fantiction Idea Generator for wacky creative writing prompts.

Share on Facebook