When I wrote my first book proposal, I relied on three books about how to actually write the all-important document that helps you land a contract with a literary agent and with a publisher. One of those books was agent Sheree Bykofsky’s The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Getting Published, which is now in its fifth edition. Sheree was also one…
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Funky Language Monday There is no better way to tackle the topic of funky language than with rap music. Let me loosely define rap as “a tiny bit of history of words with a little bit of pop culture and music mixed in for good measure.” Also referred to as hip hop music or MCing, rap music originated as a…
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This post is a blogged draft excerpt from The Author Training Manual (Writer’s Digest Books, March 2014). Read the previous blogged excerpt, here. So you want to write and publish a successful book. Do you even know what that means to you—or to a publisher? Before you begin writing your book or publish it, it’s important to: Come up with…
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History Friday Today, we go back in time to 1869, the date when Howard University School of Law (HUSL) was founded. This is an important fact in the history of African Americans because it marks the creation of the first law school intended for black people. It is also important to me; Howard University School of Law will forever hold…
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This guest post is written by author, freelance writer and director Nicole Ayers. Each year in April, several hundred writers around the world gather online to participate in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge started in 2010 by Arlee Bird at Tossing It Out. This blogathon, where participants blog every day (except Sundays) on a topic starting with one letter…
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Dr. Maya Angelou Wednesday Have you had a chance to review some biographical facts about Dr. Maya Angelou? In case you haven’t, let me brief you on some of the highs and lows from her life. She worked as a prostitute, dancer, singer, and speaker. She was raped at an early age and lived through the deaths of two famous…
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This guest post is written by publishing authority and two time best-selling author Kristen Eckstein. Anyone who’s tried formatting their eBook themselves will tell you it’s no small feat. There are hundreds of conversion programs and Kindle “meatgrinders” that promise clean Kindle files, yet deliver a file full of gobbledygook. Some common formatting issues include wacky spacing, entire sections or…
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