Storytelling 101

Marketing your book can become a full-time job that yields few immediate results. This cuts into your limited writing time – and you still need to work, raise your family, and maybe even attend school. The best solution is to develop a marketing plan and then limit your work on it to a few minutes a day.This episode is also available as a blog post: https://inventingrealityediting.com/2023/04/28/develop-a-marketing-plan-to-increase-sales/

When writing a nonfiction book, novice authors often omit a key element: a summary at the end of each chapter.This episode is also available as a blog post: https://inventingrealityediting.com/2023/04/28/write-end-of-chapter-summary-in-nonfiction-books/

One common plotting problem novice writers experience, especially in the first draft, is that of stalling.This episode is also available as a blog post: https://inventingrealityediting.com/2023/04/28/avoid-stalling-as-approaching-crucial-event/

Anytime you’re writing a scene in the story’s rising action, you’ll want to treat it as a short story in and of itself. That means focusing on conflict.This episode is also available as a blog post: https://inventingrealityediting.com/2023/04/28/build-rising-action-scenes-around-conflict/

Rather than subordinating one plot to other – that is, rather than make one a subplot – why not treat them with equal importance? When two dramatic plots occur at the same time in a story, usually involving different characters but the same theme, you are employing a parallel plot structure.This episode is also available as a blog post: https://inventingrealityediting.com/2023/04/28/consider-using-parallel-plot-structure-in-novel/

When you empower your reader, you become a better writer. To empower your reader means respecting his intelligence.

One common way to think about how a story is organized is the three-act structure. This approach dates to Aristotle, who stated that a story has a beginning, a middle and an end.This episode is also available as a blog post: https://inventingrealityediting.com/2023/04/28/three-act-structure-offers-alternate-story-plot/

Anytime you use email marketing to encourage book sales, you’re engaging in a campaign. Such campaigns shouldn’t simply say “buy my book” but instead ought to deliver “news” to readers about your titles.This episode is also available as a blog post: https://inventingrealityediting.com/2023/04/29/try-these-topics-for-email-marketing-campaigns/

That’s because the most important step you can take in promoting a book is building a network of potential buyers for it.This episode is also available as a blog post: https://inventingrealityediting.com/2023/04/29/start-early-on-your-book-marketing-campaign/

Indie authors always should keep track of their business transactions via journals and ledgers.This episode is also available as a blog post: https://inventingrealityediting.com/2023/04/29/indie-authors-need-to-record-business-transactions/

When starting a business so you can self-publish a book, you’ll likely need to purchase materials so you can write. These start-up costs are the expenses you incur before you actually begin business operations.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://inventingrealityediting.com/2023/04/29/what-are-the-start-up-costs-when-self-publishing/

The plot of a story is more interesting and exciting if the characters have something to gain or lose. Because of this, the characters in your story should have something at stake, or some personal interest or involvement in solving the story’s conflict.This episode is also available as a blog post: https://inventingrealityediting.com/2023/05/07/make-story-interesting-by-establishing-stakes/

Ever have an image in your head that would be great for your story, but you just can’t think of the right words to use so it gets on paper? You’re not alone. Many writers frequently face this problem.This episode is also available as a blog post: https://inventingrealityediting.com/2023/05/07/get-ideas-from-your-head-onto-paper/

One of the best way to sell your books is through Back of Room sales. This occurs when you give a presentation and have copies of your book(s) for sale on a table nearby – usually at the back or side of the room or just outside it.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://inventingrealityediting.com/2023/05/07/pitch-book-through-back-of-room-sales/

Authors sometimes are tempted to get on their soapbox rather than allow the message to unfold with the story. When a diatribe or rant is inserted in the story, the author is guilty of a self-indulgent digression.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://inventingrealityediting.com/2023/05/07/dont-burden-us-with-a-self-indulgent-digression/

When writing descriptions, one of the five senses that you can appeal to is sound.This episode is also available as a blog post: https://inventingrealityediting.com/2023/04/28/appeal-to-sense-of-sound-when-writing/

So you’ve got a story written and are about to send it to a magazine or a publisher. Congratulations! One of the largest barriers preventing beginning writers from becoming established is that they never finish their work.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://inventingrealityediting.com/2023/05/07/submitting-dos-and-donts-for-magazines/

Despite widely varying writing styles, almost all writers share several common habits that help ensure their success.
Drawing upon my experience working as an editor with hundreds of authors and having read far more interviews of or essays by writers, I’ve noticed five common habits among them. Any time an aspiring author asks me what they can do to become a better writer, I automatically recommend adopting those habits.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://inventingrealityediting.com/2023/02/03/top-5-habits-all-writers-should-possess

What is self-publishing? How does it differ from mainstream publishing? Should you self-publish or go the traditional route. Longtime book editor Rob Bignell answers these questions and more.

It’s the rare book that somehow goes virulent and captures the public’s attention and admiration all on its own. Indeed, more than 900 books are published daily in just the United States alone, so no matter how good yours is, the odds of it even being noticed are nil at best. The reality is that indie authors and those who self-publish need to market their own books.

One of the obstacles facing beginning writers is finding a place where they actually can write. Too often our responsibilities and modern civilization’s many distractions don’t allow for a moment – or place - of peace and quiet in our lives. Yet, just such a place where we can put our fingers to keyboard or pen to paper for a while is necessary if we are to write.

Looking at how published authors of novels and nonfiction books and other writers, such as journalists, write their books, there does seem to be a general writing process that every one of them uses.

Once you’ve decided to self-publish, you’ll need to make sure that you have all the materials necessary to get through the process. Unless you’re living off the grid, you probably have everything.

The day has finally arrived: Your first book reading and signing! No doubt your stomach is aflutter, not just with excitement but with a little apprehension. What if you mess up in the reading? What if you can’t think of what to say when someone answers a question? What if the crowd finds you boring and starts to leave?

As developing your story, maintaining a sense of tension is vital. Without dramatic tension - a feeling of uncertainty in the reader about how the main character will solve (or even if he will resolve) the central problem - the story will be flat and vanilla. Creating tension involves controlling the story's pace.

Another way to promote your book is through a public appearance at a writing conference. Writing organizations, colleges and other groups offer a wide variety of such programs. Typically, they help writers develop their skills, learn the industry, and make connections.

To effectively market your book, you’ll need a media kit. This is a collection of materials that you send to newspapers, radio and television stations, magazines, bloggers and just about anyone else who might in some way mention your book. Sometimes it’s referred to as a press kit.

Should you decide that you want to use a pen name, the question then arises as to what you pseudonym should be.

A great way to generate money from your book writing is by offering webinars. You’ve probably heard of and even attended seminars. A webinar is exactly the same, except that’s done over the Internet.

Rarely can an author make a living solely from book sales. However, authors can achieve their dream of independence by building a business around their books.

Every story has an angle or perspective from which it is told. This perspective is called point of view.

Whenever creating a website for a business that springs from your books, you’ll want to include certain pieces of information on it.

Just because a blog entry has been published doesn’t mean that it never can be used again. Instead, you want to repurpose your writing, meaning reformat and reuse it across multiple books as well as marketing and social media channels.

Writers who are perfectionists usually procrastinate, waiting for inspiration to magically strike so they can create the perfect work. Unfortunately nothing ever gets written, or at least finished, because they’re rarely in that inspired state to create a perfect manuscript, let alone a perfect paragraph or sentence.

The opening page of your story always should include your protagonist’s intentions, meaning the step he plans to take to deal with the story’s main problem.

Among the best ways to convey information in your nonfiction book is through a list. Lists are easy for readers to scan, and later when needing to recall key takeaways, they can be found quickly. For visual examples of the lists, see: types-of-lists-you-can-create-for-your-book