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Want to get published? 3 things you need to do
Treat your writing like a career and a business and it can change your life. That's one of the gems I learned on our writing retreat in...
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Jul 28, 20193 min read


Traditional, Indie or Self-Publishing? Whats best for you?
The really exciting thing is that there are really SO MANY options and ways to get published in this day and age. The two most common...
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Apr 14, 20194 min read


Cancer took away my fear
Writing coach Sarah Bullen and her children were on the verge of returning home to South Africa to start another exciting chapter in...
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Mar 11, 201910 min read


Writing a memoir? Elements you need to master
What do you want to write about? Well my life of course (writers say). And I nod because of course that is right. But it has to be about...
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Feb 24, 20192 min read


Want to start that book...Here's how
Do you have a burning desire to publish a book? Cape Town-based writing coach and literary agent Sarah Bullen offers simple and practical...
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Feb 2, 20191 min read


Writers need a writing plan
So many of us have this deep heart desire to write, but don’t know how to act on it. So you want to write – but you don’t do it. And all...
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Jan 1, 20192 min read


A quiz for your lead characters
Here's a good list of questions to ask your hero Your age? Nationality? Hair colour? Style? Age? How do you dress? Best feature? How...
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Nov 4, 20181 min read


Open submissions for romance writers
Got a manuscript that you are sitting on? Here is an updated list of all the publishing houses actively looking for books. Romance!...
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Mar 22, 201810 min read


How to get your book to a better first draft
The first draft of your book is not something you are going to want to show anyone. Sorry! As much as you have sweated and toiled over...
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Mar 11, 20183 min read


How to grow an idea into a plot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OArGa8x2nEg
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Feb 12, 20181 min read


Do you have a plan for your book?
Why isn't it selling? Who should be making it sell? Why isn't the publisher doing more? Why are there only three copies at the bookshop...
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Nov 30, 20173 min read


Do you need to be an expert to write
This word 'expert' comes up a lot when working with memoir or non-fiction books. It comes from the question - am I actually qualified to...
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Oct 15, 20172 min read


Find your non-fiction genre
Where will your book sit? Remember your first step in non-fiction writing is to be clear on your genre. Find your main genre and...
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Sep 13, 20172 min read


The sexiest lines from romance novels
"And I mean to hear ye groan like that again. And to moan and sob, even though you dinna wish to, for ye canna help it. I mean to make...
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Sep 7, 20172 min read


How do you make readers care? An editors tricks for writing unforgettable characters
Making readers CARE about your character is not actually a mystery. It is most often a product of good dialogue and good plotting. I have...
info590613
Aug 27, 20173 min read


5 Places all writers get stuck
There are a few key places where it is just so easy to get stuck as a writer. You may get stuck in all of them. But if you want to move...
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Jul 28, 20173 min read


What publishers are looking for. What authors need to know
I have been doing a bit of a roadshow presenting some new authors to publishers both in locally and globally. I also use the opportunity...
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May 24, 20174 min read


Editing your book _round two
Now if you have been following my steps you will have completed step 1. That means you have printed and marked up your entire manuscript...
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Feb 27, 20172 min read


How to improve your first draft (and second draft and 7th)
OK so this post is assuming that you have competed first draft of your book. It is going to take you through the next few steps that you...
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Feb 26, 20174 min read


How to write a smoking hot author blurb
A smoking author biography is an essential part of a book proposal. Writing a good one - that sums up your personality and book in a...
info590613
Jan 26, 20174 min read
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