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​Writing a Children’s Book? You need to get clear on the categories
You want to write a book and your brain goes. …PING! ‘I will start with a children’s book’. Enid Blyton did it. Who hasn’t read...
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Jun 2, 20204 min read
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How to get paid on Amazon in South Africa
South African authors have drawn a short straw from Amazon for years as we have been unable to link a bank account for royalty payments. ...
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May 28, 20204 min read
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Cancer vs Corona? No contest for me
I want to first disqualify myself by saying I have not had Covid-19. At least not that I know of. Or not yet. But I have ‘had’ cancer. In...
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Apr 23, 20203 min read
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What got my book sold? Self publishing my cult memoir
Kelly Alder's memoir TheFourteenth Wife is a tale of self-discovery and an insider view of a polygamous tribal 'family'. She wrote it...
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Apr 20, 20205 min read
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Sarah's Rules of Writing Your First Draft
There is no right or wrong way to write a book, but after working with writers for over 15 years to get them published, I do have some...
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Apr 10, 20204 min read
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What books are getting published? And read?
Book publishing is an old and complex industry. It is both timeless and on-trend. I have been contacted this week by a few publishers...
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Apr 3, 20204 min read
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How to Write a Solid Novel Synopsis (With Example)
Writing your synopsis can be even tougher than writing your entire novel. Or it certainly feels that way. The reason is that it is often...
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Mar 3, 202011 min read
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How to write a sellable non-fiction book proposal
You may have written (or want to write) a non-fiction book that is based on your professional expertise. Or a memoir (also a non-fiction...
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Jan 1, 20207 min read
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Ten sexiest dirty romance novels
I make no secret of being a romance addict. I love the genre and consider myself a bit of an expert. Of course the best expert is one...
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Dec 23, 20197 min read
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Your character needs to be his own worst enemy
A book wouldn't be very readable if everything went your hero’s way would it? Imagine a romance where the hero and romantic interest met...
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Nov 30, 20194 min read
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Writing tricks to make your characters come alive in your novel and memoir
Readers want to live and breathe your characters in a novel. They want to walk in your shoes in a memoir. But how do you make your...
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Nov 23, 20193 min read
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What are publishers looking for in 2021?
If you do want to get published, a good idea is to look at what are publishers are actually looking for in their 2021 booklists....
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Nov 11, 20193 min read
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How to write a Personal story for magazines
You've experienced or done things that can interest others. These things don't have to be earth shattering -- just incidents that others...
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Nov 11, 20192 min read
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How to set a writing goal
Do you actually have a clear goal? And if you do have a goal, then are you any closer to it? Because I don’t want you to hang about too...
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Oct 28, 20192 min read
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Find your non-fiction book structure
Structure is the architecture of your book. It is the way you are going to organise your information in a way that is entertaining and...
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Sep 19, 20194 min read
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4 universal rules of writing (to be published)
You all know I am a bit fan of lists and rules. So here are some of my own from years of working on books and placing books to be...
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Sep 13, 20193 min read
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What is an advance, royalties, a platform, self-publishing? Some concepts explained
What happens after you deliver your finished manuscript to your publisher? We answer all your questions on publishing. Your publisher...
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Sep 9, 20194 min read
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All non-fiction books need a big idea
You know what you want to say and it feels logical to you, but how do you present it to the reader in a way that is clear, logical and...
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Aug 27, 20191 min read
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How to plan a non-fiction book
The difficult thing about planning a book is working out how to break down the information; often it feels as if there is just this great...
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Aug 27, 20191 min read
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Reclaiming Wildness. Soul dancing and story
It is closing in on three in the morning and sleep is the furthest thing from my mind. The night is electric as the relentless call of...
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Aug 27, 20198 min read
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