Lisa Tener’s Writing and Publishing Blog

Author’s Platform? What’s That and How Do I Get One?

If you’ve spent any time around people in the publishing industry, or attended a conference about getting your nonfiction or how-to book published, you’ve probably heard the term platform. An author’s platform refers to your fan base, and the media vehicles you already use to reach people with your message. Your internet platform includes your…

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Too painful to write. Too painful to read.

Guest Blog by Daniel Tomasulo, author of Confessions of a Former Child: A Therapist’s Memoir My first popular press book came out earlier this year. Confessions of a Former Child: A Therapist’s Memoir was published by Graywolf in May and was well received. In the six months since it has been released I have received…

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More Ghostwriting Advice: 10 Things You Need to Know

Yesterday, Jeannie shared in this writing blog that she’d been asked to ghostwrite a memoir and asked some advice about what to charge and what she might negotiate. Ghostwriting is a great way to write books and get paid right away. But it’s also easy to get burned when ghostwriting a book. Here are 10…

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The Squirtgun Approach to Motivation

Many writers find it challenging to sit down and write at will. They might schedule the time in their calendar to write, but when the time comes, they suddenly notice the grimy buildup inside the stove (time for some steel wool) or they head to the fridge to fix themselves a snack–anything to avoid writing….

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Is 2009 the Year for Your Book?

How to Write a book in 2009: You’ve pictured yourself on Oprah and run through the interview a million times. Now it’s time to actually write the book that’s going to prompt the interview. 1. Make the commitment: Hey, if you don’t commit, it won’t happen. Good intentions are like snowflakes. They eventually melt. Commitments…

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Are You Writing the Next Blockbuster?

The Wall Street Journal had an interesting article this weekend addressing the huge advances that publishers will pay for a title that goes to auction. Why, in this economy, are they taking such risks? And how can you have it work to your advantage? Anita Elberse, author of the article and associate professor at the…

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