Lisa Tener’s Writing and Publishing Blog

Top 10 Reasons to Attend Harvard Medical School’s Publishing Course

I recently received the brochure for the 2009 course, Publishing Books, Memoirs and Other Creative Nonfiction, which is offered March 26-28 at Boston’s Fairmont Copley Hotel. Several of my writing coaching clients have told me they’ll be there. Will you? Even if you’re not a medical professional or health writer, I can think of a…

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How Do I Organize My Book and Reach My Audiences?

I am writing in response to Mary O’Connor’s comment/ question for the writing coach: “What advice would give to someone with a fully formed book about addicted mothers of young children? I don’t know how to frame the format and include my personal story, my professional story and the macro effects of current policy on…

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Answers to Kathi’s Questions about Agents and Publicity Expenses

I often hear questions about literary agents’ fees and book promotion expenses, such as those asked by Kathi McKnight in response to my last post. I’m sure many of my readers, students and writing coaching clients are burning to know the answers; so, rather than answer them in a comment, I decided to write a…

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Literary Agents: Worth Their Weight in Gold

Aspiring authors often ask me whether it’s important to have a literary agent. My answer, as an experienced writing coach, is always yes. Recently, that answer really hit home when my client, Dr. Ellen Weber Libby, e-mailed me to say that her agent, Regina Brooks of Serendipity Literary Agency, had not only found her an…

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Thinking About The Power of the Written Word

I had been asked to participate on a panel for the Rhode Island Birth Network‘s Second Annual Fall Forum (which took place today) to discuss empowered decision making around birth. Erin Goodman invited me on the panel to share my birth experiences: a c-section in the hospital followed by an empowering and completely natural home…

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Too Painful to Write?

Sometimes I hear from someone who’s finding it too painful to write their story. Usually, they’re referring to a memoir, but sometimes they’re writing a self-help book that touches upon a painful real life story, or even a novel based on the author’s life.

My best advice is…

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