Looking at cover designs is half the fun of browsing a bookstore. Cover art might be the first thing that catches your eye, but what do you notice next? The fonts used probably give you some important information about the book, like the genre and tone.

Want to build a free promotional resource useful to readers, colleagues and industry pros? Consider compiling and offering a reading order checklist for your work.

Stories of failed promises are common to everyone all over the world. From fallen New Year resolutions to be more active, to yearly falsehoods of readings more books, or being more social, or sticking to a budget, we’ve all made deals with ourselves that end up falling flat. We are human. We make mistakes.

One of the odd paradoxes of authorship is the fact that we work alone, but our business is entirely dependent on cooperation and word of mouth.

Lots of people want to help you, most likely more than you realize. Even before your book releases, family members, friends, coworkers, and members of professional groups may come to you and ask what they can do to help you get the word out. Let them!

How do you share news about your books with your readers? If you’re like other authors, you probably use graphics to catch their attention. With BookBrush, you can cut down the amount of time it takes to make punchy advertisements for your books.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever wondered if there’s a secret code, E-Z solution, or quick fix for the challenges you face as a professional writer. Yeah, ditto. Since we are each the protagonist of our own story, we assume that rules and work and steps are for all the “other” less-fortunate suckers playing secondary roles as we ascend swiftly to stardom.

You know (or you should know) who you are as an author. But is your author persona successfully coming across? Your readers want to learn about you. They need to understand why you’re interesting, unique, or qualified—why your books will be worth their time.

In every sense, marketing and publicity are a game of strategy: intense competition, real rewards, and plenty of pitfalls for the innocent and unwary.

Hooray! You are going to a writer’s conference! Attending a writer’s conference can be very rewarding for your writing career, but do you now wonder what you need to bring? Being fully prepared is crucial. The items you should bring to a writer’s conference are a mix of mental and physical objects, from a an enthusiastic spirit to promotional material to share with agents, publishers, and fellow authors.

I’ve been a writer for over 30 years. I feel uncommonly fortunate to get paid well to do something I love. Did I bust my hump to get where I am? Absolutely. But I’m also keenly aware of the exigencies of fate, large and small, which made my career possible. My gratitude is oceanic because my luck has been likewise.