I am grateful to these generous authors for sharing their writing wisdom on my blog! If you are looking for expert advice about self-publishing, book covers, pen names, working from home or going on retreat… then keep reading. If you like what you see, click here to subscribe to my blog and receive a weekly dose of knowledge, inspiration and word nerd resources delivered to your inbox.
~ Amanda Zieba
Guest Posts
Listen Up! How to Create Another Revenue Stream with Audiobooks
Personally, I am a HUGE fan of audiobooks. I listen to stories while I drive, when I exercise, as I get ready in the morning, even while I clean. If I’m doing a mundane and nearly automatic task, you can bet that my audible app is open and I’m actively engaged in a story. To be perfectly honest, it’s how I ingest most of my “reading” material these days. I still LOVE handheld books, but usually if I have time to sit down, I’m writing or working on some other authorpreneur task. But audiobooks let me “read” while tackling the many tasks in my life. I just plain stinking love audiobooks. So when my friend (and fellow Wisconsin writer) Valerie Biel asked if she could share a post about audiobooks, specifically the process in recording and selling them as a profitable authorpreneur revenue stream, I was ALL EARS!
Get comfy and get ready to take some notes, because Valerie is going to give us all the word nerd goodness when it comes to audiobook creation and sales. Take it away, Val!
Ableist Language: A Lesson for All from Liza Wiemer
Today’s blog post comes from my friend and fellow SCBWI Wisconsin author Liza Wiemer. When I was interviewing Liza about her book The Assignment for a First Chapter Friday video an interesting topic came up. Ableist language. As a word nerd, teacher, parent and human who attempts kindness in all things, I am very aware of my words, but the way I use words in relation to abilities (or disabilities) was an area I hadn’t considered before. Thankfully, Liza changed that for me. Hopefully after you read her thoughts below with an open mind you’ll use this additional lens when considering your future word choices.
EVERY DAY I WAS USING HURTFUL LANGUAGE WITHOUT REALIZING IT. ARE YOU?
Have you heard the term, 'ableist language?' No? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. That’s why I am sharing this post. Once I learned about it, that knowledge had a huge impact on my writing and how I communicate with others.
Finding Time to Write: A Guest Post by Marci Martin
Outside of full-time writer and business owner, I am a wife and a mother of four. While my oldest two children are adults living outside the home, our remaining two birds in the nest are a senior in high school and fifth grader. Both are extremely active, playing soccer, basketball, tennis, and softball as well as artistic pursuits like competitive show choir and acting. I co-teach Sunday School, volunteer as a youth soccer and basketball coach, and serve on three different community boards.
My color-coded schedule looks like someone threw handfuls of paint at it from 8 am to 7 pm every day. And I imagine, for most of us, regardless of the job that pays the bills, the schedule looks the same.
So where does one find time to write creative fiction, which is the end game I’m striving for?
Writers as Time Travelers
I’m thrilled to host my friend and fellow Wisconsin writer, Tracy Helixon on the blog today. Our circles overlap so many times, it’s hard to keep track. Tracy and I teach writing at Western Technical College and are wives to collegiate coaches of spring seasons. (Her husband coaches softball and mine, baseball… so we both also spend a fair ammount of time at the ball field.) We both write feel-good fiction for women and books for kids. We are both members of SCBWI and MVWG. It’s no wonder we are friends!
In addition to sharing Tracy’s insight and writer wisdom today, I’m excited to celebrate the release of her newest book! After you read today’s post, click here to sign up for her virtual launch event and learn how you can snag a copy of her Irish inspired book, Fields of Promise. Congratualtions Tracy and best of luck to you and your launch on a very fitting St. Patrick’s Day!
Creating a Fall Fantasy Reading Nook
There is nothing like the changing seasons to really get me in the mood to dive into a new novel. As the weather gets cooler, I love the chance to take an adventure to impossible places with a good book. Fall is the time when I transition from light beach reads into my preferred choice for cooler weather: the fantasy novel. To help get into the fall fantasy spirit, here are some tips for creating your own reading nook inspired by your favorite fantasy series.
Mightier than the Sword: A Word Nerd Book Review and Author Interview
As a friend of many other writers, I live in close proximity to GREAT books and today’s highlighted title is no exception. If you are looking for a book to inspire change or greatness, a book about the power of words or a simply a beautiful book to place in your classroom library, then Mightier than the Sword is it!
I had a chance to correspond with author Rochelle Melander about this book, her writing process and more. Luckily for you, I’m sharing all of the word nerd goodness that transpired in my blog post today. So grab your favorite beverage, cozy up and get ready to read all about this monumental book.
Forget Time Chunks, Write Whenever And As Often As You Can
Today’s guest blog post comes from my Florida writing friend, Christine Mills. Christine and I met when she interviewed me on her podcast, The Veranda Entrepreneur. Today she is sharing some tips that hit me right in the heart… how to write when life is busy. It’s the perfect advice to get you ready for NaNoWriMo (just a few days away… eeeek!). After you read it, pop in your earbuds and listen in on our conversation about book promotion.
When people see the books I have written and realize that two of the three books were written while I was raising young children, I often get asked the question, “when did I find time to write?” That has become a loaded question, because even after years of writing I still don’t think I have fully mastered consistently getting in the practice of writing. I have set reminders in my phone, put a journal beside my bed and have even made it a New Years Resolution but I find what has helped me is to write often and everywhere and to set hard deadlines, even if they are with yourself.
From Screenplay to Novel and Back Again
I am excited for today’s guest post because it discusses topics I’ve never covered on my blog before. Fiction writing, self-publishing, authorpreneurship and spreading word nerd love are my general jam. We write what we know, right?!?!? James Churchill, possesses a wealth of writing knowledge in areas outside my expertise and in this post, he generously shares that wisdom about adapting novels and screenplays with us.
It is typical to post a writer’s bio at the end of the piece, but I think that knowing this writer’s background and experience ahead of time will lend so much credibility to his message, that I’m leading off with it, or rather, he is. James, thank you in advance for the lessons about to follow! I’m grateful our paths crossed and that you were kind enough to “visit” my blog! Alright, James, take it away.
Switching Your Audience Age Group - A Writing Mistake or Benefit?
Today I’m welcoming fellow Wisconsin writer Brenda Felber to my blog. She shares some interesting insights on writing different genres for different age groups. Even though this is a something I too choose to do, I learned a ton of new things from Brenda’s post. If you’ve been considering switching up your writing gears, thought about a pen name or are looking for some book marketing tips, grab your note taking supplies and settle in for a great post.
How to Decorate Your Home With Books
This week I’m pumped to welcome Hana Rehman to my blog to share tips on a combination of two topics that make my word nerd heart truly happy… books and home decor. While I’m not particularly gifted at DIY home projects, I LOVE watching HGTV and vicariously living through the visual creativity and hard work of others. Mia’s interior design goals in Close Quarters were probably born from these joys… yet another career I can write about without actually having to pursue it professionally. What is it George R.R. Martin says? A reader lives a thousand lives? Well, then what about the writer?
Anyway, I digress. I’ll turn it over to Hana, who will skillfully tell you how to effectively use books and bookshelves to spruce up your space. Take it away Hana!
3 Reasons to Traditionally Publish - And 3 Reasons Not To
The question addressed in today’s blog post, by guest writer Desiree Villena, is one I probably get asked more than any other. The cool thing is, there is more that one right answer! Even better is the fact that your guide to helping you decide is incredibly knowledgeable and super friendly. If, after reading this, you have more questions about traditional or self-publishing, put them in the comments of this post, and Desiree and I will do our best to answer them.
How Many Agents Should You Query Before You Decide to Self-Publish?
Today’s guest post is jam-packed with solid information about the querying process comes from Desiree Vilenna, a writer for Reedsy, a marketplace that connects authors and publishers with the world's best editors, designers, and marketers. She’s taken out as much of the guess work as possible in this incredibly informative post. I won’t waste another second of your time with my rambling, and let you dig right in!
For authors teetering on the fence between traditional publishing and self-publishing, it can be tough to know how many agents to query before you forge ahead with the latter. Fortunately, I’m here with an answer: you should query exactly 20 agents, no more, no less, before you decide to self-publish. That’s it, folks; that’s the post! Just kidding — as nice as it would be to have such a clear-cut answer to this question, the real answer is obviously much more nuanced.
Overcoming Distraction: A Guest Post by Rochelle Melander
Note from Amanda: Today’s blog post comes from the incredibly talented writing coach Rochelle Melander. While Rochelle and I have never met in person, our online lives have crossed more times than I can count… through SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), blogging, social media and even each other’s reading lists. Not only do I highly recommend Rochelle and her resouces for others, but I also partake of them myself. Whether it is through a coaching session or through reading her books, I am always finding nuggets of wisdom to mine and apply to my writing journey. This was especially true when I read her most recent book, Level Up: Quests to Master Mindset, Overcome Procrastination and Increase Productivity. Today Rochelle is going to give you a taste of all she has to offer in this book by walking you through one of the quests. So, roll up your sleeves and get ready to dig in!
Think back to the last time you played a game. Whether you were playing against the game or a family member, you were probably excited about scooping up power-ups, defeating the villains, and claiming your win.
In my book Level Up, I use gamification to help people overcome their most persistent problems and move forward with their writing and life. Each chapter is a quest—a challenge to help you master something you’ve been struggling with. Today I’m sharing a quest to help all of us tackle multitasking. What? Who does that?
The Self Publishing Journey
About a year ago I started helping people self-publish their books. After all, if someone hadn’t taught me the process several years ago, I might not be where I am today, the proud author of nine, soon to be ten, out-in-the-world books. I wanted to pass along the goodwill another writer showed me. I wanted people who had stories to tell to be able to share them with others. And so, I started coaching others through the process of publishing their own work on Kindle Direct Press. From finding a copy editor to designing a cover, from creating a marketing plan to throwing a launch party. I’ve helped my writing friends (clients sounds too stuffy!) take their work from their desk drawers to the book stores.
Today my guest blogger, Joy Chase, is going to tell us about her writing journey, and how she moved from a wannabe-writer to a published author. Joy is someone who has put in the work. Her lovely words are proof of her time and trials. I am incredibly proud of her and also honored, that she chose me to help her publish From the Delusion Papers: Taken From the Book of She.
Writers Helping Writers by Brea Behn
Today’s post comes from my fellow author friend, Brea Behn. I first met Brea when she attended my Word Nerd Writing Retreat back in the summer of 2018. In addition to being a great writer I can tell you that she makes a dang-fine lemon meringue pie. Unfortunately we don’t have any dessert to serve up today, but Brea is serving up loads of helpful advice in her guest blog post, giving authors what she wishes she had when she first began pursuing publication. I’m grateful to have Brea’s wisdom on my blog today and hope that you find inspiration and hope in the words she shares.
Books and Beer, a Different Kind of Book Club by Valerie Biel
It all started in a bar . . . Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke or a dubious romantic comedy, right?More than four years ago, a few readers were gathered at a brew pub in Columbus, Wisconsin, discussing how they wanted to start a book club. But—they wanted it to be a different kind of book club. They wanted to talk with the authors of the books they read. But this isn’t how book clubs typically work. So the question was posed: Did they know any authors? My friend Valerie Biel shares with us the ins and outs of her unique book club.
Beta Readers by Constance Malloy
Today’s blog post from Constance Malloy is all about beta-readers. Before we continue, what exactly is a beta-reader? A beta-reader is kind of like a practice audience for an author. Keep reading to learn more and see how one author uses this process to ensure her work is the best it can be. If you are looking for some help through the beta-reading process, read on.
So Much More Than Writing by Valerie Biel
Today’s post comes from guest author, writing friend and marketing guru Valerie Biel! When she began writing fiction professionally, she had no idea the number of things she would need to learn on the way to publication and beyond. Valerie will never forget the many people who provided kind mentorship in those early months. Now, ten years later, she thinks it’s incredibly fun to do the same for other writers and offers a boat load of advice in today’s post.
Unblocking Creativity by Angela Lam
Today’s Writing Wednesday post was written by my friend Angela Lam. Once, a few years ago, Angela traveled all the way from California to speak to my middle school students in Tomah about her memoir Red Eggs and Good Luck. She shared with us the ways in which she wrote about her life in her pre-teen years and how real life can be a source of inspiration, even when real life is hard or confusing. It was a great experience for all of us. Today, in celebration of the release of her new book, The Divorce Planner, Angela is here to talk with us about creativity.
Writing For the Health of It by Virgil Anderson
Today on my weekly Writing Wednesday Blog I am honored to share the words of Virgil Anderson. His choice to see the good, even in tough situations, is one I admire, and wish was more readily found in our world. Today, I ask you to reflect on your own experiences, and then write about them. Today, I ask you to write, not because the world needs your words, but maybe, because you do. Today, I invite you to sit back, relax and read the wisdom of a fellow writer.
When Worlds Collide: Education and Writing by Sarah Thursby
As the school year approaches, I thought I would do something fun that crisscrossed my two professional worlds… teaching and writing. So, I interviewed teacher-author Sarah Thursby. Sarah and I have a lot in common. We are English educators, both writers, both mothers of young children, trying to balance the demands of life. While I am from Wisconsin, she is from Minnesota. I saw just one musical this summer (Hamilton!) and she saw FOUR, in New York no less! Today we are talking about how our education and writer lives intersect, overlap and enrich each other.
Beyond the Fantasy of Working From Home by Tallitha Reese
Working from home – it’s the ultimate dream, the ideal goal, the plan of blissful paradise for someday. I know that’s what it was for me. As I trudged daily into job after job that I would eventually grow to hate, I told myself that someday, I was going to be freelance writing from home full-time, and then everything would be better. It had to be better…someday.
The Story in You by Christy Wopat
I can remember it very clearly, the day I realized that I was a total hypocrite. I was standing in the front of my classroom, in front of 25 4th graders, and I was teaching a lesson on growing ideas for narrative writing. As you might imagine, some of the kids really struggle with this. I take them through different examples about how other authors come up with their ideas. We share how some famous authors have stumbled upon the seeds for some of their most famous books. Some of them think of something immediately, but others whine, “I don’t know what to write about. I don’t have any good ideas.” It was when I said…
Writing Deadlines by Leeann Betts
And there are the self-imposed deadlines, the ones you set for yourself. And whether you realize it or not, you set deadlines every day, some that are related to writing and some that are not. For example, you get up at a certain time of the day. You have set the deadline on how long you're going to spend sleeping. If you have children, you get them off to school. Each deadline, while not specifically adding words or pages to your work in process, is a practice at meeting a deadline.
Writer Friends by Sarah Krosschell
Today for Writing Wednesday, my forever friend, and also writing friend, Sarah, is going to share some great ways to connect with other word nerds. Through thick and thin, track teams and choirs, organ transplants and new jobs, wedding and babies, Sarah has been there for me... in everyday life, as well as in my writing world. I echo the sentiments she shares below, mostly because I'd be next to nowhere without my writing friends. Read on, write on, and then go meet some new word nerd friends!
Your Northwoods Writer’s Paradise Awaits by BJ Hollars
Today I have BJ Hollars visiting the blog to tell us all about the Cirenaica Residencies sponsored by the Chippewa Valley Writer's Guild. Man do I wish I had looked at these offerings before my summer filled up. Believe me when I say I will DEFINITELY be applying for a spot next year. If you are needing a writer's escape, a push on a project, or some expert advice, settle in and read on... because BJ is about to hook you up with some knowledge on an four amazing opportunities.
Split Personality, AKA: Writing with a Pen Name by Donna Schlachter
Today's guest post comes from a fellow word nerd, Donna Schlachter, who has a new book out entitled: Echoes of the Heart. Donna is talking with us today (actually talking with herself) about the task of writing under two different names... her own and a pen name. It is an interesting concept that many authors consider and I found this conversation both helpful and amusing. I'll let you listen in for yourself...
Welcome Guest Author Linda Machette by Linda Machette
Linda describes herself as an author who writes about “ordinary women who do extraordinary things.” Sounds like my kind of writer! In addition to writing this novel Linda is an avid blogger on the site Stitches Thru Time, works at a high school boarding school, is a docent at a WWII museum and leads a bible study! Sounds like she is doing some pretty extraordinary things herself!
I hope you are able to pick up some amazing writing tips, or find your next read as we discuss Linda’s second book: Love Found in Sherwood Forest.
