I love books that take place in the Midwest. I love books with beautiful covers. And I love books with exquisite word choice. Luckily enough, I was asked to review a book that fulfilled all three of these characteristics!

You might remember that earlier this year I reviewed a middle grade, historical fiction title by Minnesota author Margi Preus. I was even able to meet her and spend a nerd-tastic afternoon with her in Duluth while on vacation. You can read that past post here but continue scrolling if you want to learn about her realistic fiction mystery series I most recently read.

The Silver Box is the third and final book in the Enchantment Lake series. In order to get caught up and be able to adequately review this book, I had some catch up work to do! I’m grateful to Margi’s publicist Heather Skinner and the University of Minnesota Press for sending me all three books!

Whether or not to pursue traditional publishing is one of the biggest decisions an author can make — and indeed, one that every author must make if they want to get their book out into the world. This combination of facts can make the publishing crossroads feel paralyzing. You know you have to choose, but how can you be sure that you’re going down the right path?

The short, slightly terrifying answer is that you won’t be 100% certain until you’ve taken it. That said, if you know yourself pretty well as an author and a person, you should be able to get a strong sense of what to do purely through research.

Those who read my previous post on how many agents you should query as an author may already be contemplating this issue. Today, I’m going to build on the points established in that article, as well as introduce some you may not have considered re: traditional publishing! Here are three compelling reasons to traditionally publish your book — followed by three reasons why you might want to go in a different direction.

NaNoWriMo is coming.

In case you are new to the writing world, or aren’t a fan of acronyms, I’ll spell it out for you. NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month.

Every November, writers strive to write 1,667 words a day for a grand total of 50,000 words by the end of the month. This is the equivalent of the average sized novel. It’s a huge challenge, but it can be fun too. I personally love these kinds of time-specific goals. I love creating a window of opportunity for myself to really focus and make progress on a project or manuscript.

Some people dive willy-nilly into their drafting on November 1st. I have tried that strategy and found that it can be exhilarating, but also, not super productive. I have had much more success when I planned ahead, when I prepared. Other authors agree and that’s why October, in the writing world, has been nicknamed, PREPTOBER.

In the spirit of preparation, I’m sharing a list of resources you can use to prepare yourself for NaNoWriMo success. I hope that you’ll give one (or some) of them a try and also that you have a really great writing season, no matter how you choose to make progress on your projects.

I’m trying something a little different today! A video! I frequently sing the praises of my favorite digital design tool, Canva. I often introduce workshop attendees and coaching clients to it this incredible tool and they too quickly fall in love. But lately, those people, and those who are unable to take workshops with me due to certain pandemics that will remain unnamed (*cough-covid-cough*) have been asking me for a more targeted and in-depth tutorial on all of the magical things this tool can do. Lucky you, today’s the day!

Speaking of luck. If you’d like to enter WIN IT WEDNESDAY, visit my author Facebook Page and look for the #WIW post for your instructions and to check out the prize I’m offering up this week.

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.

If you’d like to play this week’s WIN IT WEDNESDAY and the chance to win your very own autographed copies of Captured on Camera and a book of your choice of a book from Amanda’s publication list, head over to Amanda’s author Facebook page after reading the blog and comment on the Win it Wednesday post.

Pause for a second. Close your eyes. Think back to the writer you were five years ago. What had you accomplished? What publications and books attached to your name? What speaking gigs were under your belt? What organiztions were you a part of? What projects had you started and completed? What social media platforms were you active on?

Now fast forward. WHERE are you, as a writer, today? WHO are you today? WHAT projects, achievements, books, awards have you attained? My guess is that this current version is quite a bit different than the writer I asked you to first envision.

Now, open up your website or document that contains your author bio. Which of these two versions of yourself and your career presented? If it’s the first, then you are selling yourself short.

One of the many crises currently facing our nation is the uncertainty surrounding the upcoming school year. No matter how kids are doing school, it’s likely very different from the status quo. Even though I’ve moved to teaching at the college level, I see the panic, frustration and worry via my educator husband, sons, friends and former co-workers. I know that this is hard. It is different than anything we have experienced before. (Trite saying #1… in case you are going to count!) I wanted to do something to help. So, last week I started a new Facebook page called Learning with the Word Nerd. On it I plan to share resources, books, tips, and ideas for teachers and parents who have suddenly become at home educators.

To play this week’s WIN IT WEDNESDAY, message me the title of the wordless book I recommend in the Reluctant Writers Video embedded in this post.

In January I did a business deep dive. I wanted to learn all the things when it came to running a small business. Because as a writer in today’s world I am in business for myself. I’m an authorpreneur. I truly spend just as much time, if not more, marketing and selling my books as I do writing them.

I learned so much that I created an entire eCourse so that I could share all that goodness with others who were interested in achieving their own authorpreneur goals.

But then, I couldn’t stop. I kept learning. I kept finding great ways to spread the word about my work. I kept a list in my phone notes app so I wouldn’t forget. Last week when I checked that list it was pretty substantial. Sometimes the hardest part is figuring out what to say about your work, but now I have a list from which I can build social media posts, blogs and more. I figured my list could be helpful for others as well, so today, I’m publishing it on my blog.

Grab a notebook and a pencil, because you’re gonna want to write these down.

There are plenty of reasons to love Amazon. They have nearly everything, from my favorite bamboo toothbrushes to these great shorts that have become my new summertime go-to (no matter the occasion). Amazon is affordable and ships quickly. However, recently, some people have wanted to steer away from this online powerhouse. They’d rather spend their money with small businesses and support local companies. And quite honestly, I see both sides.

As an author who uses KDP (Kindle Direct Press) to self-publish my books, I do not have qualms about using Amazon Affiliate links on my website and social media. It is through their platform that I am able to be an author and run my small business despite my small budget. And so, I don’t feel bad returning business to them. However, I also love buying books in person. Ever since I could drive, I have chosen to meet friends at bookstores to hang out. Whether we buy anything or not (okay, let’s be honest, I usually do) I enjoy the atmosphere, proximity to caffeine and access to thousands of adventures at my fingertips. There are two sides to this book-buying coin.

In the book world, this debate has taken the spotlight… TO ENTER THIS WEEK’S WIN IT WEDNESDAY, EMAIL ME YOUR RESPONSE TO THE QUESTION AT THE END OF THIS POST!

One of my favorite times of day is 6:45 PM. It is at this point in the day of our quarantine routine when my sons put in a movie and more or less settle down for the day. It is a time of day when we can all be in the same room together, but we don’t all have to be doing the same thing. This is frequently a time when I get work done.

Except that on the particular night I’m going to share with you, I was tired. Not sleepy, per say, but mentally drained in a way that wouldn’t produce quality work. I’ve learned that when you work from home, and everyone else is also ALWAYS home, it simultaneously feels like you are ALWAYS WORKING and NEVER WORKING. Any available pocket of time feels like it should be utilized to cross just one little thing off the to-do list. The ever present awareness of this fact kind of made me crabby, and knew that if I did manage to get into a good flow and was asked to stop to get milk, clean up a spill, restart the movie, fill in any child like request – I’d likely lose my sh-, patience. And yet, I didn’t want to waste the hour and a half of semi-preoccupation the movie time would afford me.

So instead of pulling out my computer or a paper copy of my manuscript in progress…

INTRODUCING: Win it Wednesday! Message/email me with the secret code word (hidden in this blog post) for a chance to win this week’s prize, a Target gift card.

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. How many agents you query before you self-publish (if indeed you choose to do so) is ultimately up to you as an author, and only you can know when you’ve hit your limit. That said, there are a few specific factors that will very much affect that limit — so to help you come up with a solid game plan, here are the three main things you’ll want to consider as you determine your ideal “query number”!

Last month I read the book, The Life (and Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly. I loved it. I loved so many things about it. The book takes place in the Midwest, is written by a Wisconsin author, honestly handles relevant topics and is a girl-power book to boot. When I reached out to the author via Instagram for an interview and she said yes, I fell in love a little bit more. Below is a conversation I had with author Jamie Pacton about this, her first book, her life prior to writing it and what lies ahead in her writing career.

Amanda Zieba: I think that often times we all just assume big time writers only live on the coasts and so I always get excited when I find another Wisconsin author.

Jamie Pacton: Ahh, I love Wisconsin. I moved here many years ago to go to Marquette, and then I moved away and came back two more times. As you might be able to tell from KIT (and you’ll see in my second book, LUCKY GIRL), the cities of Milwaukee and Madison are close to my heart. I also included other WI places I love in these stories, so Kit’s visit to the Joan of Arc chapel was drawn from my own visits there; the kite festival by Lake Michigan is something I have taken my children too; and, in LUCKY GIRL you’ll see the main character, Jane, go to The House on the Rock; an aquarium store, St. Vinny’s thrift store, and, the Farmer’s Market in Madison; and, then she heads to Milwaukee with her bfs for a visit to the (marvelous) art museum and Pfister Hotel.

I’m deeply inspired by my surroundings and I think stories are everywhere. It’s been my great joy to share some of my love of places in Wisconsin with readers. :-)

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?

I want to share a recent revelation.

Facebook is for finding friends. Instagram is for connecting with strangers. When COVID cancelled every in-person event on my spring and summer calendar, it also cancelled my opportunity to meet new literary friends and consequently the chance to connect with their friends as well. The well from which I’d drawn my new friends, customers, readers and clients was suddenly (and hopefully only temporarily) dry.

I needed something new. And for me that something was Instagram. I’d had the account for a while, but not done much with it. I don’t even have 400 followers yet. I’ve discovered a few tricks to help me move the progress needle for my small business.

Here are three strategies that have worked for me.

I suspect that as a writer I look at stories differently than the average consumer. I am acutely aware of when I am sucked into a story, when a literary technique is being employed and when the author has successfully manipulated my emotions to benefit the story experience. But this isn’t just true for the books I read. It is also true for the media I consume on-screen.

One of the most intense experiences I have had while watching with my “author lenses” on was when I watched the movie Passengers for the first time.

The balance of internal and external conflict in this movie is pure perfection. It ebbs and flows in a pattern that had my heart aching both from empathy for the characters and from racing during intense action sequences. Just when one form of conflict let off the gas, the other ramped up. I knew what the screen writers were doing, and I was still all in. My husband and I talked about this movie for days afterward, dissecting the characters’ choices and what-if scenarios. We discussed alternate endings and hypothetical situations as if we too would some day board a ship and travel for a hundred years in hyper-sleep only to be woken too early.

I knew I was being manipulated and yet, I loved it… because if I was smart enough to recognize it, maybe I’d be smart enough to replicate it.

People often point out that I complete a lot of tasks. Usually it is because while others are waiting or debating or ... I take action. Crossing items of a big to-do list makes me happy. I love making progress, accomplishing goals, and moving forward. I am a doer and today, I want to help you get things done.

I think that people don’t take action for a lot of reasons… fear, overwhelm, intimidation, fear of imperfection, and lack of knowledge.

Which is it for you?

The first step in moving forward is identifying your reason for inaction. Once you’ve done that you can bust through it and move forward.

Let’s take publishing a book, for example.

Some people don’t move forward because…

In February I listened to the audiobook of Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuisten. It had my thoughts all stirred up – the sign of a good book – and so I wanted to journal about it. As the events of the past week have unfolded, the thoughts felt relevant enough to share. So here they are, on my blog… out in the world where I hope they will find a home in your head and in your heart.

I am a straight, white, thirty-something wife and mother of two, living a middle-class life in the heart of the Midwest.

Alex, the main character in Red, White and Royal Blue, is a bisexual Hispanic, twenty-something from Texas, hell bent on a career in politics, living as the First Son, in the white house.

I know that I am a real human being and that Alex is a fictional character, but if we suspend reality for a second and pretend he was a living, breathing person, it is highly unlikely that our paths would ever cross. Anyway, the point is…

I read this book in less than a week. Devoured would probably be a more accurate term. This book made me sit up and pay attention to life, to myself, to my family, to our world and the messes we get ourselves into.

I picked out a few of my favorite quotes to share with you today. Even if you don’t get your own copy to highlight and cherish, which, really, you definitely should, you can soak up these tidbits of wisdom. Glennon writes about everything from love to parenting to racism. She tackles it all and ultimately, I felt graeful to witness a woman being so many things… for living outside the box, untamed, in her own way. It was exhilarating, refreshing and helpful.

When I first wandered into the writing world, I felt continuously lost. The lay of the land, the shifting landscape, the unwritten rules and industry norms… everything felt foreign. Vocabulary and language were NO EXCEPTION. Half the time I didn’t even know what people were even talking about! It can all feel pretty overwhelming, especially when all you want to do is share your stories with the world. Can you relate?

Alright. Take a deep breath. Let’s get our feet on solid ground with a quick vocab lesson. I was a reading and English teacher for twelve years, so trust me when I say you are in capable hands. Below you will find an alphabetical list of writing world terms, phases, and insider vocabulary words defined and dissected. Hopefully once you’ve read them through, you’ll be able to look at your writing road map and feel a little less lost. Maybe you’ll even feel confident enough to travel further than you have ever gone before.

Are you ready? Let’s go.

If your middle school years were anything like mine, the cafeteria was a dangerous place – uncomfortable at best, heartbreaking at worst. Where to sit? What to say? Heck it was difficult to figure out who was making the rules. And just when you thought you figured it all out, everything changed.

When I first entered the writing world, it felt a bit like walking back into the middle school lunchroom. Even if I knew the names of the people sitting at the tables, they definitely didn’t know mine. Worse than that, we didn’t even seem to be speaking the same language. I’m not sure how I had the guts, but I usually dove in head first anyway.

Today I want to offer you six rookie mistakes to quit making. Are you ready to move up and sit with the big kids? Good. Grab a pencil and get ready to take some notes because here we go.