• On Writing,  publishing

    How To Write Fiction Sales Copy: Chapter Seven

    HOW TO WRITE FICTION SALES COPY CHAPTER SEVEN (Summary. This book is coming about because I need to write 32 story blurbs for the 32 short stories I wrote in July for a book titled Stories from July.) In the first chapter of this book, I touched on what I call “The Author Problem” and gave a basic formula that I sometimes use to give blurbs a structure. And in chapter two I laid out another formula for writing blurbs. In the third chapter I talked about a method Lee Allred uses. In the fourth chapter I talked about the idea that sometimes using first lines can help. In the fifth chapter, I…

  • On Writing,  publishing

    How To Write Fiction Sales Copy: Chapter Six

    HOW TO WRITE FICTION SALES COPY CHAPTER SIX (Summary. This book is coming about because I need to write 32 story blurbs for the 32 short stories I wrote in July for a book titled Stories from July.) In the first chapter of this book, I touched on what I call “The Author Problem” and gave a basic formula that I sometimes use to give blurbs a structure. And in chapter two I laid out another formula for writing blurbs. In the third chapter I talked about a method Lee Allred uses. In the fourth chapter I talked about the idea that sometimes using first lines can help. In the fifth chapter,…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing,  Topic of the Night,  Writing in Public

    Both Books Moving Forward

    Writing Two Books at Once Yeah, kind of weird when you think about it. But working on a novel and working on the How to Write Fiction Sales Copy. I have 19 of the 32 blurbs written in six chapters so far. The novel, well that’s going a little slower. – THE DAY IN GENERAL Managed to roll out of the house around 3 p.m. and did some standard running around I tend to do most days. First snail mail, then to WMG Publishing, then bank, then out to the WMG Publishing store and then back to WMG offices. I got back there around 5 p.m. and worked on formatting…

  • On Writing,  publishing

    How to Write Fiction Sales Copy: Chapter Five

    HOW TO WRITE FICTION SALES COPY CHAPTER FIVE (Summary. This book is coming about because I need to write 32 story blurbs for the 32 short stories I wrote in July for a book titled Stories from July.) In the first chapter of this book, I touched on what I call “The Author Problem” and gave a basic formula that I sometimes use to give blurbs a structure. And in chapter two I laid out another formula for writing blurbs. In the third chapter I talked about a method Lee Allred uses. In the fourth chapter I talked about the idea that sometimes using first lines can help. So now on to more…

  • On Writing,  publishing

    How to Write Fiction Sales Copy: Chapter Four

    HOW TO WRITE FICTION SALES COPY CHAPTER FOUR (Summary. This book is coming about because I need to write 32 story blurbs for the 32 short stories I wrote in July for a book titled Stories from July.) In the first chapter of this book, I touched on what I call “The Author Problem” and gave a basic formula that I sometimes use to give blurbs a structure. And in chapter two I laid out another formula for writing blurbs. And in the third chapter I talked about a method Lee Allred uses. This chapter I want to note that sometimes you can use varied versions of first lines from your story in…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing,  Uncategorized,  Writing in Public

    Busy Monday (Normal)

    Busy Monday (Normal) Mondays are always nuts. Plain and simple. And today was no different. – THE DAY IN GENERAL I managed to say goodbye to the caged raccoon I had been feeding all weekend to keep alive so it could be hauled away. Then off to walk with another professional writer and talk about a session or two he and I will be doing at the Master Class in October. Great discussion while we got exercise walking in circles around a mall parking lot. Usually we walk around the mall, but it’s crazy tourist season here and the mall if full of herds. Then I went off to the…

  • On Writing,  publishing

    How to Write Fiction Sales Copy: Chapter Three

    HOW TO WRITE FICTION SALES COPY CHAPTER THREE (Summary. This book is coming about because I need to write 32 story blurbs for the 32 short stories I wrote in July for a book titled Stories from July.) In the first chapter of this book, I touched on what I call “The Author Problem” and gave a basic formula that I sometimes use to give blurbs a structure. And in chapter two I laid out another formula for writing blurbs. This chapter, my friend, professional fiction and extraordinary comic book writer, Lee Allred put in the comments on my web site a great way of looking at blurbs to stay out of…

  • On Writing,  publishing

    The Top Five Dumbest Business Practices in Publishing

    The Top Five Dumbest Business Practices in Publishing From the real world perspective, publishing is really, really, really known for its head-shakingly stupid business practices. But inside of publishing, these practices have become so common and set in “the way things are done” as to be defended by otherwise sane business people. So I figured I would honor Dave Letterman’s departure with a quick top five list. I’ll give the real world equivalent of the publishing practice, then the actual publishing practice, working down to the most stupid publishing practice of them all. There are many others. I try to deal with a lot of them in the Killing the…

  • Fun Stuff,  News

    29 Great Years

    Twenty-nine years ago today, Algis Budrys instructed me to give another writer a lift from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Taos for a week-long workshop. That writer was Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Here is a picture of what we looked like in 1986. We have been together ever since. Here is what we look like hundreds of novels, hundreds and hundreds of short stories, and 29 years later. Happy Day, Kris. It’s been great fun, to say the least.