Describing Settings You've Never Visited

It's not always possible to visit every location in your book, but you still need to get the details right. 

http://romanceuniversity.org/2016/07/22/how-to-vividly-describe-a-setting-that-youve-never-visited-by-angela-ackerman/

Literary Agent Etiquette

There are no hard and fast rules when approaching an agent, but it never hurts to be polite. 

https://blog.nathanbransford.com/2018/05/a-guide-to-literary-agent-etiquette

First Novel Tips

Increase the chances that your first novel won't be a practice one, but will actually be published. 

http://annerallen.com/2018/05/write-publishable-first-novel-10-tips/

Useless Words

Tighten your manuscript by eliminating some of these useless words.

https://nowastedink.com/2018/04/20/destroy-all-cling-ons-your-final-manuscript-polish-by-rebecca-gomez-farrell/

Nonfiction Book Proposal

Unlike fiction, most nonfiction books are sold by proposal.

https://blog.nathanbransford.com/2018/05/how-to-write-a-nonfiction-book-proposal

Craft Tips

We all know the big tips like "show don't tell," but there are many other ways to make your manuscript sing. 

http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/a-five-page-mfa-by-abigail-hing-wen/

Educational Markets

Writing a work for hire book is one way to get a book published. 

https://taralazar.com/2018/05/01/basics-of-the-educational-market-by-lydia-lukidis/

Pitches

Everything you need to know about pitching your book.

https://blog.nathanbransford.com/2018/05/everything-authors-need-to-know-about-pitching

Negative Reviews

Don't respond. Ever. 

https://thewritelife.com/respond-negative-review/

First Sentences

Grab your reader from the first sentence by trying one of these ideas. 

http://annerallen.com/2018/04/how-to-write-a-great-first-sentence/

Kitlit Agent Twitter Handles

If you're looking to learn about agents, one way is to follow them on Twitter. 

https://twitter.com/inkyelbows/lists/agents-who-rep-kidlit-ya/members

Alternatives to Querying

There are ways to get your pitch in front of agents other than the traditional querying. 

http://www.booksandsuch.com/blog/forget-query-stage/

After You're Gone

Be proactive about what happens to your intellectual property after you die. 

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2006/10/important-and-pass-it-on.html

Handling Critiques

It's not always easy to receive feedback about your manuscript, but it will help you improve your story.

https://killzoneblog.com/2018/03/how-to-handle-critiques.html

Dialogue Don'ts

Three dialogue don'ts and how to fix them. 

http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/three-dialogue-donts-and-their-fixes-by-dean-gloster/

Epistolary Novel

An epistolary novel, one told in letters, still needs to be a good story. 

http://smack-dab-in-the-middle.blogspot.com/2018/05/how-to-write-epistolary-novel-in-ten.html

Author Brand

You are your author brand, and you don't want to do anything to sully it. 

http://annerallen.com/2018/05/10-ways-tank-your-author-brand/

Overplotting

More is not always better when it comes to plotting your story. 

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2018/05/8-signs-you-might-be-over-plotting-your.html

Picture Book Dummies

Even if you're not an illustrator, you should make a picture book dummy to show problems with your manuscript. 

http://cbiclubhouse.com/clubhouse/how-to-make-a-picture-book-dummy/

Author Websites

Why you need one and what should they include? 

https://blog.nathanbransford.com/2018/05/how-to-make-a-good-author-website

Social Media Images

Here are some creative ways to create images to use in your social media posts. 

https://insights.bookbub.com/creative-ways-authors-images-social-media-marketing/

Middle Grade or Young Adult

What are the hallmarks of a middle grade novel versus a young adult one? 

https://www.writerscentre.com.au/blog/5-ways-to-tell-if-youre-writing-middle-grade-or-young-adult-fiction/

Talking to Literary Agents

Agents love books and you love books, so why not strike up a conversation with a literary agent about books?

http://bookendsliterary.com/2018/05/10/a-guide-to-talking-books-with-literary-agents/

Nonfiction Scenes

How to immerse your readers in the setting of your nonfiction book. 

https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/10597/guest-post-jennifer-swanson-setting-a-scene-with-a-stem-book/

Series Queries

What's the best way to query with a book that is part of a series? 

http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/2018/05/more-on-series-and-how-to-talk-about.html

Make Your Character's Actions Count

Does the action in your book actually add value to your story?

http://writersinthestormblog.com/2018/05/when-action-isnt-a-good-thing-in-your-novel/

Make Your Booksigning an Event

What can you do to make your next booksigning one that people will flock to? 

https://www.writerswrite.com/journal/jan00/35-ways-to-make-your-next-book-signing-an-1006

Following Up with an Agent

How long should you wait before giving a prospective agent a little nudge? 

https://blog.nathanbransford.com/2018/04/when-to-follow-up-with-a-literary-agent

Problem with First Person

First person is great for showing a character's inner world, but not so great if you want to describe the setting. 

https://scotteagan.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-struggle-with-writing-in-first.html

Hooking Nonfiction Readers

Follow these tips to write a nonfiction books that kids can't put down. 

https://writeforkids.org/blog/2014/10/four-foolproof-ways-to-hook-nonfiction-readers/