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16 Tips to Help You Thrive as a Writer

May 19, 2016 in Throwback Thursday with 6 Comments

For this week’s Throwback Thursday, we’re looking at excerpts from past posts on Live Write Thrive. From 16 Tips on How to Survive and Thrive as a Writer, by Brian Feinblum:

Today, people believe they can social network their way to the top, that they are one witty tweet or one viral video away from making millions. They want to be on a reality show, they want to blog their way to fame, they want to create the next Facebook—but they fail to put in the hard work that is needed.

Those involved in book publishing seek to cash in their lottery ticket. Everyone who writes a book has the hope—even the expectation—that they will have a best-seller on their hands. Who is there to give them a tissue box when their Book Scan numbers don’t register beyond a blip of sales?

But, reality aside, here’s the pep talk all writers will need at some point in their careers. Put aside the need for hard work, luck, connections, great writing, hiring professional help, etc. Continue Reading…

Targeting Genre with the KDSPY Kindle App

July 20, 2015 in Writing for Life with 5 Comments

Recently I wrote some posts on targeting genre for big sales, as this is a topic that I’ve been very interested in, personally, for years. I always wondered just how much genre had to do with a novel’s success, and when I did my “experiment” a couple of years ago by writing in a genre that purportedly “sold itself,” I proved to myself (and perhaps to many others) that genre really matters. (If you didn’t read my blog post on The Book Designer that went viral in the writing world, take a look at it here. )

My aim was to write a novel that carefully fit a big-selling genre and see if it would sell with little effort on my part. I used a pen name, and although I did a little bit of marketing—similar to what a new author would do—I was astounded by the sales I saw. Way more than all the sales I got from my other half dozen self-published novels.

Whether You’re in It for the Money or Not

You might not care about making money off your books. But some of us have families to support and bills to pay. I felt guilty for years writing novel after novel that didn’t sell, “wasting precious time” (my assessment) when I could have been working at Wal-Mart for minimum wage and at least bringing some money in. Continue Reading…

The 2 Deep, Dark Secrets of High-Producing Novelists

June 29, 2015 in Writing for Life with 33 Comments

Today’s guest post is by international best-selling author Jerry B. Jenkins. Many know him as the coauthor of the Left Behind series, but Jerry has written more than 100 novels, and I’m honored to have him share his expertise and insights with Live Write Thrive readers:

Magicians are not to reveal their secrets. No such code exists among novelists, so allow me to let out of the bag our two deep dark secrets:

1. Neither the secrets, nor the novelists, are actually deep.

2. Neither the secrets, nor the novelists, are all that dark (with the exceptions of Mssrs. King and Koontz).

Before you assemble with pitchfork, table leg, and torch, I promise to reveal what can make you a high producer. What separates the actively selling storyteller from the dilettante is something you’ve suspected all along, and it’s achievable.

You don’t see me saying it’s easy. If it were, everyone would be doing it. Neither did I say it was original. I’m just reinforcing it as one who’s proved it.

With a few reasonable caveats—and I’ll spell them out—you can become a highly productive novelist.

It comes down to how badly you want it. How badly do you want it? Continue Reading…