Prewriting: Essential Writing Groundwork
The first step in writing is not writing. It begins in your head with the spark of an idea. What happens between the spark and writing the book is prewriting.
Breaking Down the Writing Process
Let’s take a broad overview of the writing process and the pieces of the puzzle that into pre-writing, writing, and post-writing in this post from Jan Fields.
Be a Professional Writer: Your Character Counts Too
3 tips for being a professional writer that editors want to work with in this post from Jan Fields. Take these suggestions to heart and go far in your career!
Submissions: The Search for an Agent
Do I need an agent? What do they do? How do you get one? Are they expensive? Jan Fields answers all these questions and more as you search for an agent.
Submissions: Why Market Guides Are Your Best Friends
Use ICL Market Guides as a launching point for your research—find a variety of publishers, what they publish, and their websites for further market research.
Essential Submissions Tips: How to Write a Synopsis | IFW
Learning how to write a synopsis of your manuscript can be one of the most intimidating steps of submitting your work—but it’s also one of the most important.
Time to Talk About Submissions
Submissions take a lot of courage. In this post, we discuss how to use the skills you learn in writing your book to create targeted submissions.
Online Submissions: 2 Sites to Make It Easier | IFW
Online submissions are becoming an industry standard. Let’s explore how Submittable and Query Tracker work and how writers can take advantage of them.
10 Points to Ponder Before You Submit Your Writing | IFW
Create a checklist of these 10 tips and review it before you submit your writing. Your submission will be stronger and, more likely successful, as a result.
Plan for When You Finish the Book
You finished writing your book. Yay! Now what? Jan Fields helps you make a plan for when you finish the book. You might be surprised at what comes next.
How to Write a Personal Essay
Personal essay writing offers endless opportunities for personal expression and publication. Find out how to write a personal essay that gets noticed.
How to Write a Short Story That Gets Noticed | IFW
Karen Hammond talks about how to write a short story. Let’s look at some of the elements making up a short story that will attract an editor’s eye.
Trade Publishing: Single Book or Series?
Trade publishing recognizes a simple truth: when selling a series to individual readers, the first book gets the most readers. Jan Fields shares tips for increasing your series odds.
Planning Ahead for Timely Submissions
What’s (Going to Be) Happening? Victoria Sherrow helps us plan ahead for timely submissions.
Writing for Holidays in Books and Magazines | IFW
Most publishers (including both book and magazines) produce some holiday pieces each year. Here’s what you need to know to take advantage of these opportunities.
244: Industry Insider Tips from Hannah Holt
244: An Interview with Hannah Holt
May 21, 2021
Let’s Talk About Now
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > April 2021 is almost over and many writers are feeling a little discombobulated. The past year has been challenging, but change is coming, and we have questions. Should we start sending out…
240: Interview with a Writing Contest Judge
240: How Entering Contests Helps You
April 9, 2021
Magazine Sleuth: What to Study Before You Write | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > When people think of writing, they might picture themselves with their hands eagerly curled over the keyboard waiting for inspiration to strike. Then, once the frenzy of inspiration has passed, they hit…
232: Editor Insight with Talia Benamy
232: Interview with Talia Benamy
February 12, 2021