Most book covers fail. Yours doesn't have to.Readers really do judge books by their covers. A great story with the wrong cover sells like a bad one. A beautiful cover in the wrong genre sells worse than a plain one.The difference between a cover that converts and a cover that gathers dust isn't art. It's design strategy — and most authors have never been taught what that means.Dan Van Oss has designed thousands of book covers for indie authors across every major gen...

The reason most writing careers stall isn't talent. It's the decisions made in the dark.Sean Platt has spent the last decade-plus making a living writing fiction and watching plenty of writers chase the same dream into wildly different outcomes. The ones who thrive aren't the most talented. They're the ones who notice what every yes costs them, and decide on purpose.A Tale of Two Authors is the parable about that. Alexa and Pete chase the same indi...

End the frustration and learn dictation in just 15 minutes a day.Sean M Platt spent over a decade trying to learn dictation, without success. He ended up frustrated and giving up after every attempt. After a sudden insight one day he made a few tweaks to his approach to dictation and has used dictation every day sinceIn 15-Minute Dictation Platt and Silver show you how to adjust your approach to dictation to leave behind frustrating starts and stops and fin...

Forget the hustle and grind. The career-author difference is compounding.Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant have spent over a decade running Sterling & Stone — millions of words published, dozens of titles, hundreds of authors mentored along the way. They've watched plenty of talented writers quit. And they've watched plenty of less-talented writers build careers that last.The difference, almost every time, comes down to mindset. Not the cheesy kind. The compo...

Fewer words. Sharper stories. Bigger impact.Stuck in prose that drags? Worried readers are skimming past your descriptions to get back to the story? Time to say F*ck the Details and write fiction that moves.Description doesn't have to be a speed bump. Used right, it disappears — and the story keeps moving. Used wrong, it grinds everything to a halt, and your reader puts the book down.Sawyer Black has spent years st...

What will take your fiction from good to great? From decent to dazzling? From lackluster to blockbuster?Characters who "jump off the page."Of course plot matters. So does conflict, and scenes, and every other aspect of the fiction craft. But without unforgettable characters, your books will always be less than they could be.Don't let that happen.In WRITING UNFORGETTABLE CHARACTERS you'll learn:How to lay the foundation for a me...

"Help! My plot drags, sags, and has no heart!"This looks like a job for Plotman!Yes, solving your plot problems is why the superhero of story came to Earth. His mission? To give practical, easy-to-apply answers to the most vexing plot questions writers face, such as:• How do I plan a plot if I'm not a plot planner?• Does my plot need a prologue?• What if I hit a plot wall?• What if my plot is getting away from m...

Five-time Edgar winner and MWA Grand Master Lawrence Block write a monthly column for Writers Digest Magazine for fourteen years. The Liar's Bible consists of previously uncollected columns, chosen to illuminate the often dimly-lit path of the writer of fiction.Here's what one reviewer said on Goodreads:"I am fascinated by the creative process and there are few excellent examples of this that I have found – there is Koestler’s The Act of Creation insightful in a general way...

Theme Is What Your Story Is Really AboutTheme—the mysterious cousin of plot and character. Too often viewed as abstract rather than actionable, theme is frequently misunderstood and left to chance. Some writers even insist theme should not be purposefully implemented. This is unfortunate, because in many ways theme is story. Theme is the heart, the meaning, the point. Nothing that important should be overlooked.Powerful themes are never in...

From the author of Let's Get Digital and Strangers to Superfans comes a guide to advertising on the world's hottest book marketing platform: BookBub Ads.Create attractive ad images to turn browsers into buyers.Optimize your targeting to attract the right readers.Manage your bids effectively to drive more sales for less money.Learn when to run your BookBub campaigns for maximum impact.Boost discovery of...

“The first page of a book sells that book. The last page sells your next book.” –– Mickey SpillaneWhat are the secrets for writing a great ending for your novel? How do you leave readers so satisfied that they'll want another book by you—right now? What tools and techniques can shape your last fifty pages into a powerful, unforgettable experience?In this book, International Thriller Writers Award winner and #1 bestselling writing teacher James Scott Bell re...

Struggling to structure your book series? Learn how to make a series work for you: increase reader engagement and take advantage of the built-in marketing potential a series gives you.Are you unsure which series structure is best for you? Or are you several books into a series, but you’re stuck? Do you want to expand your literary universe but aren’t sure how to do it? Perhaps you have a series languishing in your backlist, and you need ideas on how to market it.