Sharing with Writers and Readers

What Children's Authors Shouldn't Do: 3 Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Cioffi) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 09:21:00 +0000

Contributed by Karen Cioffi, Children's Writer, Editor, Coach

It seems there are still new children’s authors or wannabe authors who don’t take the time to learn how to write for children… at least to learn the basics.

Here are three mistakes to avoid when writing for children:

THE PICTURE BOOK CLIFFHANGER

A recent client wanted a picture book rewritten with the ending missing, so there was a bit of ghosting involved. The intended age group was four to eight.

I rewrote the story and added a ‘satisfying’ ending with a takeaway only to learn the client wanted it to be a cliffhanger and didn’t want a takeaway.

Well, kind of a cliffhanger. The client wanted the ending missing.

No loose ends tied up. No satisfying ending. No full character arc. No full story arc.

This client scenario was a first for me.

Not wanting a takeaway is one thing, but not wanting a satisfying ending for a young children’s book doesn’t make sense.

The story was to leave the reader to guess what the author had in mind for the ending or create their own.

The author’s intent was to create a series of cliffhangers motivating the reader to get the next picture book.

I tried my best to help the client understand that a young children’s book needs all the elements of a ‘good’ story, especially when seeking a traditional publishing contract.

This is not to say if you’re writing a children’s book series, you can’t have a teaser at the end that hints to the next adventure. But the story at hand must have a satisfying ending before the brief teaser.

THE PERFECT STORY WORLD

I don’t get too many of these types of authors, but it came up in another recent project.

This scenario is when the author doesn’t want any significant conflict in the story. No real stakes involved.

-No swarm of bees to block a path the protagonist must get through.
-No ferocious fire-breathing dragon blocking the entrance to a cave the protagonist must get into.
-No dangling from a cliff before being rescued.

The author also doesn’t want the characters, even the villain, to have any bad traits.

-No evil Professor Moriarty (Sherlock Holmes’ nemesis).
-No evil Joker or the Penguin (Batman’s nemesis).
-No evil Lex Luthor (Superman’s nemesis).

This type of story is sugar-coated.

Instead of a roller coaster that goes up and down, where the rider has to hold on tight, this type of story is the stationary horse on the carousel, no holding on needed, no real movement involved.

You always want your story to be the one the reader is motivated to hold onto, motivated to turn the pages. You want your story to go up and down and around.

HITTING THE READER OVER THE HEAD

Most of my clients have a specific goal for their story. They want to send a message to a child. They know exactly what they want the takeaway to be.

A number of stories have the bullying theme, but interestingly, that’s eased off. Now I get more requests for inclusion, standing up for yourself, and being kind themes.

Some new authors think they have to hit the reader over the head with their message. They blatantly want to tell the reader how the main character grew because he was kind, stood up for himself, or included someone different in her group.

This is not a good idea. The story should convey the message subtly.

I hope these three tips on what to avoid will help you on your children’s writing journey.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s writer, coach, and self-publishing consultant with clients worldwide. For more tips on writing for children or if you need help with your children’s story, please visit Karen Cioffi Writing for Children. While there, you can check out Karen’s books.

And don’t forget to CONNECT.

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MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T/ ) of books for writers including "The Frugal Book Promoter" (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), and "The Frugal Editor" both offered in their third editions by Modern History Press. Others in that series are "How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically," and two booklets, both in their second editions also from Modern History Press. The booklets, "Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers" (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and "Great First Impression Book Proposals" (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. "The Frugal Editor "(https://tinyurl.com/TheFrugalEditor), was recently released in its third edition. It is the winningest book in this series for writers. Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is "A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques" (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at "The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor" (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow it to get news on her new releases directly from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.

This First of a #SharingwithWriters Series of Newsletter Recommendations

noreply@blogger.com (Carolyn Howard-Johnson) — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:55:49 +0000

Dear Writers including Visitors and Subscribers:

In preparation for the release of the next book in my series of books for writers, I am going to begin a series of recommendations for others’ newsletters. I’m doing it because I have always sensed the power of newsletter even from times long before I started my own “just for writers” letter after I wrote my first book for publication. As I got busier, I dropped it and began to write columns for other writers newsletters. That put me in a unique position to see what works, what doesn’t, and to meet several writers who spearhead their own newsletters as well as many editors for the newsletters that come from organized groups (like my first recommendation below!) I have known and worked with this group (recommendation below!) for at least two decades and asked its editor to write up a little into to it. Disclosure: I have also been writing “Vocabulary Habit” for it for at least two decades. Keep reading for how newsletters can benefit you--whether it’s your own or one you subscribe to. And watch for the eventual re-release of mine after I finish the book that is taking me an extraordinarily long time to write!

Here is the contribution from ISWG’s newsletter editor, Juneta Keyes:

"Writing can be lonely, but you are not by yourself.

"The Insecure Writer’s Support Group (ISWG) is a welcoming community where writers share their struggles, celebrate their victories, offer encouragement, and connect with others who understand the struggle and the joy of the writing life.

Members post on their blogs on the first Wednesday of every month, then visit and support fellow writers. Members can also submit book releases, writing news, and special moments for possible shout-outs in our monthly newsletter.

Whether you’re just beginning or have been writing for years, there’s a place for you here.

Come join us. Your experiences might be exactly what another writer needs to hear. You can subscribe on this page:

MORE ABOUT TODAYS NEWSLETTER EDITOR CONTRIBUTOR

Juneta Key

Support Juneta Ko-Fi Give A Gift
Early Access Midlife Ghostwalker details here.
website/ social media links
Author Services (suspended until better)

“You hand out hope like it is candy in your pocket."
~The movie The Postman Kevin Costner.

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER

In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at "The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor" (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow it to get news on her new releases directly from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.

PS: Thank you to Lois W. Stern, trusted blog associate from my #TheNewBookReview blog, for suggesting this series. Reminder, please feel free to send me one of your newsletters or favorite newsletters with “Newsletter Recommendation” in the subject line. Address it it HoJoNews @ AOL . com. Eliminating the spaces. (-: Include permission for me to quote from it, please.

A Podcast Opportunity Just for Authors

noreply@blogger.com (Lois W. Stern) — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 11:55:00 +0000

Hi folks,

This is Lois W. Stern, an associate at TheNewBookReviewBlogSpot, with a marketing tip I think you will enjoy. As you know, Carolyn and I always like sharing helpful marketing tips with our blog followers, so heads up about this podcast opportunity.

The Authors Show is a reputable podcast devoted exclusively to authors. Once the audio interview is finished, it is professionally edited and posted on multiple social media platforms free for 24 hours, with your book cover and a synopsis of your book included. Here is mine:

https://wnbnetworkwest.com/LoisStern image.jpeghttps://wnbnetworkwest.com/LoisStern

There is no fee to participate and you are sent questions in advance, so there are no surprises. Once the recording is completed and professionally edited, you can purchase an MP3 copy of your interview for a nominal fee for your extended personal use. Optional marketing plans are available to extend the distribution of the podcast if desired. See https://wnbnetworkwest.com/faqs for details.

I recently took advantage of this offer and found it a fun, no pressure experience. I also purchased the MP3, made a video from selected segments of it and added it to my website BIO page (https://www.tales2inspire.com/bio), where folks can learn more about me,and a project near and dear to my heart, Tales2Inspire.

Lois is an associate of TheNewBookReview, working with a passion to help other authors strengthen their visibility on this blog and elsewhere. Through her annual Tales2Inspire contest, a labor of love that has received worldwide recognition, she accepts entries from talented newbies and accomplished authors alike and continues to feature her winning authors on an ongoing basis. True to her 'Authors Helping Authors' philosophy, she charges no submission fee for folks to enter her contest. She receives no remuneration for any of her services, but hopes those who benefit from them will express their appreciation by supporting Tales2Inspire anthologies and writing reviews. In her continuing spirit of “Authors Helping Authors”, Lois provides several tips on how authors can help promote themselves while writing honest reviews for others. To read her article, Be a Hero: Make Some Magic for Yourself. CLICK HERE.

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T/ ) of books for writers including "The Frugal Book Promoter" (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), and "The Frugal Editor" both offered in their third editions by Modern History Press. Others in that series are "How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically," and two booklets, both in their second editions also from Modern History Press. The booklets, "Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers" (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and "Great First Impression Book Proposals" (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. "The Frugal Editor "(https://tinyurl.com/TheFrugalEditor), was recently released in its third edition. It is the winningest book in this series for writers. Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is "A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques" (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at "The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor" (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow it to get news on her new releases directly from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.

Make a Fiction Story Work - 5 Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Cioffi) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 08:05:00 +0000

Contributed by Karen Cioffi, Children's Writer and Self-Publisher

What was the last story you read that stayed with you. A story that made you feel. A story that took you on an adventure or had you sitting on the edge of your seat.

These types of stories have it. They have the key to making a story work.

So, how do you go about creating a story like this?

5 TOP TIPS TO WRITING A FICTION STORY THAT WORKS

1. It’s got to have conflict.

Your protagonist MUST be striving for something, and it should be something significant. She needs obstacles in her way that she must overcome to keep the reader engaged enough to turn the page.

The reader has to be pulled into the story, wondering if, and more so hoping that, the protagonist reaches her goal.

You wouldn’t have much of a story following a couple in an amusement park going from ride to ride, waiting in line for food, and so on. There’s nothing for the reader to get involved with. There’s no emotional element.

Or, what if a great writer puts two children in a story that takes place at the Bronx Zoo? The narrator describes in detail all the exhibits they visit, and does it wonderfully. But what does the reader have to sink her teeth into?

One of my all-time favorite movies was Thelma and Louise. The conflict was never-ending. And it was the conflict that kept you on the edge of your seat.

That’s how you want your readers to feel. There needs to be conflict in order to make the reader feel. It doesn’t have to be ‘seat of your pants’ drama, but it needs to be significant. It can be external or internal, but it has to be something the reader can grab and hang on to.

2. The readers need to be invested.

A good story brings the reader into the protagonist’s shoes. This is what will motivate the reader to like and root for the protagonist.

The story has to have substance.

Going back to Thelma and Louise, one wrong decision spiraled out of control into what seemed to them like a live-or-die situation.

Circumstances and choices took them bounding out of control, as if caught up in a tornado.

It evoked emotion in just about everyone who saw the movie. Everyone was rooting for the protagonists.

In an article titled “Make Readers Deeply Connect to Your Characters,” the author calls this key factor “transportation.”

You’re bringing the reader out of their reality and into your story world. You’re transporting them. Like Alice when she steps into the rabbit hole. Down, down, down she went into another world.

3. The characters have to act ‘real’ and be likable.

Your characters need to be multifaceted. They need to behave like real people. This means they’ll have both good and bad traits, as well as weaknesses. It may be they’re indecisive or afraid of everything.

Your characters should make great decisions, but they should also make poor ones.

Along with this, your protagonist needs to be likable. He needs to have traits that the reader will admire and connect with. It’s important that the reader likes the protagonist.

Maybe your protagonist will be honest, heroic, responsible, or loyal.

You get the idea. These are characteristics that most people admire in others. They’re characteristics that will draw the reader in.

I forgot what movie it was, and I forgot the exact details, but basically, the protagonist was sitting in a diner across from her date. Another woman, elegantly dressed, walked past with toilet paper stuck to the bottom of her shoe. The toilet paper woman was heading to a table where a man was waiting for her.

The protagonist excused herself for a moment. She got up, walked behind the woman, and stepped on the paper to remove it from the woman’s shoe. Then she sat back down and returned to her conversation.

The woman who passed by never knew the kindness the protagonist showed her. And the protagonist didn’t mention what she did to her date.

This simple act of kindness spoke volumes about the protagonist’s character. She’s the type of person you’d like to be friends with.

4. The protagonist needs to have some heroic qualities.

At some point in the story, the protagonist needs to take action. This can be in several small incidents that she overcomes throughout the story. Or it can be in a single climactic incident that wraps up the story.

It may be after one, two, or three failures, but ultimately, the protagonist must step up. Whether it’s physical or emotional, whether internal or external, she needs to fight through all obstacles that stand in her way.

Readers want a purposeful story. They want and even expect the protagonist to be victorious.

5. Tie up all loose ends.

When you’re getting to the end of your story, make sure all loose ends are tied up. Any tidbits of information you put out there must be resolved.
You don’t want her wondering why something was mentioned in the story and left unresolved.

One example is mentioning that the protagonist’s close friend lost his dog. Then there’s no mention of it. Was the dog found?

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DOG?

Another example is in a middle-grade manuscript I just read. The author had the protagonist’s friend say he couldn’t attend the protagonist’s special event because he had something URGENT to do that day.

Afterward, there was no mention of the urgent matter.

This is a NO-NO. What was so urgent? Why was it mentioned if it wasn’t followed up on?

As I read the manuscript, I knew that part would either have to be addressed (tied up) or eliminated.

These loose ends are things that will gnaw at the reader.

So, there you have it.

While there is more involved in writing good fiction, these five are at the top of the ‘good fiction story’ list.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karen Cioffi is a children’s writer and self-publisher with clients worldwide. For more tips on writing for children or if you need help with your children’s story, please visit Karen Cioffi Writing for Children. While there, you can check out Karen’s books.

And don’t forget to CONNECT.

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A feature in the right column of this blog lets you subscribe to #SharingwithWriters so you don’t miss any of Karen’s posts on writing for children.

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AN EASY PEASY WAY TO POST AMAZON REVIEWS

noreply@blogger.com (Lois W. Stern) — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 20:03:48 +0000

An Easy Peasy Way to Post Amazon Reviews

By Lois W. Stern,

My #TheNewBookReview associate and

Your #TheNewBookReview contact

Our guest post on this #SharingwithWriters today is my associate who makes my other blog, tick. She suggested to me in our frequent text messages that an author chosen for her inclusion in one of the books in the anthology series she founded and publishes mentioned that he thinks there are more authors who don’t know how to do their fellow authors (and themselves!) a favor by leaving reviews on Amazon! So, I conned Lois into sharing simple instruction with visitors and subscribers to this blog, indeed I both conned and begged her to do it. Be sure to read her credit line below that covers some of the other free and massively successful things she does and recommends to help her battery of anthology contributors as well as authors in general including her value-added contests for placement in her anthologies. I did say, FREE, didn’t I?

Posting Amazon Reviews the Easy Way

Lately Amazon has nearly hidden that magic spot for posting a book review, but here's a simple way to get directly to it:

1. Begin by typing AMAZON.COM into your browser.

2. Find a search bar that looks like this:

3. Click on the little arrow for the drop-down menu on the left side of the bar until you come to the word “BOOKS.”

4. Once there, type the title of the book you are planning to review.

5. Now look to the right of an image of the book. You will see a row of stars that will look like this:

(The number on the left indicates the rating average of the title you chose. The average rating for this book was 5 stars.The number on the right indicates the number of reviews this book received. So far this book received 6 reviews and all of them were rated five stars!

6. Click on those stars and the following window pops up:
7. There you are! Click on SEE CUSTOMER REVIEWS at the bottom of the graph.

8. Next click on the "Write a Customer review” prompt in the oval bar and you’re good to go.

Here are a couple ways you will benefit from writing reviews:

From an author’s viewpoint, it’s really all about learning more about our industry, getting ideas to motivate and inspire, and to network with other authors. The process will introduce you to influencers and be one part of your own path to influencing others! Increase the effectiveness of each of your reviews by sending a thank you that includes a link to wherever you publish it, on Amazon, on your blog, at Goodreads. That Amazon doesn’t allow that is a mistaken rumor. You can find a quotation to that effect directly from Amazon in Carolyn’s How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically.

THINK YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO WRITE A REVIEW?
CHECK OUT A FEW HINTS TO HELP YOU HERE.

Lois W. Stern, Founder and Editor of the Tales2Inspire Anthologies

ABOUT LOIS:

When offered a retirement incentive too good to pass up, I ended my professional career as the reading/writing coordinator for the Department of Special Education in a prominent Long Island school district. But I had loved my work and worried about what I would do to fill my days ahead with equal fulfillment. So after those twenty-one years as an active educator, I continued to pursue my love of writing, soon becoming co-editor of a popular Long Island web-zine. As I created and authored my column, Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives, I solidified my special niche of investigative journalism, now putting those same talents to work with Tales2Inspire, an "Authors Helping Authors" project I initiated in 2012, never dreaming it would grow in such strength and numbers as it has. I work with a passion to deliver exactly what I envisioned , and best of all, it’s Free. I am thrilled to be able to help other talented writers build stronger author platforms and continually strive to find new and innovative opportunities for discovery.

Lois has now published twelve Tales2Inspire® treasured Tales2Inspire Jewel Collection anthologies and six award winning Tales2Inspire 2-in-1 Diamond Collection anthologies.Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Newsday, Long Island Press, Barnard Magazine, on Local Access TV and in live presentations in varied venues. As TheNewBookReview Associate, Lois serves as an outreach to help other authors brand themselves as authors of talent.

Get a FREE Tales2Inspire book at: www.tales2inspire.com/gifts

Visit her Tales2Inspire blog HERE.

MORE ABOUT THE #SHARINGWITHWRITERS BLOGGER

See the new Series Buy Page offered at no charge by Amazon

to enable a one-click purchase of all e-books in a series.

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers including "The Frugal Book Promoter" (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), and "The Frugal Editor" both offered in their third editions by Modern History Press. Others in that series are "How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically," and two booklets, both in their second editions also from Modern History Press. The booklets, "Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers" (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and "Great First Impression Book Proposals" (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. "The Frugal Editor "(https://tinyurl.com/TheFrugalEditor), was recently released in its third edition. It is the winningest book in this series for writers.

Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is "A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques" (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at "The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor" (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow it to get news on her new releases directly from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.

Guestpost: Just Because I Find Both Solace and Gifts In Times of Grief

noreply@blogger.com (Carolyn Howard-Johnson) — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 01:11:42 +0000

I suspect many of my followers and visitors have trouble finding the perfect gift for their friends who are in grief, and that on occasion includes themselves. As my own years accumulate I find myself losing friends at a faster rate than I could have possibly imagined and if that feel of loss is accompanied by frustration over not know what to send to a grieving frend--even which book that’s out there!, I feel compelled to share this one by one of the most prolific author I know.

Dawn Colclasure is a writer that I collaborate with occasionally and have come to be long distance friends over the many years we’ve been doing that and I was struck by this. her Substack entry, she recently published after the release of her Last Writes and felt I must share it. So, naturally, I just asked. It’s a miracle technique that works more often than not! So here it is with my gratitude, and--I hope--yours!

A Time to Grieve and a Time to Write
By Dawn Colclasure

“You’ve really captured the raw anger that exists alongside the sadness when mourning such a devastating loss.” This is one of the comments that was made by my editor when she edited my latest poetry book, Last Writes. And what’s interesting is that I wrote that very poem when I was going through that very experience. I was sad that my brother died, but I was also angry. These two emotions coexisting had such a strong impact on me during that time that I had to write it down in verse. The poem that resulted, “Sadness and Anger,” is just one of the poems that I ended up including in my book. Thinking about it now, over a year later, I don’t think I would have been able to write that poem with the same kind of grasp that I had on that sort of situation if I were to write it now. Sometimes it’s better to write about our personal and unique experiences as they are happening.

Of course, not every writer is going to write about a personal experience as a poem. However, it can be written about in a personal journal or a blog post. I have many friends who have written about their personal experiences in a Facebook post just to capture that experience while it is still fresh in their minds.

But whatever way a person chooses to record their personal experiences or some kind of emotional trauma they are going through, the very act of putting everything into words is what can help the writer write more realistically about these things in their work.

It usually isn’t easy for someone to write about the trauma or loss they are experiencing. Most people feel that writing about missing a loved one or the sheer sadness over losing someone can make them feel worse. However, what it actually does is provide us with an outlet to release our pain, process our emotions, and work through our thought processes. In most cases, with the act of writing about a traumatic experience privately, it provides the person with a private place to air all of their grievances, give voice to their negative feelings and act as a sounding board for all of the things that they want to say but feel that they can’t say. This, too, can work to the writer’s benefit, because it allows them access to the raw emotions overpowering them in the moment which could be sourced later on in their work of fiction or poetry.

So the next time you experience something that really tugs at your heart and shatters your soul, write about it as soon as you are able to. Write all of the good things as well as all of the bad things. You will feel better for releasing all of these emotions and thoughts raging inside of you, and grateful later on that you can use it in your writing.

CAROLYN’S ADDENDUM: Reading a book like “Last Writes” helps, too. It’s on my very short list of possible gifts for friends--both writers and readers.

MORE ABOUT TODAY’S GUEST, DAWN COLCLASURE

Dawn Colclasure is a Deaf writer in Eugene, Oregon. She began writing at a young age. She’s a freelance writer, book reviewer, and columnist. She is the author and co-author of several books, among them several poetry books such as Touched by Fire, April Showers, We Will Never Have Enough Daysand Nature Therapy. Her poetry, articles, essays and short stories have appeared in magazines, newspapers, websites and anthologies. She publishes the SPARREW Newsletter online each month, which includes the helpful Tricky Edits column written by Carolyn Howard-Johnson. Her websites are https://dawnsbooks.com/ and https://www.dmcwriter.com/. She’s on Facebook, Bluesky @dmcwriter.bsky.social, TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@dawncolclasurewilson , tumblr under the name crankytruthseeker, and Instagram @dawn10325.

Dawn was inspired to write this post for her Substack shortly after her new poetry book, Last Writes (https://www.amazon.com/Last-Writes-Dawn-Colclasure/dp/B0H8ZWZDDJ/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0) was published. The fact that poetry she had written while grieving the loss of her brother one year ago moved her to pen these words, with the understanding that sometimes, the hardest things we go through in life are the things we need to write about.

MORE ON DAWN’S LIBRARY OF PUBLISHED WORKS FOR YOU TO READ AND SHARE INCLUDING EVEN HER HORROR NOVELS AND POETRY:

BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL: How We Survive as Writing Parents, Love is Like a Rainbow: Poems of Love and Devotion, Songs of the Dead, The Yellow Rose, DOGS FOREVER: Poems for the Dog Person (with Jennifer Wilson), Follow That Dream, On the Wings of Pink Angels: Triumph, Struggle and Courage Against Breast Cancer, The Perfect Christmas, A Million Doughnuts, Hunter's Upcycling Adventures, Satyrs Are Cool: Poems of Mythological Creatures (with Jennifer Wilson), The GHOST Group, Book One (The Ghosts of Sarah Travers and The Crying Valentine), Touched by Fire, Shadow of Samhain, Terror In The Night I - Alien Abduction Exposed! (with Martha Jette and Usko Ahonen), The Warrior Way, Parenting Pauses: Life as a Deaf Parent, April Showers, The GHOST Group Book Two (The Ghost of the Irish Setter and The Ghost of the Missing Hiker), Remember the Soldier, Wolf Whispers, A Ghost on Every Corner, Yesterday's Words, Faded Reflection, Wandering Soul, God's Birds, Burning the Midnight Oil Revisited, Seasonal Songs, Fabulously Frugal: How to Manage Your Money, Live for Less and Build Up Your Savings, Poems for the Grieving Heart, Imprint, Ramblings & Misgivings, Dream World, We Will Never Have Enough Days, Savage World, Remembering Sunny, The Dream Forest, Self-Care Suggestions Book, True Ghost Stories, The Idea Workbook: How to Choose and Use Your Ideas, 101 Quotes on Poetry, The Big Book of Writing Challenges, 10 Ways to Boost Your Mental Health, Meditating Heart, The GHOST Group: Book Three, Free Stuff For Writers, Lost Soul, 5 Tales, The Power of Words, Tarnished Heart, Write for Your Life! The Health Benefits of Writing, A Tiny Light, The Newbie Author's Guide to Getting Your Book Published, Write Like the Wind! Inspirational Notes for Writers, Promote Your Book on a Shoestring...or Less, The House That Madness Built, 30 Flash Horror Stories, Only In My Dreams, Terrors, The Worst Thing You Ever Did, All the Beautiful Things, Watch This Space, Shadows, Nature Therapy, Monsters and Mayhem, Triggered, Other, Vengeance from Beyond, I'll Be Ghosting You, Home for the Holidays, Christmas Frights, Curse of the Blood Witch, 3 A.M. Poetry, Noiseless, Last Writes

Learn more about her writing at https://dawnsbooks.com/ and https://dmcwriter.com and subscribe to her FREE newsletter SPARREW at https://www.sparrewsite.com/ You’ll also find her active on Goodreads at http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4019506.Dawn_Colclasure and many more.

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Are Secondary Characters Needed?

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Cioffi) — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 07:55:00 +0000

Contributed by Karen Cioffi, Children's Writer and Self-Publisher

Before I get started, a secondary character is any character in the story aside from the protagonist (main character) and the antagonist (villain or force in opposition to the protagonist).

An antagonist doesn’t have to be a character. It can be an internal emotional or mental problem. Or, it can be an external force, such as a category 4 hurricane that the protagonist must prepare for or fight to survive.

It’s also important to mention that there are two categories or ‘subclasses’ of secondary characters:

1. The supporting character.
A supporting character is a substantial part of your story. She or he is part of the protagonist’s life and is usually there throughout the story, helping move the story forward.

An example of this is Chen from “Walking Through Walls”. Wang is the protagonist, and Chen is his best friend. Wang bounces many of his problems off Chen, and Chen advises him. Chen is the voice of reason and calm, while Wang wants what he wants and is impatient.

This friendship is an essential part of the story. It’s part of what makes Wang choose one course of action over another in the end.

Sometimes, supporting characters can have their own subplot. Using “Walking Through Walls” again, Chen was chosen by his village to become an Eternal apprentice. His village was invaded by neighboring warriors, and his younger sister was abducted.
Supporting characters can be a catalyst for the direction the story takes.

Chen’s backstory also plays a part in the direction Wang takes in his character arc. Along with this, supporting characters are essential to a book series.

Think of just about any series on TV (old or new): The Big Bang Theory, Superman, NCIS, Elementary, The X-Files, even the MythBusters. You expect to see the supporting cast. You’d be disappointed if you didn’t.

2. The minor character.
A minor character is someone who may make a brief appearance in the story or is there in the background throughout. They give the story more authenticity and dimension. There will most likely be various minor characters throughout a book.

For example, in “Walking Through Walls,” Wang and Chen are in an apprenticeship with other students. These students help create a dimensional world for the story. But, while they exist and are mentioned here and there, they aren’t essential to the story.

A great example of a minor character is the taxi driver, Sylvester, from the 1947 movie “The Bishop’s Wife.” Sylvester was only in a couple of scenes, but he was memorable, adding nothing more than humor to those particular scenes.

Summing it Up

Supporting characters are vital. They enhance story depth, drive the plot, and provide the protagonist with necessary support and conflict, making every story more engaging.

Sources:

http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/fall10/kane_amanda/character_types.htm
http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/how-to-write-effective-supporting-characters
http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/what-is-a-minor-character-understanding-the-minor-characters-role

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s writer and self-publisher with clients worldwide. For more tips on writing for children or if you need help with your children’s story, please visit Karen Cioffi Writing for Children. While there, you can check out Karen’s books.

And don’t forget to CONNECT.

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A feature in the right column of this blog lets you subscribe to #SharingwithWriters so you don’t miss any of Karen’s posts on writing for children.

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Submit Now So 2026 Can Be Your Book’s North Street Book Prize Winner...

noreply@blogger.com (Carolyn Howard-Johnson) — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 22:11:00 +0000

...and Great Reading from 2025’s list of category winners! (see below!). But before July 1, do one last, quick edit and submit your partner- or self-published book for this prestigious prize from Winning Writers. I support them based on their ethics and the value-added benefits they offer all their contestants as well as their winners!

Carolyn’s Mom’s Motto: “You can’t win if you don’t try!”

Gallery of Our 2025 Winners

Grand Prize

Teresa Tennyson's speculative novel Five Years imagines humanity facing imminent extinction due to climate change and collapse of the ecosystem, symbolized by the extinction of bees. For the residents of one New England town, the existential question is whether they can face the end with dignity and mutual aid, or be swayed by a strongman who advocates survival of the fittest.

First Prize: Art Book

The Endless Sphere of Time, edited by Kate Jordahl, has remarkable production values and international scope. This luxuriously bound book pairs Geir Jordahl's circular black-and-white images of liminal spaces in nature and architecture with short works by Norwegian modernist poet Rolf Jacobsen, in their original language alongside English translations by Roger Greenwald.

First Prize: Children's Picture Book

Katherine Lockwood's cheery and educational picture book My Body Beeps! Growing Up with Diabetes, illustrated by Olga Sall, features an active little girl named Katie who just wants to play hide-and-seek like her other friends, but she is worried about the sound of her glucose monitor giving her away. A pal with asthma helps her find humor and companionship in their differences. Playful in spirit, with vibrant illustrations, this book has appeal beyond those directly affected by its topic, as kids in this age group can easily relate to the push-pull of independence versus safety.

First Prize: Creative Nonfiction & Memoir

Ben Stubenberg's The Jamaican Bobsled Captain: Dudley "Tal" Stokes and the untold story of struggle, suffering, and redemption behind Cool Runnings is a book that makes us glad we expanded our Creative Nonfiction category to include narrative journalism and biography. A former US government worker, private pilot, and current magazine writer in his adopted home of Turks and Caicos Islands, Stubenberg is dedicated to chronicling the cultures and history of the Caribbean.

First Prize: Genre Fiction

Jessica Mann's ecological fantasy novel Uplift tells a story of interspecies cooperation through the coming-of-age journey of a Clark's Nutcracker, a bird of the high mountains of the American West and a member of the crow family. Breaking with her family's insular ways, Columbina learns about loss and legacy from creatures whose lifespans range from a season to centuries, and returns with fresh ideas to save their habitat.

First Prize: Graphic Novel & Memoir

Pumpkin Guts: The Hellbound Halloween, written and illustrated by Jacoby A. Matott, is a colorfully grotesque graphic novel that pays homage to teen slasher movies, with sassy characters who crack jokes about the tropes that they're reenacting. (The one Black teen, for instance, decides to nope out of the adventure early on, knowing that such movies treat the token minority sidekick as disposable!)

First Prize: Mainstream/Literary Fiction

Rashid Darden's literary novel A Peculiar Legacy lovingly portrays a tight-knit Black neighborhood in Washington, DC where a newly arrived gay couple and a Quaker matriarch do their best to mentor the local teenagers after one of the youths is murdered.

First Prize: Middle Grade

Michael Wardner's middle-grade novel Kris Kringle and the Great Magic Swindle is a witty romp that will entertain both children and adults. Santa's elves have quit, and the Supreme Council of Sorcery, Witchcraft, and Tricks is about to revoke his magic license. But there's a bigger conspiracy afoot to steal all the magic in the world. With help from trolls, elves, the Easter Bunny, and Ms. Kringle in her airplane, our jolly friend discovers that dividing people into "naughty" and "nice" may be the root of the problem.

First Prize: Poetry

Kathleen Spivack's poetry chapbook Homage is comprised of tributes to guiding figures in her life as an artist, from cellist Pablo Casals and painter Gustav Klimt to poets Robert Frost and Elizabeth Bishop, as well as personal mentors and ancestors. This tightly conceived collection shows a mature poet's mastery of craft and insight.

LEARN MORE AND SUBMIT

Prefer to enter by mail?

You may mail your entry and $95 fee to Winning Writers, Attn: North Street Book Prize, 351 Pleasant Street Suite B PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060-3998, USA. Send a check or money order drawn on a US bank, or enclose $95 in US currency. You may also send the fee via PayPal to adam@winningwriters.com. Please postmark your entry by July 1.

Please note that feedback will only be provided for entries submitted online, and not those entries submitted by mail.

If you would like us to return your book at the conclusion of the contest, please request this at the time of your entry and enclose an extra $10 for postage and handling.

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T/ ) of books for writers including "The Frugal Book Promoter" (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), and "The Frugal Editor" both offered in their third editions by Modern History Press. Others in that series are "How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically," and two booklets, both in their second editions also from Modern History Press. The booklets, "Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers" (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and "Great First Impression Book Proposals" (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. "The Frugal Editor "(https://tinyurl.com/TheFrugalEditor), was recently released in its third edition. It is the winningest book in this series for writers. Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is "A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques" (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at "The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor" (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow it to get news on her new releases directly from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.

An Idea from UPPAA Writers Group Every Writers Group Should Emulate

noreply@blogger.com (Carolyn Howard-Johnson) — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 03:37:02 +0000

Dear SWWriters Visitors and Subscribers:

Heads Up!

Time to make yourself essential to whatever writers group is lucky enough to have you as a member. By now, you. might know that I believe in borrowing from others--other industries, even ther authors as long as you credit their largess. This comes from a group I presented for them way back when Covid demanded that every event be done via Zoom and fell in love with them and their far- North peninsula I knew so little about at the time. So, naturally I get their newsletter announcing this amazing way for a writers’ group to serve its members! Here is an excerpt from it explaining my enthusiasm:

"MARQUETTE, Mich. — The Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association (UPPAA) is inviting authors to participate in its U.P. Libraries Program, a unique opportunity to place books directly into the hands of librarians attending the U.P. Regional Library Conference on September 21–22 in Marquette, Michigan.”

We all know how important it is to keep in touch with our local libraries, but that idea can easily be extended all while making closer friends of librarians (and serving their needs, while doing it! ) It comes from @Victor Volkman and I bet when you search the name, you’ll find him (and his newsletter?) a great addition to that information stream that keeps you marketing your own books.

Sending summer hugs to you all. I’ve been kind of out of it recently caretaking my husband and trying to keep up with writing duties--the latter with very limited success.

Best,

Carolyn

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Why Should You Edit Before Self-Publishing?

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Cioffi) — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 18:25:35 +0000

Contributed by Karen Cioffi, Children's Writer and Self-Publisher

Self-publishing is amazing. It has brought the world of publishing into the hands of everyone and anyone who wants to write a book. It has brought writing power and freedom to all.

But, with writing power and freedom comes responsibility. This is especially true when writing for children.

This means that while it’s true that self-publishing has opened a tremendous amount of doors and anyone can now write and publish a book, it doesn’t mean you can slap anything together and self-publish. You need to produce quality (edited) content for three reasons.

There are at least three reasons you should edit your manuscript before you self-publish:

Reason number one: You have an obligation to your reader.

You want to give the reader her money’s worth. Whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, you want to create a book that will engage the reader. You don’t want the reader to stumble over grammatical and content errors while reading.

One drawback to the ease of self-publishing is that those new to the arena don’t realize they should hone their craft before actually publishing a book. This means taking the time to learn about writing and self-editing, and realizing the importance of hiring a professional editor to edit the book before giving it to the world.

Reason number two: You have an obligation to other writers.

Part of the problem today is the ‘I want it now’ syndrome that self-publishing tends to foster. Authors don’t want to take the longer ‘proven’ road. But learning the ropes really does matter.

Once your book is ‘out there,’ it becomes another determining factor as to whether self-published books are of the same quality as traditionally published books. This is where your obligation to other writers comes into play. It’s not fair to diminish the value of self-published books.

Reason number three: Self-editing is a good book marketing move.

In book marketing 101, the first step is to create a quality product. In a webinar, pro marketers Daniel Hall and Jason Fladlien discussed the importance of ‘the offer’ (your product) compared to the sales copy. By far, a quality product is much more important.

If your intent is to publish only one book, then quality may not matter from a marketing perspective. The saying goes, ‘if you fool me once, shame on me.’ If this is the scenario, then you don’t have to worry about readers/purchasers buying more from you. But, you’ll need to be careful here, because word-of-mouth is lightning fast in the internet world. This could easily stop your one-time purchasers as well.

On the flip side, let’s assume you love writing and have decided to earn an income from it. Then, self-editing will play a huge part in your book marketing success. If you produce a substandard product (book), it will discourage a customer from buying your future books.

Remember, a great product will not only sell itself, but it will usually write its own copy. Editing before publishing helps create a quality product.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author, writer, and self-publisher with clients worldwide. For more tips on writing for children or if you need help with your children’s story, please visit Karen Cioffi Writing for Children. While there, you can check out Karen’s books.

And don’t forget to CONNECT.

-----

A feature in the right column of this blog lets you subscribe to #SharingwithWriters so you don’t miss any of Karen’s posts on writing for children.

-----

A feature in the right column of this blog lets you subscribe to #SharingwithWriters so you don’t miss any of Karen’s posts on writing for children.

Carolyn Howard-Johnson Shares a Highly Effective Ads and Tells a Little PR Story, Too~

noreply@blogger.com (Carolyn Howard-Johnson) — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Today I am sharing an ad with you done by Adam at @WinningWriters.com, something I’ve never done before. I’m doing it because the different rates of response ranged from 6% to above 12%. Those of you who know me well, know that I prefer almost any kind of book promotion that’s free to paid advertising which by definition is paid for!! But with results like this there are several features here that might be responsible for such great results that you can emulate in all kinds of different promotions you are doing currently or are planning.

So where did I get those statistics. From one of the classes I took for my BA degree at the University of Southern California taught by the former president who had just resigned from Western Airlines. He told us he was teaching Public Relations 10--which wasn’t the usual custom for a department head-- because he wanted to get to know the most promising students on a personal basis so he could talk to them about the importance of PR and other marketing classes for near guaranteed success in the business world!! He was fantastic and I can specifically name things I did with our retail stores (which is what my husband and I were doing back than) because of demands he made on his students. Fun demands, but demands none-the-less!

This may be the best of all the ads the owner of WinningWriters and I have done together in terms of results. (He carefully measures statistics on them and we have been doing that for several years now. So, behold! It includes lots of free stuff and that helps, but other things, too. Some of it can be adapted for you to use and you’ll find more detail across the spectrum of book promotion in my multi award-winning The Frugal Book Promoter.

PS: I love the idea of including icons of awards and related organizations in ads--its a powerful way to set any book apart of thousands of other great books on the same subject--no exaggeration!

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Geting More Recognition For Your Talents . . . For FREE

noreply@blogger.com (Lois W. Stern) — Mon, 18 May 2026 14:00:00 +0000

ENTER THIS NO FEE CONTEST

FROM TALES2INSPIRE®

Check out these value added features:

Critiques from 3 fellow authors
Opportunity to revise entry based on critiques and resubmit
Each winners gets:

Story published in a new Tales2Inspire gem anthology
Dedicated full page in book to tout each author’s other accomplishments
Full screen teaser about each author’s winning story on theTales2Inspire website
Story and author featured as a permanent blog article on the Tales2Inspire website
Story and author featured on a rotating basis in the Tales2Inspire monthly newsletter and linked to the blog posting

And did I mention that all of this is free?

So this is my invitation to you:

If you'd like to learn more about participating in the Tales2Inspire 2026 contest, just CLICK HERE (or copy and paste https:/www.tales2inspire.com/contest-2 into your browser), for all posted details.

Each Tales2Inspire winner gains another feather in their cap as an author of talent!

ABOUT THE CREATOR OF TALES2INSPIIRE:

Lois W. Stern is an Associate at TheNewBookReview. She is also the creator of Tales2Inspire®, an Authors Helping Authors project/contest to help aspiring writers on their paths to discovery. And best of all, it’s Free. Lois has now published twelve Tales2Inspire® treasured Tales2Inspire Jewel Collection anthologies and six award winning Tales2Inspire 2-in-1 Diamond Collection anthologies. She is a multi award winning author herself, whose work has been featured in the New York Times, Newsday, Long Island Press, Barnard Magazine, on Local Access TV and in live presentations in varied venues. As TheNewBookReview review coordinator, Lois serves as an outreach to help other authors brand themselves as authors of talent.

Get a FREE Tales2Inspire book at: www.tales2inspire.com/gifts

Visit her Tales2Inspire blog HERE.

Four Ways to Publish - Which One’s For YOU?

noreply@blogger.com (Lois W. Stern) — Wed, 13 May 2026 12:03:00 +0000

Hi, it's Lois W. Stern here, your #NewBookReview Associate, with some helpful advice for those of you ready to publish a new manuscript, but not sure which option is best for you. The bottom line, of course, is to get more eyeballs focused on your book. Traditional publishing was once the only reputable way to go, and Vanity Press was a dirty word, but the times they are a changin’. We now have four ways to publish: traditional publisher, independent press, small press and hybrid, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. So which one's for you? There's no one correct answer, but my article below will help you sort out some of the pros and cons. Let’s look at each in turn.

Traditional Publisher

The traditional publishing company buys the rights to your manuscript. Usually an agent

represents the author, negotiates the deal with the publisher and in return gets a percentage of any monies earned from the sale of the author's book. Part of the arrangement includes author

royalties, based on a mutually agreed upon percentage of sales, and payment of an advance to the author.

Advantages:
You, the author, work with a professional staff to assist you with every aspect from production (i.e. graphic artist, editors, PR and marketing, distribution personnel and

more.) The publisher also assists with marketing by distributing advance review copies and assisting with the set up of author events and media coverage. Normallytraditional publishers also supply the author with PR and display materials such as posters, display kits, author stickers and bookmarks. All of the above can add up to less stress forthe author with more exposure for their book. And let’s not forget prestige. The halo effect of being traditionally published is huge.

Disadvantages:

Each day, agents and book publishers receive a staggering number of inquiries and manuscripts. Ultimately, less than 1% of authors seeking to be traditionally publishedare successful. Secondly, although royalties sound like the best of all worlds, they are

not without caveats. Yes, the author does earn a royalty on the sale of each book, but it doesn’t

go into the author’s pocket quite yet. The publisher normally deducts those royalties from the

advance the author has received, until the advance is paid back in full.

What you need to know:

The traditional publisher has the final say on every aspect of your book, from editorial content to cover design to the number of books in the first printing, andwhen to allow a book to go out of print. Since they are the experts, it can becomforting and cost effective to have these decisions taken off your hands . . . untilsuch time as you adamantly disagree with one of their decisions. The book publisher budgetsfunds to promote and market the book, which can be a good thing for the author, but since the amount can vary widely, this is a point that you should see written into your contract. Another point to consider, are you expected to hire a book publicist? What expectations does the publisher have of you to promote your book?

Independent Press

The independent publisher is in the business of publishing books . . . period. Many have in-

house services to help you in the process at add-on costs, but you, the author, have total control.

You can select the independent publisher of your choice, have input on the cover design, or for

that matter, design it yourself. Is this control a positive or negative feature of independent

publishing? Based on your writing, artistic and marketing talents and experience, it could work

for or against you.

Advantages:

You, the author, have total control as to which independent press publishes yourbook. There is a great deal of self-satisfaction in bringing your baby into the world.

Also, you will earn more per book sale, so if you have a ready audience for your book, this could spell more money in your pocket.

Disadvantages:

The final product, your book, can appear less that professional if not designed and

edited properly. There are upfront expenses to publishing with an independent press that can become costly. We are talking not only of possible printing costs (although companies as Amazon and others are now handling those tasks without charge), but also the services of a book doctor or editor and graphic artist. Marketing and distribution aretotally in your hands, although some independent publishers offer some of these services at additional fees.

What you need to know:

A quality product is a good start, but don’t expect buyers to come knocking at your door. There is too much competition out there. Learn all you can about smart marketing in the days of the internet and be ready to invest consistent energy and funds to this effort.

Small Press

The small press functions somewhat like the Traditional Publisher in that the author submits their

work for publication consideration. A team within the company decides on the suitability of your

manuscript, based both on the quality of your work, its genre and compatibility with their

publishing goals.

Advantages:

The small press publisher typically has fewer clients, which can result in more time devoted to you and your book. Although there are professionals on staff to make editing and cover design decisions, you as author, are more likely to be consulted and have input into these decisions. There are no upfront costs for the author and you garner more prestige in many circles by having your book published by a company that has vetted your work.

Disadvantages:

The Small Press Publisher provides some marketing and promotion guidance, but

these services vary widely from one company to the next. Sales will be more limited than with a Traditional Publisher as the range of distribution is smaller. Unlike the Traditional Publisher, the author normally does not receives an advance for their work. Small publishers are limited in their publicity budget for individual books.

What you need to know:

Ask specific questions about the type and amount of promotional and marketing guidance and support you can expect. Be prepared to do most of the marketing

yourself. Find out how well some of their other authors are selling by checking sales of their books on Amazon, Kindle, etc. Find out what price they would set for your book. (If the price is too high, you will know they are mainly interested in non-print sales ore-books, which provide far less in author royalties.) Visit their Facebook page and listen in on the conversation to see how active the prospective publisher is and what their clients are saying about them. And of course, beware of hidden fees.

Hybrid Publishing

Similar to traditional and small press publishers, the hybrid publisher normally has a team in

place to make a careful and critical examination of your work before accepting it for publication.

According to David Vinjamuri of Forbes Magazine in his article How Hybrid Publishers Innovate To Succeed, though models vary, three features distinguish some of the most successful hybrid publishers from traditional publishing and self-publishing.

1) While some hybrid publishers offer small advances (in the hundreds of dollars), they don’t

pay advances in the manner of a Big 5 publishers. 2) Many of the hybrids operate with few

salaried employees. Instead the employees bid for the projects they want to work with. 3)

Hybrids have agility on their side - the ability to mimic self-publishers in their speed to publish

and market your work.

Advantages:

Unlike self-publishers, hybrid publishers normally do not charge authors to publish. On the flip side, they can price their books more aggressively than the Traditional

Publisher to gain market share without losing money. In return, authors earn higher royalties (though less than with self-publishing), which are paid monthly and are reportedly more transparent than standard big 5 publishing contracts. The hybrid team members often are not salaried, but bid for the projects they want to work on and are paid if/when the book sells. This is an enormous incentive for them to succeed with the sale of a book, and if it is not working, to go back to the drawing board to analyze and fix the problems.

Disadvantages:

When employees are paid based on sales rather than salary, there could be rapid

turnover in staff, leading to inconsistency in marketing and promotion of your work. Again, some of the disadvantages listed under Small Press Publishing above, apply here as well: Visit their Facebook page and listen in on the conversation to see how active the prospective publisher is and what their clients are saying about them. And of course, beware of hidden fees.

More Helpful Advice:

Preditors & Editors is an excellent source to properly vet any publisher for contract violations or

any other issues they might want to look out for. http://pred-ed.com/peba.ht

In Jane Friedman’s informative article titled Not All Hybrid Publishers Are Created Equal), (Publishers Weekly, May, 2015), she offers some excellent adviceon evaluating hybrids effectively. Here are some questions she suggests you ask:

Will there be a traditional print run—and who’s paying for it?

Will the book be pitched to retailers or distributors by a sales team?

How will my book be distributed?

What’s the editing process like?

What marketing and promotion support do my titles receive?

For further details, read her full article at:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/pw-select/article/66658-not-all-hybrid-publishers-are-created-equal.html

About Lois W. Stern

Lois W. Stern, TheNewBookReview Associate and Facilitator, is the founder, editor and contributor to Tales2Inspire, an authors helping authors project to help aspiring writers on their paths to discovery. As such, she has now published twelve award winning Tales2Inspire® treasured gem collection anthologies of her contest winners' stories, republished in her double 2 for 1 Diamond Collection books. If you would like to participate in this No Fee contest, CLICK HERE for all details. Lois is a multi award winning author herself, whose work has been featured in the New York Times, Newsday, Long Island Press, Barnard Magazine, on Local Access TV and in live presentations in varied venues. As TheNewBookReview review coordinator, Lois serves as an outreach to help other authors brand themselves as authors of talent.

Just Starting? Need to Brush Up for a New Project?

noreply@blogger.com (Carolyn Howard-Johnson) — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 01:22:00 +0000

....Found in my mailbox so this comes to you with a HT [initialism for "Hat Tip" among professionals!] to both Winning Writers and Ingram Spark. This course seems to be available to any writer looking to start a new publishing career or learn even more about the one they’re already knee-deep in! Yes, I borrowed it. [That “HT” might also mean “Heard Through.” I haven’t taken the course myself, but if you do, I’d welcome a review to post on my The New Book Review blog, with your byline and a nice creditline and links about your own books or current author-related project! Find the submission guidelines in the tags near the top of the home page at https://thenewbookreview.blogspot.com.

Your SharingwithWriters blogger, Carolyn

Learn to Self‑Publish With Free Course

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MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T/ ) of books for writers including "The Frugal Book Promoter" (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), and "The Frugal Editor" both offered in their third editions by Modern History Press. Others in that series are "How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically," and two booklets, both in their second editions also from Modern History Press. The booklets, "Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers" (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and "Great First Impression Book Proposals" (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. "The Frugal Editor "(https://tinyurl.com/TheFrugalEditor), was recently released in its third edition. It is the winningest book in this series for writers. Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is "A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques" (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at "The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor" (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow it to get news on her new releases directly from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile and/or join her Facebook Group under ‘Carolyn Howard-Johnson.” It’s new!

And feel free to share this blog post using this permalink at https://sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com/2026/04/just-starting-need-to-brush-up-for-new.html .

Using The Zodiac Gemstones as a Great Marketing Tool

noreply@blogger.com (Lois W. Stern) — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 10:30:00 +0000

YOUR NAME: Lois W. Stern

YOUR CREDENTIALS:: Author, Editor, Publisher

TITLE(S) OF BOOK(S) YOU SUCCESSFULLY MARKETED: Tales2Inspire ~ The Jewel Collection (Emerald, Topaz, Ruby, Sapphire, Pearl, Opal, Crystal, Garnet, Jade, Moonstone 1, Moonstone 2, Agate); Tales2Inspire ~ The Diamond Collections - Series I, II, III, IV, V, VI)

MARKETING TIP ITSELF, of course!

Since each of my twelve Gemstone Collection books is named for a different gemstone, (with a little nudge from Carolyn), I came up with the idea of timing the marketing of each book to one of the Zodiac gemstones of that time span. Lucky you! You can now order the paper edition of any Gemstone Collection books for nearly a two books for one price. Just promise that you will first determine the birthdate of those about to receive these books, and use the Zodiac sign below to match their birthdates to the Tales2Inspire books with those matching gemstones on their cover. in other words, you order will be based on the gemstones representing the birthdates of those special people in your life. For example, if your sister was born under the sign of Aries, you could order the Ruby Collection book (Gifts of Compassion), or if your brother-in-law's birthdate falls under the sign of Virgo, the Agate Collection (Amazing Adventures) would be a good choice for him.

BUY HERE

SIGN UP HERE: Stay informed of Tales2Inspire Freebies and Specials.

And I created a Jotform for FREE so viewers can place hassle free orders. CLICK HERE to see how that works.

Save this gem chart to record the birthdays of all the favorite people in your life.

BRIGHT IDEA

The Zodiac works perfectly for my Tales2Inspire books, but now it's your turn. Try to think of a gimmick that works for your books. How about National Pickle Day for a book about pickles, or National Friendship Day for a book to present to a good friend? Anyone have a calendar of celebrations? If so, how about writig an article to share on Sharing With Writers?

ABOUT ME, THE MARKETING GURU: I am an Associate & Review Coordinator for TheNewBookReview. But another hat that I wear is that of creator of Tales2Inspire®, an Authors Helping Authors project/contest, to help aspiring writers on their paths to discovery. And best of all, it’s Free. I have now published twelve Tales2Inspire® treasured Tales2Inspire Jewel Collection anthologies (as well as six Tales2Inspire 2-in-1 Diamond Collection anthologies). I am a multi award winning author whose work has been featured in the New York Times, Newsday, Long Island Press, Barnard Magazine, on Local Access TV and in live presentations in varied venues. As TheNewBookReview review coordinator, I serve as an outreach to help other authors brand themselves as authors of talent.

Get a FREE Tales2Inspire book at: www.tales2inspire.com/gifts

Visit my Tales2Inspire blog HERE.

For some lively conversation, join me on my Facebook page HERE.

MY FAVE LINKS: https://www.tales2Inspire.com/; https://www.Facebook.com/tales2Inspire/; https://www.amazon.com/tales2inspire/; https://author.amazon.com/home

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=tales2inspire&i=stripbooks&crid=3SKYL8WCNMZF8&sprefix=tales2inspire%2Cstripbooks%2C307&ref=nb_sb_noss_1 ;

MY E-MAIL ADDRESS: tales2Inspire2@gmail.com

Do you want this email to be included with your marketing tip?

X Yes ___ NO

CLICK HERE to get a FREE Tales2Inspire book with six of those award winning stories.

Join me on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/tales2inspire

How to Make Your Characters Memorable

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Cioffi) — Sat, 21 Mar 2026 09:24:00 +0000

Contributed by children's writer Karen Cioffi

Characters take shape from the simplest clues.

Maybe you first reference the character as the boy or a tall girl. Even with those simple words, you've given that character life.

Before that, there wasn't a boy or a tall girl.

BELOW ARE 5 DOS AND DON'Ts FOR CRAFTING CHARACTERS

1. Don't over-dump physical details.

While it’s important to bring your characters to life through description, it’s best to limit including too many details. In other words, avoid over-dumping physical details.

An example of this might be Raul. A tall and thin twelve-year-old with green eyes, dark brown hair, and a swimmer's body.

While you won't be able to write all his details in one scene, and you shouldn’t even try.

However, there are techniques to convey physical characteristics without overdumping.

To convey his height:

-The boys took turns hurling the paper airplane through the air until it got stuck in the branch of a tree. “You get it, Raul. You’re tall,” said Shawn.

To convey his hair color:

-From the back, Mrs. Stenzer couldn't tell which boy was Raul. They all had dark brown hair.

To convey his body type:

-Raul was the only new kid on the swimming team who already had a swimmer's body.

2. Avoid being too vague.

While you shouldn’t convey every detail of a character, you can provide enough to give the reader an idea of the character's physical attributes. The reader can then fill in the details.

Two examples of this might be:

-His neat cut in the back and sides contrasted with the long hair in front that fell below his brows.

-He stretched his swimmer's body and then raced into the ocean.

3. Include the character's environment.

A character may live in an apartment in a low-income building. Another may live in the backwoods of the Appalachian Mountains. All this will give insight into the character.

Or the character may live in a penthouse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Or the character may live in Saipan.

The character's environment can also include his past environment.

I ghostwrote a book in which one of the characters went from a wealthy lifestyle to a poor one. This could tell a lot about why the character behaved in a certain way or why she was depressed.

4. Include the character's close relationships.

How your character engages with the different people in his family, friends, and new people will show different facets of his character.

The friends he associates with will also reveal some of his tendencies and character. The expression 'birds of a feather flock together' can play a factor in the character's personality.

5. Include appearance and even sundry items.

How you describe your character's appearance can tell a lot about that character.

-Are his clothes neat and ironed, with his shirt tucked inside his pants?
-Is he unkempt? Are his clothes wrinkled, with his shirt partially tucked in, or not?
-What about her hair? Is it a mess? Does it look dirty? Or is it well-groomed?
-Is his hair short or long? Is it well-kept?
-What does she keep in her backpack?
-Does she always chew gum?
-Does he always use breath mints?

The list can go on and on.

These are just five tips on how to use description to bring your characters to life and enhance your readers' view of your characters. There are others, but this should give you a solid foundation for creating engaging characters.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author, ghostwriter, rewriter, and coach with clients worldwide. For more tips on writing for children or if you need help with your children’s story, please visit Karen Cioffi Writing for Children. While there, you can check out Karen’s books.

And don’t forget to CONNECT with Karen.

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A feature in the right column of this blog lets you subscribe to #SharingwithWriters so you don’t miss any of Karen’s posts on writing for children.

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WinningWriters Announces New First-Ever Value: A FREE Copy of Grand Prize Winner--Limited Time

noreply@blogger.com (Carolyn Howard-Johnson) — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 00:24:00 +0000

I am so glad to be able to share this first for the industry, share it with my visitors and subscribers here on my #SharingwithWriters blog. It’s a free copy of Theresa Tennyson’s “Five Years,” a super important book for our world in these days. But due to technical problems, you must click to get it NOW! Scroll for the review and the download icon. https://sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com/2026/03/winningwriters-announces-new-first-ever.html

And all my author friends will want to make note of the other offer that expires July 1 online or by mail, and look at that grand prize! Put it on your calendar to submit before this deadline.

Happy writing in 2026 for sure. Your SharingwithWriters blogger!

Having trouble viewing this email? View the web version.

Now through March 19, you can download the Amazon Kindle edition of our latest grand prize book for free. See below for details!
Deadline: July 1
North Street Book Prize
$23,500 in Prizes | Final Judge: Jendi Reiter
Submit your self-published or hybrid-published book to this year's North Street contest from Winning Writers. The grand prize winner will receive $10,000.
Choose from nine categories:
• Mainstream/Literary Fiction
• Genre Fiction
• Creative Nonfiction & Memoir
• Inspirational/Self-Help (new!)
• Poetry
• Children’s Picture Book
• Middle Grade
• Graphic Novel & Memoir
• Art Book
$23,500 in cash will be awarded in all, and the top ten winners will receive additional benefits to help market their books. Books published on all self-publishing and hybrid-publishing platforms are eligible. Any year of publication is eligible. Entry fee: $95 per book, with free gifts for everyone who enters.

All entrants who submit online can choose to receive a brief commentary from one of the judges (5-10 sentences) at no extra charge.
Winning Writers is one of the "101 Best Websites for Writers" (Writer's Digest, 2025), and this contest is recommended by Reedsy. Click to read about past winners and learn more about our contest.
SUBMIT HERE

Prefer to enter the North Street competition by mail?
You may mail your entry and $95 fee to Winning Writers, Attn: North Street Book Prize, 351 Pleasant Street Suite B PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060-3998, USA. Please postmark your entry by July 1.
Please note that feedback will only be provided for entries submitted online, and not those entries submitted by mail.
If you would like us to return your book at the conclusion of the contest, please request this at the time of your entry and enclose an extra $10 for postage and handling.
Download the Latest Grand Prize Winning Book for FREE!
Now through March 19, last year's top winner Teresa Tennyson invites you to download the Amazon Kindle edition of Five Years at no charge (regularly $7.99).

Elise never asked to shepherd her small town through the apocalypse.

Yet here she is, the senior leader of a tiny New England town two years into humanity’s five-year death sentence. Amid dwindling rations and supplies, her job is to lead Middlewich through its last days in relative peace.

But she faces a new menace in the form of political challenger Grant Greene, an authoritarian whose radical new ration distribution proposal threatens to plunge half of Middlewich into early starvation. Adding pressure to the situation is the shocking reemergence of a critical resource.

Middlewich has successfully walled itself off from the outside world, but is it ready to battle the enemy within while saving the human race?

From the North Street critique by Jendi Reiter
"I felt the scale of this story was exactly right, which elevated it over other speculative fiction in the contest. The worldwide catastrophe affects every aspect of the characters' lives, but the focus remains tightly on this small town that the reader has come to care about. We don't need to see the chaos and suffering outside Middlewich's walls because we feel it pushing in on their fragile boundaries at every turn. The characters are well aware that their choices are a microcosm of the human condition, a final verdict on whether humanity can and should survive. The story's central dilemma is also refreshingly different from most climate apocalypse fiction—not whether but how we choose to die."

Read an excerpt from Five Years (PDF)

Find this book on Amazon.

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T/ ) of books for writers including "The Frugal Book Promoter" (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), and "The Frugal Editor" both offered in their third editions by Modern History Press. Others in that series are "How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically," and two booklets, both in their second editions also from Modern History Press. The booklets, "Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers" (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and "Great First Impression Book Proposals" (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. "The Frugal Editor "(https://tinyurl.com/TheFrugalEditor), was recently released in its third edition. It is the winningest book in this series for writers. Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is "A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques" (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at "The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor" (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow it to get news on her new releases directly from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.

Reaffirming Book Marketing’s Most Appreciated Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Carolyn Howard-Johnson) — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 00:27:00 +0000

I just had to share with my #SharingwithWriters blog visitors and subscribers because it reaffirms my persistence about shouting out the importance of using blurbs liberally in the our book promotion! Adam Cohen, one of the gurus along with Jendi Reiter sent me a message sent by a winner of WinningWriters.com’s 2025 #North Street Book Prize:

For the partnership consulting I did with WinningWriters.com’s team of experts who won an assortment of book marketing as part of their prize: “"Cannot say enough good things about North Street Book Prize! Thrilled, of course, to receive the cash award. But more important are the fabulous and talented people behind the award. So many of them, Adam, Jendi, Annie along with Carolyn and Laura have reached out to me and provided valuable critique, promotion support, or helpful guidance. I did not expect the personal warmth and human touch—an increasingly rare occurrence in our fraying, detached, and botified world. Won me over!"
—Ben Stubenberg, 2025 North Street first prize for Creative Nonfiction & Memoir Category

Of course it makes me proud to be part of that team, but it also keep me connected with new talent in our industry. Ben’s “Jamaican Bobsled Captain” is a book made for everyone who loves sports and loves travel as well. Here’s a big public thank you to Ben Stubenberg and WinningWriters, too. Oh, yeah, this also reaffirms my belief that a book review or a beautiful blurb is the most welcome gift anyone can give as a thank you that stays alive and remembered for a very long time.

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER

This badge was a gift from #GeneCartwright,

award-winning author, author advocate, and

expert in film acquisitions.

The Six Major Story Elements

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Cioffi) — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 10:33:00 +0000

Contributed by Karen Cioffi, Children's Ghostwriter, Rewriter/Editor

There are six major elements to a fiction story, and it’s the combination of these elements that makes the story complete, interesting, and considered good writing. Too much of one or not enough of another can affect the reader’s ability to connect with the story.

So, what are the major elements of a children’s story?

1. Protagonist
2. Setting
3. Plot
4. Conflict
5. Point of view
6. Theme

Here's a breakdown:

The Protagonist: Introduce the main character. Using your imagination make him unique. He can have particular mannerisms or quirks, or even distinct physical attributes. You can also make him likable or unsavory, but remember that you need the reader to be able to create a connection to him. It’s this connection that will prompt the reader to keep reading. Your protagonist needs to be real… believable.

The Setting: This will establish the time and place where the story takes place. The setting can create a feeling and mood. For example, if you’re writing about swashbuckling pirates, your reader will be in a certain mindset. The same holds for any other setting you choose. It will be intrinsic to the plot/conflict and will help establish vivid imagery for the reader.

The Plot: This is the meat of the story; it’s the forward movement, the conflict or struggle that drives the protagonist toward his goal. This involves any danger, suspense, romance, or other reader-grabbing occurrence.

Conflict: This is the main problem or obstacle the main character must face and overcome to reach his goal. It can be an internal struggle or an external conflict from outside factors. Overcoming the conflict forces the character to have positive growth/change.

Point of View: This establishes whose point of view the story is being told from. It’s important to make this clear. Even if you have two main characters, there needs to be one who is primary in order to keep clarity within the story. This applies through middle-grade.

The Theme: This establishes what is important to the story. It usually evolves along with the story and the protagonist’s progression. If Jesus is your protagonist, establishing and promoting Christianity might be the theme. It might be the story’s view on life and the people/characters the protagonist encounters. It is the idea the author wants the reader to take away.

Utilizing each of these elements can create a unique, fascinating, and memorable story. Just as a cooking recipe has its own ingredients, writing has its own set that produce a remarkable end product.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author, ghostwriter, rewriter/editor with clients worldwide. For more tips on writing for children or if you need help with your children’s story, please visit Karen Cioffi Writing for Children. While there, you can check out Karen’s books.

And don't forget to CONNECT.

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A feature in the right column of this blog lets you subscribe to #SharingwithWriters so you don’t miss any of Karen’s posts on writing for children.

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It’s Time! North Street Book Prize Welcomes New Category for Inspiration/Self-Help

noreply@blogger.com (Carolyn Howard-Johnson) — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 08:00:00 +0000

WinningWriters.com is introducing a new category for their this year's #NorthStreetBookPrize. I have always felt authors should seek out newish contests as well as highly respected ones. This will give those who write inspiration/self-help books a chance at both with one entry! Keep up with changes, value-added gifts for contestants, and guidelines at https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/north-street-book-prize.

Jendi Reiter, poet and editor of WinningWriters newsletter is full of pre-vetted contests. Subscribe at WinningWriters.com. And check out her newest poetry book from Word Works.

Oh! If you will be at AWP in Baltimore in March, WinningWriters will be there for the first time in over ten years. Be sure to look for them to meet both of them and perhaps some of their past winners, too!

PS: Be sure to check WW’s contest guidelines. Great books--some with release dates even decades old--are eligible. It’s the most inclusive contest I know of.

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER

Want to Sell More Books? Check Out This Tip From TNBR Associate, Lois W. Stern

noreply@blogger.com (Lois W. Stern) — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 16:55:00 +0000

SECRETS FOR SELLING MORE BOOKS

By Lois W. Stern

Founder, Contributor and Editor of the #Tales2Inspire Series of anthologies

Contributing #AuthorsHelpingAuthors associate here and on the #SharingwithWriters Blog

Did you ever think of selling your books from the comfort of your home? At one time I thought about it too, looked into several inernet pay options, but nixed them all as they seemed too involved.

Then I learned about ZELLE.

The name of this game is SAFE, QUICK 'n EASY and FREE.

Zelle is a safe, flexible, no fee way to make or receive a payments - all from the comfort of your home.

SAFE: Despite all the talk of internet scams, when used properly, Zelle is extremely safe because you are not giving out either credit card or bank account information. This bank to bank transfer of funds moves a dollar amount from the buyer’s account to the account of the seller. The buyer’s bank simply transfers that inputted amount from one account to the other, without revealing the account number of either party. If you already pay your bills online, you're good to go. Once you sign in, there will be a drop down menu for paying bills. At my bank it looks like this:

You can set up your Zelle account using either your cell phone number or your email address. I set up my Zelle account with my email address because I knew those placing book orders would be familair with the words Tales2Inspire, but preferred to keep my cell number private.
QUICK: When making a Zelle payment, you simply input the amount owed, the name and identifier (either e-mail or cell number, but not both) of the person you are paying, click a button and DONE. An immediate Bank-to-Bank transfer of funds takes place.

EASY: I asked Siri to compare Zelle with traditional payment options and up came the chart, below.

FREE: Absolutely no charges for this service.

Most major banks now use Zelle. Many are now incorporating an additional step, such as multi-factor authentication, for first time payments to any given party.

STILL NOT CONVINCED? If you're still not sure this is for you, do what I did: Ask a friend if you could Zelle them $1. Once it arrives, have them return the favor and Zelle $1. back to you.

CAUTION

Only use Zelle to make payments to people you know and trust. To avoid falling victim to a scam, never use Zelle to buy goods or services from online marketplaces or strangers.

SINCE USING ZELLE, MY BOOK SALES HAVE TRIPLED:

Since I have published all twelve of my Tales2Inspire books with Amazon KDP, I came up with a creative idea for selling more books while offering Zelle as a payment option. It all starts with a Jotform I created, and you can create one too, for free. Click here, to check it out (or copy and paste https://form.jotform.com/260094023611041 into your browser).

COMING SOON: A whole new Sharing with Writers section, where I'll be sharing details of my project and inviting readers to post their best marketing tips as well.

MORE ABOUT TODAY’S CONTRIBUTOR

Lois W. Stern, the Book Review Facilitator for TNBR (The New Book Review.blogspot.com), is the founder, editor and contributor to Tales2Inspire, an authors helping authors project to help aspiring writers on their paths to discovery. As such, she has now published twelve award winning Tales2Inspire® treasured anthologies of her contest winners' stories. Lois is a multi award winning author herself, whose work has been featured in the New York Times, Newsday, Long Island Press, Barnard Magazine, on Local Access TV and in live presentations in varied venues. As TheNewBookReview review coordinator, Lois serves as an outreach to help other authors brand themselves as authors of talent.

CLICK HERE to learn details about entering this Free contest

CLICK HERE to get a FREE Tales2Inspire Sampler book.

https://www.facebook.com/tales2inspire

#AuthorsHelpingAuthors associate here on the #SharingwithWriters Blog

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T/ ) of books for writers including "The Frugal Book Promoter" (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), and "The Frugal Editor" both offered in their third editions by Modern History Press. Others in that series are "How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically," and two booklets, both in their second editions also from Modern History Press. The booklets, "Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers" (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and "Great First Impression Book Proposals" (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. "The Frugal Editor "(https://tinyurl.com/TheFrugalEditor), was recently released in its third edition. It is the winningest book in this series for writers. Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is "A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques" (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at "The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor" (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow it to get news on her new releases directly from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.

Writing Success

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Cioffi) — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 16:48:00 +0000

Contributed by Karen Cioffi, Children's Writer

Writers has their own view of what Writing success is. Some writers may simply want to get a book or article published; others may want to be on the New York Times Best Sellers List; others may want to make a living writing; and others may be seeking wealth and fame. The key here is to dig down and really know what your perception of writing success is.

Once you are sure what you are aiming for, take the necessary steps to become the writing success you dream of. Sounds easy, right? Well, we all know it’s not; if it were, there would be no struggling writers.

The first problem we encounter is actually realizing how we perceive success or what we want from our writing efforts. According to Jack Canfield, co-creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul, the number one reason for being stuck and not realizing your potential or goals is the lack of clarity.

Step One: You Must Define Your Goals
It’s not sufficient to state you want to be a published writer; you need to proclaim the specifics. You want to be a self-help nonfiction author of published books and magazine articles, earning an income of $100,000 per year. You can even get much more specific than that—the more specific your goals and intentions are, the more likely you will attain them.

Step Two: Prepare a Plan
When you finally have a breakthrough and know exactly what you want from your writing efforts, you need to prepare a detailed plan. Your plan, just like your goals, needs to be very specific.

Think of a recipe: You plan on baking a cake, but you’ll need more than just the ingredients; you’ll need the exact amount of each ingredient, the proper procedure for mixing them together, the baking temperature, how long to bake it, how long to cool it before removing it from the pan . . . you get the idea.

Now you’re on your way. You have specific goals and a detailed plan, but you’re still not achieving success.

Step Three: Take Action
Think of the first two steps as the foundation of your house. To move forward toward success, you need to build the house. This takes action; it actually takes more than just action; it takes ongoing action and perseverance to carry you through to completion.

Step Four: Projection
You have the other steps down pat; now, picture yourself attaining your goals. According to motivational speakers, you will have a much greater chance of making it happen by projecting success. This step encompasses a number of strategies such as envisioning, projection, projection boards, and affirmations.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author, working ghostwriter, rewriter, and coach. If you'd like to learn more about writing for children or need help with your story, visit Writing for Children with Karen Cioffi.

You can check out Karen’s books HERE and her DIY webpage HERE.

Connect with Karen on SOCIAL MEDIA.

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Nina Amir’s Newest Book Might be The Most Important of This Decade-

noreply@blogger.com (Carolyn Howard-Johnson) — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 01:06:00 +0000

Dear Subscribers and Visitors:

I received a notice from Amazon that Amazon has Nina Amir’s newest book in release. I get them because I have followed her author profile on Amazon; they do this for all authors who appear on Amazon so this serves as kind of a tip for all my precious subscribers and visitors, for sure. But it’s also a recommendation for this book of hers which will also be included and recommended in the it my book “Word by Word” that will soon be released by Amazon, too. (If you’ve followed my profile there, you’ll be among the first to get that notice, too!).

Here is the quotation I used as a guide for the appendix and I hope you’ll take it to heart! I’m in the final stages of editing and indexing now so what you see here might be different than what’s in my book, but you are always welcome to quote me when I write something that will help anything I praise--I’m not all that eager to go viral with anything that isn’t positive. This one is a rave! I think most of you know that I am convinced that the voices of authors are needed now more than ever and after you’ve read this recommendation you’ll see that it is dedicated to encouraging authors to speak out and speak up!

“I have long admired Nina Amir’s advocacy for authors, and she’s back with a comprehensive writing guide for a book more in need now than ever before—this time for authors who seek to create change. When Change the World One Book at a Time becomes a bestseller, it might be the one book credited with the differences its readers create in individual lives, communities, organizations, and the world.”

~ Carolyn Howard-Johnson, fiction writer, poet, and author of her multi award-winning series of books for writers.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR OF THIS NEW RELEASE

Nina Amir is The Inspiration to Creation Coach:

With Nina you Achieve More Inspired Results

Author, Certified High Performance Coach, Transformational Coach

Reach her at: ninaamir.com

505-508-1025

Learn more about her books here: booksbyninaamir.com

Change the World One Book at a Time, Creative Visualization for Writers, The Author Training Manual, How to Blog a Book, and the Write Nonfiction NOW! series of guides.

Change the World One Book At a Time/

Make a Positive and Meaningful Difference With Your Words/

Amir.html

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Children's Story Writing: Plot and Arcs

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Cioffi) — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 09:46:00 +0000

Contributed by Karen Cioffi, Children's Writer

Lately, I've received a number of picture book manuscripts from potential clients who wanted quotes on editing.

Once I read over the stories, I quickly knew they weren't an editing project because there were no actual stories. They were a list of events or scenes.

It seems to be a common problem with new authors who don't take the time to learn the very basics of writing a story.

So, what exactly is a story and plot?

An article at The Write Practice uses a quote from E. M. Forster to explain the difference between story and plot: "The king died and then the queen died," is a story. "The king died, and then the queen died of grief" is a plot.

The story is the basic storyline. It's the overall description of the story.

In my chapter book, "Walking Through Walls," the storyline is that the protagonist wants to become rich and powerful, no matter what it takes.

The plot is in the details.

The plot of "Walking Through Walls" is that the protagonist wants to become rich and powerful, no matter what it takes, and he believes learning magic will get him there.

Another good example of story and plot is "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin.

The story: Within one hour, the protagonist thinks her husband died in a train crash. Having missed the train, he comes home, and the protagonist drops dead.

The plot: The protagonist thinks her husband died in a train crash. Having missed the train, he comes home, and the protagonist drops dead, but it's not from the shock of overwhelming joy.

Paints quite a different story, doesn't it?

Now, if you have a series of events: Pickles the dog plays with a cat, then plays with a frog, then plays with a goat, then plays with a pig, you don't have a story arc or character development.

I'll have clients ask why something like the above isn't a story. The dog is having lots of fun with different animals.

Well, if it was a concept book teaching about animals, then it could work.

But if it's to be a fiction story, it doesn't work. The reason is it lacks a story arc and a character arc.

The story arc is the path the overall story takes. Every character in the story goes on this journey. It's also called the narrative arc.

The character arc, on the other hand, is the path the protagonist takes.

Just like the story takes the reader on a journey, so does the protagonist.

The character arc is all about the protagonist. It's him confronting a conflict or challenge, his attempts to overcome it, and his ultimate success. Through this character journey, the protagonist grows in some way. She may gain knowledge, become confident, mature, rise to challenges, or grow in some other way. But it's essential there is growth, especially when writing for children.

So, going back to Pickles the dog, he has no conflict or challenge to overcome. He doesn't grow in any way.

And as for the Pickles story, it's flat. There's no arc.

Readers won't become invested in a series of events. They want to connect to the protagonist and root for him to overcome his obstacles. They want a full story arc and character arc.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author, ghostwriter, rewriter, and coach with over 400 clients worldwide. For more tips on writing for children or if you need help with your children’s story, please visit Karen Cioffi Writing for Children. While there, you can check out Karen’s books.

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A feature in the right column of this blog lets you subscribe to #SharingwithWriters so you don’t miss any of Karen’s posts on writing for children.

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THREE FREE HOLIDAY MEMOIRS STORIES YOU WILL NEVER FORGET

noreply@blogger.com (Lois W. Stern) — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 11:14:00 +0000

Dear Sharing with Writers Visitors and Subscribers:

Today’s guest post comes to you from my #SharingwithWriters associate who offers several free services to authors through my review blog, https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, with submission instructions in the round silver icons in the right column on the home page. Feel free to explore and get ready for 2026 by taking advantage of these contest winning memoirs (each a gem of inspiring true stories!) Any book in this series of anthologies makes a beautiful last-minute holiday gift, or a gift for the special people in your life any time of year. Since each book in this series is named for a different zodiac stone whose symbolic meaning forecasts the theme of the stories in that particular edition, once you know when the recipient was born, present them with that gem collection on their birthday. What a meaningful, thoughtful gift at less than the cost of a box of chocolates!

Today’s sample stories come to you as a gift from her. Please pass the link around and they will become (again!) a free gift to your friends.

Hugs and Happy Holidays to You All,

Carolyn

PS: Watch here for an invitation on this blog to contribute to Lois’s next anthology--again absolutely free plus several great value-added benefits for each and every entrant. ~ CHJ

THE LACE TABLECLOTH

Retold by Lois W. Stern

When a lace tablecloth, a pastor and an old woman come together at the very same moment in time, was it destiny or coincidence? Read this story to decide for yourself.

https://tales2inspire.com/inspiring-story-lace-tablecloth/

THE HANUKKAH BUNNY

by Mort Laitner

Mort captures the laugh-out-loud story of the little bunny enthralled by his backyard Chanukah lights so perfectly.

https://tales2inspire.com/hanukkah-bunny/

THE GIRL WHO LOVED CHRISTMAS

by Micki Peluso

A little girl, born two weeks before Christmas, leaves this Earth much too soon, but leaves family and friends with joyous memories to smile anew as each December rolls around.

https://tales2inspire.com/girl-loved-christmas/

MORE ABOUT TODAY’S GUESTBLOGGER AND GIFT-GIVER:

Lois W. Stern, the Book Review Coordinator for TNBR blog spot, is the creator of Tales2Inspire, an authors helping authors Free project to help aspiring writers on their paths to discovery. As such, she has now published twelve Tales2Inspire® treasured anthologies of her contest winners' stories. Lois is a multi award winning author whose work has been featured in the New York Times, Newsday, Long Island Press, Barnard Magazine, on Local Access TV and in live presentations in varied venues. As TheNewBookReview review coordinator, Lois serves as an outreach to help other authors brand themselves as authors of talent.

Get a FREE Tales2Inspire Sampler book at: www.tales2inspire.com/gifts

Visit her Tales2Inspire blog at: https://www.tales2inspire.com/blog

Visit her Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/tales2inspire

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“You hand out hope like it is candy in your pocket." ~The movie The Postman Kevin Costner.

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AN EASY PEASY WAY TO POST AMAZON REVIEWS

An Easy Peasy Way to Post Amazon Reviews

8. Next click on the "Write a Customer review” prompt in the oval bar and you’re good to go.

THINK YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO WRITE A REVIEW? CHECK OUT A FEW HINTS TO HELP YOU HERE.

Guestpost: Just Because I Find Both Solace and Gifts In Times of Grief

A Time to Grieve and a Time to WriteBy Dawn Colclasure

Are Secondary Characters Needed?

Submit Now So 2026 Can Be Your Book’s North Street Book Prize Winner...

Gallery of Our 2025 Winners

Prefer to enter by mail?

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Why Should You Edit Before Self-Publishing?

Carolyn Howard-Johnson Shares a Highly Effective Ads and Tells a Little PR Story, Too~

Geting More Recognition For Your Talents . . . For FREE

ENTER THIS NO FEE CONTEST

FROM TALES2INSPIRE®

Check out these value added features:

And did I mention that all of this is free?

So this is my invitation to you:

If you'd like to learn more about participating in the Tales2Inspire 2026 contest, just CLICK HERE (or copy and paste https:/www.tales2inspire.com/contest-2 into your browser), for all posted details.

Each Tales2Inspire winner gains another feather in their cap as an author of talent!

Four Ways to Publish - Which One’s For YOU?

Just Starting? Need to Brush Up for a New Project?

Using The Zodiac Gemstones as a Great Marketing Tool

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WinningWriters Announces New First-Ever Value: A FREE Copy of Grand Prize Winner--Limited Time

North Street Book Prize

Prefer to enter the North Street competition by mail?

Reaffirming Book Marketing’s Most Appreciated Gifts

The Six Major Story Elements

It’s Time! North Street Book Prize Welcomes New Category for Inspiration/Self-Help

Want to Sell More Books? Check Out This Tip From TNBR Associate, Lois W. Stern

The name of this game is SAFE, QUICK 'n EASY and FREE.

Writing Success

Nina Amir’s Newest Book Might be The Most Important of This Decade-

Children's Story Writing: Plot and Arcs

THREE FREE HOLIDAY MEMOIRS STORIES YOU WILL NEVER FORGET

“You hand out hope like it is candy in your pocket."
~The movie The Postman Kevin Costner.

THINK YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO WRITE A REVIEW?
CHECK OUT A FEW HINTS TO HELP YOU HERE.

A Time to Grieve and a Time to Write
By Dawn Colclasure