Posts by Kevin Osworth

Writing a book is tiresome, grueling work, full of revising, rewriting, and, sometimes, redoing completely. To write a book is no small feat: it takes constant patience, dedication, and passion. It can take weeks, months, or even years to finish your book. And once you’ve written that last sentence—once you’ve placed that long-awaited “The End”…

I have been told, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. What a challenging and almost an impossible request. We all do it on instinct, don’t we? A great book cover design gives a glimpse of what is to come. It is a representation of the content, the author, and foretells the experience that could…

So, you’ve come up with a great plot for a new short story or a terrific idea for a character or plot development in your novel. Your first instinct may be to sit down and start typing, but you might want to think twice.

Few people know how to write bestsellers better than Dean Koontz. One piece of advice he gives to up-and-coming novelists: don’t let outlines stifle your creativity. Although “nearly every new writer I know uses detailed outlines,” he says, “when I stopped relying on them, my work became less stiff, more organic, less predictable.” For some…

The introduction of e-readers and self-publishing outlets has kicked many authors into high gear. The self-publishing niche is experiencing unprecedented growth, offering writers an affordable outlet for getting their stories heard (or read) without having to jump through the hoops associated with traditional publishing. There’s no question that self-publishing can be the path toward a…

With e-books becoming more popular by the day, authors are taking publishing rights into their own hands. If you’re thinking about self-publishing, consider why it’s important to know which genres are most popular. What do readers want to see? How can you write a novel that reaches more people? Is your chosen genre exciting to…