Top 12 Southern Novels
Zora Neale Hurston. Harper Lee. Margaret Mitchell. They are three of my favorite novelists from the American South whose books are also set in the South.
3 Writing Lessons from “Catch-22” and “Slaughterhouse-Five”
I’ve always wanted to read Joseph Heller’s “Catch-22” and Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse-Five” for their popularity and critical acclaim. When I finally caught up with my to-be-read list, I read them both at the same time. They taught me three important lessons in writing.
Best-Selling Author Bret Lott Explains How Rejections Can Make or Break a Writer’s Career
I met Bret Lott, the best-selling author of Jewel, during my first ever fiction-writing workshop. I chose his class because I loved Jewel. Guess who else loved it? Oprah. Lott is the first best-selling author I’ve interacted with.
Authors Guild Conversation with Penguin Random House CEO: 5 Surprising Takeaways
In a recent online conversation with the Authors Guild, Markus Dohle, CEO of Penguin Random House, likened the publication of every book to launching a startup company, replete with risks and without guarantee of success. Here are some key takeaways from Dohle’s presentation, some of them quite surprising.
24 Books in 8 Years: Meet Prolific Genre Author Marie Lavender
Bookworms who like to spend time online are likely to encounter Marie Lavender’s name either as the author of 24 books in different genres or as the writer behind several popular blogs, including the top-ranked I Love Romance Blog.
Lisa Scottoline Inspires at Writer’s Digest Conference: “Protect Your Candle”
Good writing is hard and getting published is even harder. No one knows this better than best-selling author Lisa Scottoline who compared a struggling writer’s life to a weak candlelight. “Your work is your candle. Protect your candle,” she said at the recent Writer’s Digest Annual Conference.
Why Corporate America Frowns on These 13 Traits of Creative People
If you’re a writer or artist or scientist and you like working on your own, it could be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, independence is one of 13 traits of highly creative and productive people. On the other hand, employers will say you’re not a team player.
3 Reasons Why the Copyright Office’s Independence Matters to Authors
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a bill that would increase the autonomy and authority of the Copyright Office. Why is it important? If you’re a professional writer, here are three reasons why it matters.
The Easiest Way You Can Help Save the Future of Arts & Literature
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for Humanities (NEH), which provide much needed resources to low-income communities in all 50 states, face the danger of complete elimination. The Authors Guild is working with a host of literary and arts organizations to prevent the defunding of the two agencies. Support the guild’s initiative by signing a petition now. You don’t have to be a member to lend your name.
Author Richard Russo Calls Out Google for Justifying Theft as Public Service
When someone takes your car without your consent, it’s called theft. But when Google digitized millions of books without getting permission from their authors and without paying for copyrighted material, it’s called public service, according to Richard Russo, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “Empire Falls.”