When writers say someone has “voice,” what does that mean? As a concept, voice can be hard to describe, but we know when we read it. Voice is that thing that sets you apart, that makes your writing identifiably yours. More than a tone or an approach that permeates the…

A litmag editor shares how he chooses stories for Pushcart, Best Small Fictions, Best Microfiction & Best of the Net Unless they’re Lauren Groff or Joyce Carol Oates, short story writers tend not to receive lots of fanfare. Publication is often a triumph itself, with some literary journals accepting only…

From Bookstagram to Launch Parties, What Did and Didn’t Work for YA Author Caroline Schley — Caroline Schley’s debut novel THE WEIGHT OF THE SKY was a #1 best seller in the Amazon store at launch, but it’s a triumph that didn’t come easy. Like most self-published authors, Caroline had to manage promotion on her own. As the young adult title turns two months old, she…

The first time I saw a copy of Writers’ Market, I was 16 years old. For those who weren’t writing before the creation of Submission Grinder, Duotrope, and similar sites, the book basically was a print version of those: a collection of listings with contact names, addresses, and guidelines for…

In the 1940’s, Ray Bradbury was able to financially support himself and his family by writing one short story a week, selling them to magazines that paid cash for first publication rights. While the science fiction community today generally pays $.08 a word or higher, most non-genre writers are used…

For One Translation Provider, Brexit and Covid Meant the End of the Physical Office Forever Before the covid-19 pandemic, 78 to 83 percent of people who worked for language services providers (LSP’s) worldwide reported into a physical office, according to Common Sense Advisory. But last March, everything changed. On Friday…

Creative writing lessons from Charles Dickens — From foreshadowing to characterization, Charles Dickens was master of many a literary technique — so much so that his Great Expectations is taught as an exemplar in high schools across the country. As writers, though, it isn’t enough to simply understand what these devices are. We have to recognize them…