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. …

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. …