by Bethany Jett, @BetJett Do I need an agent? If a publisher is interested in my work, can't I craft the deal myself? What can agent really do to help me? If I represent myself, don't I keep all of my royalties? At some point in our writing careers, we have…

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson This week we're adding a new column to our Blue Ridge Blog, Social Media, Marketing & Branding—A Writer’s Map to Navigate the New World of Publishing [tweet_box design="default" float="none" inject="- @EdieMelson on @BRMCWC #write"]Social Media, Marketing & Branding—The ABCs of #SocialMedia[/tweet_box] Social Media doesn’t have to be…

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Our mothers are notorious for passing out advice about life. Sometimes their guidelines are appreciated and sometimes not so much. The older we grow, the smarter our mothers become. Quotes from mothers play an inspiring role in the lives of writers. “My mother had a great…

by Alycia W. Morales     @AlyciaMorales Self-editing can be an overwhelming task, especially if you don't know what to look for. Below is an ABC list of self-editing issues. It is by no means all-inclusive, but it will give you a great jumpstart for improving your manuscript. Adverbs: Actually, a lot…

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson There are certain things that writers learn as they gain more experience in the industry. These lessons serve us well when the going gets tough. One of the reasons is that we learn them by attending the school of hard knocks. But I’m a big believer…

by Bethany Jett, @betjett We’ve come to the last post in How to Get an Editor to Say Yes. We could fill a volume of books with editing tips and tricks, but today we’re going to focus on how to submit an article or story to an editor, for this is where…