By Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted Sitting on the cusp of a new book release, the reality of good book reviews weighs heavy. The natural questions of acceptance raise our worry level just a smidge. Will readers like the book? Will they even post a review? What about the hate reviews? I've…

By Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted As a conference director, I receive a lot of requests to serve as faculty at our conference. Selecting teachers is always a tough job, one I dread passionately. Throughout the year, I meet hundreds of writers who have fabulous “presence” but don’t have an excellent command…

By Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted We work hard on our manuscripts, and when we finally turn them into our publisher, most of us imagine the work will be perfect – or pretty close to perfect. A few weeks later, reality hits. The editor has learned to practice the cookie method –…

By Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted You signed on the dotted line. It’s your first contract with a traditional publisher, and you’re beaming. This is one of the most exciting moments for a debut author – signing that first contract. You’ve waited for this moment. Savor it. [tweet_box design="default" float="none" inject="#writingcommunity #BRMCWC…

By Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted Advice is like a spring rainstorm. Sometimes it just keeps pouring until you’re flooded. This is especially true for the writer when they attend a writing conference. Folks willingly share more information than most of us want or can absorb to help us along in our careers.…

By Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted We have chickens. They've been a real source of enjoyment for our family, and each chicken is lovingly named. There's Lovie, Sassy, Lucy, and Mae. Though we refer to them collectively as "the girls," we aren't sure if Lucy is a rooster or a hen. When…