by Edie Melson @EdieMelson Over and over, I’ve been asked when a writer should get active on social media. And the answer surprises many. The truth is, you need to have a solid social media platform BEFORE you ever get published. If you wait until you get a contract, you're…

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Story Payoff is not a writer gripping the handle of a slot machine and hoping the reader gets it. That friends, would be a gamble. Who wants to risk their story, a work of the heart that has taken weeks, months, or years to create? The…

By Aaron Gansky @ADGansky Recently, I hit a bit of a writer’s block. This is not surprising for anyone who writes, but for whatever reason, I was shocked. I’d just finished up my young adult fantasy novel which, for the most part, told itself. But beginning a new project with…

By Debb Hackett @debb_hackett I’m not sure I can recall a time I’ve felt closer to broken. After I write this blog post, I need to finish my mom’s eulogy. It’s not my first time crafting such a tribute, I had this terrible privilege when my big brother and my…

by Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted There is something to be said about what we think about ourselves, not only as individuals but also as friends, family members, and writers. Integrity is a vital part of our individualism, and it’s a necessity in our career as a writer. Unfortunately, our industry is…

By W. Terry Whalin @terrywhalin When you boil it down to the basics, writers and editors are both seeking the same thing: excellent writing. For many years, I’ve been writing for magazines and I’m a former magazine editor. One of the publications (Decision) where I was Associate Editor reached 1.8 million…