Books

Publishing is no longer limited to traditional publishing houses. Today, aspiring authors are gaining an audience of readers by publishing their books online. Here's how you can publish your book...

Ebooks are increasingly popular. With the advent of the Kindle and other competing electronic media readers, more and more books are available in e-format. They are, however, far from perfect.

Some of the most powerful stories in literature and cinema have a surprising common element: The death of a main character. At first glance, this would seem to be an instant turnoff. Why hang with...

Electronic book readers are revolutionizing the reading experience. Their convenience is undeniable, as they can hold hundreds and thousands of digital books. They also offer many cool features to...

At some point, every writer will have to make a presentation of one type or another. Good speaking skills are a necessity whether you are presenting at a writer's circle, writing seminar, pitching...

Effective promotion is essential to the success of many authors, especially those whose books are self-published or published by smaller publishing companies. The internet allows authors to reach...

For a fiction book to be great, it must be believable and draw readers in. One of the most important ways for a book to accomplish this is for the characters to be real and believable. You must...

Twist is a popular girl's magazine with a target audience of tweens and young teens. The articles mostly focus on popular younger stars and include posters of the celebs. Its content also includes...

If you finished writing a book, getting it into the hands of your readers is very important if you want to make money from your self published book. The most powerful source you can use to market...

Whether you’re a New York Times’ bestseller, a new author or a self-published writer, bad reviews come with the territory. Here are six, easy steps to survive a negative review with your sanity...

Most people will have to write something at some point in their lives. Since the goal is to provide information in an understandable format, certain criteria need to be met. Even if you're not a...

An autobiography is a snapshot of your life and times that can be enjoyed by current and future members of your own family as well as by anyone looking for insights, inspiration or just an...

Zombies and monsters and ghosts---oh my! Scary tales shared around a campfire or read in bed on a dark and stormy night have the power to induce shivers that last long after the final page. Many...

Whether it's a dark and stormy night or a bright and sunny day, readers love to play armchair detective and follow a fictional hero's attempts to solve all manner of skullduggery. The secret of a...

A book club is a group of readers who meet to discuss books they have read. Book clubs for children are a way to interest them in reading while spending time with their peers. Book clubs can be...

Book cover design isn't something readers usually give thought to. Although a book's cover plays an important role in bringing readers to a book, most readers don't consciously realize this....

Don't despair if funds allocated to publishing your art book were cut, leaving you with only enough cash to produce the text sans accompanying drawings or photos. This article shares the secrets...

Writing can be fun and interesting, but sometimes you simply run blank on thoughts. Don't worry here is an easy way to think of a great topic for your short story!

In children's publishing, middle grade refers to readers between the ages of 8 and 12. To capture this audience, your novel should be fast-paced, action-packed and include plenty of dialogue. Gory...

Writing a great murder mystery sometimes takes more planning compared to other fiction genres. If done well, the process should be fun for you as an author, and the results will be entertaining...

Mr. Turtledove, as the author of two books (as of 2009), has done a lot of book signings. Here are his "do's and don'ts."

A pros and cons essay is an essay written informally that introduces a topic and describes the pros and cons of the subject of that topic. The topic or subject could be anything from owning a pet...

A book series is a collection of fiction novels based typically around a central character. The success of series books goes all the way back to the days of pulp fiction with the "Doc Savage" and...

When done well, plot twists can create unexpected surprises for readers and keep them engaged in a story that otherwise may seem predictable. In this article, I will give you tips in creating...

Many writers use actual towns and cities in their fiction, but there are some writers who opt to create their own towns and cities. Stephen King is known for the fictional Maine towns he creates...

Childhood is full of defining moments in development. Some of the most significant occurrences happen in the emotional and academic realms. Children begin to show signs of scholastic aptitude or...

"Sasquatch to Marry Britney Spears!" "Pregnant Woman Delivers 30 Pound Baby Hippo!" "New Evidence Reveals Eiffel Tower Was Built By Aliens!" No doubt you've stood in many a supermarket line...

Creating fictional worlds can be one of the most enjoyable parts of writing. Done most often in fantasy and science fiction genres, it is also necessary in mainstream fiction. Many writers...

A dictum of journalism is that there are no boring stories, only boring writers. With that in mind, everyone's life contains episodes and anecdotes that could add to a creative autobiography. The...

The best, most popular books have well-developed characters who experience a broad range of emotions. They make you feel what the character is feeling, which invests you in the outcome of the...

Book reviews are basically one person's thoughtful opinion about the books he or she has read. These opinions can be valuable for readers who have limited time, and want to carefully choose the...

A suspense novel often combines elements of different genres, but all suspense novels have one thing in common. A good suspense novel keeps readers wondering what will happen next. Michael...

An autobiography is the story of one's life told by that person from his or her viewpoint. Typically, an autobiography should only be written if there has been sufficient life lived to talk about,...

Fantasy books take us to other worlds and introduce us to people and places that exist, in most cases, only in the minds of the writers who create them. For this reason, the fantasy genre offers a...

A hook in a story is that scene that catches (or hooks) your readers' attention. The hook is an essential part of the story. We live in a fast-paced world where readers don't want to waste time on...

Mystery has always been a popular genre for novels. Many people love reading a good mystery and trying to solve the mystery before they reach the end of the book. Some writers have made a good...

The villain of any story is as critical as the hero is. Consequently, creating a well developed and believable antagonist is essential for crafting a tale worth reading. How does a writer...

Writing mystery for young readers isn't as simple as creating a puzzle and keeping a secret until the end of the story. Writing a mystery for young readers brings unique challenges to the genre....

Whether you're writing and illustrating a special story book just for your own children or grandchildren, or have plans to one day become a published author, there are a few basics you need to...

There are many different types of book clubs, but they all have the same goal: To read, discuss, and learn from a book. Some book clubs have themes: They only read mysteries, or romance novels....

When writing fiction, it is important to give your readers a feel for the characters. Rather than just describe your character, it is much better to let the reader discover the character through...

If you must write a bio, you first need to understand what one is. Writing a bio is not the same as writing a biography, or a profile. To write a bio is to create a unique type of information in...

The acknowledgments section in a book allows the author to communicate to friends, family members and colleagues who helped during the long writing process. An author can give her readers a...

The "How To" section of major bookstores like Borders and Barnes and Noble have expanded in recent years. How To series like "For Dummies" and "Complete Idiot's Guides" allow the average person to...

E-Books stands for electronic books. E-books represent an advance on the traditional printed book. Early e-books required specific readers such as Adobe or only featured specific texts formatted...

First you need to know what a reader is looking for in their fiction. The answers are many and they’re good to know when we’re writing our books. Some of the answers may not be ‘your thing’ as a...

Before the information highway, people would turn to the pages of their favorite magazines to stay abreast of what was going on in the world, or with their favorite celebrities. However, when...

The short story and the novel are both a form of narrative fiction, but they are quite different. However, they both focus on three points of emphasis: the theme of the narrative, the characters...

Have you ever wondered where magazines came from? What are the different types that you can read? Have you ever wondered how life would be without them? This article explores the history of...

The trickiest part of a story is the beginning. That’s where you hook in your readers and keep them wanting more. It’s important to write a beginning that will interest your readers...