Once you start writing, it doesn’t take long before you hear the advice to “write tight.” To the veteran authors who tell this to new authors it makes perfect sense, but sometimes it confuses new authors. After all, isn’t the idea to wow readers with your brilliant word usage? Actually, that isn’t the idea. Author’s […]
Is Your Manuscript Ready For Publication?
One of my favorite parts of being the editorial director at Castle Gate Press is the sense of hope that fills me every time I open an e-mail with a submission. Each one brings the possibility of a great story, memorable characters, and plot twists I won’t see coming. I almost hold my breath as I […]
Use Critique Groups to Help You Polish Your Manuscript
You’ve probably heard the expression that it’s all about the writing. It’s true. You could have the most fantastic premise, fabulous plot twists, and a great line-up of characters, but if your writing is full of grammatical mistakes, POV slips, and telling instead of showing, the rejection letters are still going to pile up. I’ve […]
Advice for the New Author
1) Learn, learn, learn about writing. (Kim Kouski) 2) Listen to what others say about your writing. There’s always someone out there who’s better than you, and they might have the perfect advice for making your story shine (Kim Kouski) 3) Join a writers’ group (Ellen Parker) 4) Join a critique group (Suzanne Hartmann) 5) […]
Author Resources – Best Writing Advice
We Want Your Input At Castle Gate Press, we want to work with and encourage not only our own authors, but all authors. One of the ways we would like to do this is by offering great resources on everything from brainstorming story ideas to sample proposals to marketing ideas. The internet offers a vast […]
Proposals Part 4 – Author Biography
The purpose of the author bio is to showcase your writing experience and show that you’re serious about your writing career. The biographical section of the proposal should include your: Publishing History – Mention the title of any books you’ve published, the year it was published, the name of the publisher, and any awards the […]