Articles written by Patrika Vaughn

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About me - Patrika Vaughn

A recent survey showed that 80% of Americans want to write a book.
Are you one of them?
I'll help you make it happen - whether you're a professional who needs a book to add credibility to your practice, someone who wants to write your own life story or your

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Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips What to do when your story writing idea isn't working: 1 of 6

Wondering why editors and publishers are saying no? Discover the seven writing problems that keep books from being publishable in the diagnostic tape, Why Your Writing Isn't Working and What to Do About It. Once you've identified your writing problem, move on to a week long seminar-in-a-box, The Writer's Tool Box, which cove...
Arts & Humanities > Business of Writing (Other) Book promotions: Selling your book after it's published: 1 of 5

First, a book has to be correctly published. If your publishing through a credible publisher, the publisher should take care of some of this (but be aware: not all!) .If you self publish, get some expert help. If you don’t meet all the industry requirements you won’t get reviews or get into bookstores. But maybe ...
Computers & Technology > Internet Tips Creating a writer's website: 2 of 5

I spent the entire month of August last year restructuring our web site. As a result, sales have tripled — not an easy thing to achieve in our highly competitive field. Let me explain: www.acappela.com is a site of resources and services for writers. As you know, there are probably thousands of such sites up, ranging f...
Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips What you need to know before you write a book: 3 of 7

Writing a book is a lot like getting married. It is intensely personal, it calls for a big commitment, and it requires a sustained effort. And like marriage, it carries no guarantee of success. Books and marriages often fail for the same reasons. The most common reason is that the writer doesn't know enough about the four es...
Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips Publishing your first book: 8 of 16

Ever wonder how a writer becomes a published author? Or how a book makes it to the top? You see the same authors over and over on Best Seller lists. They're not necessarily the best writers: their success has more to do with today's publishing realities. Publishing is a whole new ball game today and the old rules don't apply...
Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips Preparation for writing fiction: 5 of 9

Preparing To Write Chapter 1 BEFORE YOU WRITE Writing a book is a lot like getting married. It is intensely personal, it calls for a big commitment, and it requires a sustained effort. And like marriage, it carries no guarantee of success. Books and marriages often fail for the same reasons. The most common reason is that th...
Arts & Humanities > Marketing & Selling Writing How to self-publish in 5 easy steps: 3 of 5

I'm often asked by authors whether they should seek publication with a major publishing house or self-publish. Given the industry changes over the past 20 years, I almost always recommend self-publishing. Here’s why: 1) SAVE TIME. Most commercial publishers work on an 18-24 month production cycle. Sel...
Arts & Humanities > Marketing & Selling Writing How to publish best-selling books: 3 of 5

WILL YOUR BOOK SELL? The Kindly, Caring Literary Agent is probably extinct.Today's agents are more likely to treat you like a paychecks than like the sensitive creative person you are. You won't get your hand held when you're blue. You won't have your manuscript lovingly edited. Even worse than this cold, business-like treat...
Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips Writing tips: Things to consider before you begin writing: 3 of 5

You hold in your mind an entire tale. Millions of facts and details sit there, waiting to be written down. You want to share all this with your readers, who know absolutely nothing about your tale before they begin to read. What do you tell them first? How can you introduce them to all you have to say in a way that will grab...
Computers & Technology > Web Design Creating your own website: 18 of 20

I spent the entire month of August last year restructuring our web site. As a result, sales have tripled not an easy thing to achieve in our highly competitive field. Let me explain: Our website is a site of resources and services for writers. As you know, there are probably thousands of such sites up, ranging from such bigg...