Author Interview - Phil Nadeau

Author Interview - Phil Nadeau of “The Unlikeliness of it All”

I had the pleasure of working with Phil Nadeau who has just published his first book: “The Unlikeliness of it All, Part 1: An Insider's Perspective: A Small Maine Town's History of Resilience, Transformation, Collaboration, Immigration, and its Global Singularity.”  

It was my privilege to edit this manuscript, helping it take its final form. It’s a really unique and insightful book, spanning almost 200 years of Maine history, and offers a really interesting perspective on the issue of immigration, as well as a behind-the-scenes view of the inner workings of city governance and how major shifts come to pass.

Jules Fox (JF): Phil, thank you for taking the time to stop by my blog. As a first-time author, how much time do you estimate that it took you to complete this manuscript? (Full disclosure, the book covers a lot of history and weighs in at about 170k words – none of them wasted).

Phil Nadeau (PN): I was fortunate to have written on the subject before, and that provided me a head start on the research for the book. Between March 2020 and March 2021, effectively the first year of the pandemic, there were very few days where I did not work on the book (as a retiree, I was also blessed to have this unanticipated surge of available time during three different shelter-in-place episodes during the pandemic). I was either doing research, interviewing, writing, editing or doing the administrative work that was required. In my case, much of the administrative work required attending to all who were interviewed who needed to sign a release form. I conducted over 30 interviews. I made the mistake of not requiring that they sign the form before the interview and did my share of chasing people down for the release form (I will not make that mistake again). I also needed to obtain copyright permissions from many newspapers, magazines, journals, books and websites. In many instances, this also required securing the permission of both the author and the publisher. There was also work associated with being a first-time user of Amazon’s KDP service and IngramSpark (for my hardcover) and the work that you and I did to get the formatting of the manuscript and cover correct for printing. In total, I would estimate that I worked on average approximately 5 to 7 hours per day for an average of about 6 days per week for a year. That would put the number of hours invested at no less than 2000 hours.

JF: What are some of the holdups or speedbumps that you weren’t expecting when you first started out the monumental process of authoring a book?

PN: I thought I had done a fair amount of research on what to expect as a first-time author and self-publisher. I’m glad that I “lived” the experience as it is difficult to capture in one short answer, but I will try. Amazon KDP, it turns out, is actually not all that difficult to use. It requires that you set aside any anxiety that you have about navigating unfamiliar software and understand that KDP will help you navigate the process of setting up your book. Two very basic things are helpful to know in advance: Your manuscript drives everything else involved in the self-publishing process. Also, plan what you want for a cover. If pictures are involved, ensure that you own the rights to the picture and that there are no legal issues associated with it (example: a picture you took of someone will still require their permission for a commercially published book and your picture will need to be a high-resolution picture suitable for printing). Your manuscript will control how to size your Amazon print “paperback” cover (in my case it was a 6 X 9 softcover book—Amazon does not print hardcovers... yet) and if you decide to print a hardcover book, the same will dictate what you do with a company like IngramSpark (more on that later). If you do an eBook, and you should (at a minimum, both an eBook and a print book) your manuscript is simply a normally set up Word document using standard margins, line spacing, 12 font, and a simple font such as Times Roman. KDP likes it simple (things like add space or section breaks but not lots of unnecessary shift or tab spaces). There are videos available on KDP to guide you through the process for the eBook and for the print book. Ensure that you are using the templates that are available for the print book size that you are looking for. 6 X 9 is considered “standard” so you want to start out with the KDP 6 X 9 template (unless you want something else). It will pay to do a bit of research in advance (the number of pages will impact your “gutter” adjustment---KDP will explain what it is and why it is important for a print book). Lastly, a great cover will help with sales. A small investment with someone who has expertise in that field will help. So will an editor who can provide you with another set of eyes. How much you want to spend will depend on how much work you want them to do.

JF: Do you have any tips for aspiring authors?

PN: It would never be so bold as to offer anyone “tips” on writing fiction. That’s an entirely different skill set when it comes to writing and what sells. Also, there are a large number of videos that provide instruction on what sells and how to make writing profitable. Please do the research. Bottom line, if you are writing for yourself and not preoccupied with doing it often, it will be easier to just do what is most available to you—Facebook, creating a large email list, sending out press releases to local and state newspapers, starting a blog, etc. Also, if you are interested in dealing with both KDP and IngramSpark (for your hardcover), you will be prohibited by IngramSpark to register for KDPs “Select” program as it will conflict with IngramSpark’s worldwide distribution of your book (again, do the research and go to IngramSpark’s website for more info).

When it comes to non-fiction, there are two basic approaches that the author would need to choose: one that elects to provide specific attribution for its sources through footnotes or endnotes, and one that will provide attribution through the story and/or the acknowledgment section of the book if it is required (a first-hand accounting of an event or experience may simply require a disclaimer that the entire book is based on something such as recorded interviews with the subject of the book). Once the election is made, how the narrative is structured will also dictate how it is written. In my case, it was a narrative history of my hometown. I elected to import many personal stories that were weaved into some of the city’s most notable historic moments. Some involved members of my family, and some of them were my own personal experiences. It becomes a stylistic question for the author and nothing more. In my case, I was writing a book both to ensure that my book is considered as a serious accounting of the city’s history, and a way to preserve some of my own family history (my father was involved in city government and much of the information was unknown or forgotten before my book was written).

JF: What’s the main reason you think someone should read this book?

PN: Much of my research on writing this book was riddled with warnings about the profitability of writing non-fiction history books. History books typically do not make money unless the story they are telling is a compelling, character-driven story with historical importance. One example of that is Mark Bowden’s book “Black Hawk Down.” Bowden’s book turned what initially appeared as a story about a small, military operation in East Africa into a global success both as a book and a film. There are elements of my book that are, I believe, compelling because it does include character-driven and historically accurate stories (this book is not an Oliver Stone “JFK” movie with unsubstantiated theories). Yes, there are some facts, numbers, and details that may not be of interest to every reader, but much of the city’s history is provided so that the reader understands how this small Maine town suddenly found itself in the national spotlight with a new Somali refugee population and a white supremacist group that both generated global interest in our small city. The story of how the city responded is directly tied to the people who were front and center and were part of the city’s response. Hopefully, that is where the prior history of the city will enable the reader to understand the dynamics of what transpired during the years of the Somali arrivals in 2001 and 2002. That is also why this book is now part of a series. There is more to tell about how a heightened sense of community engagement is now driving much of what the city is doing to improve the lives of all its residents today.

JF: What was your process like in working with an editor?

PN: It begins with doing your research on what kind of editor you are looking for. A site like “Upwork” guides you on how to submit your job posting and what it is that you are seeking for assistance. That then generates proposals which you get to review. Through that process, you will learn about the kind of experience each of the respondents brings to your project. Then Upwork will also guide you through the contract process with your editor (if that is what you are looking for—it could also be something else like marketing): Do you want to set a fixed price for your project or simply have them pay by the hour. I was fortunate to find someone that I immediately connected with. I set a fixed price that he agreed to along with a timeline. In speaking with Jules, I learned that he would give me the flexibility of time as I was still wrapping up my draft manuscript. The process involved swapping a number of drafts that we either discussed through the Upwork message center or through phone calls. That relationship remained in place until I submitted the final documents for my hardcover book in April (that also included a second contract for the hardcover manuscript that was not part of the first contract). Bottom line, spend some time on how the respondents can meet your needs and your budget.

JF: I love the cover design – it’s really striking. How did you go about choosing the right cover for this work?

PN: I had been looking at numerous pictures for months as I tried to develop an idea of what might work for the book. Most of the pictures involved long shots of people walking in our downtown or in the park. When I learned that it was possible that people who could be identified in those images could require me to seek their permission to use their image, I elected to start searching for urban landscape shots of the city. I was working with two local photographers who connected me with a number of their high-resolution pictures that could work for the cover and was also searching internet sites that had images that could be sold with the requisite commercial licensing (like iStock photos owned by Getty images). KDP has some info on quality specifications that are required for a cover photo. I settled on a photo for the front cover that was both a great night shot, met the requisite picture specs, and really did showcase the downtown area and the newly renovated mill structures. I then used a local photographer’s drone shot for the back cover which provided the reader another perspective of the mill on the front cover. All of the advance research work helped me to visualize what would finally work in the end but it was my editor’s suggestion to put “something” on the back cover that triggered the idea that made it all work together.

JF: Would you like to give us one juice detail that readers can find in the book?

PN: It is likely the relationship that began between me and one of the major characters in the book Mayor Larry Raymond. Though we knew each other, we never had a personal relationship. Larry’s first meeting behind closed doors with the city council resulted in he and I exchanging words about his violation of our state’s “sunshine” law. The statute required that any business conducted behind closed doors by the city council be declared publicly before it is discussed. That episode between us set the stage for another moment in which he wrote his infamous “letter” to the Somali refugee community nine months after our verbal exchange. This letter produced a national and international news media and public reaction, a letter that the mayor asked me to review and edit if needed. Not something I expected him to do given what happened months earlier. In the end, he accepted two paragraphs that I believe were included in the final letter. This was not something I shared with many people until the publication of the book. He decided to have the letter delivered to Somali leaders and to the local newspaper. I shared in the book that our disagreement months earlier had influenced how I might have handled his desire to write the letter and to make it public. I had never shared that fact or my involvement with editing the letter publicly before this book. A copy of the letter can be found through the link in the endnotes.

JF: Thank you so much for your time, Phil! I’m already looking forward to “The Unlikeliness of it All, Part 2!”

You can get the book “The Unlikeliness of it All, Part 1” on Amazon (affiliate link). It’s a very detailed and interesting read.

Our featured guest Phil Nadeau has been featured in the Dominic Pulera book Sharing the Dream, interviewed by authors Elizabeth Strout, Cynthia Anderson, Amy Bass, and by Heather McGhee for her new book “The Sum of Us.” He also has been interviewed by the national and international news media; has spoken nationally; has been published by the Southern Maine Review and the National Civic League; and was a contributing essayist in the book “Somalis in Maine: Crossing Cultural Currents.” Phil can be contacted at phil@philnadeau.com if you have any questions or comments.

Jules Fox is a proud Amazon Associate member. Many links in this post are affiliate links.

7 STRATEGIES TO SHUT DOWN YOUR INNER CRITIC SO YOU CAN WRITE YOUR BOOK

The One Person Stopping You From Writing A Novel

There’s a gatekeeper – someone in charge of your writing process – that’s holding you back, telling you that you’re never going to finish your book, and even if you do it won’t be good. No matter how hard you work, they’ve got some new reason you should just quit, give up on your writing hobby, and focus on something else.

Isn’t that terrible? But the worst part is: that person is you.

The one person constantly criticizing your story, nagging you to give up, and telling you that your dream isn’t good enough is you. While it may be a relief to find out that all you have to do to get that person to shut up and let you keep writing is to stop yourself from tearing down your own process, it’s easier said than done.

How To Shut Up Your Inner Critic So You Can Write Your Book

It’s really hard to change a bad habit, especially when it comes to being critical of yourself. And the act of really critiquing your own behaviors and habits serves a very good purpose – it can allow you to reflect on yourself and become a better, more productive person.

Here are seven healthy habits you can adopt, which can prevent self-sabotage. It starts with being proactive about your mental space, but includes some real-life tips on how to politely address a stubborn inner critic that’s preventing you from writing.

1.     Set realistic goals for what you’re able to achieve. Then congratulate yourself on making good on your word as you finish those small goals. If something is too daunting, break it down into smaller parts (see my post on micro goals). Instead of saying, “Today, I will write my book,” which you know is impossible, you can say, “Today, I am going to list ten unique quirks for my main character, and write a 500 word description.”

2.     Start writing! Get the words out of your head, and start writing. If you begin with a description of what you want to write, that will kick off the process of actually writing your book. Anything that helps you actually write down any element of your story, and take it from your head to the screen, or paper, is another step toward completion.

3.     Don’t Compare yourself to other writers. Your rough draft is never going to be as good as their completed, edited, polished book. It’s the same as looking at someone’s highlight reel on their social media, and thinking that your life isn’t nearly as interesting as all your friends. Comparison is the thief of joy.

4.     Revisit and revise your goals. You can’t know what your future self is, or is not capable of. But you can look at your progress and see if you’re setting goals that are too easy, or unachievable. Go back and edit your goals, so you can set new ones. Set stretch goals in case you crush your easy goals early, and set fallback goals if you set a challenging goal for yourself.

5.     Write about stuff you love! Your motivation to finish what you write will dwindle if you don’t love writing it. If you’re not enjoying the process, and writing is tedious, it could be because you don’t like what you’re writing. That doesn’t mean it’s bad writing, but if you don’t like writing it, who is going to like reading it? If you can evaluate your interest level before you take on a massive project, this one key factor will keep you writing when you want to quit.

6.     Treat yourself well. Your mind is deeply tied in to the physical function of your body, including diet, and exercise. Don’t forget to take writing breaks to go move around, it could lead to some really good ideas. And if you’re tempted to reach for junk foods for a quick fix, it might give you a quick rush of energy, but will ultimately make you lethargic, and unproductive. Plan your meals like you plot your book for maximum effectiveness. Try to make some good foods in advance, so when you need to eat, you won’t spend a lot of creative time cooking – or use it as a break for your eyes, fingers and back.

7.     Edit afterwards. If you go into your draft knowing that you will set aside time when you’re done to make edits, then you can just keep cranking out words without wondering if they are cohesive. To stop myself from self-editing, or getting distracted, I will write something like: [INSERT CLEVER JOKE HERE], or [RESEARCH THE HISTORY OF HOW RICE GROWS AND FACT CHECK]. It helps me easily find places I will need to edit when I come back, and more importantly it allows me to just keep writing in the moment, without opening Google and getting lost down some online rabbit hole.

If all else fails, then stop writing. Just take a break, walk away from the page, and go do something else. When your head is clear, come back to it from a new perspective.

Were these tips useful? We would love to hear from you, so drop us a comment below about how YOU keep your inner critic at bay.

***Any links on this page are products or services I am proudly affiliated with, because they really offer you something of value!***

Write Your Book In 5 Minutes A Day Using Micro Goals

Turn Your Big, Lofty Goals Into Small, Doable Micro Goals

I dream big.

Sometimes I can see people enjoying my books, laughing, and sharing how amazing it is, before I’ve even written the first word.

So then when it’s time for me to sit down and write the book, it’s intimidating thinking about everything. I’m picturing the editing process, the cover, the marketing, the emails, building my author platform, pitching an agent, and going to a book signing – when what I really need to be doing is writing the first word, the first sentence, the first paragraph.

Does that sound like you?

I did something today that really helped me out. I have about 20 REALLY GOOD ideas for books, and they’re all in various stages of completion. That doesn’t even include my document with hundreds of snippets of concepts, titles, and genre books I would love to write.

It’s too much.

So I chose my three favorite ideas, and then thought to myself, what can I start working on specifically? I can’t just ‘work on my book,’ I need to dig deeper and work on one element of the process. That way, I can realistically get something done on it every day. So here’s what I came up with:

Break Up Your Big Project Into Tiny, Easy Steps

I chose my three best book projects which are not related. That way I can work on all three of them simultaneously without taking my time away from the other ones. If I get stuck on one project I can keep working on the others.

Then I tried to break the next steps of what I was able to do for each book into different activities that would take anywhere from five to fifteen minutes. Here’s what I did:

1.     My YA fiction novel reboot of “Treasure Island”

I finished writing this book two years ago, and have been editing and re-writing since then. I’ve had feedback from a few agents, and am still editing.

Micro Goals added:

+ Find one agent that represents this type of book
+ Craft a pitch letter to one agent, and send it
+ Re-read one chapter, and copy-edit with Track Changes
+ Research Similar Books
+ Read one chapter of a similar book

2.     A non-fiction series with an epic marketing strategy

I came up with an incredible marketing strategy, and concept for a series of non-fiction books which are in my field of post-graduate work. My big problem has been that I’ve researched the books, and just need to write them now.

Micro Goals added:

+ Break the books into smaller sections
+ Work on one page from one section
+ Add one element to the outline of the books
+ Draw one picture to add into one section of the books
+ Add five people to a list of people I will directly market the book to

3.     Dark the Shark, a children’s picture book that I’ve written and illustrated.

I came up with the idea three years ago, and jotted down a few rough notes, for fun. Then I decided to write the story, and pushed on to illustrate the entire thing. Now that it’s outlined, I know I need to add color and decide if I want to crowd source this book, self-publish, or pitch to an agent.

Micro Goals added:

+ Color one page of the book.
+ Take one colored page and use it to pitch one agent.
+ Ask one other writer to read my 400 word story
+ Check out one similar book at the library for inspiration
+ Read that book to my daughter
+ Go through and edit the book again

Ultimately, these small steps will get me closer to the goal of finishing each project. The best part is, I can do one of these small steps for one of my projects every day, no matter how busy it gets. And if I have time, I can go through a number of micro goals, and feel very accomplished.

As I achieve these goals, I feel more inspired, and more able to achieve even more. When some of the goals are checked off, I discover where I can add more.

How Can Micro Goals Work For You?

Okay, now it’s your turn. How can you break your book up into micro goals, so that you can actively work on it every day, no matter how strapped you are for time?

Try to clearly define each small doable step, and make sure you congratulate yourself for taking one small step closer to finishing your work!

Did this blog post help you? Share what micro goals you’re working on today!

***Any links on this page are products or services I am proudly affiliated with, because they really offer you something of value!***

Agent Interview - Hope Bolinger of Cyle Young Literary Elite

What Do Real Literary Agents Want From Your Query Letter?

For authors who want to be traditionally published, the first gatekeeper into the industry is to find an agent. Their job is to read your query letter where you pitch your book, see if your manuscript is a good fit for them, and then if they like it, and choose to represent you, they will start to pitch your book to publishing companies.

If you’re curious about how to perfect your own pitch, and get some insider secrets into what an agent is looking for, then read on! Hope Bolinger, a literary agent at C.Y.L.E. goes into more depth here on agents, and queries. Hope is also a published author, and you can check out her latest book “Blaze,” right here.

Jules: What do you look for in a query letter?

Hope: I’m really looking for a great idea. I like something that no one has ever thought before, or a book that bends the rules just a bit. We’re also looking for platform. Is the author regularly engaging on social media, does she like to speak at events, etc.? We want to know they can do more than just write a great story.

Jules: What kinds of pitches have stood out for you?  

Hope: I’ll give an example of ones that have stood out in bad ways and one that was good.

Bad: I’ve had someone tell me I looked like the main character of a steamy romance novel. It was uncomfortable to read that content knowing that, and then hard to shake it out of my head.

Another Bad One: I had considered taking a deeper look into a book until one of the other agents at our agency gave me a look of horror, and said, “He’s been harassing me for months, on every social media platform, asking about updates for his manuscript.” I turned it down. People in this industry talk, so make sure to put your best foot forward.

Good: I had this positive delight of a human being send me a manuscript that was insanely different than anything I’ve read. It’s a mixture between Frozen and Doctor Who. Although I wasn’t sure where I could place it on the market, I’d already fallen in love with the main character based on the query, and writing sample alone. And the author was just the nicest human you’d ever meet, so she’s my client now.  

 
Jules: What would a query need to make you want to take on a new writer?

Hope: I would say the idea just has to be very high-concept. Think, what would other authors wish, ten years down the road, they’d also written? We are really looking for that platform. I hate that we have to look for it, but some publishers won’t even look at a book if you aren’t on social media.

Jules: What are some common mistakes you see in queries?

Hope: There are lots of query mistakes. Here are some big red flags:

• “My book is going to be a blockbuster hit.” If it does become that, awesome. But that’s not realistic.

• “My book is the next Harry Potter.” No, it’s not, and besides, you don’t want it to be. A book that is a second-best something will never be a first-best anything.

• “Spelling errors!”

• “I stalked you and will now like every single social media post you’ve ever posted since 2016.” Doing research on an agent is great, but stalking is not acceptable.

• The story is too vague. There’s not enough of a twist to stand out.

• The story seems to be coming out of left field. I’m not entirely sure what the market is for android erotica, but I don’t take it on.

• The author clearly didn’t read the genres that the agent represents.
  

Jules: What's one simple pitch fix that can make a query stand out?

Hope: Have a friend, or two, or ten, look over the query. Ask them to point out what makes them excited to read on, and what parts seem to lose their interest.

One cool way to practice this is by participating in a Twitter pitch party. You can see if agents and publishers, in real time, are interested in your pitch, or if you need to refine it a little.

Jules: If someone does land an agent, what's the proper etiquette as far as celebration, communication, etc.? 

Hope: As soon as the contract is signed, you can post about it on social media, etc. Communication varies by agent. I try to keep in contact once a month to see how they’re doing, even if they aren’t working on a project. Some agents can take up to six months to check in. It varies. I would say, don’t message them on Facebook or other social platforms every day, or at weird hours. It’s like a professional boss-client relationship. We have families, and can’t be on the clock 24/7.

If you want to submit a query, hop on over to my website (hopebolinger.com) and peruse the Instructions tab.

Hope Bolinger of C.Y.L.E. Show your support by checking out her new book “Blaze" available now!

About the Agent: Hope Bolinger is a literary agent at C.Y.L.E. and a recent graduate of Taylor University's professional writing program. More than 300 of her works have been featured in various publications ranging from Writer's Digest to Keys for Kids. She has worked for various publishing companies, magazines, newspapers, and literary agencies and has edited the work of authors such as Jerry B. Jenkins and Michelle Medlock Adams. Her column "Hope's Hacks," tips and tricks to avoid writer's block, reaches 2,700+ readers weekly and is featured monthly on Cyle Young's blog, which receives 63,000+ monthly hits. She is excited that her modern-day Daniel "Blaze" just released with IlluminateYA (an imprint of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas). She enjoys all things theater, cats, and fire. You can find more about her at www.hopebolinger.com

***Any links on this page are products or services I am proudly affiliated with, because they really offer you something of value!***

THE 9 BEST BOOKS FOR ASPIRING WRITERS, 2019

Are You Ready to Write The Next Blockbuster Bestselling Book?

The best way to get better at writing is actually sitting down and writing. Unfortunately, most of us get stuck because we have a flurry of inspiration, followed by a long dry spell, or writer’s block.

Sound like you? I have good news. You can sit down and read about writing to shake it off, and get back to work. It can make your writing process easier, smoother, more simple, and with less roadblocks. But as always, I recommend action over consumption. Read some, then write some. Every day.

These books will make you a better writer, if you also do the exercises the authors recommend. There’s no guarantee that you will be a New York Times Bestseller, but you will end up better than you started.

Here is a list of the nine best books on writing, and how they can help you in all your writing efforts. It includes both the best of all time, and some recent updates from 2019 that are absolutely essential to the health of your writing.

1.  WRITE TO MARKET: Deliver a Book that Sells, by Chris Fox

How it can help you: I recommend you read this book (multiple times) before you even start writing your book.  The exercises at the end of each chapter will show you how to pick a genre that you love, that has an eager audience waiting to buy your book!

Most first time authors write the story they love, without asking anyone, or doing any research to see if there’s already an audience built in for stories like that. If you only want to write a book for yourself, that’s totally acceptable. But if you want people to buy your book, and read it, then make sure you know what markets already exist before you try to reinvent the wheel… or the book in this case.

2. 2K TO 10K: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love, by Rachel Aaron

How it can help you: This is NOT a manual on how to type faster; it’s a blueprint on how to set yourself up for success with some tried and true techniques by an award winning, bestselling author who actually writes over 10,000 words per day!

Part guide on cutting out distractions, part guide on setting up your story so it writes itself, and part inspirational book about only writing what you love (since that’s the stuff your audience wants to read), this has a lot of really good advice for planning a successful writing career. Full disclosure, I personally write much faster after reading this and implementing the techniques, but as a part-time writer I still can’t do 10k per day.

3. KEEP GOING: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad, by Austin Kleon

How it can help you: I fell in love with Austin Kleon’s tiny little bite-sized books back when he released his NYT Bestseller “Steal Like An Artist.” This new addition to the 2-minute read series is a great motivator, and inspiration finder when you just don’t feel like writing, and when you do.

This book is perfect for taking a brief time out, finding some gold, and getting right back into your own writing. It also has a message you will hear from every professional author, which is: don’t forget to be human. Sitting down and writing is great, but you can’t write from experience if you don’t have any experience. So get out there and explore the world, and then come back and write about it.

4. THE 15-MINUTE WRITER: How To Write Your Book In Only 15 Minutes A Day, by Jennifer Blanchard

How it can help you: This book is a really quick read, with the main premise that you can get a book written if you invest only 15 minutes per day. Just committing, and sitting down to write for 15 minutes will both consistently create more content for your book, but also allow you to have a short, achievable goal that you know you can accomplish.

Once you have actually sat down for 15 minutes to write, you will often go for a longer stretch. This is a great book if you’re busy, have family duties, other full time work, procrastinate, or just can’t seem to find the time to write. Since I fit into all those categories, this book really helped me commit to my writing and build it into my life as an engrained habit, without sacrificing my success or time with my family, or at work.

5. ON WRITING, by Stephen King

How it can help you: Both a memoir of one of the most successful authors of all time, as well as a motivational guide for readers, this book will help you become a better writer. Stephen King reveals how he’s been able to crank out multiple bestselling books every year, and how you can learn to incorporate the habits, and writing strategies into your life, as well.

This book is very honest, and makes no guarantees about your own success. But it does reveal the secrets of a very successful writer, who also has time for his family (and isn’t nearly as quirky, or weird as you would think, if you’ve read his work!)

6. YOU ARE A WRITER (So Start Acting Like One), by Jeff Goins

How it can help you: This is good inspiration for any writer, especially for anyone who intends to crank out a full-length novel, which takes a lot of dedication, and persistence. This is partly about your journey from being obsolete, to finding what you have to say and writing it down.

If you’re going from wanting to be a writer to actually being a writer, this is a good source of tips, and tactics on betting on yourself, staying motivated, building an author platform, and branding yourself. While it’s intended for freelance and blog writers, the motivational aspect applies to all novelists, PLUS once you find out that writing means having to market your work as well, you will discover you need these side skills to help sell your books.

7. THE AUTHOR STARTUP: A Radical Approach To Rapidly Writing and Self-Publishing Your Book On Amazon, by Ray Brehm

How it can help you: Most of us get caught up in making our book perfect, and spend years (literally) mulling over trivial details that most readers don’t care about. This book has an action plan inside that you can follow to get maximum results for minimum effort.

It’s not about shortcuts, this is about how you can work a lot less by working on the right things. It’s especially good for people who intend to practice a strategy known as ‘rapid release,’ where you invest a lot of time writing quickly, and releasing books back to back to build momentum.

8. HOW TO SELF-PROMOTE (without being a jerk), by Bruce Kasanoff

How it can help you: A perfect resource for authors who are reluctant to market themselves, and also for authors who are marketing themselves poorly by spamming audiences who aren’t interested.

This book will teach you how to be more genuine in your marketing efforts. The major takeaways are that you are here to be of service to people, not to shout at them and demand they buy your book. Also of note is that you can start marketing yourself, and your work before you even publish! So even if you’re still writing your first book, then this is a good one for right now.

9. STORY: Style, Structure, Substance, and the Principles of Screenwriting, by Robert McKee

How it can help you: Your readers also watch movies, so more and more they expect the books they read to follow the same act structure, contain the same character arcs, and have the gripping tension and quick cutaways from scene to scene that a movie would have. This book teachers you to make your writing cinematic.

If you want your book to read like a movie, then “Story” is an absolute must for your library. As a bonus, if your book is already written like a movie, it’s more likely to become a movie when it sells like gangbusters.

There Are Plenty More Great Books Out There

Note that this partial book list is designed for authors intending to write novels, including: Young Adult, middle grade, thrillers, fantasy, epic adventures, romance, and all sorts of fun stuff like that. But every one of these books would work well for non-fiction, screenwriting, playwriting, or even just writing up a blog post.

This list is not complete, and I hope to post up a follow up soon with even more great books for writers!

Did I Miss Anything?

I read about 150 books per year (1/3 of that I listen to on audible, to be fair,) so if you have a great recommendation, please leave it below in the comments! Also include how the book helped you in your writing journey.

***Any links on this page are products or services I am proudly affiliated with, because they really offer you something of value!***

Writing About Writing - A Blog For Writers and Readers Of Writers' Writing. (Bonus illustrating posts too.)

Another Blog On Writing! Hooray!

If you’re a writer in search of some inspiration, and you’re clicking aimlessly around the internet to read stuff about writing, even though you know deep down you should actually just be writing right now, then you have hit paydirt! I won’t waste your time rehashing anything, I will offer insight on all things writing related, and hopefully you will come away with more knowledge after you read my posts. But seriously, you do need to get back to writing after you read this.

If you’re a reader and you want to laugh about the plight of authors, or you’re related to someone, or a friend of someone afflicted with the writing condition (my deepest condolences), then you might find some stuff here. Please poke around and enjoy.

If you’re an illustrator, or drawing, or coloring enthusiast, I will also be posting up articles and blog posts about art, both mine and art in general.

You’re welcome to follow my successes and failures as an author, and illustrator. I will tell it like it is. If you have any questions, or want to hear an article about something, please reach out to me at jules@julesfoxstories.com

I’m often available to hire, and possibly available to collaborate.

Who am I?

My name is Jules Fox, and I’ve always wanted to be an author. I started self-publishing at age 7 with the book “Where Does the Elephant Go When It Rains?” I’ve since self-published 10 of my own books on Amazon, and helped many others self-publish their work, as well.

I’m currently shopping a few completed manuscripts with agents, and my intention is to become a hybrid author that both traditionally publishes with major publishing houses, as well as a self-published author. I am writing, and illustrating in the following genres:

Young Adult: I love to tell fantasy/adventure stories. My manuscript I’ve completed in this genre is Treasure Island - Terror in Thailand, which is basically a major overhaul of the original Treasure Island story, with social justice themes, set along the East coast of modern Thailand.

Middle Grade: I have an adventure story about a group of middle graders who sneak into the building next door to find out more about a big seed chemical company that is constructing an armada of poison sprays next to their organic farm school. The kids are caught in a predicament when a hurricane hits, and threatens to unleash all the toxic chemicals into the fragile Hawaii ecosystem.

Coloring Books: I’ve started my line of coloring books with the Unicorn Coloring Book, Draw Your Own Adventure where you get to choose the words and story path, and then illustrate yourself, and My First Coloring Book: Numbers, which is aimed at young audiences and has the numbers 1-20 in English, Chinese, French, and Spanish. Up next is a Mermaid Coloring Book, and then Dinosaurs, Robots, Dragons, and all the good stuff that kids love.

Picture Books: I’m just adding color to a completed book called “Dark the Shark: They Can’t All Be Great Whites” which is about an Orca who thinks he is a great white shark, and feels bullied by the other Great Whites. Strong social justice themes meet cute orcas, sharks, and an octopus.

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey! I’m so appreciative for all of you authors, artists, and readers out there.

I proudly have affiliate links in my blog posts, which are either my own work, or work that I strongly believe is a game changer, and recommend because I use it myself. I could never have achieved the success I have so far without great products designed to build us our artistic communities of all types.