Writing Lessons

​Losing some work due to a computer glitch is a frustrating moment. Losing your entire book is a crushing event. Okay it wasn't an entire...

​I work with writers all over the world to help them get their books written and then published. And what is the one thing that published...

​I work with writers all over the world to help them get their books written and then published. And what is the one thing that published...

​Starting a book? That is the (relatively) easy bit. Keeping going is a bit harder. Who wants to sit alone in front of a keyboard while...

​Starting a book? That is the (relatively) easy bit. Keeping going is a bit harder. Who wants to sit alone in front of a keyboard while...

One of the most common complaints I always hear from writers is that they can’t 'find the time' to write. They may start their books but...

​​I started the first writing course and agency ten years ago and focused only on novels. Almost all the writers who found me saw...

​I get asked this so often. There is only one answer to this question (in my view). YES of course you should plan a book! I believe in...

E​ver wonder how many books get sold in SA every year? What SA publishing looks like from the inside? How many books the average South...

When I started teaching writing over a decade ago I always used to tell writers NOT to write about themselves. This was in the interests...

Sending off a manuscript is terrifying. It is adrenalin inducing, heart-stopping stuff for any writer. But so many writers bail or fail...

Your book needs a theme. A theme is closely aligned to your plot and often the words are used interchangably. I see them as different...

So many writers get stuck at the very start. They simply cannot get off the starting block. Either they get stuck with the very idea of...

Are there... in fact, writing and marketing tips specific to YA fiction. The elements of what makes a great story are the same across...

Have you ever wondered how literary agents make money? Or how much commission a literary agent makes on the sale of a book or novel? The...

A query letter is pasted into the body of an email. It is the first thing an agent or publisher is going to see.  You are going to send...

In a non-fiction proposal you need to be specific. Who did you write this book for? Who is most likely to buy it, and why? ​​ When you...

How many copies do you think your book will sell? A publisher wants to know what your expected sales are. But how do you work that...

In a non-fiction proposal you need to be specific. Who did you write this book for? Who is most likely to buy it, and why? ​​ When you...

Sending off a manuscript is terrifying. It is adrenalin inducing, heart-stopping stuff for any writer. But so many writers bail or fail...