Welcome to the February 10, 2014 edition of tips and tricks for writers and authors. We’ve got posts on writing, self-publishing, social media, and book marketing this issue, and we hope you find some useful ideas! Thank you to all of the contributors.

Book Marketing

Sarah Bolme presents The Thumbnail Rule posted at Marketing Christian Books, saying, “What works for a good book cover? Find out.”

Self-Publishing

Erica Verrillo presents 9 Sites Where You Can Get Fabulous Free Photos posted at Publishing … and Other Forms of Insanity, saying, “If you are designing a cover for your book, there is nothing that attracts readers more than a fetching image. Eye-catching images not only draw the reader’s attention, they establish a mood, set a tone, and express what you can’t say in words. A great image will also inspire a reader to linger, and to want to learn more about you and what you have written. Here are my favorite sites for finding fabulous free photos.”

Social Media

Jon Rhodes presents Guest Blogging after Google declared it “dead” posted at Affiliate Help!, saying, “Google have recently declared guest posting for SEO “dead.” By making these minor tweaks to your strategy, you can actually benefit more than ever.”

Writing

Chrys Fey presents Writing About: A Character with a Disease or Disability posted at Write With Fey, saying, “When you have to write about a character with a disease or disability, there is a lot you have to know and cover in your story. Here is a list of tips that can help you to write about a character with a disease/disability.”

David Leonhardt presents How much should you plan your plot? posted at Always Write, saying, “Fiction writers need to plan their plots. They need to be organized. But should they also allow their characters and the plot to develop on their own?”

C. A. Brown presents “One Old Rule For Beginning A Story” posted at PekoeBlaze – the official blog, saying, “This is a rather informal, and fairly basic, article I wrote last April about how to write a good beginning for your story. Although it begins with the “one rule” mentioned in the title, it later goes on to describe the three elements (mystery, comedy and/or action) that should be included in the opening sentences of a story.”

Stefanie presents All The Necessary Steps To Write A Book posted at The Write One Blog, saying, “This article provides all the necessary steps to write a book and bring your idea to fruition. Remove the guess work and learn the steps to write a book!”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of tips and tricks for writers and authors using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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