Creative writing – Page 23

What do you think are the most popular genres?

Published on November 22, 2017November 28, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell7 Comments

Is your genre one of the top percenters?

I hadn’t given this much thought, until reading a great article on Medium by Erica Verrillo from the Writing Cooperative. And boy howdy, the stats were eye-opening. Erica gives stats on most popular genres with readers, agents and includes which genres make the most money.

What surprised me most?

Most books sold by genre…

#1 – Children’s Fiction sells more than three times the number of adult books.
#1 in sales – Children’s fiction
#2 – Adult General Fiction came is second in sales.

Agents most requested genre…

First Choice of Agents is NOT Children’s books, although these books are number one in sales.#1 – Request by agents is YA Fiction.
YA Fiction #1 requested
#10 – Last on the lists for Agent request is Women’s Fiction. I’d expected this to be higher.
Agents work on commission of 15%.

The genre that makes the most money…

#1 – Dollar maker is Romance and Erotica, this includes self-published romance.

#2 – Crime and Mystery novels
#3 – Inspirational and Religious books, (go figure.) This includes self-help books.
#4 – Fantasy and Science Fiction

Click and read Erica’s article to discover all the nitty-gritty details.

What are the most popular literary genres? By Erica Verrillo

Where did your genre fall?

Any surprises?

Will any of these stats change your approach to writing?

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Writers, look at the apps I found

Published on November 20, 2017November 20, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell4 Comments

Wow! I’ve found another list of apps to help us.

Last week I wrote a post with a lot of helpful apps for writers. Then today I read a terrific article with ten more. Of the ten, I’m familiar with just two!

That’s right eight new apps!

I don’t know about you, but I get excited when I learn about new tools that make my life easier. Whether it’s a light-weight vacuum, a new grill, a beautiful pen, or a new app for writers. Anything that helps my writing, keeps me organized, and on track, is alright with me.

Derek Haines from over at Just Publishing Advice gives us a list of his must-have apps.

The two I’ve used before…

Cliché Finder. Free and easy to use. Simply copy and paste.
Grammarly. Y’all know how much I love this one.

The apps from this list I’ve added to my writing aides file are…

Piktochart. This looks terrific for PowerPoint presentations, newsletters and graphs.
BibMe. I don’t do a lot of bibliographies, but you never know when I might.

Click on the link below and read Derek’s complete list!

Now tell me, which ones are new to you?

Did any of his app list look interesting?

Leave me a comment and share your picks.

Ten Must-Have Online Writing Tools For Writers By Derek Haines

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Writing and need help? Check out this terrific list

Published on November 17, 2017November 28, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell5 Comments

Thanks to Erica Verrillo over at Publishing… and Other Forms of Insanity, for providing us with such an extensive list of websites.

There is something here for every writer. There is information on queries, marketing, publishing as well as how to write a good book. So get ready because if you’re like me, down the rabbit hole, you’ll go, once you begin to click.

Which of the 27 websites is new to me?

Agent Query. Although I’m nowhere ready to send out queries, this will definitely go on my “hope to need” list.
Free Writing Events. Yay! Who doesn’t want to submit without the added cost of submission fees? Oh yeah, this one is a definite must-read.
The Grinder. Like Erica, I once used Durotrope until they became a paid service. I can’t wait to check out this one.
Jae Writer. Now this one sounds like the perfect website to learn more about the craft of writing. Count me as a new follower.
Manuscript Wish List (#MSWL). Whoa! What writer wouldn’t want to get inside the mind of agents and editors?
The Passive Voice. Again, a great blog to learn what agents think. Plus, a bit of legalese from an attorney.
Pub Crawl. Here you can find an insider’s perspective from authors and publishing professionals. Cool!
Savvy Writers. Almost a million followers! Doris-Maria Heilmann blogs cover everything you ever wanted to know about publishing your book.
Susan Dennard. Her blog is filled with writing and publishing resources for aspiring authors. Everything from story-telling to the finished book.
Women Writers, Women’s Books. All things about women authors. Well, I definitely qualify.
Writing Career. Provides places that actually pay writers. Alright!

Not bad! I’m familiar with 16 of the 27! Now I can’t wait to dive into the other 11 websites. I just love learning new stuff! Gonna be a busy weekend of reading. See you on the other side of that rabbit hole. LOL

Want to know more!

Click and read about all of the great links on Erica’s website.

27 Great Websites for Writers by Erica Verrillo

Did you discover a new website?

Are any of the 27 a favorite?

Do you use any of these websites? Which ones?

Leave me a comment. I can’t wait to read your thoughts or suggestions.

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Do you know the best app for writing?

Published on November 15, 2017November 13, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell21 Comments

Whether you are a planner or pantser, all writers need good tools of the trade.

Sometimes I get bogged down in trying new apps. I waste too much time learning the ins and outs of an app I hope will help, but often I’m disappointed. Not because the app doesn’t work, but because it doesn’t work for me.

So, instead of spinning your wheels, like a car stuck in a ditch, read reviews before you try a new writing app.

What writing apps do I use?

Scrivener
- I love this program now, but there was a big learning curve for me. And although I’ve gotten the gist of it now, I still learn something new almost every day.
Grammarly Premium
- This app is one of my favorites. The free app is good too, but I upgraded to premium because I love the extras. The app is easy, and the learning curve short. Oh, one other thing about this app. It automatically checks my posts and emails.
Ginger
- A free app, Ginger is easy to load and easy to use. You can listen to your story, the app also suggests rephrasing of sentences (you can accept or reject suggestions.)
Canva
- This is a terrific app to design covers, promo material, and illustrations for blog posts. Easy and quick to use.
Sumo Paint
- This cool app works similar to Adobe Photoshop. Not as complicated as Adobe, and for a simple layered design it’s perfect. There are a lot of Youtube videos to help on the learning curve. It can be used straight off the website, not requiring a download.
Paint.net
- I use this app for simple sizing and cropping of images/photos. Super easy, quick and free.

As with all writing apps, none are perfect. And at times they contradict each other. So always double-check any suggestions before you take them as gospel.

Now I’ve discovered a few more that sound interesting. Kathy Edens has some interesting apps that may help planners and pantsers alike.

Which apps do I plan on checking out next?

One Stop for Writers, by Writers Helping Writers
- This isn’t exactly new to me as I follow WHWs and love their Thesaurus books, but I haven’t used One Stop yet. Don’t know why but I’m checking it out now.
Pro Writing Aid
- I used this program a few years ago. The new and improved (since I used it) looks interesting, and a lot of writers seem to love it. So gotta go and see what all the hoopla is about.

To read more reviews about these apps, click and read Kathy Edens recommendations. She lists 9 apps for you to look at.