Paperback pre-orders are up on Amazon (with others following soon) amazon.com/Win-End-Mart... eBook preorders are still not on Amazon, but can be found on others. books2read.com/u/4NOq2x

eBook preorders are now going up at retailers everywhere! Paperback preorders should show up soon! (The exception is the 'Zon. They may or may not put up preorders. If not, the book will be available on Oct. 1st when the pre-orders release.) books2read.com/u/4NOq2x

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: Don't get overwhelmed by those who say you have to put out a new book every 2 weeks. Don't beleive those who say you can't write more than 1 book a year and have it be good. They may be playing a different game than you are.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: Everyone has a different idea of success. If all you want is a published short story or paperback, that's great. If you want to make a living at writing, that's great too. Don't let others' expectations ruin what you want for you.

Imagine how many more would have sold if it had appeared on that bestseller list...

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: When I was a kid, I was taught to "put a comma wherever you pause when speaking." That is wrong. If you don't know when to correctly use a comma, you owe it to yourself to look into it. Commas should add clarity, not confusion.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: When I started writing, I foolishly kept trying to figure page layout and how many words on a page and and and... None of that matters until publication. But if you HAVE to know, @draft2digital.bsky.social's free online converters can help.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: When you go into public as a writer, like a book signing or a convention, you need to consider your "brand," or how people will think of you and how you look and act. It's not just cool clothes. It's whether you're nice or an ass.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: I was once embarrassed, when asked what reference book I use most often, to answer, "the one I wrote." But that is where I put all the things I can't remember. You should make your own reference list and keep it where you write.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: When new authors fall in love with their characters, they tend to lose sight of the story and the writing becomes a rambling soap opera that never goes anywhere. Readers don't want that, until, you know, after the last Harry Potter.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: A hook is the super interesting thing in the first sentence(s) that gets a reader interested. Don't start with a character waking up, looking in a mirror, doing morning routine, or "it was just a dream." You'll lose the reader.

@AuthorSamKnight's #writingtips for new authors: A vignette is basically descriptive writing, about someone or someplace, wherein nothing really happens. If you write a beautiful story but nothing happens, it's hard to sell. Make sure something happens in your story.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: There are multiple types of editors, some don't actually edit. Most do more than one kind. Proofreader, acquisitions ed, content ed, developmental ed, copy ed, line ed, and more. Before you hire someone, know what they do/don't do.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: In 1st person POV, it makes no sense for your character/narrator to tell the reader what they couldn't see unless the story is told in past tense. "I walked down the hall, never seeing the hand that tried to grab me but missed."

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: Peeked Peaked Piqued Rain Reign Rein Confused Bemused Nonplussed Sheer Shear Sight Site Pour Pore Past Passed If you have the slighted doubt in the differences in these words, you owe it to yourself, and your readers to learn them.

Particular Passages 2, 3, and 4 are all on sale at Amazon for cheaper than we can get copies for ourselves to resell. The best part is, if you order one of these, the authors will receive full royalties, as Amazon is doing this sale on their own. amzn.to/47rrjg7

@samknight.bsky.social 's #writingtips for new authors: So people think the overuse of the em dash means an AI wrote the story and it's bad. Let that sink in next time you use an em dash. I'm not saying you shouldn't, but I am saying you shouldn't overuse it—or anything for that matter.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: Sometimes we are afraid to write something because of what other people will think, do, or say. That's what a pen name is for. And that thing is not always erotica. Sometimes it's the truth. Also, pen names are a pain.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: Writing may be a fun hobby for you, or maybe a side gig, but the people you submit stories and proposals to have devoted themselves. If you aren't professional when dealing with editors and publishers, they won't be interested.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: If you self-publish, there is a ton to learn. Not just formatting and setting the book live, but how to actually sell a book. An estimated 11,000 eBooks are published daily on Amazon alone. Be prepared to go down the rabbit hole.

@samknight.bsky.social s #writingtips for new authors: Make a habit of saving files and backing them up. I know an author who lost their laptop and multiple full, unpublished novels with it. Personally, I cloud backup AND save a new file with date and version # each time I work on it.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: Some authors make up stories on the spot with a prompt. Other authors outline and think about their story for years. Both are valid paths. Don't compare yourself negatively to others. Just write your story. You can do it.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: A malapropism is when someone mistakenly uses a word with a similar sound to another word. Such as eggcorn for acorn. Don't feel like a fool when someone calls you out on it. Look them up. Here is a link: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eggcorn

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: There's a reason passive voice exists. There is a time and a place for it. Don't make the mistake of removing all instances of the passive voice because you were told it was bad. Your writing will get weird. And bad. By zombies.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: If all of your sentences start with a proper name (Joe) or a pronoun (he), then all of your sentences likely have the same structure, the same rhythm, and the same tempo, which means they are repetitive and hard to keep reading.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: "Autonomous body parts/things" is a problem some readers can't stand and others don't notice. They can ruin a story. His eyes followed her down the street. Her sword lashed out. Their feet ran up the street. His fist shook angrily.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: You know how you buy a new video game and you're really excited but then never finish it because the next new game comes out? Writing is like that with each new story idea. But if you don't finish, you never get published.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: Writing is an artform. You get better with practice and with reading what other people wrote. You imitate what you like and what works and you practice not doing things you see that you don't like and that don't work.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: One run-on sentence, one comma splice, one sentence fragment, can be a stylistic choice, can affect the "feel" of your story. A bunch of them just makes your story unreadable. Don't make your "writing style" out of crap writing.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: How many words did you write today? A questions authors hear all the time. Or, more often, someone talking about how many they wrote. We all move at our own pace. Don't stress it. The only really important part is that you write.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: It's easy to end up in a "bubble" when writing. Like social media. You can end up in a feedback room, a sounding board area, where everyone says/thinks the same things about writing and marketing you do. That's never a good idea.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: The only time any of my stories have been called unrealistic was when they contained verifiable historical facts. And the factual parts were called unrealistic. This has happened more than once. Make of that what you will.

@samknight.bsky.social 's #writingtips for new authors: I'm not saying everything is a scam, but if someone you don't know reaches out to you with interest in your book, it's 99% likely it's a scam. Sorry. Make sure you REALLY look into anyone who approaches you.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: Do you know what kerning is? Which fonts are best for publication? Proper gutter size? Is 1" an acceptable margin? What is trim size or "perfect bound?" It doesn't matter. None of it does if you don't finish your story. Go write.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: There is no such thing as a "poor man's copyright." Also, yes, your copyright is automatic as soon as you write something, but if you don't register it, you can't sue for infringement in US courts, so it's like you don't have one

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: Over choreographing action can make a story unreadable. Yes, John Wick is cool, but nobody can stomach reading about every single motion. Just give the reader what they need and let them fill in the blanks with their imagination.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: You can learn how to tell a good story from TV and still not be able to write well. There is a difference between good writing and a good story. You need both. Spend time reading to learn what works and what doesn't.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: You CAN try to force your writing style on people. You can also alienate 99% of readers. That's your choice. Make sure you have beta readers. If 90% of them hate that you misuse the word "literally," then maybe you should fix that.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: The title of your title is important. You can use it to set or subvert expectations. It is a hook. It can be silly or serious, but it is an ad for your story. Don't waste your chance on something nonsense or irrelevant.

So, get this. Amazon is selling this for $3.24. Since they are doing the sale, our authors still get full royalties. Our minimum list price to be able to distribute the book (no profit) is $11.24. At $17.99, our earnings (to be shared 20+ ways) is $3.03. Maths hurts. Go buy one. amzn.to/45cKSHq

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: Some differences are subtle or nonexistent. Farther further. Blonde blond. Toward towards. Gray grey. While we can argue what is correct, an important thing is to be consistent. Don't flip back and forth hoping some will be right.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: Teach, don't preach. All stories are about learning and growing, or it's not a story. But the more you preach a moral or show "the right thing to do," the less enjoyable the story is. Let readers learn by example instead of lecture

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: There are a ton of trite, redundant phrases. Watch for them. Thought to himself. Sat down. Kneel down. Rise up. Climb up. Looked around himself. Chewed as he ate. Sighed as he breathed. Just stood there. Collaborated together.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: There are usually reasons for what publishers put in their submission guidelines, so follow them. At the very minimum, they are there to see if you are going to follow directions or be a problem to work with. Don't be a problem.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: Tom Swifties are a type of joke based on dialog tags. "I might as well be dead," Tom croaked. They can be fun but may ruin your story if you do it unintentionally. Be aware of your verb and adverb dialog tags or don't use them.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: The difference between the almost right word and the right word is the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning. The difference between finishing a story and never finishing because you need the right word is bigger.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: "I don't have time to write" is often not true. Did you watch Netflix? Doomscroll social media? Organize a bookshelf? Sit in a waiting room for 20 min? Then you had time to write. You just chose to spend it doing something else.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: It's okay to plot in advance. It's okay to make it up as you go. It's okay to plot and then change it. Whatever works for you is the right way to write. What's not okay is to not go back and edit, revise, and fix the story after.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: Writing into the void is not the way to go. Please go to local conventions/conferences/library writing groups and meet other authors. Not just for your career, but for your mental health. There really is no substitute for people.

@samknight.bsky.social's #writingtips for new authors: Vocabulary matters. For example, if your character is a 4th century monk and they use the term "laser focused," it will ruin the story for a lot of readers. Be cognizant of anachronistic (wrong time period) terms.