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Matthew Bayan
Jul 26, 20221 min read
Writers! Use Facebook's Algorithms To Promote Your Work.
Here's a nifty article on how not to fight Facebook's restrictions, but to work with them. https://www.biz.me/articles/6-facebook-hacks-t...
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Matthew Bayan
Oct 20, 20202 min read
Inject Suspense into Your Writing
I just watched THE INVISIBLE MAN on HBO. Not the original with Claude Rains, but the 2020 release. I didn’t have high expectations. Was I...
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Matthew Bayan
Aug 16, 20208 min read
7 Things That Will Doom Your Novel (& How to Avoid Them)
Here's a great article from James Scott Bell with which every writer needs to do a self-check. 7 Things That Will Doom Your Novel (& How...
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Matthew Bayan
Aug 9, 20203 min read
ANALYZING A MANUSCRIPT
_____________________________________________________________ A great way to get and give feedback is to form what I call a Jump Start...
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by Matthew Bayan
Jul 29, 20192 min read
Tough to find writing time?
Today, a bestselling writer friend and I were discussing the recent disaster in my life. No, nobody died, though I don’t preclude the...
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by Matthew Bayan
Nov 25, 20183 min read
How To Describe Without Describing
As an editor, one of my pet peeves is the writer who thinks he needs to put every last detail on paper. It might be a place or a person....
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by Matthew Bayan
Sep 1, 20182 min read
Avoid Ho-Hum Dialogue - Flip the Script
AVOID HO-HUM DIALOGUE - FLIP THE SCRIPT While doing research, I came across a story I think can be very helpful in writing dialogue....
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by Matthew Bayan
Aug 6, 20181 min read
How to Write a Book Pitch that gets Noticed - Not ignored.
Here's an excellent eye-opener on how to go about pitching your book from Lee Constantine, CMO of Publishizer.com....
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by Matthew Bayan
Jul 26, 20182 min read
RUN AWAY FROM QUERYING IN AUGUST!!
RUN AWAY FROM QUERYING IN AUGUST!! Here’s why. All the big publishers and many of the medium publishers are headquartered in New York...
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by Matthew Bayan
Jun 24, 20183 min read
So You're at This Writing Conference and an Agent Wants To Talk To You...
How many times have you been told to develop an elevator pitch? A couple fast lines to capsulize your manuscript? So, you spend days,...
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by Matthew Bayan
Jun 8, 20182 min read
BLURB GOOD BLURBS
Q: What’s a blurb? A: It’s a short explanation of the plot and characters of your novel, designed to hook the interest of an agent, an...
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by Matthew Bayan
Apr 29, 20182 min read
How Strong Does Your Villain Need To Be?
An effective way to match your villain to your hero is to create an asymmetrical relationship between their strengths and weaknesses....
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by Matthew Bayan
Apr 21, 20181 min read
Holy Moly, Batman! Writers Bewair, Bewear, Beware. The problems of their, there, and they're.
OK, by popular demand, here's the skinny on how to get this straight. THERE is an indication of a place: Put the basket there. Go over...
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by Matthew Bayan
Apr 11, 20184 min read
Marketing for Writers 102
Last month I explained push/pull marketing and promised to get back with more information on “pull” marketing, which can best be...
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by Matthew Bayan
Mar 8, 20182 min read
SHOW vs TELL - How much detail is enough?
I want to talk about a coincidence that brought into focus an issue near and dear: showing vs. telling and how much detail is enough....
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by Matthew Bayan
Mar 3, 20183 min read
MARKETING FOR WRITERS 101
Marketing for Writers 101 When most writers use the term “marketing” they really mean “selling.” The two are worlds apart. What is...
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by Matthew Bayan
Jan 3, 20182 min read
WHO IS YOUR MAIN CHARACTER?
WHO IS YOUR MAIN CHARACTER? When you start a manuscript, you might only have a gut feel for the broad strokes of your main character. But...
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by Matthew Bayan
Dec 24, 20172 min read
SOPHIE'S CHOICE FOR WRITERS
SOPHIE’S CHOICE FOR WRITERS I think it would be helpful to contrast two key elements of a story: setting and immediate scene. I’ve talked...
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by Matthew Bayan
Dec 24, 20172 min read
GET READY! BEST TIME TO QUERY IS NOW!
Merry Christmas! A once-in-a-year opportunity for writers is here. Let me explain. Busy buying last-minute gifts? Cooking holiday meals?...
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by Matthew Bayan
Nov 12, 20171 min read
8 Novel Writing Tips From Successful Authors
I like to pass along writing articles that catch my fancy. Here are some helpful comments, especially the one from JoJo Moyes. Click here>...
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