Holidays Around the World: Diwali, Festival of Lights
Diwali Day is the first of a five-day festival of lights celebrated by Hindus around the world. The holiday observes […]
In Memoriam
I never met General Colin Powell. But I experienced his support for me personally one day in January of 2001, […]
Holidays Around the World: Leif Erikson Day
Leif Erikson Day has been observed in the United States on October 9 every year since 1964. The date is […]
Holidays Around the World: Mexico’s Independence Day
In the US, or at least in the parts of the US I lived before moving to San Diego—the East […]
Long Sentence, II
In tenth grade, my English teacher handed out a standardized test of punctuation that included an item I argued could […]
Holidays Around the Country: US Coast Guard Day
This post breaks with the theme of international holidays, but it is in line with the theme of little known […]
Long Sentences
One of the best ways I’ve found to figure out where commas belong, don’t belong, or are optional is to […]
I want to be a writer. Where do I start? Redux
Here’s the post that started this series, with content for each question, a starting point to review all the content. […]
#16 Do others consider you an expert on the topic for your nonfiction book?
Yes. Your recognition as an expert may make publishing through a traditional publisher possible. One disincentive for this route is […]
#15 Do you have a marketing plan for the continued promotion of the book?
Yes. Congratulations. Follow your plan. Adapt it where necessary. You might think you are done, but you should write another […]
#14 Has the book been published?
Yes. Continue to #15. No. Continue working with your agent, publisher, and publicist or do you own research, to learn […]
#13 Do you have a marketing plan for the lead up to the launch of your book?
Yes. Continue to #14. No. Consider hiring a publicist or learning more about what is required for a book launch […]
#12 Has your agent sold the publishing rights for your book?
Yes. Continue to #13. No. Depending on how much time your agent has had to sell the rights to your […]
#11 Do you have an agent?
Yes. Continue with #12. No. You can reach out to publishers and editors without an agent, but you must do […]
#10 Do you know what indie authors must do for themselves?
Yes. Continue with #11. No. An indie author must be prepared to handle the following or to hire someone to […]
#9 Do you want to publish your book through a traditional publisher?
Yes. First, realize that you probably need an agent. Check out to #11. Then consider the length of time it […]
Sandra Yeaman 