Want to Get Published? Read This.

By Laurence MacNaughton, @LMacNaughton

Part of The Writer's Life Series

JH: Writers write, but they also read. Laurence MacNaughton shares thoughts and tips on why reading is vital for writers. 

I’ve talked to dozens of best-selling authors about their early years, before they were published. And the similarities between them are striking.

On average, they wrote about half a dozen unpublished manuscripts before they sold a novel. (By the way, this is what I call the Myth of the First Novel. Because it's hardly ever the first novel they wrote. Just the first one to get published.)

Aside from cranking out thousands of pages of prose, there's one thing they all do furiously:

They read every day.

Why Writers Should Read

By Betsy D, @betsydornbusch

Part of the How They Do It Series

JH: One of the best ways for a writer to improve their writing is to read--even if we hardly ever have time for it in today's busy world. Betsy Dornbusch visits the lecture hall today to share some thoughts on writers, reading, and why it matters.

Betsy writes epic fantasy, and has dabbled in science fiction, thrillers, and erotica. Her short fiction has appeared in over a dozen magazines and anthologies, and she's the author of three novellas. Her first fantasy novel came out in 2012 and her latest trilogy, Books Of The Seven Eyes, wraps up with Enemy in 2017. Silver Scar, a standalone future fantasy thriller, also drops in 2017.

In her free time, she herds her teenagers (like cats, only they talk back), snowboards, air jams at punk rock concerts, and follows Denver sports teams. She's just a quick Google away by her name or Sex Scenes at Starbucks.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Take it away Betsy...

What Have You Read Lately?

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

As writers, we often spend so much time writing we forget to stop and enjoy the reading side of things. Summer is a great time to sit back and find some new books, and maybe even try a genre or author you've never read before. Expand your reading horizons a little!

I invite you to share your recent reads and even give a shout out to some of your favorite books if you'd like.

Here are some great books I've read recently: