Rob Parnell's Writing Academy Blog

Dear Fellow Writer, This week I've just updated my novel description on Amazon: I read somewhere recently that having a longer blurb on your Amazon book page can help. The rationale is that more words means more 'keywords' that help Amazon's algorithm robots place your book alongside others that are in the same genre (and are already selling well). Plus, of course, the longer the blurb, the more chance people may feel compelled to read your book! Check it out for me . The Easy Way to Write: Survey Results Rob Parnell   Running a survey is always an interesting exercise. I don't do them very often. I think I've done three in the last ten years. I guess it's easier to bury your head in the sand sometimes than find out what's really going on! The first question was "Do you think the Easy Way to Write is a good resource for

Dear Fellow Writer,   I think I finally understand. Remember I said I was at a publishing conference recently where all the major publishers said that crime fiction was the next big thing? All the big publishing houses were saying (with uncanny confidence) they predicted the demand for fantasy would subside in favor of a upswing in interest in crime thrillers. At the time I just took this curious stance at face value.  Didn't really question the logic. Just assumed these publishers had their finger on the pulse. But now that JK Rowling has just been outed as the true author of the Robert Galbraith crime novel,   The Cuckoo's Calling , it all makes sense... Who else but Joanne could possibly start a tsunami of interest in the crime fiction genre? For many years, publishers have tried to tap into what is known in the trade as "The Emergent Reader" - a nice way of referring to people who don

Do you look at all the other bloggers, writers and artists online and wonder, how on earth can I compete? It's hard not to. It seems every other writer is so much further ahead. They have over a 100 products. Or they have some mega bestseller under their belt. Or they already have legions of fans. And then there are the others - the ones that your pretty sure aren't doing so well but they've got the whole self promotion thing sussed. They spam people every day. They offer free samples of their books, or they're actively seeking out opportunities, they get interviewed, they blog - the whole caboodle. And then there's you and me - sitting at home, writing - wondering where the bus left from - and why were we late getting on it? I was listening to the radio this morning and the DJ asked a musician how his band could possibly top their last album. How do you go about that, the DJ wanted to know. "You don't," said the m

Dear Fellow Writer, Happy 4th of July! We often like to believe that the Net is home to everybody out there. We think that the web reflects all of our realities... But, when you begin to rely on cyberspace to jump-start your writing career, it's worth remembering that not everyone uses the Internet, many more are ambivalent to its allure, and still more don't use it because they see it as irrelevant to their lives! Apparently, I read recently on Google+, it's possible to have a full life without ever going online. I must check that out sometime... Keep Writing! Rob@easywaytowrite.com Your Success is My Concern http://easywaytowrite.com To Blog or Not To Blog - That Is The Question Rob Parnell Everywhere you look on-line, a legion of writers - and writing gurus - extol the necessity of social networking as a crucial foundation for the aspiring fiction