by kristinoakley | Mar 23, 2023 | Newsletter, Writing Life
Once authors complete their manuscripts, they decide whether to publish traditionally or independently. The traditional route involves finding an agent who then sells the manuscript to a publisher. It also encompasses smaller presses that will often take submissions...
by kristinoakley | Mar 10, 2023 | For Writers
Please note: This article was originally published on the Chicago Writers Association’s blog. In 2012 when I was finishing my first novel Carpe Diem, Illinois, I’d heard about self-publishing but thought it was for authors who couldn’t get their books traditionally...
by kristinoakley | Mar 10, 2023 | Books and Movies, Newsletter
In this month’s Writer’s Book Club, I review Junot Diaz’s 2007 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. I had seen this book on bookstore and library shelves over the years, picked it up, considered getting it, then put it...
by kristinoakley | Mar 4, 2023 | News and Events
The Devil Particle Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) are in! It’s so amazing to see my young adult dystopian thriller in print! Over the next few weeks, I’m sending these books to readers in exchange for honest reviews on Amazon once the book is released on June 6,...
by kristinoakley | Mar 1, 2023 | For Writers
When my debut mystery/suspense/thriller, Carpe Diem, Illinois, was released in 2014, I posted the news on Facebook and Twitter, ran a few ads, submitted the book to contests, and sent shout-outs to my email list. But I focused most of my marketing on in-person...
by kristinoakley | Feb 28, 2023 | For Writers
For years people told me to start a newsletter. After all, I had written and published two books and had over 400 people on my email list. I thought periodically sending a book release announcement or information about an upcoming author event was enough. Then I took...
by kristinoakley | Feb 24, 2023 | Books and Movies, Newsletter
Lately, I’ve been hooked on stories that mess with my mind. Not psychological thrillers, though I do love those, but stories that bend the rules of reality. For instance, Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr (see my Writer’s Book Club for more about that...
by kristinoakley | Feb 13, 2023 | For Writers
You have an idea for a novel, but what do you do next? How do you begin? Let’s Start With the Basics: What is your idea? Write it down. Seriously. Many people say they have an idea for a book and never write it down. What is story? Story is simply a...
