Author: Gordon Long

Gordon A. Long is a writer, editor, publisher, playwright, director and teacher. 
Learn more about Gordon and his writing from his blog and his Author Central page.

How the Book “My Blog Traffic Sucks!” Helped This Author

BLOG TRAFFIC SUCKSFor any “How To” book to be useful, it has to be at the right level for your stage of development in the technique you are learning. Too far ahead and you won’t understand it. Too far behind, and you already know the stuff.

My Blog Traffic Sucks is exactly the right level for me: about two steps ahead. I was already doing about 3-1/2 of the 8 techniques, and knew something about two others. The rest was over my head, so I won’t be following Steve Scott’s footsteps that far.

The greatest value in this book is that, at its level, it is comprehensive. I have hundreds of websites bookmarked, telling me ways to improve my blog, my sales, and my writing. I never look at them. Continue reading “How the Book “My Blog Traffic Sucks!” Helped This Author”

Using ProWritingAid to Become a Better Writer

ProWritingAid_-_Writing_Improvement_&_Editing_Software_-_2015-09-08_09.06.51In this snippet of overheard conversation, the Mentor runs the Student Writer through the process of using ProWritingAid, one of many editing software programs available on the market. As with all these programs, the Student Writer finds the process tedious and repetitive, but the Mentor draws his attention to how much his writing will be improved by the end of the process. Let’s listen as the Mentor starts off…

…okay. You’re going to try ProWritingAid. Let’s upload the first chapter of the Great Canadian Novel and see what the computer has to say about it. Continue reading “Using ProWritingAid to Become a Better Writer”

Clearing up the “Hybrid” in Publishing

HYBRID PUBLISHINGSo you’re a beginning writer, and you loved writing the book, but now you’re faced with the dreaded publishing process. Becoming an independent author sounds just too complex, but you don’t really know how to attract an agent or a traditional publisher either.

And then someone sends you a ritzy free book called How to Use Hybrid Publishing. (I got one last week.) And you think, “Great. Best of both worlds. Where do I sign up, and (you aren’t stupid) how much does it cost?”

Well, beware, because you don’t know what you don’t know, and that leaves you wide open for the people who are selling services you don’t want and don’t need, and most importantly, won’t sell your books.

This article gives the first steps in figuring out what the beginning author might do to gain enough knowledge to deal with this situation. Continue reading “Clearing up the “Hybrid” in Publishing”

Are You Overusing “Magic” in Your Writing?

magic bears suspend reader disbeliefFantasy writers and readers have a reputation for being just slightly soft in the head. I mean, what adult believes in magic? But wait a moment. All forms of writing ask for a suspension of disbelief by the reader, and there are elements of “magic” in most genres. That’s the joy of reading. By creating an imaginary world for us, the writer pushes us towards a sense of wonder. But it is easy for an author to overuse the readers’ belief in the more wonderful story elements. Since they are…well…magical, authors may think they don’t have to follow the usual rules. But use of magic has rules of its own, because that is where the writer is in the most danger of pushing readers into disbelief. The following are a few principles of writing “magic” of all sorts that authors might wish to consider. Continue reading “Are You Overusing “Magic” in Your Writing?”