As You Wish Reviews: $.99 Sale / Sliding Beneath the Surface by Doug Dillon

Title ~ SlidingBeneath the Surface
The St. Augustine Trilogy (Book 1)
Author ~ Doug Dillon
Dates ~ April 1-24
Sale Price ~ $.99
Genre ~ Paranormal YA
Length ~ 166 pgs.

Doug Dillon’s

Ten Tips for New and Rising Authors

1. First Things First!

Even if you desperately want to write fiction, definitely start with nonfiction (articles and/or books) in order to

get published
build your writing credits
hone your writing skills
actually make some money

The fiction world is unbelievably tough to break into. That doesn’t mean you don’t work

on your fiction ideas as you’re going along. Just don’t depend on the products of that writing to get established as a productive, income producing writer.

2. Follow Your Heart!!

Write about what you love, what interests you or what could interest you if you really let it happen. Doing so will provide the spark that continually ignites your literary career and inflames the interest of your readers. If you’re like most people, you have multiple interests and some of those you can match with what the public wants.

3. Study Your Craft!!

Learn all the rules of writing that you can. That’s a never-ending process. Read what others writers have to say, go to conferences and take classes.

4. Get Support!!

Join one or more writers’ groups—local, state, national, international.
Get critiques and editing suggestions from those you trust but who will be honest.

5. Write Something Every Day!!

If you are going to be a writer, then write! At the very least, maintain a journal of some kind so that the written word becomes a integral part of your life.

6. Read!!

Don’t kid yourself. If you don’t read a lot, you will never be a good writer. Read extensively both in and outside of your genre(s)/area(s) of interest. BUT – if you’re a voracious reader, be careful that you don’t read so much that you don’t write. Yes, it can be a very delicate balance.

7. Take Care of Yourself!!

It’s just too easy to let so many things go when you get deeply involved in your writing and the marketing of your work. Instead:

Get organized and stay organized.
Watch out for letting relationships slip.
Get decent sleep, exercise and eat right.
Be very careful with the use of alcohol, drugs, caffeine and tobacco. They might help some people in the short term, but they can really GET YOU in the end if you aren’t careful.
Have fun. Get away from it all when you can.
Meditate, do yoga, and/or pray in order to stay balance.

8. Learn How to Market Yourself and Your Writing Now!!

Even if you land a book contract with a huge publisher, you will still have to get out there and push your own stuff. This is especially true if you are going to self publish.

9. Give Back!!

As you learn and succeed, offer encouragement and guidance to other writers less experienced than you. Run a writers’ group, help run a writers’ conference or review somebody’s book for them on Amazon or Goodreads. There will definitely be many opportunities to assist others.

10. Don’t Give Up!!

If you’re really going to be a writer, be in it for the long haul. Keep driving yourself forward but learn more, read more, write more and find new ways to make it happen.