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Laura Resnick, Author at NINC | Page 2 of 9

Author: Laura Resnick

Pondering the Pursuit of an MFA? Consider the Pros, the Cons, and the Worth of Your Why

When Black & Published podcast host and author Nikesha Elise Williams queried 12 agents in November of 2022 with her latest manuscript, The Seven Daughters of Dupree, she told herself that if she didn’t receive representation, she would pursue earning an MFA (Master of Fine Arts) degree. She had plenty of options to choose from; there are 256 low- and full-residency MFA programs across the country, according to the Poets & Writers MFA Programs Database. There are also several no-residency...

career, craft, education, Publishing, Writing

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Yay for YA! A Look at Young Adult Fiction

“Teenagers. Everything is so apocalyptic.” —Kami Garcia Author Kami Garcia hit the nail on the dramatic head with that line from her novel Beautiful Creatures. We can all relate to it because each of us was a teenager once. Our teen selves still live inside us. The proof? How much we tend to like the music from our teenage years (still love Bon Jovi) and how often we share memes that fit our specific age group (‘80s hair. Wind didn’t stand a chance!). Those few years of our lives are pivotal...

craft, diversity, genre, market research, Publishing, Writing, YA

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Blurring the Lines: The Artistic Challenges of Blending Truth and Imagination

Fact and fiction. As a writer of historical novels, I find it endlessly intriguing to play with how to entwine the two. History has always fascinated me—I find the grand tapestry of the past is woven with so many richly colorful and textured threads that help us understand the present. And so, I’ve always enjoyed adding real historical events and real historical figures to my stories, though, for the most part, they play the role of “secondary characters,” adding depth and nuance to a plot conceived...

characterization, craft, historical, history, Writing, writing real people

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Love a Cover? Love the Book! 2024 Romance Book Cover Trends

After a recent interview with my author friend, she proudly shows me the covers for the next four books in her Christian romance series. My marketer’s eye immediately sees that the designs mimic each other too closely and aren’t distinguishable from one another. Their muddy color palette won’t pop against competitive titles, especially as a thumbnail online. Wanting to support her success, I provide her some diplomatically worded feedback. Her response falls somewhere in the realm of “Thanks!...

branding, business, covers, Design, genre, illustration, market research, Marketing, Publishing, sales

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Finding Your Hot Premise: Boiling Down Your Story Idea Into the Simplest Terms

We’ve all had that experience of stepping into an elevator, realizing you’re in there with an editor or an agent, and he or she asks you what you’re working on. As you stammer out your long-winded answer (starting off with the classic “Well, it’s complicated”), the moment ends (i.e., the elevator door opens) and said editor or agent goes their way. Could you have made use of that opportunity by blurting out the hot premise version of your story? Of course! This is for everyone who’s had a hard...

branding, craft, Marketing, Publishing, self-editing, tutorials, Writing

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Contests & Awards: Are They Worth It?

Authors are always on the lookout for ways to garner more publicity for their books. One way that’s been around for quite a while is to enter a contest. But there are many contests out there, and some of them charge high fees to enter, or require that you mail printed books to judges at your cost. The first thing to consider is what you want from the contest or award. Is there a cash prize, which can be beneficial for writers whose income is often sporadic and unpredictable, or simply a certificate?...

awards, business, career, Discovery, Marketing, promotion

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