Q&A with Jane Howard, author of “Hey Nature Lady: Vignettes on Living a Creative Life”

Who was your intended audience for this book when you first conceived of it, and who do you think it is now? Did your intended audience change at all over time?

At first, I was just doing it for family members, just tracking my own history of out-of-the-box lifestyles, and writing down adventures that I didn’t want to forget. . . . Now, though, I see my audience as broader than that—any age, really. The intention of the writing is to inspire others to take risks, to be curious about life, to reconnect with a sense of innocence, and curiosity about the world and nature..

Q&A with Patsy Truxaw, author of “Gathering: Family, Grief, Resilience”

What were the benefits of workshopping Gathering with a group?

I was inspired by people's writing and by people's directness, and I felt like eventually it was a class where I could take a chance and be myself and read what I wrote. I got good feedback, and the best thing is having a group of people who are just so supportive. I like having an audience, as it turns out.

New Book! Your Publishing Path: A Practical Guide with Insider Tips for Bringing Your Book to Life

New book release: What began as a packet of information for my publishing clients turned into a 168-page booklet! Your Publishing Path is for any author searching for information on publishing options, the steps of self-publishing, and practical tips for completing some of publishing’s more technical tasks.

Author & Publishing TipsSara RoahenSeptember 4, 2025self-publishing, author tips, publishing business, new book, new bookletComment

15 Tips for Crafting More Interesting and Elegant Sentences

I’m currently wrapping up the spring semester of my life story writing classes. Thanks to a student request, for the past fifteen weeks I’ve been giving my students weekly tips for crafting more interesting and elegant sentences. Here’s the final list.

A Guide to Planning the Perfect (for You) Book Launch Event

While authors may get themselves through the publishing process just fine, many of us lose steam and confidence as soon as our books are published. We’re no longer working with the writing groups, editors, designers, and publishing assistants whose help and encouragement kept us motivated and on task. Now, it’s just us, our books, and the launch we were too busy with book creation to have planned or even considered. This post about planning the perfect book launch event is for authors on all publication pathways.