Q: Do you ever wish that you never started writing?  “I am a new author, with two books self-published to date. I have a good life, a supportive husband and children, but for some reason I’m not happy because all I think about is book sales and trying to make it big. I have never in my life […]

Question: Are book coaches and freelance editors a scam? No one used them a hundred years ago. Answer: It’s essential to understand the HISTORY of the publishing industry to understand how it has evolved in the 21st Century. Independent book coaches and professional editors with integrity (—unfortunately, shady folks exist within any industry—) did not […]

Can you make a living as a writer? Is writing worth the time and effort if we can’t make money from our creative endeavors? Am I even a “real writer” if I don’t make a living from my writing? The Writing Cycle’s upcoming coaching series explores the anxiety that arises when the need for market value collides with personal motivations for making art. This […]

Making something from nothing is one of the most challenging endeavors humans engage in. After all, creative efforts are rife with uncertainty; outcomes can rarely be assured. So, how, then, do we sustain momentum on long, iffy projects? One answer is to look to those who have succeeded – and note how their advice reflects a reverence for purpose, […]

Are you giving editors a reason to stop reading? Before submitting to literary magazines, ensure your manuscript doesn’t contain these common errors. As a fiction writer, I’ve felt the sting of rejection more than I’d like to admit. It can take years to craft a story that resonates with readers. After all that effort, wouldn’t it be […]

  The rise of online submissions systems means it’s likely your manuscript will first be encountered by editors in digital format. Form affects experience – people’s attention spans are shorter online. Add to this the fact that many publications and agencies lack the staff to read thousands of unsolicited submissions to completion, and it becomes […]

Polish your first five pages in a private editing session with Carol Test.   The SinC Desert Sleuths welcome Carol Test, Founder of The Writing Cycle, as their professional content editor for the 2015 WriteNow! Conference at the iconic Valley Ho in Scottsdale, Arizona. SinC Desert Sleuths is making available the services of professional content editor Carol […]