Guest Blog post for Leonella Press by Laura Stember

Most people imagine the creative life of a writer as a solitary pursuit. In general, that is an accurate view. Writing can also be a joint venture that includes the efforts of many people.

Depending on what you’re writing – an article, a non-fiction book, a novel, a thesis – you might feel that you can accomplish your goal – a finished piece – by yourself.

The reality is that you might end up needing help during the process from people like:

• Experts—are you writing historical novel or do you have a character who has a unique skill or career? Talk to somebody who is knowledgeable about the subject. Visit a museum and talk to a curator. Chat with a person about specific exceptional aspects of their job. In-person research can open your world to new experiences to include in your writing.
• Co-authors—sometimes, working collaboratively with another author is a possibility. Famous authors who are more than one person include mystery writer Ellery Queen and fantasy writer Ilona Andrews.
• Critique groups-- they help hone your writing and focus your topic or develop your plot.
• Writing groups—similar to a critique group, a writing group provides emotional support and can help with your story ideas. One group I belong to goes on a retreat to a national park every year. We write in our individual rooms or spaces and we can bounce ideas off one another.
• Beta readers—these generous people read your work of fiction before it is published to mark errors and suggest improvements.
• Editor—a good editor helps you with the structure of your book. Unlike the beta readers who are usually unpaid, an editor does get paid for their work.
• Publisher—a publisher is someone who gets your book out to the masses.
• Advance readers—an advance reader can be either a reviewer or a blogger or an avid reader whose opinion you respect. They help get advance word out about your book.
• Fans—these are the folks who wait eagerly for your next book or article to appear.

In the end, when you complete your book or article, remember all of the people who helped you along the way and start thinking about your next endeavor.

Guest Blog post for Leonella Press by Laura Stember

As an author and editor, Laura Stember has been fascinated with words forever. Her reading interests range from true crime to young adult to memoirs to romance to self-help and more. She loves helping writers become published authors.

If you’d like to be considered as a guest blogger for Leonella’s Blog, “Write On” we’d love to hear from you. If you provide a service to authors or have an article or book recently released (or coming soon), even if it has been publisher elsewhere, don’t forget to include a small blurb and a link to your website at the end of your post.

We are committed to supporting fellow writers. Email your blog post suggestions to Hello@LeonellaPress.com