Maria A. Arana is a writer, poet, and editor from the Los Angeles area. She has published many poems and short stories in various publications. Formerly a teacher who encouraged a love of reading and writing, she now channels that passion to create magical stories for a wider audience. She lives with her family, four dogs, and one cat (who thinks she’s a queen herself).
Tabitha Winters is a practicing LMHC with a master’s degree in clinical psychology and a PhD in sarcasm. A sought-after lecturer on the psychology circuit, she currently works within her state’s mental health litigation division, and before she knew better? She served as co-leader of the Murderer’s Support Group, which is exactly as glamorous as it sounds.
Ellen Graham’s writing focuses on the West and stories of open spaces, both on the land and in the heart. A prize-winner in Glimmer Train’s Short Story Award for New Writers, she has also been published in Narrative, High Desert Journal, Everyday Fiction, Concrete Desert Review, Epiphany, and On the Run. She is at work on a series of stories about what happens in and around Utah.
Thomas Penn Johnson was born on August 22, 1943, in Greensboro, North Carolina. He holds a BA in Classical Studies (1966) from then-Concordia Senior College in Fort Wayne, Indiana; an MA in English from UNC-G (1968); an ABD in English (1973) at Syracuse University; and an MA in history from Wake Forest University (1982). In 2009, he retired from then-Edison State College in Fort Myers, Florida, after serving for twenty-six years as an instructor of English and humanities.
Chace Boswell lives in the beautiful mountains of southwestern Virginia with his two teenage daughters. He is the author of the novel The Awakened, the poetry collection Forwards, Backwards and Everything In Between, and the short story collection Twisted Limbs. He is currently working on a new novel and a poetry collection.
Trae Vincent spins cozy mysteries and fantastical adventures with a dash of magic and a wink of mischief. The pen name honors her grandfather, Vincent, who first sparked her love of storytelling; “Trae” is a lifelong nickname that keeps the heart of her writing close to home.
Chantal Dalton is a “recovering” poet. She has returned to writing poetry after a long hiatus and is delighted to rediscover her poetic voice. Ms. Dalton is a graduate of Bates College (BA) and has a master’s degree in American Literature from Northwestern University. In addition, she has a Master’s of Science Degree in National Security Strategy from the National Defense University, National War College, Fort McNair, Washington, DC.
Sierra DenBoer is a 16-year-old writer who is working on the series The Umbral Gates. She has finished four YA fantasy/sci-fi books and plans to start publishing soon. She grew up in Long Beach, California, but now lives in the Chicago area, where she is dual-enrolled at a local college. To help her understand and develop her characters, she likes picking up their hobbies, such as knife-throwing, coding, and lock-picking.
If you’re exploring hybrid or self-publishing options, Atmosphere Press vs. BookBaby is a comparison worth exploring. While both publishers offer alternatives to traditional publishing, they differ in approach, cost, and the author experience they provide.
Unlike a copy editor who focuses on grammar or a proofreader who catches typos, a developmental editor works at the big-picture level. Their role is to strengthen your manuscript’s structure, pacing, character development, and thematic clarity so that the story resonates with readers and meets the expectations of your genre.
If you’re weighing hybrid publishers, two names you’ll inevitably see are Atmosphere Press and Greenleaf Book Group. Both are reputable and both serve authors who want more than the do-it-yourself route — but the experience, cost structure, and community offerings are very different.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to write a compelling book synopsis that captures the attention of agents and publishers. We’ll cover length, structure, common pitfalls, and I’ll even share an example so you can see what a professional synopsis looks like in practice!
If you’re aiming for traditional publishing, securing a literary agent is one of the most important steps you can take. But with so many agents out there—and each one specializing in particular genres—the search can feel overwhelming. The good news is that finding an agent who not only represents your genre but also believes in your work is absolutely possible with the right strategy.
When it comes to writing a mystery novel, the detective character is often the heart and soul of the story. How you write your detective character can make the difference between a forgettable mystery and one that hooks readers from the first page!
Red herrings are one of the most powerful tools in a mystery writer’s arsenal—and one of the easiest to misuse. If you’ve ever tried to keep your reader guessing only to leave them confused, frustrated, or (worst of all) unimpressed, you’re not alone.
If you’re looking for novel rewriting tips, you already know one truth of the writing life: the first draft is never the final word. Finishing a draft is a huge achievement—but it’s only the beginning. The real work of shaping your story into something publishable happens in the rewrite.
Vicky Pinpin-Feinstein is a writer, former college lecturer, communications technology and society professional, and author of A Thousand Little Deaths, an account of her experience growing up under the Marcos dictatorship in the Philippines. With graduate degrees in the Social Sciences, her career focused on media and society at various institutions. Working with refugees inspired her to write Beyond Fear and Suspicion. She received an Individual Artist and Scholar Award from the Montgomery Arts and Humanities Council. Vicky lives by her motto that life is a curious mix of a love for organization and randomness.
Norman Coutts was born on May 6, 1953, and grew up on a farm just outside Toronto. He studied Radio and Television at Ryerson Polytechnical University and went on to work in the television and film industry, holding roles such as stage carpenter, stagehand, floor director, and eventually first assistant director in film. He comes from a large family with three brothers and two sisters. His mother passed away when he was just two years old—a loss that continues to shape his reflections and writing. The Naked Sailor is his debut book, and he is currently working on a long-gestating family memoir.
Riley Ray is a poet, writer, and published author whose work delves deep into love, loss, and healing. His poetry collections, Cliffhanger and Swimming in Chaos, unravel the raw aftermath of losing a loved one to suicide, blending prose and poetry to tell his story unfiltered and unapologetically.
Shannon Mori is an internationally sold children’s book author. Her Pawsome Pals book series features pets with problems and their pals that help their pets sort through them. Shannon has had a passion for writing and a love of animals since she was a child. Combining both into books that children and their parents not only will love to read, but also will learn something about themselves, others, and the world around them at the same time is her dream come true! Her incredibly supportive husband and her two bright young children, who love reading as much as she does, are her inspiration. After living all over the U.S. with a love for new adventures and travel, Shannon and her family, which include their beloved pets, now reside near the lake in the beautiful Ozark mountains of Missouri.