A Nonfiction Author’s Guide to Citation Notes and Bibliographies

Planning to refer to studies, articles, books, websites, or other published works in your book? You’ll need to provide full bibliographic information for each of your references. Compiling this material can feel like a chore when your attention is focused on completing your manuscript, but it’s a good idea to make it a regular part of your writing practice. By keeping accurate, comprehensive notes while you write, you’ll save yourself stress and aggravation when it comes time to format your citation notes and bibliography.

Why cite your sources?

The reas... keep reading


How to secure permissions for your book

There may be places in your manuscript where you quote from a previously published work. If you’re quoting a substantial portion of the original material, you need to obtain permission from the copyright holder (and you may have to pay a fee). Otherwise, you could end up scrambling for a replacement quote—or worse, be forced to do a rewrite—if the copyright holder turns down your request.

What requires permission to reprint?
Not absolutely everything you quote requires permission, only the substantial quotations. What constitutes “substantial”? If it... keep reading


Writing groups: what they are and how to join one

You might stumble across them in libraries and coffee shops across the country: a circle of writers surrounding a paper-covered table. Armed with their notebooks and a desire to master the use of language, these writers have committed to their writing groups, and you may want to as well.

At its core, writing groups (or writing circles) are places for you and other writers to come together, share ideas, and get feedback on your work. They might be a peer critique in your living room over a glass of wine, a workshop or class with an instructor, or even a Facebook discussion group with ... keep reading


New guidelines in the Chicago Manual of Style are an enlightened step forward

This week the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) announced the changes that will be made to its upcoming new edition, which comes out in September. As an editor, a publisher, and a progressive idealist, I am applauding one of those changes in particular: approval of the use of the singular pronoun they.

The English language is one of the most shape-shifting languages in the world. Every year, English speakers add new words to the lexicon and repurpose old ones. Some of these innovations are widely adopted and become part of the language; others fall by the wayside. Ther... keep reading


8 Writing Habits for the Enlightened Author

As writers, we consider it our duty to sit at our desks every day and put down ideas that we hope will inspire the masses and make a meaningful contribution to society.

Doesn’t mean we have to enjoy it. In fact, writing is very often painful, boring and difficult.

But it doesn’t have to be. By making some adjustments to the way you write–and the way you think about writing–you can produce more in less time and even enjoy doing it. Here are eight writing habits that will transform your work sessions from bitter and barren to the best and most productive par... keep reading


Venkat Venkatraman sets out new rulebook for business transformation in The Digital Matrix

Professor Venkat N. Venkatraman has built a 30-year career on helping businesses adapt to technological change. A management professor and department chair at the Boston University Questrom School of Business, he is a top-cited researcher at the crossroads of strategy and information technology and was twice awarded an IBM fellowship for his work focusing on business challenges in the network era. In addition to his academic work, Venkatraman consults with companies such as IBM, Microsoft, Ericsson, Zurich Financial, ... keep reading


LifeTree Media 2016 Holiday Gift Guide – Writer Edition

Books are one of the most popular Christmas gifts out there–but what do you get the people who are actually writing the books? Show your appreciation for the authors in your life while helping them finish their book with our essential 2016 gift guide–writer’s edition!

The gift of focus: The Freewrite – $499

This modern typewriter will rid you of distraction while helping you find your flow. The Freewrite auto-uploads to the cloud, carries up to four weeks of battery life, and h... keep reading


Five easy formats for nonfiction books

Your book contains some of your best ideas. But do those ideas add up to a streamlined, compelling manuscript… or a pile of disorganized thoughts? When you’re outlining your nonfiction book, it’s easy to get so caught up in the content that you neglect to plan the book’s overarching structure. This can be a real problem because many readers will give up in frustration when faced with a book that forces them to work too hard to understand it.

So how should you structure your book? Of course you could always just move through your material chapter by chapter, begin... keep reading


Writing About Writing: Follow My Progress As I Write My Book

Last week I announced to the world that I am writing a book about writing a book, and promised to share my progress with anyone who cares to follow along. This post is my very first progress report! (Cue the tiny marching band! I believe in celebrating early and often.)

I’m doing this for two reasons. First, I want to share my experience as a first time author in the hope that it will encourage others to dive into their own... keep reading


Writing About Writing: Announcing My Forthcoming Book

I have an announcement to make.

I am writing a book. I’m writing a book about writing a book. (To which Paris, our marketing and communications coordinator, said: “That’s so meta…”)

This should be a cinch for me. I have been an editor for nearly twenty years, over which time I have worked with hundreds of writers. Most of them were professional journalists or feature writers, but in recent years in my role as publisher at LifeTree Media, I have worked almost exclusively with first-time authors.

Every day I  support people in writing... keep reading