
Jenny’s Blog for Nonfiction Authors
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Can My Journalist Friend or English Teacher Neighbor Edit My Book?
Yes, your neighbor/niece/English teacher/journalist friend could edit your book. You’d probably get some good feedback; they might even be a great “beta reader.” But it would be sort of like taking your Porsche to a lawn mower mechanic. Guest post by Jocelyn Carbonara.

My Interview on the Book Marketing Action Podcast
I'm thrilled to share the interview I did with Becky Robinson of Weaving Influence on the most recent episode of her show, the Book Marketing Action Podcast.
I've done a lot of podcast interviews about my books and my story. This one is a little different.

How to Research and Evaluate a Hybrid Publisher
If you’re currently writing a book, or even have a finished manuscript in hand, you’ve probably thought about the next step: How will it be published?
Maybe you’ve struck out in the search for an agent or traditional publisher. Perhaps the prospect of self-publishing feels daunting. You may have heard about “hybrid publishing” and wondered if it’s the solution you’re looking for.

John Truby: The Anatomy of Story
It wasn’t until I came across John Truby’s book, The Anatomy of Story, that I learned about the importance of story arc and character development in memoir.
An interesting — and challenging — aspect of memoir that I didn’t fully appreciate until I began writing my own was that a memoir needs many of the compelling elements that go into a good fiction story.
But, of course, you’re constrained by the truth. You can’t just make up an ally or opponent to interact with the hero (you). You can’t invent plot points to advance the story.

Coolors.co: A User-Friendly Tool for Picking Color Palettes
Have you ever stared at a blank screen and wondered what colors you should use for your brand-new nonfiction author website?
Or maybe you have one favorite color, but aren’t sure what other colors go well with it?
You can’t just pick one or two great colors for your site. You’ll need to establish a palette: A collection of colors that work well together and taken together, feels like the right “vibe” for your brand.
Coolors.co is a handy tool for exploring and choosing a color palette.

Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover?
I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying: Don’t judge a book by its cover.
Well, throw that notion right out of your head. Books are totally 100% judged by their covers all the time. What does this mean for you as an author?