Morgan’s CapClave 2023 Roundup

This past weekend, I celebrated the end of September by heading to another writer convention: CapClave 2023. Held annually by the Washington DC Science Fiction Society (WSFS), its motto is “Where Reading is Not Extinct”.
I was on 4 panels, held a successful workshop, attended 4 panels, 1 concert, 1 book launch, and a reading.
Now, I recognize that I am privileged to have access to these sorts of events, and will be sharing my notes in the coming weeks. All in all, I had a lovely writer’s weekend. It was great to see old friends and meet new ones. And I can’t wait to see them again.
Have you attended any writer conventions? Do you have a favorite?
If you haven’t, are there any you would attend if you had the opportunity?

Publishing: The Odds Are Slim

It’s a hard knock life out here — in the query trenches and in publishing in general. But, if you don’t try, you’ll never have a chance at success.

When are Adverbs Wrong? (See what I did there?)

One of the things writers often get told is to avoid adverbs. But, as with most writing-related advice, it’s advice that should be followed in moderation.

But, the answer is pretty simple — and goes back to another piece of common writing advice.

Why Context Is Important When Writing

Have you ever had a conversation with someone, known what decisions had been made, and then found out the other person had a vastly different takeaway? Whether you’re writing or speaking, the problem is usually a difference in context.

Querying is the Worst

While I rewrite query letters for fun, writing my own is basically the worst. Here are a few reasons why writing your own query letter sucks, and a few things that query letter needs in it.

Book Festivals Versus Cons

Earlier this month, I made it out to the Library of Congress’s 23rd annual National Book Festival. It’s been a while since I’ve been to a book festival, and never one of this scale. There were definitely a lot of differences between this and the fan-run science-fiction, fantasy, and horror conventions I usually hit up.

Don’t Self-Publish That Book 6 Minutes After You Finish Drafting It!

Recently, I was celebrating the anniversary of the time I finished rough drafting my first full manuscript, and a friend told me that I’d lost 8 years of royalties and should really finish it! He was trying to be encouraging and supportive, but instead, all I really have is a pile of justifications.

Now, I’m not saying you should wait as long as I have before putting your book out into the world, but there are a few reasons why you might wait before publishing.

Here are the 10 reasons I haven’t published yet. Tell me about YOUR publishing journey. How is it going?

How To Make Sure That Literary Agent or Publisher Is Legit!

Publishing, as an industry, is a labor of love for most of us. You just have to be wary of the agent or publisher who’s in over their head, and the scammers looking to use you for a quick buck.

Do you have any warnings I’ve missed?
Any horror stories to add to my list of things to watch out for?

Amazon’s Algorithms and Branding

Marketing is a huge part of being published — even for traditionally published authors. So, what are things to avoid, and what are things to lean into?

Here are 4 takeaways from various #Imaginarium2023 panels.