How authors are (really) using AI
AI is becoming a part of authors’ creative toolkit, from scene ideas to editing & marketing Like a lot of you, I’ve watched the debate over authors’ use of AI swing between hype and hair-on-fire. In my own circles, the reality is far more practical: most career novelists are experimenting with AI somewhere in the […]
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Introducing Marlowe 3.0 and the Author Dashboard
Today we’re excited to announce the public launch of Marlowe 3.0, the latest version of our artificial intelligence tool for authors, and our new Author Dashboard. (It’s available even to those who haven’t registered.) Our team has been working on these changes for well over a year, and we’ve taken some additional time to roll […]
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What are your superpowers as a writer?
The first step in figuring out your strengths as a writer is to understand what inspires you as a writer. Find the right balance between your passion and skill set.
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Productivity hacks for authors
As writers and authors, productivity is our lifeblood. Here are six productivity tips from a bestselling thriller author who has written more than 65 books.
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Virtuous villains and flawed heroes
Andy Maslen and Alessandra Torre discuss how to create complex characters for your novel.
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10 books to make you a better author
In the age of AI, it’s worth remembering that even the best AI tools can’t provide a overview of what you know to become a successful author. So let’s take a breath, step away from the prompts field on your keyboard, and curl up with some of the best books to make you a better […]
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Which author conferences are right for you?
Whether you’re an indie or traditionally published author, there’s still nothing like getting together in person with fellow writers to get the lay of the land, to share inside tips, and to put a face to a pen name. In addition to Author Nation, the largest gathering of indie authors held each November in Las […]
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Another court rules for human authors
Those who have spent any time in writing and author groups know that it’s no easy matter to write a book — with or without artificial intelligence. Even if you’re AI-savvy, you can’t just pop in a prompt and have ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini spit out a fully formed novel. There are no easy shortcuts. […]
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AI & fiction: Where to draw the lines
You’ve probably seen them on Facebook, X, BlueSky or your favorite social network. The screeds begin with something like this: I will never read a book where the author used AI in any form or fashion!!! … I don’t often wade into these debates. If I did, I’d point out that many—perhaps most—authors already use […]
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Sample query letter to a literary agent
If you want to secure a literary agent in the traditional publishing world, crafting a compelling query letter is essential. Literary agents are some of the busiest people you’ll ever meet, so make sure your query is tight and free of fluff. Here is a sample query letter to use as a template for your […]
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Why do we find (some) stories satisfying?
The answer may surprise you. Here’s a peek behind the curtain of tropes and genre conventions. Why do some stories resonate with readers while others fall flat? Could be a lot of things. Scintillating plot. Great characters. Stellar writing and storytelling. But often, the reason comes down to an unexpected source: tropes. A trope is a recurring […]
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Takeaways from Author Nation
Some fear and loathing in Las Vegas — but not as much as you’d expect One of the big takeaways from Author Nation — the world’s largest gathering of independent and hybrid authors — in Las Vegas last week was the ringing consensus that AI has encroached into nearly every facet of the book publishing […]
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