From Promising to Published by Melanie Faith, blog tour and review

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I am honored to be a part of the blog tour for Melanie Faith's book, From Promising to Published. I read this book back when it first came out back in the spring, and I found it to be absolutely amazing. So when I was invited to be a part of this blog tour, I jumped at the chance to talk about this book even more.

From Promising to Published will help any author looking to get more eyes on their work. Melanie helps new authors who are just starting to identify their voice and their ideal readers. She also helps experienced authors who are trying to pull in more streams of income from their writing.

First, there's the obvious: From Promising to Published is packed with practical advice and is formatted in a way that makes it so easy to find exactly what you need at the time you need it. That makes this book a no-brainer for any author because you can come back and refer to it as many times as you want. But my favorite thing about this book is how approachable Melanie Faith is in her writing style and how pleasantly she presents her advice.

So many books about writing and publishing feel a bit distant—more like the author is lecturing to you rather than conversing with you. But Melanie took a more familiar approach that is inviting and helps demystify the publishing process.

I also love the way Melanie has arranged her advice in this book. As I mentioned, it is formatted in a way that makes it easy to find exactly what you need.

From Promising to Published is broken down into four major parts:

1. Section One: Preparing—Melanie helps you break through the chatter and discover your own writing voice and style. I have long said that the best writing happens when you're so deep into your own comfort zone that yours is the only voice you hear…no more haters or doubters to distract you. Melanie walks you through that process, establishing your identity as an author (even writing your author bio!) and getting ready to spread the word.
2. Section Two: Finding Your Market—Who is your idea reader? Where will you find them? Which literary magazines would be best for you and your story? Should you submit to more than one agent at a time? Trying to put together a list of sites and agents to submit your book to can feel like a full-time job by itself…Luckily Melanie breaks it down and helps you keep track of all your submissions to make it that much easier.
3. Section Three: Dishing about Dividends—This section breaks down different ways to make money off your writing, including contest prizes, self-publishing, and even submitting your essays to be featured in various publications and anthologies. I think sometimes authors get so caught up in the idea that they are writing because of their passion and therefore trying to write for money somehow feels wrong, but it shouldn't…after all, we have mouths to feed and bills to pay just as much as other professions! Why shouldn't our passion help us make a living? So, I was especially glad that Melanie included this break down in her book.
4. Section Four: This Writing Life—This last section addresses some of the hardest things about querying and publishing, such as identifying yourself as an author even before you're published, finding motivation to keep going even after receiving a rejection (or a few rejections), and celebrating every small victory along the way.

And, like all the great books designed to truly help you get unstuck and achieve your goals, Melanie has also packed her book, From Promising to Published, with exercises you can do to navigate the publishing process, build a network with other writers, and help you get over your fears about certain aspects of writing.

All in all, From Promising to Published by Melanie Faith has landed a permanent place on my bookshelf and will be one of the top books I recommend to my clients who are looking for advice on how to get their book out there.