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Bad Deals, Brave Asks and Why You’re Allowed To Walk Away (Yes, REALLY!)

All About Bad Deals NEWSFLASH: bad deals are not worth it! One thing I see over and over again with writers is this: They want it so badly that they’ll accept almost anything. An “opportunity” lands in their inbox. It sounds exciting, even flattering. It sounds like this might finally be the thing. Then, because they don’t want to miss out, writers don’t ask questions. They don’t push back. They don’t stop to think whether the deal actually helps them advance in their careers. Here’s the truth many writers don’t want to hear: A bad deal is often worse than no… Read More »Bad Deals, Brave Asks and Why You’re Allowed To Walk Away (Yes, REALLY!)

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Into The Spec Pile: 12 Quick Tips On Making Your Submission Stand Out

Into The Spec Pile I’ve been diving into the spec pile of screenplays and novels for 20+ years now. ‘Spec’ is short for ‘speculative’, meaning no one in the industry has asked the writer to create that story. Instead, the writers have done it themselves ‘on spec’. I always call it the SPEC pile rather than the more common ‘slush pile’. To me, ‘spec pile’ is much more neutral, whereas ‘slush pile’ seems very derogatory. It is essential to remember that ANY story – script or novel – is someone’s hopes and dreams. However, I also like to shine a… Read More »Into The Spec Pile: 12 Quick Tips On Making Your Submission Stand Out

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3 Important Wake Up Calls For Screenwriters And Authors

Wake Up Calls For Writers One of the biggest wake up calls I ever had was realising I was a workaholic. We live in a hustle culture and we glorify the grind. I was used to people telling me how impressed they were by my output. It’s true I was prolific, but I was also completely and utterly burned out. Ironically, I was working so hard I couldn’t do my best work! That realisation changed everything for me. So if you’re feeling overwhelmed by your writing goals too, you’re not alone. Many writers struggle, feeling creatively ‘frozen’. They may be trying… Read More »3 Important Wake Up Calls For Screenwriters And Authors

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Getting Nowhere? 3 Top Tips To Help You In Your Writing Career

Getting Nowhere? Read On … I hear from writers all the time who feel frustrated, despondent and like they are getting nowhere. They may tell me they feel ‘locked out’, or perhaps they are getting ghosted by industry pros. Let me offer the view from the other side. Hardly a month goes by without me having to block a writer. Sometimes it’s multiple writers. Supersadface. I don’t want to. I want to help.  Whilst I have to make a living, I give oodles of my time and expertise away for NOTHING on the B2W platform. That’s why there’s so much… Read More »Getting Nowhere? 3 Top Tips To Help You In Your Writing Career

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How To Maximise Your Book Tour: 6 Essentials Tips For Authors

All About Your Book Tour If you want to promote your book, a book tour is a great idea. This is because you have to get out there and spread the word. However, you shouldn’t just pack up and leave without a plan! Here are six steps to help maximise your book tour and find success without getting overwhelmed. 1) Consider Teaming Up With Another Writer The key to maximising your book tour is not to overburden yourself, especially if it’s your first time out on the road. The first step to book tour planning is teaming up with a… Read More »How To Maximise Your Book Tour: 6 Essentials Tips For Authors

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Goodbye Boring Bios! How To Write An Online Bio That Gets Results

Goodbye to Boring Bios! A good online bio is a MUST for every author or screenwriter. Whether it’s for your website, your socials, the back of your novel, schemes or contests, or other sites like IMDB, you will need one. In fact, B2W always recommends having a bio ready to go! That way you can cut back on the time it takes to pull submissions together. To save time, I always have the following: A ‘long’ version of approximately 150-200 words Another of 50-75 words AND an uber-short one for sites where you only have a few characters That way,… Read More »Goodbye Boring Bios! How To Write An Online Bio That Gets Results

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An Epic Rant On Why Your Spec Script Is Doomed (Unless You Avoid This)

So, You Want Your Spec Script To Get Noticed? Writing a spec script is hard, but getting a sale for that spec script is even harder. No screenwriter’s journey is the same, plus this crazy industry is not transparent AT ALL. That’s one of the reasons I began this blog in the first place. I wanted to help writers AVOID their scripts being doomed before they even got off the starter blocks!! So what’s the number 1 problem standing in too many new writers’ way? Themselves. They doom their OWN scripts from the get-go. Yup, you read that right. Supersadface.… Read More »An Epic Rant On Why Your Spec Script Is Doomed (Unless You Avoid This)

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5 Reasons Writers Should Be Entrepreneurs

Writers As Entrepreneurs Entrepeneurs are people who set up a business or businesses, taking on financial risks in the hope of profit. Whilst many writers are also producers, publishers or business owners as well, I am not necessarily talking about financial risks in this post. Instead, I believe ALL writers should be entrepreneurs in terms of their investment in their writing. This may be financial but is more likely to be an investment of time and learning.  So if you’re ready to embrace the entrepreneurial spirit as a writer, read on … Let’s go! 1) Entrepreneurs Know Their Market No… Read More »5 Reasons Writers Should Be Entrepreneurs

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How To Go Viral On TikTok: Promoting Your Writing Without Lip Syncing or Dancing

How To Go Viral on TikTok If you’re thinking about TikTok to promote yourself or your writing, you’re already on the ball. More people watch TikTok for news than the BBC or the New York Times! Some creators have gone from just starting out, to ‘Top 10 Viewed’ in just a year. But how do you go from zero to viral, trending and/or most viewed on TikTok? Start with understanding the algorithm. Think EIC = Engagement, Interest, and Creation. So many people are afraid of words like data and algorithm and think you need to be an expert to get… Read More »How To Go Viral On TikTok: Promoting Your Writing Without Lip Syncing or Dancing

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Your Ultimate Guide To Getting Representation As A Writer

Want Representation? Then Read THIS … One thing writers ask B2W about A LOT is how to get representation as a writer. Then Tom Vaughan popped up in my timeline recently with these gold nuggets below.  I particularly love his points about being ‘pre-scrutinised’. It’s SO true that relationships are the lifeblood of the industry. I just had to ask Tom if I could republish his pointers here on the main site. Luckily Tom agreed … and make sure you sign up for his awesome newsletter, HERE. Over to you, Tom! ‘How Do I Get Representation As A Writer?’ It’s… Read More »Your Ultimate Guide To Getting Representation As A Writer

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3 Top Tips On Querying Via Email (Plus 3 Cringey Things to Avoid)

Query Via Email Email is a much abused and misunderstood tool when it comes to querying. Yet sending query emails is your first line of attack and is a great way of getting your writing solicited. Sadly, most query emails however are badly worded, weird and/or generally needy. This makes it very easy for agents, producers and their assistants to delete or send that “no unsolicited material” link back to writers. Supersadface. But as we know, it’s perfectly possible to get your screenplay solicited, EVEN IF that company’s official line is “no unsolicited material”! So how do we do that?? Model… Read More »3 Top Tips On Querying Via Email (Plus 3 Cringey Things to Avoid)

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How To Write A Great Cover Letter That Gets Results

Why do writers need to write cover letters? It’s the 2020s and the digital era, so why do writers need to worry about cover letters? Well, these days cover letters are most likely cover EMAILS … but you’ll still need the basics of how to write them. The only thing that’s changed is the delivery, basically. This means you’ll usually write cover letters as part of your submission process. This will frequently be a requirement, even if you’re using an online submissions portal such as CoverFly, Submittable or QueryTracker. Other times you may be expected to use cover letters is… Read More »How To Write A Great Cover Letter That Gets Results

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