A Letter from the Editor
by Timothy Pike

Seriously, it happens every month.

As I dig through the piles of papers on my desk, pore over articles for the upcoming issue, and interview authors, I’ll happen across a juicy—and I mean juicy—little nugget of information that is just so … interesting, it causes my brain to short circuit and start to overheat.

What do I do next? I simply switch on my portable fan and aim it straight at my head to cool it down before my brain explodes.

Then, crisis averted, I keep reading. But a few paragraphs later, sure enough, I need to switch on the fan again.

It’s the curse of being editor of a magazine where so many incredible tidbits of knowledge are being revealed in every article and interview.

In the interest of sharing these revelations with you, I pulled out the best lines from these articles and quoted them here.

So here they are—the 7 quotes that made me quickly reach for the fan:

◼ “We wanted our readers to know we visited these restaurants and tourist stops—and drank the cocktails we recommend.”

—Authors Kelly Florence and Meg Hafdahl, on writing their road-trip guide and the tough business of conducting research in a bar

◼ “You owe it to your readers to have a story arc with a clear beginning, middle, and end that they can follow and cheer along with.”

—Travel writer Candace MacPhie, author of the Back in a Year series, on how not to put people to sleep with your travel stories

◼ “I have brand colors for my social media posts and website. This way, when people see an announcement, they see the colors and know it’s me.”

—Award-winning author Diann Floyd Boehm, on seeing and being seen … and why it’s essential to build an author brand

◼ “When you first thought about your story, you most likely asked yourself who your audience was.”

—Diann Floyd Boehm, who knows that you know how important it is to know who you’re actually writing for

◼ “Expecting to run a writing marathon without any practice or preparation is setting yourself up for failure.”

—Award-winning author Alison McBain, on writing a novel in one week flat, presumably said with her eyelids propped open by toothpicks

◼ “I learned that if I build each book the same way, no matter what genre I’m writing, then I’ll be able to sit down on day one of each week and knock out a book in seven days.”

—Alison McBain, on how to leave a trail of flames behind your fingers as you type

◼ “It’s imperative to include good, bad, funny, and sad moments and all the emotions that accompany them.”

—Candace MacPhie, on turning a travel anecdote into a gripping tale readers can relate to

Enjoy this month’s issue of Books & Buzz Magazine! Just make sure your fan is plugged in.

To your success,

Timothy Pike
Editor of Books & Buzz Magazine