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Announcing the 2023 San Miguel de Allende Writers Workshop

By Books, Writing No Comments

Join hostess Debora Annino and me, along with other writers, in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, a Spanish Colonial town that has served as a gathering place for artists and writers since the 1930s. The enchantment of San Miguel delights with its charming colonial architecture, iconic Parroquia, award-winning restaurants, Latin music, and lively literary and arts community. The fourth annual five-day, four-night retreat includes the following:

• Writing Workshops led by yours truly

• One-on-One Writing Consultation

• Transportation to/from airport

• Shared room accommodations in private home and local B&B

• Breakfasts, lunches and dinners

• Walking tour of San Miguel de Allende

• Mexican Art Tour

• Shopping in Mercado de Artesanias

• Latin-music dinner

• Volunteer opportunity with Little Things Matter Foundation to serve local community

* private room $350 additional fee

Airfare not included…

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5 Trends in the Self-Publishing Book Market

By Arts, Books, Writing One Comment

I just finished teaching a week-long course in self-publishing for ministry. As I teach it every year, I watch for trends, and here’s what stuck out this year: 

  • The continuing rise of audio. As demand continues for audiobooks, it also gets ever easier to produce audio versions. Writer’s Digest says “Audiobooks are the fastest growing format in publishing.” By 2027, projected income is in the billions. Creating an audio version of your book means more listeners, from commuters back on the road to parents scrubbing floors needing free hands to the visually impaired. Podcasts are up; so are audio books.
  • More iterations. We used to think of self-publishing in terms of either print-heavy e-books or stacks in the garage of print-heavy print books. Now we have gift books. Workbooks. Print-on-demand books. Books with black-and-white photos. Books with color photos. Audio books. And so many more…. And let’s not forget comic
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Happy 75th, Dolly Parton!

By Arts, Women, Writing 3 Comments

I asked my student, Misty, to share with my readers some of her vast knowledge about her shero, Dolly Parton, who turns 75 today. Misty’s mom went to high school with Dolly, and when Misty asked her parents to host us in their home this past fall, they pulled out the yearbooks. That’s Misty’s index finger on Dolly’s senior picture. In the group shot below, we show off the “What Would Dolly Do?” t-shirts Misty (second from left) gave us.

So now from Misty Hedrick I give you…

Five Reasons to Love Dolly Parton

1. Billboard estimates Dolly’s current catalog at nearly 5,000 songs. That makes Dolly Parton the most prolific living songwriter. She writes poetry, screenplays, and Broadway musicals, and she starred in hit movies like 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias. And Dolly now churns out Netflix specials based on her songs, like Jolene and Two Doors

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