Columnists
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May 26, 2025
The Key to Publishing a Book: Being a Staunch Celebrationist
By Lindsay Zier-VogelWriting a book takes forever. Or, it does for me. I always think I’ll be able to crack the code for the next one, and write faster and be more efficient, but the reality is, it takes me five years to ...
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May 23, 2025
Unlocking Out of Editing
By Manahil BandukwalaIn my April 2025 column for Open Book, I wrote about the difficulties of locking into editing. Coming back to a manuscript you feel you’ve completed is tricky, especially when you’re at the stage ...
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May 22, 2025
How I'm Adjusting My Writing Routine For Spring and Summer
By Samantha GarnerA few months ago I wrote about how I’m adjusting my writing routine for autumn & winter. Now that we’re well into spring where I live, I’ve been strategizing for the warmer months ahead. My ...
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May 05, 2025
The Pros and Cons of Beta Readers
By Lindsay Zier-VogelI just finished an early draft of a new middle grade novel and realized as pressed “save” that even though it was nowhere near done, I’d taken it as far as I could.It was officially time for a beta ...
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May 02, 2025
Locking In, Letting Go
By Manahil BandukwalaI’ve thought of myself as a writer who loves revision. I rewrote large chunks of my two poetry collections between the ‘final’ version submitted to my publisher, and the version that ended up being ...
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April 30, 2025
The Joys of Rereading
By Samantha GarnerLike any other avid reader, my TBR pile can feel out of control most of the time. For me, it’s partly because I’m a mood reader with an aversion to to-do lists of any kind, but it’s also because ...
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April 03, 2025
How to Avoid Blank Page Syndrome: The Jar Method
By Lindsay Zier-VogelWhen I’m editing, there are specific problems to tackle, and I find I have a clear to-do list. Even if there’s a lot to do, I have a road map, but at the beginning of a project, I get so easily daunted ...
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March 28, 2025
10 Self-Care Tips for Writers
By Samantha GarnerSelf-care is more than a long candlelit bath and chocolate—it’s prioritizing your mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. As someone with anxiety and chronic depression, I’ve learned the hard ...
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March 24, 2025
Finding a Press for Your Poetry Manuscript
By Manahil BandukwalaIn one of my first columns as an Open Book columnist, I shared my process of realizing I had a full-length poetry manuscript. Since then, I’ve written a number of columns about how to go about preparing ...
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February 24, 2025
Grant Writing 101: Timelines
By Lindsay Zier-VogelYou’ve got an idea, you’ve got working title, maybe you’ve even got a beta reader, or a mentor lined up. You’ve got your budget planned out (and know how many days/weeks or hours your project ...