This is a list of helpful posts written by members of the Mad Genius Club. It is intended to help authors and independent publishers (usually in one and the same person) navigate the process from writing through publication and beyond, into marketing. It is an organic list: a work in progress that will grow, being added to periodically as new posts are written, information is updated, and if you have questions, feel free to pose them. Although the information found by following the links below was correct when written, it may need to be adapted as technology changes, new software emerges, and publication venues change. Formatting requirements are not static, we want to note, and you should always check them directly at the distributor you are using (Amazon, Draft2Digital, Smashwords, et al) before you proceed with that step.
Writing Phase
- General Terminology
- Finding Ideas
- Opening with a Hook
- Writing Dialogue
- Developing Characters
- The Saggy Middle
- Research
- Alpha Readers
- Formatting to a template
Editing Phase
Pre-Publication
- Converting to Ebook
- Formatting for Print
- Designing an Ebook Cover
- Finding Art for a Cover
- Dorothy Grant’s Clinic on Covers
- Designing and Creating a Full-cover for Print
- Choosing a Genre
- Creating a Compelling Blurb
Mad Genius Club 
I know that Cedar posted the link to this the other day, but it’s abominably hard to find without the direct link. You might want to add a link to it somewhere that will be easier to find. Maybe a tab at the top?
Wayne, it’s in the menu at the top now? I think?
Yep. It works.
Thank you for the link at the top!
Boy do I need that.
No links to Sarah’s columns on writing a novel? Here, they start about here https://madgeniusclub.com/2014/10/15/first-catch-an-idea-writing-your-novel-part-1/ which probably fits in the finding ideas part?
How can I get a legitimate publisher when I don’t have money?
You don’t need money to ‘get a publisher.’ I’m not sure where you thought that came from? There are a few publishers who do accept unagented submissions, but acquiring an agent is merely a game of patience, persistence, and politics, not payment. And all this is only necessary if you are pursuing traditional publishing routes.