This Week on Books Direct - 19 May 2013

This Week on Books Direct - 19 May 2013

Here's a list of the articles you may have missed this week:

"10 iUniverse Tips on How To Create Believable Characters" - Article by iUniverse.

The key to writing believable, well-rounded characters involves a number of different aspects. The characters in your book need to be credible. They need to have the same strengths, weaknesses, idiosyncrasies and problems as real people. They should have personalities, and a past, and they need to be authentic. iUniverse Publishing presents 10 tips on how to make your characters realistic.

"Children's Book Week Resources for Parents, Teachers and Librarians" - Article by Jason Boog for GalleyCat.

Happy Children’s Book Week! The Children’s Choice Book Awards winners will be revealed at a gala ceremony tonight. If you are a teacher, librarian or parent interested in teaching kids about the Children’s Book Week Award finalists, here are some interesting resources.

"11 Misconceptions And Myths About Author Websites" - Article by Web Design Relief.

Even the best writers sometimes get bad information. And when it comes to author websites, there's a lot of misconceptions and myths about author websites going around. If you have a promotional website or are thinking of starting one, be sure you aren't carrying around any of these common (but largely wrong) ideas.

"Free Samples of 2013 Buzz Books" - Article by Jason Boog for GalleyCat.

Publishers Marketplace has published a free digital book sampler with 40 "Buzz Books" for the year, your chance to see what books everybody will be talking about in a few months. (Available in US only.)

"9 Key Elements Of Great Endings For Books And Stories" - Article by Writer's Relief.

After a reader finishes a book or a short story, it's often the ending that resonates most strongly. Here are a few elements that can make for a great ending for your book or story.

"The Acme Instant Logline Generator" - Article by Matthew Wright.

All novels need a logline, sometimes also known as a hook line – a single sentence that describes the plot and acts as a sale pitch to agents and publishers.

"Ten Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Start Writing" - Article by Karen Rowe.

Successfully publishing a book means asking yourself these key questions.

"Write it Now Part 11: 'How' Not 'What', the Key Secret to Writing it Big" - Article by Matthew Wright.

Being told that what you write must have a 'beginning', 'middle' and 'end' must be the oldest and stalest tip in the book. Made worse because it's true.

"Top 10 Ways to Lose a Reader" - Article by Big Al for Indies Unlimited.

These are ten mistakes commonly seen in indie books. Just the kind of things that will turn readers off.

"What Distinguishes the Most Successful Authors…From You?" - Article by Karen Rowe.

Authors like J.K. Rowling, Dean Koontz and Stephen King represent less than 1% of the author population, and have book sales in excess of $300 Million. So what’s the difference between them and you?

"8 Signs You're A Book Person" - Article by Kelly Davis for Thought Catalog.

How many of these describe you?

"7 Biggest Lies Writers Tell Themselves About Their Books" - Article by Karen Rowe.

Here are a few of the biggest mistakes writers make before they publish, and the lies they tell themselves.

"Are You an Idea Hoarder?" - Article by Regina Barreca for SheWrites.

So, are you?

"11 Books You Should Read If You're A Woman In Your 20s" -  Article by Natalie Ramm for Thought Catalog.

These are Natalie's suggestions for novels you should read if you’re a woman in your twenties. Do you agree? What books would you add?