13 Professional Writers to Follow on Facebook

After a delightful meal, have you ever sent your compliments to the chef? Finishing a great novel can leave you with the same urge to congratulate the brilliant mind behind it. Did you know you can leave a message for your favorite author on Facebook? Besides messages, Facebook offers you the opportunity to discover a lot about your favorite writer. Let’s look at the pages of thirteen professional writers!

Insider Information

Khaled Hosseini

You might already know that Afghani-American author Khaled Hosseini practiced medicine before writing his three bestsellers—The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns, and The Mountains Echoed. But do you know which humanitarian organization he actively supports?

Kazuo Ishiguro

Why did Ishiguro take a ten-year pause from writing? Not only will you find the answer in a video post from the author, you’ll also learn about the setting of The Buried Giant.

Michael Chabon

In reference to Moonglow, the New Yorker described Michael Chabon’s writing as “a scale model of the broken world.” His stories feature gender and race issues, and his Facebook page hosts some controversial comments from fans and non-fans. His page also features pictures from his early life, including an interesting one from 1978.

Join the Club!

Nicholas Sparks

Nicholas Sparks’s novels, such as The Notebook and Dear John, transitioned perfectly to the silver screen. It’s always fun to anticipate when his next novel or film will be released. Subscribe to his official mailing list via his Facebook page, and you will be among the first to get the news.

John Irving

John Irving’s assistant maintains his account, but promises “regular commentary from Mr. Irving himself.” Do you have questions about The World According to Garp or praise for The Cider House Rules? If you express yourself on his wall, you just might get a reply!

Quotes

Cormac McCarthy

“If trouble comes when you least expect it, then maybe the thing to do is to always expect it.” Do you agree with this quote from The Road by Cormac McCarthy? Compare your opinion with the rest of this Pulitzer Prize winner’s fan community.

Reading Guides and Summaries

Toni Morrison

Talk about teachable moments! Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison’s Facebook offers summaries and reading guides for many of her thought-provoking novels. Whether you’re teaching a class or trying to make the grade, this page is a must-see!

Jodi Picoult

You’re a capable nurse, but your patients don’t want you treating their newborn because of the color of your skin. Later, the baby goes into cardiac distress. Do you perform CPR? In Small Great Things, you’ll find out what the nurse decides. And on Picoult’s Facebook page, you can access a reading guide guaranteed to spark plenty of discussion about this moral dilemma.

Collaborations and New Projects

George R.R. Martin

George R.R. Martin is famous for the Song of Ice and Fire series, but don’t think that he limits his creative process. Check out his latest posts about a project in collaboration with Nnedi Okorafor and HBO.

John Green

John Green, of The Fault in Our Stars fame, is releasing something new—Turtles All the Way Down. He plans to broadcast live shows on Facebook when he signs copies of his new book. You can pre-order a copy or catch a first glimpse of its cover on his page.

Beyond Their Books

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The works of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (e.g., Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun) are available in thirty languages. She splits her time between the United States and her native Nigeria. Her page is a wealth of information on relations between Nigeria and other countries.

Joyce Carol Oates

What does an esteemed author think of the writing of others? Joyce Carol Oates posts her published reviews of literary works, such as If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin, as well as updates of her tour schedule.

John Grisham

John Grisham has written thirty novels, many of which are now motion pictures. Does he ever get a chance to read? Yes, he’s “plowing his way through” the books of a certain author. Find out whose writing he says is “just as as difficult now as it was [when he was] in high school.”

Do these Facebook author pages whet your appetite? Why not visit the page of your favorite writer today?

What Is the Importance of Self-Promotion?

Self-promotion is rarely done well.

Maybe this is why the term “self-promotion” is regularly used interchangeably with showboating, and “self-promoters” are often considered jerks. Self-promotion is so problematic that some experts discourage it all together. Many of us, introverts and anxious types in particular, get squirmy at the possibility of being seen as a braggart.

However, it is possible to speak openly about your ideas and work in a way that benefits you personally and professionally rather than setting you back.

The Benefits of “Shameless Self-Promotion”

Shameless self-promotion is not the same as boasting.

Talented and effective self-promoters are “shameless” because their self-promotion is balanced, constructive, and beneficial to the group. They literally do not have anything to be ashamed of.

Constructive self-promotion is magnetic and energizing, helps you connect with the right people, grows your ideas through collaboration, and clears obstacles to progress. This is because healthy, shameless self-promotion focuses on ideas, growth, and passion—there is little ego involved.

In contrast, destructive self-promotion—or self-adulation—keeps your focus in the rearview mirror, on past successes and accomplishments that blind you to opportunities ahead of you. Attempts to set yourself apart are effective but in a negative way. Self-promotion focused on your accomplishments, your work, and your success isolate you from passionate supporters and collaborators along your journey.

So, how do you hone successful self-promotion without a hint of guilt?

The Essentials of Effective, Guilt-free Self-Promotion

1Actions Are the Most Authentic Form of Self-Promotion

What you do speaks far louder than what you say you’ll do or have done. Whether you are trying to get a promotion, attract partners, or inspire your team, what you do (results), how you do it (attitude), and when you do it (consistency) far outweigh what you say you have done.

Here’s a tip: Self-promotion cannot and should not ever replace hard work and consistency.

2 Constructive Self-Promotion Is About Ideas and Vision

Introverts will be glad to hear that the most effective self-promotion doesn’t actually focus on you directly. Instead, it focuses on the passion, interest, and vision that you have and are working toward. You shouldn’t focus on “selling yourself” but rather selling your values and unique perspective on the world. This is what you want others, whether it’s your boss or a prospective employer, to buy into.

3Self-Promotion Is About Your Present and Future, Not Your Past

If you’re stuck rehashing past victories, you aren’t going to be able to sell your ideas and vision of the world (or a field of expertise, or a big project) in the future. Self-promoting pros know that you should focus on what you’re working on right now and what you want to do—not what you’ve done in the past. The only exception is if some lesson from your past directly informs your current work in the present and where you want to go in the future.

Here’s a tip: The only time you should be talking about past accomplishments is to reference lessons you learned that are relevant for your current and future work or passions.

4Mastering Humility and Modesty Are Critical to Shameless Self-Promotion

No one enjoys listening to, let alone working with, a pompous blowhard. Humility and modesty are two sides of the same coin and ensure that you can contextualize your own success within the big picture—the really big one. (If your successes look pretty small from that perspective, congratulations, your humility is showing!)

Though these terms are used interchangeably, I will make a distinction. Humility reflects your internal understanding of your achievements, while modesty is how you choose to express that understanding.

It can be difficult to become humble overnight, since the internal monologue you have is influenced by your environment and culture over years. Though there are great resources here and here for improving humility.

Modesty, unlike humility, is a behavior that can be changed and cultivated more quickly. No, we’re not talking about how you choose to dress, though you may choose that as an expression of modesty. What we’re really getting at is how you choose to present yourself overall, particularly in conversation. A simple way to discuss your past experience more modestly is to change half (or more) of the I dids and I decideds to we dids and we decideds.

Here’s a tip: Before a job interview, annual review, or networking event, spend time practicing how to talk about your experience by combining concrete details with a healthy dose of modesty.

Whether you’re revamping your LinkedIn profile, getting ready for a job interview, or just trying to navigate networking mixers, learning to toot your horn without putting people off is essential to success. By letting your actions speak for you, focusing on your ideas and work in the present and your vision for the future, and balancing your pride in your successes with humility, you’ll successfully—and pleasantly—set yourself apart from the crowd.

When Should I Use Inquire vs. Enquire?

• Traditionally, enquire simply meant “ask,” while inquire was used for formal investigations.
• In the UK, the two words are used interchangeably, although inquire is still the more commonly used word for formal or official investigations.
• In the United States, inquire is the strongly preferred spelling in all uses.

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For the most part, you can use either enquire or inquire and not make a mistake. These two words, however, have traditionally been used in a slightly different way, at least in the UK, which kind of makes them a pair of commonly confused words.

When to Use Inquire?

Inquire is what you’ll usually see in American English. It means “to ask” or “to investigate”:

We went to the mall to inquire about a job.

In British English, inquire has traditionally been used for formal or official investigations and queries:

We asked Lord Roundbottom to inquire into the matter of the new football stadium.

Today, the word inquire is also used in British English in the way it’s used in American English, to denote a general query.

When to Use Enquire?

Enquire is mostly used in British English for the general meaning “to ask” or “to investigate”:

I’ll go to Phil and enquire about the chances of getting a raise.

While inquire is also often used in the same sense as enquire in British English, it doesn’t usually go the other way around—enquire is rarely used for an official investigation or query.

Examples

This one will throw you for a loop: The Nationals have inquired with the Blue Jays about outfielder Jose Bautista’s availability, according to The Post’s Barry Svrluga.

CBS DC

However, he defended the regulator’s right to inquire whenever it felt that circumstances required it and suggested more use might be made of the BHA’s review function.

The Guardian

Go and check it out before you book – talk to management and staff, look at the dogs’ quarters, enquire about feeding and exercise routines and see how the people there interact with your dog.

Stuff

Epistolary Novels, Finding Your Theme, and the Science of Good Writing

Can letter writing teach you how to write a novel? Can your socks help you identify a theme? What do neuroscientists have to say about writing? Find the answers by checking out these links to our favorite stories from around the web this week. Have something you’d like to see us cover here? Let us know in the comment section!

Our Favorite Stories:

1. Why Writing a Book Through Letters Is Beautiful and Wild (The Guardian)
2. Theme and the Power of Socks (The Writer)
3. 6 Scientific Tips to Improve Your Writing (Futurity)

Staff Book Picks of the Week:

The Marvels (Fiction) Brian Selznick

“Filled with mystery, vibrant characters, surprise twists, and heartrending beauty, and featuring Selznick’s most arresting art to date, The Marvels is a moving tribute to the power of story.”

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear (Nonfiction) Elizabeth Gilbert

“Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the “strange jewels” that are hidden within each of us. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work,  embark on a dream long deferred, or simply infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness and passion, Big Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy.”

Author & Illustrator Birthdays

George R. R. Martin — September 20, 1948

Stephen King — September 21, 1947

F. Scott Fitzgerald — September 24, 1896

Shel Silverstein — September 25, 1930

Andrea Davis Pinkney — September 25, 1963

 

Good Grammar Can Keep You Out of Trouble. Here’s How.

We’ve all heard the bad grammar horror stories: gory rumors of a brilliant job candidate missing out on an opportunity because of a misplaced comma or frighteningly funny-not-funny tales of a political candidate mangling a perfectly good one-liner (making it mean even less than it did originally).

Then, of course, there’s the seemingly never-ending barrage of listicles recounting the 10 Most Hilarious Grammar Mistakes You Have To See Before You Die or waxing lyrical about #Grammarfails That Only Grammar Lovers Will Understand.

Rarer, though, are noble accounts of grammar saves: those times when knowing your grammar has neutralized a dangerous (if not quite near-death) experience that could have cost you your money, reputation, and love life.

This may sound far-fetched. After all, good grammar’s usual MO is that it’s a tool for improving communication and writing skills, which can have all kinds of awesome (but not superhero-level) consequences.

To prove the point, we found some pretty cool situations where grammar has swooped in and rescued a poor damsel or dude (or company) in distress.

Good Grammar Can Keep You Out of the Can

When Ohio resident Andrea Cammelleri received a parking ticket for leaving her pickup truck parked in an area for more than twenty-four hours, she could have paid it without question, pleaded her case before a judge, or even (if she was feeling particularly irresponsible) ignored it until she was held in contempt of court and thrown in jail.

Instead, she called Grammar Man! Or rather, she just relied on her knowledge of punctuation to point out that based on comma placement, her vehicle was not in violation of the law. Here are the autos that the village of West Jefferson would not allow to be parked for more than a day:

“Any motor vehicle camper, trailer, farm implement and/or non-motorized vehicle.”

As she so astutely argued, her motor vehicle was not the same thing as a motor vehicle camper. The prosecutors rebutted that the law was clear enough thanks to context, but the appeals court sided with Cammelleri and advised lawmakers to revise the sentence to include a comma between vehicle and camper if they wanted it to apply to standard autos too.

Grammar, one; city of West Jefferson, zero!

Good Grammar Can Save You a Million Bucks

If you’re not so easily won over by a mere parking ticket victory, perhaps you’ll be more convinced of the power of good grammar when there’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

That was the case for Canadian telephone company Bell Aliant, and they came out of things one million Canadian dollars richer. How? Thanks to one tiny comma, they were able to cancel a contract with the country’s largest television cable provider just a year after signing (instead of after five, as the cable company intended). An unanticipated increase in third-party usage fees meant that Bell Aliant would have lost a lot of money by staying in the contract. Here’s the phrase responsible for their good fortune:

“This agreement shall be effective from the date it is made and shall continue in force for a period of five (5) years from the date it is made, and thereafter for successive five (5) year terms, unless and until terminated by one year prior notice in writing by either party.”

Bell Aliant argued that the comma after terms and before unless applied to the entirety of the sentence, which meant the company could cut ties after as little as twelve months. The cable provider, on the other hand, meant for the termination period to apply only to the clause and thereafter for successive five-year terms.

A regulator supported Bell Aliant’s claim and sent the cable mogul back to Toronto with its tail between its legs.

Good Grammar Can Get You Out of Dating Trouble

Turns out it’s not who you’re wearing or what you drive that can make you more successful on the dating scene; it’s your grasp of grammar (well, that and good teeth).

According to an online survey of nearly 5,500 singles over the age of 21, 55 percent of men and 69 percent of women judge their potential partners on how well they can cross their t’s and dot their i’s. Good grammar trumped clothes, hair, accent, and even brand of electronic device as an essential.

Needless to say, if you don’t want to strike out on the relationship front, it’s worth brushing up on your sentence structure, vocabulary, and writing skills.

Know another cool example where grammar was used as a superpower? Tell us about it in the comment feed below or via our Facebook or Twitter pages.