Evan Swensen
- Author, Book Publisher, and Developer of Author Masterminds
- Author Masterminds Charter Member
- Host of Alaska Outdoors Magazine Podcast
Articles
The Longest Sentences Ever Written
Every reader has faced a sentence that seems to stretch like a ribbon in the wind—elegant, relentless, and entirely unwilling to stop. Just when a …
When Words Become Shields
“The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself.” With this striking sentence, Albert Camus summarized a writer’s duty and the role …
Email Isn’t a Guessing Game—It’s a System
Discovery does not happen by accident. Many authors assume a book on Amazon will be discovered simply because it exists. Yet crowded platforms rarely allow …
Four Books a Year: Where Do You Fall on America’s Reading Scale?
I like trivia. Not the kind where you memorize who won the 1948 World Series or which bird can fly backward (for the record, it’s …
The Quiet Courage of Writing with Conviction
“Writing is an act of faith, not a trick of grammar.” With those simple words, E.B. White distilled what countless writers have discovered when staring …
Why Good Dialogue Matters More Than Clever Plots
I’ve read manuscripts where the descriptions sang, the plots marched forward, yet the dialogue limped. Characters spoke like mannequins, stiff and awkward, saying things no …
Surprising Secrets of Library Books
I love the smell of a library book. The musty paper, the ink softened by time, even the faint whiff of hands that have turned …
Why Writers Must Learn to Throw Their Words Away
“The wastebasket is a writer’s best friend.” With this simple truth, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Nobel Prize winner and master storyteller, captured one of writing’s hardest …
If You Confuse, You Lose A Publisher’s Perspective on Author Sites
The first time I heard Donald Miller say, “If you confuse, you lose,” it stopped me. I’ve spent decades working with writers and publishers, and …
Meet the World’s First Author: A High Priestess from 2300 BC
When I tell people the world’s earliest known author was a woman, I usually get raised eyebrows. The fact often surprises even seasoned trivia lovers. …
From Sickness to Clarity
“Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness.” George Orwell spoke these words with the raw honesty …
Why Most Books Fail Before They’re Finished
I’ve been around writers long enough to recognize the same quiet frustration settling across their faces when we talk about their books. The issue isn’t …
Podcasts
Evan, who lives in Anchorage, has 9 children, 25 grandchildren, and 6 great grandchildren. As a pilot, he has logged more than 4,000 hours of flight time in Alaska, in both wheel and float planes. He is a serious recreation hunter and fisherman, equally comfortable casting a flyrod or using bait, or lures. He has been published in many national magazines and is the author of four books.