Are you feeling stuck? Do this exercise
If you’re asking yourself, Why am I doing this? Why am I trying to accomplish something that’s so hard?, then you should read this post.
Do your characters have disabilities? Enter the Sensitivity Reader
My books are populated with characters of varying strengths and weaknesses, abilities and disabilities. One of them requires a wheelchair. Is my portrayal accurate, believable, positive? Enter the Sensitivity Reader.
Author Collaboration Helps Build Fan Base
When it comes to marketing, the reasons to collaborate with other authors are many.
Shoot for the Moon
I’ve noticed that even with my favorite books, there is usually something I don’t love about the book. The interesting thing, I think, is that I still love that book unconditionally.
Even An Introvert Can ❤️ an In-Person Event
Since publishing my first book in 2021, I have done four in-person events, and they’ve all been worthwhile. More than worthwhile, they’ve been fun and memorable. Here’s why you should do one too.
Bring on the grit, says writer of romantic suspense
In this interview, indie author Tricia T. LaRochelle candidly shares what it took to prepare her first book for publication, what you can do right now to market your books, and much more.
My first foray into Facebook ads
After publishing two books, I decided it was time to dip my toe into the paid advertisements arena. Here’s what happened during my first foray with Facebook ads.
How to (temporarily) evade the family
Slip out the back, Jack. Make a new plan, Stan … Okay, so you’re not breaking up with your family. You’re just trying to obtain a little quiet time during which you can take pen to paper. … Here’s how to do it without flustering too many feathers.
Being an indie doesn’t mean you’ll work alone
When author Kim Poovey first decided to publish independently, she believed Indie authorship meant doing everything by yourself accompanied by a high price tag. She soon discovered that being an Indie author requires support from others.
Prepare to approach a brick-and-mortar bookstore
Here’s how to set the stage for a successful bookstore introduction.
How to write the three sentences that define your novel
Book coach Nicole Van Den Eng helps you get clear on what your story is really about with this guided composition.
From kraken to octopus teacher: how to tame the 8 arms of promotion
Some promotional tasks are one and done while others are on the sporadic side. Still others are ongoing and happen with regular frequency. Here’s how you can get through them.
Getting serious about writing after age fifty
Lisa McColloch’s guest post about how turning fifty changes things, and nearing sixty puts exclamation points where once there were periods.
5 ways to turn your plot into a page turner
What is it about a story that compels readers to stay up far later than they should? Why is it we have trouble getting to the end of one book, yet we fly through another?
11 signs you’re ready to self-publish
It’s a tough decision for a writer to make, one of the toughest. All your life you’ve fantasized about one of the Big Five buying your book and its subsequent astronomical launch into the stratosphere. But it hasn’t happened yet. When do you turn off the traditional road and drive toward the indie aesthetic?
5 tips for writing a sequel
Until I wrote Jovian Son, I’d never attempted to write a sequel. I was nervous about it. It felt like new territory. But as soon as I began to write, I realized it was actually easier than starting a new story.
Free-book promos (and why you need to do one)
Giving the book away is part of a larger strategy that can help you—and all of the books you’ll ever publish—to find some success.
In celebration of copyeditors
Ever wonder what a copyeditor does? In this clever and humorous piece, Kathy Bradshaw explains.
Author puts cart before the horse and lands an agent
One writer shares her process for crafting a novel.
What to do when you get a bad review
No matter how many kind, flattering, awesome reviews you get, when one of those baddies arrives, you will still feel the pain. We all need reviews, so what can an author do?