My editor returned the manuscript to me, and included with it was a thirteen page assessment of the work covering, characters, setting, plot, POV, and voice. It is quite thorough and at first a shot to the ego. This is the most challenging part of the writing process. Your work is laid bare and dissected. …
From the Blogs
I came across this piece on Anne R. Allen's blog. I know I have experienced a host of starts and stalls with my writing. My family and friends are always there with support, especially my wife. Still I can see how for some that might not be the case. Read on and see: How Well-Intentioned …
Prologues are Played Out
I know I may get some comments on how wrong I am. Still, I know I am not a fan of reading them and I wouldn't use them. They had their place for world building or setting up a dramatic arc, but I think there are more interesting ways for a writer to achieve this. …
Publishing Your eBook on Kindle
I came across this post on The Book Designer.com. It contains some really helpful information. Having published four books on Kindle, I've seen and received so many questions on how to self-publish a book. It is daunting but not impossible. Articles like this provide much of what you need to know. The process also changes …
What Does Self-Publishing a Book Cost?
I see this question pop up quite often on Quora.com. The answer is, it varies. The one thing you should never have to pay for is the actual publishing. Unless it's a local press that requires a certain amount of copies to be bought then your book should not cost a thing. Even if it …
Rejections Hurt This May Help
I came across this blog post on the interwebs today and thought it would be a good share. All writers will face rejection and all writers cope with it differently. Knowing that it happens to all of us helps. Knowing what to avoid helps even more. This is where this post from Anne R. Allen …
How Not to Spend Your Money
I've seen many posts about what self published authors should spend some money on. This is the first time I've seen one on what not to spend that money on. I have to say it is a spot on list. As a receiver of emails from some of these services I can tell you right …
Disappearing eBooks
DRM Digital Rights Management has jumped back into the headlines with the closing of Microsoft's eBook store. Users of the store found not only was the store closing but it was also taking it's books with it. https://futurism.com/microsoft-closing-ebook-store The DRM software that comes loaded with the file makes this as easy as flipping a switch …
A Little Sh*t Can’t Hurt
As a librarian I can tell you many people will religiously read the same authors' books. We see this constantly as the request list for the latest Patterson or Steele novels head into the hundreds. As a reader myself I've read a familiar author's book that once I was done said, "that was a waste …
Avoiding Emotional Cliches
I came across this great piece of advice from Anne R Allen's great blog. How to Avoid Cliched Emotional Responses We've all fallen into the trap at least once. Cliches are easy and sometime our brains just don't have anything more to say about something. One of my favorite things is to mix up the …
