Quit now and avoid the rush
If a young writer can refrain from writing, he shouldn't hesitate to do so. -Andre GideIf one feels one could live without writing, then one shouldn't write at all. - Rainer Maria RilkeMy advice to...
View ArticleThe Indie Book Release Day Checklist
Since I've just gone through the process of releasing the seventh book through my small press, I thought it might be fun to share the deadlines and check points that lead up to a release of a new...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Smorgasbords, Radio Interviews, and KDP Select
@font-face { font-family: "Courier New"; }@font-face { font-family: "Wingdings"; }@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size:...
View ArticleSocial Media is not a Bullhorn
You see it all the time. A writer hunkers in a bunker for months or years cranking out a novel, publishes it, sees the dismal sales numbers, and panics. She hears that she needs a platform, that she...
View ArticleSales that go bump in the night
In indie writer circles, a "bump" is anything that causes a temporary spike in sales.On the major retailer sites, bumps are important. A book that is coasting along with a sale or two per day will...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Grenade in the Room
@font-face { font-family: "Times"; }@font-face { font-family: "Calibri"; }@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }@font-face { font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tools for the process
Some writers love deadlines, some hate them. Many find that they are more productive when writing under a deadline.A traditionally published writer has a deadline imposed by someone else. Going indie...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Lake Travis Fiction Writers
Please note that the new contact person for the Lake Travis Fiction Writers is: Gulick@flash.net. I enjoy participating in writers' groups because any opportunity to explore the craft and share with...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Writers' Groups and the New Era
@font-face { font-family: "Times"; }@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";...
View ArticleInner and Outer Journey
In most modern novels, the main character undergoes some sort of transformation or enlightenment, which we call the character arc. Huckleberry renounces slavery, for example. There are exceptions. In...
View ArticleOn crossing 5000 sales
I want to laugh when people ask how I sold my books, because I'm always asking my friends who sell 5000 or more books a MONTH, how do YOU do it? All our paths will be different, but the biggest thing...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Helping Others Do It Themselves
@font-face { font-family: "Times"; }@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Texas Book Festival - Halftime Report
It's Sunday morning, October 28, 2012, and sitting at my computer with my first cup of coffee, I couldn't resist the temptation to document a few personal observations from my experience in the Violet...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Texas Book Festival - Second Half
With another day at the festival under my belt, for a total of 13 hours in the booth, I can report that except for what John Candy in the movie "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" called "barking dogs"...
View ArticleOr You Can Go Home and Kiss the Mirror
Every writer should belong to a critique group or have a writing partner – preferably one who knows about editing – to take a look at each chapter and give feedback. You can’t give yourself...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Standing Room Only
On Saturday, November 17, 2012, a panel of five AIW members attended the second meeting of the Lake Travis Fiction Writers (LTFW) to present "How to Publish Your Own Novel.""Kathy Clark" Wernly, a...
View ArticleWriters -- Your IP Address Can and Will Be Used Against You
When the Amazon customer review scandals first broke a couple months ago, some of the big bloggers speculated on what would happen. Would Amazon ignore the problem? Would they overreact?Some felt a few...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Can Ebooks and Print Coexist?
Unless you've been living off the planet for the past five years, you are more than likely aware of the ongoing turmoil in the publishing industry which began when Amazon introduced the Kindle on...
View ArticleIn legacy publishing your book is a high-risk stock
When you ask a legacy publisher why you should look for a contract with the Big Six, now the Big Five, soon to be the Big Four, you will get a predictable list of questionable responses. Most of them...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Indentured Servitude by Design
@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }Often when I...
View Article
