To be honest, I'm a little nervous about taking a break, but a lot of that nervousness comes from FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). I wonder what awesome blog posts I'll miss from all of you. I wonder what amazing things you're going to accomplish while I'm away, but I know it's going to … Continue reading Temporary Blog Hiatus – Begins TODAY!
Month: March 2018
Island of the Misfit Stories and What To Do About Them!
When I was a kid, I loved watching Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys. The toys were considered misfits because they possessed some defect and nobody seemed to want them. For example, there is a cowboy that rides an ostrich, a bird that swims, a winged bear, and a boat that … Continue reading Island of the Misfit Stories and What To Do About Them!
How Can Authors Protect Their Works in Progress?
You can read the original post here.
Great tips on protecting your works in progress.
by RJ Crayton 
on Indies Unlimited:
This question gets asked by readers a lot here at Indies Unlimited: How can I protect my manuscript from being taken by someone I let read it? And as common as the question is, it’s an easy answer: you can’t.
That’s not the answer most people want to hear, but Indies Unlimited is an “Alternative Facts Free Zone,” so only the truth appears here. And the truth is, you really can’t stop someone from doing unauthorized things with a document you give them.
The good news is that most people don’t do untoward things with your document. Most people do what was asked: read your manuscript and then either provide you feedback or write a review. However, occasionally, an unscrupulous person may share your book. Like I said, there’s really no way to stop someone who wants to do wrong with your file, if they…
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I’m getting close to a 1000 reads.. thanks! Help me get to the symbolic 1000 mark by spreading the link far and wide.
Another blogger, the Existential Tableau, is witty, intelligent, and very supportive of my blog is nearly at the 1000 reads mark!!! Visit her blog for your reading pleasure. And deep reflection. A lot of her posts are not for the faint of heart or dull of mind. 🙂 Happy Writer Wednesday to you!
8 Tips to Get Great Amazon Book Reviews…
By Lisa Tener – Book Writing Coach
One strategy that can help catapult your book to page one on Amazon results are your Amazon book reviews. Of course, your book needs to be categorized well on Amazon (with the right keywords and categories). It needs to be well-written, too! But after these “givens” reviews rock.
Why are Amazon Book Reviews Important?
#1: Amazon Takes Reviews Seriously. The Amazon Algorithm looks at book purchases but also at reviews. A large number of 5 star reviews (and 4 star as well) shows Amazon that the book has merit among readers. Amazon will, however, discount reviews if they are from people who did not purchase on Amazon or, so I have heard, if it looks to their algorithm as if you are closely related to the reviewer.
#2: Readers Take Amazon Reviews Seriously. Many potential book buyers read reviews. First, almost…
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The True Cost of Free
#WriterMonday All writers should read this well-written post. Readers, too. And if you’re new to writing or even new to how an author’s work is “used” in this highly technological age — you need to read this at least once. 🙂
This week I am going to look at something that has been on my radar for a very long time. This topic is something I have heard about with regards to companies like Huffington Post that pay their writers in ‘exposure’ as opposed to actual money. However, in recent months I have been thinking of this topic in regards to other companies that make their living off writers whilst giving nothing back to those who are actually attracting traffic to their sites. After all, without content creators, there would be nothing to bring in the readers. Only makes sense to actually compensate these writers for their content, right? Well, if only things were that simple and logical.
The companies that I am going to look at (whilst naming no names) are the free publishing platforms. This is quite a tricky area, for writers are not hired to put content up…
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Temporary Blog Hiatus – Coming Soon. Why? So I can Work Harder and Smarter!
Hello fellow bloggers and Happy Monday to you! In order to finish up The Novel I've been dropping hints about, I need to prioritize and reschedule a few things. I won't be posting new content on here much -- if at all. I will most likely reblog your posts. I'm a reblogging superstar! 🙂 And … Continue reading Temporary Blog Hiatus – Coming Soon. Why? So I can Work Harder and Smarter!
100+ Followers! Yay, yay! Hip Hop Hooray!
Thank you to all my followers for helping to inspire me to keep writing every day. I wasn’t expecting to gain many readers and I like to think I would keep writing anyway. However, having readers to interact with definitely gives me that little extra oomph -- so thank you all for that. Here are … Continue reading 100+ Followers! Yay, yay! Hip Hop Hooray!
This is a Writer’s Worst Enemy
Wow. I totally relate to this. Perfectionism kills productivity. Is that why some writers suggest creating while drinking wine? 😉
What is Steampunk? – Guest Post by, Jaq D Hawkins…
A lot of readers have found it confusing to negotiate their way through book lists under the heading of Steampunk. They find Mysteries, Young Adult, Romance and an inordinate number of stories with vampires, zombies and werewolves for a genre that isn’t Horror. They come across Adventure stories, many of them in the YA camp, airships and mechanoids. So what is it that actually defines a story as Steampunk?
Well, the simple answer is alternative forms of energy, i.e. steam and clockwork technology instead of fossil fuels. Steampunk tends to be set in either Victorian England or the Wild West. Usually there is an airship involved somewhere, steam powered of course.
The complication comes in when you realise that these elements can apply in any genre, even Horror, as Whitechapel Gods by S.M. Peters demonstrates. So how did a novel with gruesome mutilations get into the same category as…
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Monique L. Desir 