You are your own last judge
Being your own last judge means that you are in control. You are the big boss. The one who ultimately makes the decisions—all of the decisions, including which changes to make to your manuscript.
Create a Formidable Antagonist
No one is all bad, not even your antagonist. Here are some tips to bringing the bad guys to life.
Prepare to exhibit: Book festival paraphernalia
Get ready to exhibit! Banners, book swag, and more.
Read the First Chapter of The Moon Children
Read the first chapter from my newest book, The Moon Children.
Proofread Like a Pro
Achieving clean copy from cover to cover requires a mammoth amount of effort. Here's my process.
Marketing Your Book When Your Platform Is Young
Your platform is the thing that grows your following. That is, the people who know you and follow you. Those who take an interest in you and your books. As indie authors, we hope to grow a large platform. The larger, the better.
But how do you go about doing it?
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.
Story Structure—Should You or Shouldn’t You?
Story structure is pretty complex, so I understand why some writers resist learning about it. “I don’t want to write in a formulaic way,” is one of the common responses. But story structure does not require you to write formulaically.
Press Restart: How Covid Shaped My Vampire Novella
This week's blog is a guest article by author Deborah Sheldon, who discusses how the Covid lockdown affected the writing of her novella Readhead Town.
How Well Do You Know Your Characters?
I didn’t always like character sketches. They were like homework I did not want (or need) to do. I no longer feel that way.
On Feedback and Trusting Your Gut
When it comes to feedback, how do you know what to act on … and what not to?
A Pep Talk (for whenever you need one)
I want to talk about the moments of insecurity that come with self-publishing.
Your Book (and your brain) Need to Breathe
I want to talk about giving your manuscript time and space to breathe.
How to Make an Audiobook—Part 2
Last week, I talked about the general process for having an audiobook made using ACX.com. This week, Laura Botten, voice talent and author of A Recipe from Rome, goes into detail about everything from how to hire the right narrator for your book to the possibility of narrating your own book.