Month: March 2014

Caption This Contest

Red Squirrel, Washington State 031814This is a squirrel with something to say. Give us a maximum 140 character caption for this photo.

If you have more than one idea, go ahead and put in as many entries as you want.

We’ll leave comments open until Friday night. Brooks and I will pick our favorite, and turn it into a motivational poster we’ll put up in the sidebar, crediting the author of the caption. Alternatively, if we don’t like any of them, we’ll just round-file the project and disavow any knowledge of it, and never speak of it again. Never.

So, give us your best shot. Be funny, touching, brilliant, or inspiring, but keep it clean. Just think: this thing could go viral. You could be the author of the next internet meme. Or not.

ARC Reader Basics

arc readersARC (Advanced Review Copy) readers were a crucial part of the last “official” novel I released, Triple Dog Dare, co-written with the Evil Mastermind himself. Our ARC readers were a fantastic group of folks who provided us with feedback, reviews, proofreading, and a lot of positive energy going into the novel’s launch.

Back in the days when the Big Six ruled the world of publishing, ARCs would be sent out to reviewers well in advance of a novel’s publication. Some big-time reviewers wouldn’t even consider reviewing a book once it was published. They only wanted those very special pre-release copies, giving them an inside edge on other publications. This way, these reviewers were part of an elite group who received special advanced copies, and the publishers could bank on receiving a review from these high-circulation newspapers and magazines to help the book at launch time. This is why sometimes, in used bookstores, you will find a copy of a book with the stamp “uncorrected proof” on the title page. Okay, that was your history lesson. There will be a test later. Continue reading “ARC Reader Basics”

How to Make People Read Your Business Card

carol wyer business cardAuthor business cards are important (See Codebreaking For Beginners) and we often hand them or postcards of our latest novels out in the hope they will generate sales. However, how many times do you get that feeling that as soon as someone walks off with one of your cards, it’ll be forgotten? It will stay in a wallet or purse until the person empties it or worse still, it will be thrown away in the nearest bin.

Here’s a simple way to engage people, to make them read your card and hopefully hang onto it a little longer rather than throw it away without looking at it. Continue reading “How to Make People Read Your Business Card”

Vetting Poll

A while ago, we announced the institution of the Indies Unlimited Vetting Process. Some people have been very happy about that, others – not so much. Some authors have been very cooperative and eager to take the committee’s recommendations, others – not so much.

How do you feel about it?

I think the Indies Unlimited Vetting Process is:

View Results

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