Is Instagram Effective for Writers?

surfing and husky photoAs a writer, you no doubt spend a lot of your time shut away behind closed doors, typing furiously. Life is lonely and you may only break the isolation to visit the fridge or hang about at the virtual water cooler of social media. However, social media isn’t a respite from writing, it involves more writing and is a notorious time suck.

I recently discovered a better way to take a break and still check in with online friends. It’s one of the easiest platforms to add to your social media — it’s fast, and it integrates easily into other profiles like Twitter and Facebook, so you can share your photos across all your social media accounts. I joined Instagram. Continue reading “Is Instagram Effective for Writers?”

Golden Skunk Awards

This Book StinksEverybody knows that books with little gold stickers on the cover are favored by book consumers. That’s why they are there, and why awards cost so much.

But, even with the abundance of cheesy little awards nobody ever heard of, it can still be difficult to win.

Breakthrough research we are just about to conduct will show that even though book consumers prefer books with little gold seals on the cover, 90% of those consumers don’t even bother to read the writing on the seal to know what it says. Of the 10% who do read the sticker, 0.0003% know the significance of it. All they know is if it’s got a gold seal on the cover, it has to be good!

Or does it?

Just because a book isn’t good doesn’t mean it can’t be a bestseller. Just look at the bestseller list, for crying out loud. Oh, the humanity! What do those books have that yours don’t? A little gold sticker.

Now your book can have that same cachet and become an overnight success, skyrocketing your sales*. The Golden Skunk Award is not given on the basis of merit, we award them to whoever pays. Sure, you can gamble away hundreds of dollars on a chance at winning a little gold sticker for your book, or you can pay us $100 and get one for sure!

But, don’t take our word for it. Here is a look at the Golden Skunk in action:

Upgrade before and afterBe honest. Which book would you buy? Of course, you’d buy the one with the little gold seal on the cover. That’s what everyone does!

Order yours today!

*Your results may vary.

The Ultimate Supporter

flameI was thinking about Lynne Cantwell’s post on “Coping with Unsupportive Support” the other day and it made me think about this indie author/self publishing world we live in. We all need those words of encouragement every now and then. That is why sites like Indies Unlimited and other groups in our social media circles are so important.

It made me ask a question to myself. Do supportive groups or individuals help me reach my goal in writing? Maybe not. Before you all blast me with negative comments, hear me out for a second. As Lynne writes, “… a kind or encouraging word … is often enough to keep us plugging away.”

I agree that we all need positive feedback and support. But, that is not why you’re here. Every one of us is here because we’ve achieved some level of success in our writing venture.

“WHAT? Success? But, I haven’t even published my first book,” some of you may scream. Continue reading “The Ultimate Supporter”

Featured Book: Pure Vision

Pure VisionPure Vision
by Perri Birney
Genres: Action/adventure, Thriller/Suspense
Available from Amazon

Investigative reporter Maggie Seline unearths a radical scheme by a sinister secret society that will topple the oil industry. Teaming up with Middle East scholar Michael Sonada, she races to Nepal to discover a long-held secret. Can their astonishing discovery harness the powerbrokers before it’s too late?

Excerpt:

The ringing of the phone jarred Maggie from her thoughts. She walked over to the credenza and picked up the receiver.

“Hello.”

“Have you opened your mail today, Ms. Seline?” The male voice on the other end spoke in a low whisper.

“Who is this?”

“Remember your father,” the caller warned.

The line went dead.

Maggie laid down the phone, her pulse racing, and looked toward the picture still lying on her living room carpet. She had not been able to pick it up all this time, but the image left no doubt. Sprawled out on a dirty floor, a bullet hole in his forehead, her father lay in a pool of blood. After all these years, Maggie was now brought face-to-face with the stark truth.

David Seline had been assassinated.

What others are saying:

“Birney’s fiction seamlessly blends science and religion into a tale worthy of Indiana Jones.” – Daily Freeman