Celebrating Independent Authors
In previous posts I covered the parts of the survey that are part of the publishing process, taking your book from initial draft to publication. However, I threw in a few questions not directly related to this process. In this final post I’ll discuss those questions and what, if anything, they might (or might not) tell us.
Reading the disclaimer in the original survey results post before proceeding is highly recommended. Continue reading “And the Publishing Process Survey Says: Part 5”
Lots is going on with Google right now. When isn’t there, right? So how about we take this opportunity to make some new friends on Google Plus?
This is how it works: If you are an author, publisher, publicist, literary agent, book reviewer, librarian (or especially a book-lover), etc., in the comments below, paste in the link for your Google Plus profile (one link ONLY please). Make sure you show some love to the links in the comments above yours (by adding them to your circles), and check back throughout the day to catch up.
If you’re not sure what link to post, just find your profile, then copy and paste the URL. It should look something like this: https://plus.google.com/u/0/115965541971717273872
This should be fun and should generate a lot of exposure for everyone who plays. Let’s get things moving!
PLEASE be sure to reciprocate by following those who follow you. This is give and take. If everyone plays by the golden rule, we all benefit.
There are a lot of differences between us indies and those who are traditionally-published, not the least of which is the fact that we have to do (or at least arrange for someone else to do) everything involved in publishing and promoting our books. Traditionally-published authors have some or most of that all done for them, although the loss of creative control and the quality of those tasks might take some of the joy out of being cared for. Some indies might bemoan the fact that they have to wear ten hats and take care of all the aggravating details when they’d rather be locked in a room writing. Our RJ Crayton wrote about the miseries of self-publishing not long ago. Clearly, it’s not for everyone. For me, however, it’s the perfect blend. Continue reading “The Joy of Being an Indie Author: Using the Brain to Best Advantage”
Young writers; Tattoo this on the backs of your eyelids and look at it every night before you sleep:
A NOVEL IS NOT A VIDEO GAME.
Novels and video games are very different media, and they use very different techniques to create emotions in people. So if you use a plotline that works for a video game in your novel, no matter how exciting a video game it would make, you run the risk that it will leave readers flat. Continue reading “A Novel Is Not a Video Game”