I’ll Show You the Money: Monetizing with Amazon

money packs-163497_960_720If I offered you a raise of between 5% and 6% for spending a trivial amount of extra time (we’re talking only seconds) you wouldn’t turn it down, would you? I didn’t think so. Yet that’s exactly what an author who isn’t setup as an Amazon Associate and using proper links when linking to their books on Amazon from their websites, Facebook pages, and elsewhere is doing. Amazon has made a few changes in the associates program over the years. Some of those changes haven’t been so good (they’ve dropped the percentage commission an associate gets) but some have been good (it’s easier than ever to get and use associate links). This post will walk you through the absolute basics, but it will increase the amount you make for every copy of your book you personally sell from your website through Amazon. If you’re going to bother putting links to your books on your website, why not grab a few percent more when they get clicked on? Continue reading “I’ll Show You the Money: Monetizing with Amazon”

November 2017 Writing Exercise: Histrionics

writing exercise stretching-498256_960_720Our overworked administrator is getting a well-deserved break today, so we figured you all might like to take this time to exercise your writing chops.

Therefore, here’s a writing prompt for you; do as you wish – short story, flash fiction, poem, what have you. There is no deadline or word count restriction. Just write. (Comments are closed – write on your own.)

This week’s word: HISTRIONICS

Use it however you’d like: as the title, in a sentence, or as inspiration. Ready, set, write!

Writing Tip: Word Order Creates Meaning

in writing, keep your DUCKS IN A ROWI am going to let you in on a well-guarded secret. Grammar was not invented to give your Grade 10 English teacher a chance to make your life miserable. It was created to ensure sentences say what we mean them to. And word order is one of the basic tools.

Here’s a rule you can bank on to solve 95% of your problems in this area. Sentence elements with relationships are closer to each other. Stands to reason. If a guy and a girl spend the whole party at opposite ends of the house, chances are they aren’t in a relationship. (Well, maybe a strange one…)

So if we take this sentence: Continue reading “Writing Tip: Word Order Creates Meaning”

Dale E. Lehman Wins Flash Fiction Challenge

Dale E. Lehman is the Readers’ Choice in this week’s Indies Unlimited Flash Fiction Challenge. The winning entry is decided by the popular vote and rewarded with a special feature here today. (In the case of a tie, the writer who submitted an entry first is the winner per our rules.)

Without further ado, here’s the winning story:

Continue reading “Dale E. Lehman Wins Flash Fiction Challenge”