Author: Stephen Hise

Stephen Hise is the Evil Mastermind and founder of Indies Unlimited. Hise is an independent author and an avid supporter of the indie author movement. Learn more about Stephen at his website or his Amazon author page.

First Impressions

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” – Someone.

Evidently, this is another of those bits of wisdom that has no clear origin. The quote is often attributed or misattributed to the usual suspects for witty one-liners: Mark Twain, Will Rogers, Oscar Wilde, etc. Another claim is made that a Madison Avenue ad agency came up with it as part of a campaign for Brooks Brothers suits.

Authorship aside, this quip has worked its way into axiomatic status. People accept the wisdom of the words without question. On superficial examination (which is the most scrutiny the majority of people are willing to give) it just makes sense. It’s sort of like There is no “I” in TEAM.

As authors, we are admonished to make certain we have done all we can do to make our work shine before hitting the big red PUBLISH button. After all, if your book is deficient, you’ll be making a bad first impression. Your reputation will forever bear the stain of this disgrace and people will forever associate your name with an inferior product. Continue reading “First Impressions”

PSA # 32: Cybertoxicity Check

Have you been spending too much time on social media?

The real world can be disorienting and a little disappointing in comparison to the digital experience. Real people dislike it when you try to find and click their like buttons.

Too many hours online can result in cybertoxicity. Untreated, this disorder can leave victims detached from reality. Here is a checklist of seven questions to help determine whether you are at risk:

Continue reading “PSA # 32: Cybertoxicity Check”

The Measure of Success

What does success look like for an author? Is it literary acclaim, millions of books sold, awards won, name recognition? If you have some or all of that going for you, how much does it matter that people like your writing?

I wonder if it still would feel like success if people bought but did not read your book. Do you care if readers give up on it partway through? According to Goodreads, the most frequently abandoned classics of literature are:

1. Catch 22, by Joseph Heller

2. Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien

3. Ulysses, by James Joyce

4. Moby Dick, by Hermann Melville

5. Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand

I am not too proud to admit I have personally given up on each and every one of these classics. I am not a fan of literary fiction on the whole. I find it pretentious, angst-ridden, and unnecessarily prosy. I don’t really consider Catch 22 to be literary fiction. I did think it was boring though. I felt the same way about Cujo. There is a long list of books I wanted to like and tried to read, but ultimately quit, never returning to them. Continue reading “The Measure of Success”

Indie News Beat: Now With Extra Snark!

Greetings from the Indies Unlimited Broadcasting Plaza. Our satellites scour the cyberverse for news, views, and crap you can use.

Chris James is still on sabbatical, promoting his new book. So, get out there and buy some copies so I can put him back on the job.

In protest of his absence, I am now in the third hour of my six hour hunger strike. This is grueling, people! It’s hard not to just post links about bacon. Is that what you want? IS IT??? (ahem) Sorry, I get cranky when I’m hungry. Continue reading “Indie News Beat: Now With Extra Snark!”