Author: Big Al

Big Al (who insists he only has one name, like Cher, Sting, and Madonna) spends his days writing computer programs that are full of typos, homonym errors, and incorrect verb usage. During his evenings, he writes reviews of indie books for BigAl’s Books and Pals and has recently taken over The IndieView, a website founded by indie author Simon Royle as a resource for indie authors, indie reviewers, and those who read either.

You’re Going to Write What? – Part 3

scribbling-152216_640This is an ongoing series about BigAl’s first experience writing a book. Join him as he flies by the seat of his pants and figures things out as he goes. For a more complete explanation about the book and this series of posts, you can read the series introduction here.

In this installment I’m going attempt to formulate a to-do list of items unrelated to writing the book which I’ll need to accomplish with some preliminary thoughts, plans, and decisions. Some need to be done sooner than others, but the order of the list is random. Continue reading “You’re Going to Write What? – Part 3”

You’re Going to Write What? – Part 2

scribbling-152216_640This is an ongoing series about BigAl’s first experience writing a book. Join him as he flies by the seat of his pants and figures things out as he goes. For a more complete explanation about the book and this series of posts, you can read the series introduction here.

In this installment I’m going to briefly cover two areas. First, establish my starting point. Second, report on some non-writing activity I’ve done.

The Benchmark

In the introduction I indicated that I’d previously started work on this book and then stalled due to other distractions. It seems reasonable to report on from what point I’m re-starting and a bit about how I got to that point.

Continue reading “You’re Going to Write What? – Part 2”

What Readers Want – Series vs. Standalone Books

what readers want logoAs an author, do you ever struggle with a decision about your book and wonder, “What would a reader say?” You probably aren’t the first author to wonder about that same thing. Indies Unlimited has two reviewers on our staff, the fabulous Cathy Speight and venerable Mr. BigAl, who are here representing readers. In this series, we’ll pose your questions to them for their take and encourage other readers to weigh in with their thoughts.

First the question from the author: Continue reading “What Readers Want – Series vs. Standalone Books”

What Readers Want – What If I Don’t Like Your Characters?

what readers want logoAs an author, do you ever struggle with a decision about your book and wonder, “What would a reader say?” You probably aren’t the first author to wonder about that same thing. Indies Unlimited has two reviewers on our staff, the fabulous Cathy Speight and venerable Mr. BigAl, who are here representing readers. In this series, we’ll pose your questions to them for their take and encourage other readers to weigh in with their thoughts.

First the question from the author: Continue reading “What Readers Want – What If I Don’t Like Your Characters?”