Celebrating Independent Authors
Once in a while you just have to stick your neck out there and do something a bit insane. I’d never even thought about advertising on television. What Indie author makes enough scratch to have commercials? It turns out, $40 will get you a month’s worth of air time — your ad being viewed three to five times an hour. Continue reading “Local Television Advertising for Authors”
Way back in 2009, I managed to finish the novel that had taken me more than twenty years to write. I was proud, I was elated, and I was clueless as to how to get it published. So I paid for a membership with Writers’ Digest and looked on their website for possible publishers. That’s where I found Black Rose Writing. I sent them a query letter and a brief synopsis of my weighty military thriller. Then I crossed my fingers.
A few days later I received a reply stating they would love to publish my book. Holy cow! I was over the moon! My first query letter and I’d landed a publisher. How did I get so lucky? I’d read about numerous authors sending out thousands of query letters only to be rejected by every publisher under the sun. Was my book that good? Or did I have cause to be worried? Continue reading “Black Rose Writing — A Less-Than-Ideal First Experience”
I’m a farmer and author. Hubby, however, expressly forbids me to have a milk cow despite the amount of milk we use. What does milk have to do with self-publishing anyway? Metaphorically speaking, a lot. When you milk a cow, that lovely milk hits the bucket and is all stirred up. Think of that milk as the publishing industry. Right now it’s a mixed bucket of Indie and traditionally published authors all out to win your hard-earned dollar. Everyone wants to sell books. And with so many books being published, the market has become diluted. I’ve watched my sales drop off sharply the last few months when they should be increasing due to the holidays. They’ve never done that — not in the five years I’ve been published. Continue reading “Will the Self-Publishing Cream Rise to the Top?”
Finding something that inspires you to write can be easy or difficult. It can come screaming out of left field like a foul ball, or worse, hit you at the most awkward of times like driving the car. My inspiration tends to pick awful times to invade my brain. It’s usually in the middle of the night. Yes, I’m sure you’re nodding in agreement. We’ve all lost a lot of sleep in this profession.
I admit, I don’t read enough. And I know I should. Shame on me! I’ve always been afraid that if I read, that somehow I’d subconsciously copy the author. Maybe not exactly, but paraphrase someone out there. This is probably a silly fear. Writers are supposed to be inspired by the works of others. But my fear has persisted, and I knew I needed to conquer it. Continue reading “Getting Inspired by… Ray Bradbury”