Category: Guest Posts

Muse and the Marketplace – by Jen Smith

Richard Nash

I recently attended the Muse and the Marketplace literary conference in Boston. My hope was to learn more about the publishing industry, rub shoulders with some agents, and meet more fellow authors. The event was beyond my expectations and I learned a ton. The agents however, were a bit beyond reach. People actually paid $140 for an agent to read the first 40 pages of their manuscript and give them feedback. That blew my mind along with the agents’ attitude that they were still the gatekeepers of publishing. We Indie authors know different. But this article isn’t about agents; it’s about Richard Nash, the main speaker at the conference.

Richard Nash is a leader and forward thinker in the fast changing world of publishing. He ran Soft Skull Publishing for several years than sold it to start Red Lemonade and is currently working on a new project called Small Demons. Despite his business suit and professional demeanor he was still quite quirky, which I liked. I just don’t relate to anything that resembles normalcy.

First he started with a look back in history at a time when there were no publishers and anyone who could write was guaranteed a good living as a scribe. A contrast to today’s world where there are so many struggling authors. The number of books has increased significantly over the last few years due to self publishing but the number of readers has not. Simple economics will tell you that when the supply goes up and the demand remains the same the price will come down, hence the free and 99 cent eBook. Continue reading “Muse and the Marketplace – by Jen Smith”

Why Did the Author Cross the Aisle? Some thoughts on Genre-Hopping by Special Guest, Author Fred Limberg

Author Fred Limberg

[This is a golden oldie—it ran on Indies Unlimited back on October 11, 2011.]

I guess that’s what it’s called—genre hopping—when a writer doesn’t stick to one single category. Apparently we’re not supposed to do this. I can’t refer to the exact blog posts or writerly advice articles that caution against it, but they seem quite adamant that as you build your platform and bolster your brand, you will confuse people if you don’t stick to one aisle of the virtual bookstore.

Now, I don’t pretend to be anything other than an indie author with one book out and a number of others in the pipeline, and am no sort of expert on the inner-workings of the publishing industry. Nor do I have any pretense of being either media savvy or adept at anything technological other than banging out a yarn on my keyboard.

I’m an author—not an authority. Continue reading “Why Did the Author Cross the Aisle? Some thoughts on Genre-Hopping by Special Guest, Author Fred Limberg”

Too improbable? A Writing Tip from Arline Chase

Fall Wedding by Arline ChaseQuestion: You always advised your students to join writers’ groups as if they could give no other good advice they would, at least, ask “What have you written this week?” But I’m starting to think I ought to search for a new group. They all agree that my work is, “Too hard to believe” and all my plot twists are either “impossible” or “improbable.” Okay, my stuff “pushes the envelope.” But I have avidly read books with weirder plots than mine…any ideas?

Answer: Thinking back to my own writer’s group days (with many thanks to the critique sessions at IWWG) my best guess is that it’s either a lack of foreshadowing, or a failure to write the action convincingly. Knowing your work from your student days, my guess is foreshadowing.

It is important to foreshadow and many writers fear to do it, in case they give too much away. FORESHADOWING is a technique that leads the reader smoothly along, hinting at what is coming next. Foreshadowing makes future action more believable. Most of us don’t notice it, but when it’s not there, crises seem too precipitate, changes too sudden, surprises are — well, too much of a shock not to overcome some readers’ “Willing suspension of disbelief.” Continue reading “Too improbable? A Writing Tip from Arline Chase”

Ten Reasons Why I am Self-Publishing (Part 1) by Jordan Dane

Author Jordan Dane

I’ve been living my dream to write since 2006 when I sold in auction to HarperCollins. Lightning struck me square between the eyes and I liked it. I sold three books that Harper planned to release back to back in 2008 and while I waited for my debut launch, I sold three more books to them. Yep, six books sold without one being on a shelf. Now I have my Sweet Justice adult thriller series for HarperCollins and I also write Young Adult fiction for Harlequin Teen. My HUNTED series will be coming out 2012-2013.

I’m sharing these choice tidbits for three reasons. One—I like seeing it in print. Two—I like reading it in print. (I’m still pinching myself that this really happened at all.) And three—I want to share why I recently turned down an offer from another Big 6 house in favor of self-publishing. I’ve taken a very big leap into a new abyss, but with my accounting and marketing background from my former career in the energy industry, I couldn’t let my ego keep making business decisions for me. Not when I had choices.

The publishing industry isn’t like it used to be. But as I stand on the precipice of a brave new world, I wanted to share my reasons to self-publish. It’s an exciting time for authors, whether you are traditionally published or not. Continue reading “Ten Reasons Why I am Self-Publishing (Part 1) by Jordan Dane”