Conventions on an Author’s Budget – Tips and Tricks of a Battle-Hardened Con Man

not really a gangsta rapper-1717972_960_720There are a lot of articles out there on doing conventions. How-tos, tips, tricks, puppy tails, and horse whips. Well, guess what? Here comes another article on the subject. Except, I’m here to tell you can do it on the cheap, because there’s no reason to do it any other way.

We’re writers, titans of the ink and lead, masters of the backspace button and the dead stare at the bright screen of emptiness. We can turn the voices in our heads into stories on the internet – it just doesn’t pay that well. So, we have to pinch those pennies like so many piggies. Reeet reet.

Let’s start with the items you’ll need: Continue reading “Conventions on an Author’s Budget – Tips and Tricks of a Battle-Hardened Con Man”

How Can Authors Protect Their Works in Progress?

locking up your computer-1591018_600 (002)This question gets asked by readers a lot here at Indies Unlimited: How can I protect my manuscript from being taken by someone I let read it? And as common as the question is, it’s an easy answer: you can’t.

That’s not the answer most people want to hear, but Indies Unlimited is an “Alternative Facts Free Zone,” so only the truth appears here. And the truth is, you really can’t stop someone from doing unauthorized things with a document you give them.

The good news is that most people don’t do untoward things with your document. Most people do what was asked: read your manuscript and then either provide you feedback or write a review. However, occasionally, an unscrupulous person may share your book. Like I said, there’s really no way to stop someone who wants to do wrong with your file, if they have it.

While you can’t guarantee anything, there are some things that people do to try to prevent readers from sharing their work, taking credit for their work, or uploading it to pirated book sites. Here are a few: Continue reading “How Can Authors Protect Their Works in Progress?”

The Definitive Guide to (Some) Newbie Author Questions

newbie author question-mark-2546103_960_720Recently, I was invited to join a Facebook group whose membership includes a lot of new authors. I’d forgotten about some of these newbie concerns. I’d also forgotten how everybody asks the same questions over and over, to the point where those of us who have been at this for a while get kind of tired of answering them. So I thought I’d pull together some of these typical questions and answer them here. Feel free to bookmark this post and refer to it as needed.

Q: I have my plot, but I need interesting characters. / I have my characters, but I need a great plot. Can you help me? Continue reading “The Definitive Guide to (Some) Newbie Author Questions”

Who Reads Your Book? How Knowing Your Reader Can Help

your reader woman-309201_960_720 (002)As authors and writers, we are always looking for new ways to connect with readers. In spite of countless ‘how to” posts and training programs, no one has, as yet, produced a consistently successful method for growing a following and selling books to new readers.

Advice changes constantly as promotion companies and sites appear and disappear, and as algorithms in Google, the Zon, etc. steer readers in different directions.

It struck me a short while ago that perhaps many of us are going about it all backwards. Continue reading “Who Reads Your Book? How Knowing Your Reader Can Help”