Category: Staff Articles

Writing advice and insights from the staff of Indies Unlimited.

Evidence for Indies: Free Webinar

IAD-WebinarGraphicsThe good folks at Indie Author Day are hosting a free webinar for indie authors on Tuesday, January 31, 2017 at 2 p.m. Eastern time. Drop by and hear about Library Journal’s groundbreaking Self-Published Book Survey Report, a first-of-its-kind study that examines the relationship between public libraries and self-published books.

In this free webinar, we’ll be hearing from our own admin, the somewhat illustrious K. S. “Kat” Brooks; as well as Carl Pritzkat from Publishers Weekly’s BookLife; Carla Sarratt of the New Hanover County Public Library; and Kiera Parrott from Library Journal.

Just hop on over to this link to register for FREE. We hope to see you there.

What Does It Take to Get Writing?

key to success for authors keyboard-621830_960_720I’ve never felt so at home in life as I do now, surrounded by other authors. It’s a good, comfortable, nurturing feeling to be in the company of others with like goals and souls. I thought that would give me what I need to feel validated, and for the most part it does. But there was something missing.

Something different drives each one of us, of course. Feeling like we’re not alone, or the only ones in a particular struggle, makes things easier to deal with. Being a writer can be a lonely, thankless, and penniless endeavor, as we all know. But we do it because we have to – because that “thing” inside of us gives us no other choice. Continue reading “What Does It Take to Get Writing?”

LynneQuisition: Shoshanna Evers, SelfPubBookCovers.com

Interviews by Lynne CantwellWe all know that the first thing a prospective reader will see is the cover of your book, so you want it to look both enticing and professional. A lot of authors buy pre-made covers, but you run the risk of your cover being all matchy-matchy with someone else’s.

Trad-pubbed author Shoshanna Evers, now writing as Shoshanna Gabriel, recognized that pitfall when she went indie, so she created SelfPubBookCovers.com. Shoshanna has agreed to take a seat in the comfy chair and tell us about her site.

Shoshanna, how would an author find a cover on your site, and how much can they expect to pay? Continue reading “LynneQuisition: Shoshanna Evers, SelfPubBookCovers.com”

Everyday Writing Resolutions for Self-Publishers

writers cave cathedral-cove-1592274_960_720Over the holidays I’ve been sequestered in the writing cave. It’s been productive; in fact I finished the final installment of a trilogy I’ve been trying to put to bed for the past few years. When I finally came out of the cave, it was January 1st and you know what that means. It’s time to turn random thoughts into resolutions and call it a blog.

Be more selfish

We devote a fair amount of time to helping others. We coach, encourage, and share our findings with our colleagues but we need to put ourselves first. We need to build our own mailing lists. We need to hone our own writing skills. We have to build our own support groups. These efforts have to come first before we help anyone else. Keep paying it forward but consider being a bit more selfish in the coming year. Continue reading “Everyday Writing Resolutions for Self-Publishers”