Category: Staff Articles

Writing advice and insights from the staff of Indies Unlimited.

April is #IndieHeroes Month

indie heroes logo darkIt’s hard to believe that it’s been a year since we began our #PublishingFoul coverage. At this point in 2015, we were just about to kick off our series about vanity presses and scammers, how authors could avoid falling prey to one, and what to do if you already have. We’ve archived all of those posts, by the way; you can find them by clicking here.

Now here we are, with April 2016 just a day away. And this year we’re doing something different. Instead of pointing out publishing’s bad guys, we’re going to make stars of the good guys – our #IndieHeroes. Continue reading “April is #IndieHeroes Month”

Do You Need to Be Closer to More Writers?

author write-insIn real estate, they say it’s all about location, location, location. But, does the same hold true for writing? Not in terms of the state or country you live in, but in terms of whether your write alone or in proximity to other writers.

While we generally all have writer buddies from whom we ask for advice or critiques, do we have buddies we actually sit and write with? I mention this because my local writers group started a weekly “write-in.” During that time, group members meet at a public library and write together. No, not on the same project, just in the same vicinity as each other. Write-ins are fairly common during National Novel Writing Month.

When I first heard the idea of a write-in, I was a little dubious. Continue reading “Do You Need to Be Closer to More Writers?”

Writing May Surprise You

surprised by writing amazed-19214_960_720I’m not sure when my life became so encapsulated by writing that I began to put parameters around it. I don’t write horror. I don’t write erotica. I don’t write crime dramas. I never tell the same story twice, and I never, ever write sequels.

And yet we all know that writing can be a whimsical mistress. I’m not a planner; I don’t have my next three novels plotted out. Most of the time when I’m done with one book, I have absolutely no idea what I’m going to write next. Not the plot, not the characters, not even the genre. After I finish writing a book, I will allow myself to lounge in the fallow field of not-knowing, waiting for the muse to glance my way, crook a finger at me, and wink.

Well, never say never. Continue reading “Writing May Surprise You”

How to Add a Clickable Link to Your Book Trailer

YouTube_FINALSo, you have a trailer for your book on YouTube. Wouldn’t it be nice if viewers could click on the video screen and be taken to a page with more information on your book? Well, they can. And you can make it happen with the YouTube Video Manager (you need to be logged in for that link to work). All you need is a video on your YouTube channel (it doesn’t have to have been created in the YouTube editor, just be uploaded to your channel).

While it’s great to be able to add a link, the ability comes with restrictions. Continue reading “How to Add a Clickable Link to Your Book Trailer”