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Author Services, Middle-men, and Scammers

The publishing world had been turned upside down. As a writer you have many options for finding and getting your words in front of an audience. BUT it’s not that simple. The biggest problem for authors is that more than ever they have become the buyer of author services, the middlemen, and scammers. What traditional publishers were expected to do, writers are now doing for themselves. This means that instead of the services traditional publishers were expected (or thought to provide), would-be authors now have to find and pay for. The biggest problem is that traditional publishers were interested in making money off the authors by selling their books. The author services/middleman/scammers have little to nothing invested and therefore little to no interest in whether your book sells. These service providers make … Read entire article »

Filed under: Becoming A Writer, About Writing

When to Ask for Feedback

For some people, never is a good time to ask for feedback. Some writers don’t feel the need for input from others or at the most only one or two selected and trusted writers. Some writers feel that by sharing their work with others prematurely, they dispel the energy of writing. Other writers are anxious to get feedback, sharing their stories with critique groups, family, friends, anybody they can get to listen. The best time to ask for feedback is when you understand what you need to know to improve your work. Let’s face it, we all want to hear how someone loved our story. We want an adoring group listening as we read the lines we’ve sweated over. I used to drive my younger daughters crazy reading drafts of stories to them. … Read entire article »

Filed under: The 7 Stage Process, About Writing, Critiques and Feedback

To Self-Publish or Not

Self-publising is a big topic of conversation among writers (would-be authors and authors), agents, and traditional publishers these days. Is self-publishing vanity publishing? Is there a stigma attached? Will I ruin my chances with a traditional publisher if I self-publish? What are my chances of gaining high sales with my ebook? If I can create a book by myself, why should I hire anyone to help me? If I use the right algorithms for my ebook, can I make a fortune? Is it better to self-publish ebooks, POD (print-on-demand), or do a print run?   The answer to all of these questions is yes, no, and maybe. I know, that’s trite, but these are complicated questions with not-so-easy answers. Although I am traditionally published and have an agent, I’ve been studying self-publishng for two years. I’ve done a few … Read entire article »

Filed under: About Writing