By Mariah T. Writing a scene involving a car crash can be a little tricky. It's a dramatic event, and as such, if done poorly, it can look like a writer's attempt to lure the reader into having emotions through unresearched, unskilled and lazy methods. But you can write car-crash scenes to great effect if you understand your genre and do the work. The Setup The way that … [Read more...] about Guest Post: How to Write a Realistic Car Crash Sequence
Guest Post: The 4 Biggest Mistakes You Can Make When Entering a Writing Contest
By Emmanuel Nataf We all dream about getting published one day. But the road to seeing our names in print? That depends on how you choose to go about it. Some plunge in and start churning out a novel, while others may find themselves wandering down the e-zine alley. Still others might give up entirely and decide to work their way up in the publishing world a different … [Read more...] about Guest Post: The 4 Biggest Mistakes You Can Make When Entering a Writing Contest
Resources for Making Videos and Marketing With Them
Videos can be a great tool for marketing. But there's a lot to learn. Below are some resources to help you get started, and links to updates on major platforms. How to Use Video for Marketing How to create videos to promote your book on Front Edge Publishing How to create a successful YouTube channel on My Wife Quite Her Job A video hack to boost ecommerce sales on … [Read more...] about Resources for Making Videos and Marketing With Them
Growing Your Presence on Social Media
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Social media is great. You can connect with people easily, you can learn new things, and you can share awesome content. It's also a lot of hard work, because you want to make sure you are posting high quality content that resonates with people, and it takes some effort to measure and tweak your strategy. A lot of people advocate for figuring out who your audience is, finding … [Read more...] about Growing Your Presence on Social Media
Indie Authors: Book Promotion Tools and Tips
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Marketing is a crucial part of book publishing. If no one knows your book is out there, how can you expect people to read it? With that in mind, here's a compilation of tips and tools that can help you with your book promotion efforts. Book Promotional Tools BookPromotion.com stresses four components of a book marketing plan: promotional tools, groups, street teams, and … [Read more...] about Indie Authors: Book Promotion Tools and Tips
Guest Post: 5 Steps to Finding Profitable Book Topics on Amazon
By Alexandria Evensen As an independent author you must fill two distinct roles—that of the creative, and that of the entrepreneur. If you’re reading this it’s probably safe to assume you’re not just writing for fun. You’re likely trying to shape a brand, create a passive income, or use your writing skills to promote an online business. Your writing topics should align … [Read more...] about Guest Post: 5 Steps to Finding Profitable Book Topics on Amazon
Monetary Options for Authors
It's hard to make a living from writing. Below are different ways to get funding for your work. Grants and Scholarships The Elizabeth George Foundation: "[...] committed to providing emerging playwrights, short story writers, poets, and unpublished novelists with one-time funding that will enable them to live and work for a period of time as a writer" MacDowell Colony: … [Read more...] about Monetary Options for Authors
Starting and Growing Your Blog
When it comes to blogging, there's a lot to know. Here are some resources to help you, whether you're starting out or looking to grow your blog. Blog Posts "12 Steps to a Great Blog Post" on Australian Christian Writers "13 Blog Post Blunders You Should Avoid (And What to Do Instead)" on Your Writer Platform "9 Grammatical Errors (and How to Avoid Them)" on Self … [Read more...] about Starting and Growing Your Blog
Social Media Updates and Resources
Social media is an important piece of an indie author's platform. And there are always new features and trends to learn about. Below are some recent news items, as well as tips and resources for using social media. Instagram "Instagram seems to be testing direct messaging on web" on Mashable "Pinstagram? Instagram code reveals Public Collections feature" on … [Read more...] about Social Media Updates and Resources
Interactive Stories
With digital storytelling, there are new, interactive, immersive ways to share stories. Here are a few cool examples: StoryNexus: Access hundreds of interactive worlds, from science fiction to romance to historical adventure. You can choose how the story flows, and there are also options for creators. The Cornwall a-book: An Augmented Travel Guide Using Next Generation … [Read more...] about Interactive Stories
Using a Pen Name
I don't use pen names, but I can understand why an author may want to use one. Writers Write recently published a post on why writers would want to use a pen name. They mention a lot of reasons, including keeping your identity secret, using a shorter name that's easier to remember, writing in multiple genres and targeting different audiences, and to use a different name from an … [Read more...] about Using a Pen Name
Online Tools for Building Your Author Platform
As indie authors, so much of our work and efforts go into online marketing, and content on the web. With that in mind, here are some tools (both free and paid) that can help you build your platform and promote your books. Book Advertising "Changes to Amazon Advertising: What Authors Need to Know" on Jane Friedman: A breakdown of new advertising modes, the improved dashboard, … [Read more...] about Online Tools for Building Your Author Platform
Cool Tech-Related Projects and News
These were all too good not to share. Awesome Projects "The Lab Discovering DNA in Old Books" on The Atlantic: "Studying the DNA in artifacts is still a relatively new field, with many prospects that remain unexplored. But in our own modern world, we’ve already started to change the biological record, and future archaeologists will not find the same trove of hidden … [Read more...] about Cool Tech-Related Projects and News
Guest Post: The Impact of Cloud Technology on The Publishing Industry
By Joe Peters Many of the changes in the publishing industry have been evident over the years. We’ve seen a significant shift from print to digital, where people are just as likely to read from a smartphone or computer screen as they are to buy a book from their local store. Digital Transformation Makes Publishing Easier The digital transformation of the industry has … [Read more...] about Guest Post: The Impact of Cloud Technology on The Publishing Industry
A Roundup of Publishing News
A lot has been happening in the publishing and writing world. Here is a quick roundup. Publishers and Companies "Microsoft has closed its e-bookstore, and everything you purchased will vanish in July" on PC World: "Microsoft will offer refunds, plus a bonus if you've marked up an ebook." "Epic Launches Original Content Program" on Publisher's Weekly: "Redwood, Calif.-based … [Read more...] about A Roundup of Publishing News
