In twelve years of blogging I have always tried to follow two maxims. The first is a lesson I learned from Penelope Trunk, which is that one of the secrets to a great blog post is to first ask a question that you don’t know the answer to, and then explain the answer in the post. The second is that if you want to truly understand a topic, commit yourself to having to explain it to others in a blog … Read More »

There are a hundred and one different sites on the web where authors can give away an ebook. They can use services like InstaFreebie, forums like MobileRead, or blogging platforms like BookLikes. I was just revising a list post on this topic when I was reminded of one option that almost never makes this type of list. Their own website. An author’s website is both the most common place for an author to give away an ebook and the most … Read More »

Publishing a book can get quite expensive. A good cover designer can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, and the editorial costs alone can set you back even more. While there are many important expenses, there are also many ways to spend money and get nothing useful back. For example, take the Bowker SAN. This costs $150, and is basically a way for you to list your physical address in a Bowker database – something you can do with your … Read More »

Google Docs is a popular word-processing tool that lets you access your documents and files from any internet-connected device. I for one have found it to be immensely useful as an editing tool; I like to review a Doc on my iPad, and then make changes on my laptop before sending the updated Doc to my collaborators. I also love Google Docs because it’s a great tool for collaborating with people both near and far. (And did I mention Google … Read More »

With a COVID-19 vaccine in the works, it looks like we will shortly be able to go back to holding public events. Here are a few tips to help you get started. Book fairs and other local events can be a great way for authors to connect with readers and make new fans. They are immensely valuable. But at the same time it can be hard for first-timers to get the most out of an event. That was certainly true … Read More »

The new year is traditionally a time for self-improvement. Some join gyms, others launch new projects, but I like to get introspective. I think the new year is a great time to reconsider how we can use Gmail to get more done. Gmail is possibly the most widely used email service, but are you getting the most out of it? The following Gmail hacks will help you take control of your inbox and go from being a Gmail user to … Read More »