It’s difficult enough to be a writer. You slave over words and edits and strive to get published and recognized. And then the scammers move in. Some give flowery praise of your work and promise to get it in bookstores, gift shops and book clubs. All for just a few hundred bucks. I did fall for one scam recently. The marketer, a “book placement specialist,” was effusive in her praise of one of my books and said she could get … Read More »

Sell sheets, also known as one sheets, are often requested by booksellers, award competitions, reviewers, and other industry folks. They are useful tools for people to get quick information about your book and make decisions, such as whether or not to stock your book in their store. It’s important to have all the standard elements on your sell sheet and to make sure they are organized in a structured way. So what exactly do you need to have on a … Read More »

Authors are tasked with marketing their fiction and nonfiction books to a variety of audiences. While being prepared to speak in front of an audience is invaluable, it’s can also be frightening. When it comes to glossophobia, the numbers are clear: Up to 75% of people have mild to severe anxiety when asked to speak in front of a crowd, no matter the size. Fear of “What If” is one of the most powerful experiences someone could face. What if … Read More »

“Hey! I’m working here!” How many times have you yelled that at someone, or wanted to, when they were making noise or had the gall to talk to you while you were writing? But to be fair, how were they supposed to know you were deep in a complex passage of the next great American novel and not browsing social media? (Or were you? Never mind.) The more important questions are: What are you writing? Who are you writing it … Read More »

One thing I struggled with when I was a newer writer was, “What should I write?” I liked a lot of things: science fiction, military sci-fi, science fantasy, steampunk, space opera, contemporary fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal, some romance, some horror, some action, some thriller/suspense, even some erotica. Ideas in all these genres bombarded my brain with “Write This Now!” demands. And as a newer writer, I figured I’d dabble in each until I either found something that grabbed me and … Read More »

Now that in-person social gatherings are coming back, I’m looking forward to being able to hold launch parties for my upcoming releases again. Previously, I’ve given two launch parties, for my novels Vicious Circle and Threadbare, both of which went well, so I thought I’d write about what I did to make them successful. Budgets and resources will vary, and I understand that, but hopefully you’ll find some ideas you can take away and make work for you. The idea … Read More »