While some writers choose to hoard the majority of their work, most prefer to seek publication. I certainly fall into the latter category. As a short story writer, I have written approximately 500 "completed" stories in the past ten years. About half of these stories have been published. About one-fourth have been moved into a … Continue reading Know Why You’re Submitting Your Writing
I've heard many authors ask if they really need to create a Facebook author page. As with most things, the value of having one depends on what you are willing to put into it, but that type of answer isn't typically met with much satisfaction. Let's cut to the chase. Is it really worth your … Continue reading Why You Need a Facebook Author Page
So your book just came out. Congratulations. Now the hard work really begins. Here are my guaranteed-not-to-work book marketing strategies. 1. Log in to Facebook and Twitter once per day and post a link accompanied by "BUY MY BOOK" (in all caps, of course). On Facebook, post this on your wall and in every … Continue reading 7 Book Marketing Strategies Guaranteed Not to Lead to Sales
Gay Degani recently asked me to share some insight about my characters by responding to five questions. Here we go: 1. What Surprises You About Your Characters? And why? How little they represent me and the people I know. Oftentimes, my characters are nothing like me at all. Take the husbands in my recently released … Continue reading Merry-Go-Blog-Around: About Characters
If you are like most writers, then writing is not your full-time job. Many of us spend 40 hours a week at work. When we are home, we don't just sit around and write all the time. We have obligations to family. We are fathers, mothers, husbands, wives. Everyone's situation is different, but everyone is … Continue reading How to Spend Your Time as a Writer
Recording an audio version of something you've written can be a great way to help expand your audience. Aside from giving your readers another medium to "read" your work, it also adds a personal touch. You and your stories get more personality. I mean, have you ever listened to T.S. Eliot reading of "The Wasteland"? … Continue reading How to Record an Audiobook – and Why You Should
Great. Another one of those "tips for writers" posts. Even worse. Another introduction to a "tips for writers" posts. I'll keep it short. These are ten things I believe in when it comes to writing. Do with them what you will. If you use them, I promise the results will be positive. 1. Seek inspiration … Continue reading Ten Commandments for Fiction Writers
One week from today, on what happens to be my 32nd birthday (that's February 20th for those looking to send me a gift), my first short story collection will be published in both e-book and print by Martian Lit. The collection (as I’ve mentioned) is titled Nagging Wives, Foolish Husbands, and features 24 stories that … Continue reading 24 Reasons That Don’t Explain Why I Titled My Short Story Collection “Nagging Wives, Foolish Husbands”
If you've used the internet much, particularly if you've read or posted on blogs, then you've probably witnessed (or even been involved in) the proverbial internet pissing contest. It can be tough to avoid. Inevitably, no matter what you write or who you are, there is someone out there that just doesn't like you or … Continue reading Responding To a Public Attack Against Your Writing
To oversimplify things, there are two types of writing I do: the kind I do purely for fun and the kind I expect to get paid for doing. When I write fiction, I mostly do it because I love it, not because I expect to get rich from it. Of course, I still send out … Continue reading Dealing with Nonpayment for Your Writing
