Use of pseudonyms can sometimes create additional issues for authors, so it’s important to be aware of the legal ramifications of pseudonym use
Read moreself-publishing
What The Author Pays For–And What (S)he Doesn’t
New authors–and sometimes experienced ones–may be uncertain about which parts of the publishing process the author “normally” pays for. What the author pays for differs, depending on the publishing path. Smart authors should know the standards for the choice they make, and be aware of how the other options function also. Now that the publishing industry offers multiple paths to publication, savvy authors should learn about all of the available options–regardless of the path they plan to take. Understanding all of the publishing options makes authors better able to choose among them, and less likely to misunderstand the offers they receive. Let’s review the various industry
Read moreWhen All the Hats are Yours – by L.J. Cohen
Today, please welcome my friend (and critique partner), L.J. Cohen, author of numerous novels and series including the YA Contemporary novel FUTURE TENSE, the SciFi series Halcyone Space: DERELICT and ITHAKA RISING, and the YA Fantasy series Changeling’s Choice: THE BETWEEN and TIME AND TITHE. Now, three and a half years later, I have just published my 5th novel. One of my books has sold nearly 10,000 copies and spent much of last summer on the Amazon best seller lists. So am I a breakout success? That entirely depends on what you consider a success. By the ‘can you support your family on your art’ metric, no. But very few
Read moreWeek 4: Ebook Creation: Learn How, or Find an Expert
A guest post by author and editor Tammy Salyer: Treat your writing like a passion, but treat your novel like a business. Learn how to create an ebook or hire someone to do it (including pros and cons of each option). For someone unfamiliar with HTML or CSS, creating an ebook may seem like black magic. But that doesn’t have to stop you from making ebooks your main self-published medium. Hundreds and hundreds of ebook creators have their shingle up, and a quick web search will find them for you. Better yet, if you’re part of a group of
Read moreKnow Your Business: Publishing and Distribution
A guest post by Speculative Fiction author and editor Tammy Salyer: Treat your writing like a passion, but treat your novel like a business. Research the distribution sites, their requirements, and how long they take to set up and use. There are two kinds of people in the world (outside of those who write and those who don’t), and they are those who obsess about the details and those who think of details as esoteric thought experiments that have little bearing on the obviously more important process of writing the next novel. But here’s the thing, and it bears repeating
Read moreIntroducing: The Self-Publishing Guest Series, by Tammy Salyer
Today, I’m delighted to introduce a new guest series on self-publishing and independent authors, written by my friend and fellow author Tammy Salyer. Tammy is an independent editor and author of the speculative fiction series SPECTRAS ARISE (which is one of my favorite recent Sci-Fi releases, and I encourage you to check it out) as well as two books of short stories. She’s a consummate professional and knows the self-publishing side of the business well, which is why I’m delighted she agreed to write this series over the next few weeks. And, with no further ado, here’s Tammy: Treat your writing
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