Word Magic
Struggling with your self-publishing venture? Take heart. After 2020, many authors are in similar straits. They don’t have thousands of dollars to invest in advertising, so their publishing slows, then stops. If you’re in a “bust” situation, you can turn it around into a BOOM, without spending huge sums on advertising. Self-publishing fiction? How to build your own BOOM Listen … Read more
We looked at using public domain materials in Plotting Fiction: 3 Tips To Help You To Plot Like Shakespeare: As a rule of thumb, anything published before 1923 is now in the public domain, unless the author’s estate has taken steps to secure copyright. I’ve been rereading Wilkie Collins’ The Woman in White, and wondered why variations of this novel … Read more
Are you a self-publishing author who’s publishing nonfiction? A checklist of essential elements may help. I created this checklist for my students; you may find it useful too. Vital: please test all nonfiction ideas. Testing can save you months—even years. Self-publishing: find problems and offer solutions—and TEST We all have problems we’re not sure how to tackle. Or, perhaps we … Read more
How’s your writing process? I’m asking because I first heard about novelist Brandon Sanderson’s amazing success on Kickstarter a few days ago, while skimming Yahoo News. At that stage, his Kickstarter (KS) campaign for his four secret novels was at $31 million. “Secret”… as a copywriter, I LOVE it. What a brilliant tactic to arouse people’s interest, curiosity, and imagination. … Read more
Did you know that in many ways it’s easier to write a series than it is to write a standalone novel? Novels in a series are more profitable too; they sell better. In a series, each novel promotes the others, so marketing is a snap. Want proof it makes sense to write a series? Check the catalogue of any bestselling … Read more