I’ve run across a lot of people lately who say something like, ‘I’m not writing with a message. I just want to write fun stories that entertain people,’ and also, ‘Thinking about the big ideas you’re working with is misguided, it’s not a writer’s job to work with a theme in mind, it’s the job of the critic to think about theme.’ There’s also the old wisdom that says, ‘If […]
In Defense of Theme Read More »
Saving My Spoons! Social Media for the chaotic Author Ok, so a while back I decided to be more intentional about what and where I posted on social media. I developed a couple of flavors of posts I felt comfortable with, and (and this is important) that I enjoyed. I upgraded to a Facebook professional account and became verified. I started posting on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and BlueSky. Those were
Saving my Spoons: Social Media for the Chaotic Author Read More »
Ok, so a couple of things. First, good news! Looking at my sales from the first of this year to now, I have already sold more books/made more money than I did all last year! That seems like a nice marker of progress, especially since most of these sales weren’t from any sort of campaign but from me posting about my books and people hitting the links. Those sales mean
Recently, someone asked a question on social media that made me think about my answer. The exact phrasing of the question is unimportant, but it went something like this: Given that I am not making enough money at all, let alone enough to support myself, from self-publishing should I seriously think about quitting?’ And a lot of people chimed in with encouraging statements, like ‘Just keep going!’ ‘You never know
The Importance of ‘WHY?’ Read More »
When Dmitri meets Jay on a dating app, their connection is instant—intense, electric, and deeper than either expected. But Jay isn’t who he claims to be, and when his out-of-this-world secret comes to light, it shatters Dmitri’s understanding of reality. For Jay’s people, love is considered a dangerous defect—a personality disorder to be cured. But he’s already fallen hard for Dmitri, and walking away isn’t so simple. As their lives
An Excerpt from World Enough and Time Read More »
Whenever you try to live a life where you are producing creative work, there is a trap you can fall into. At least I do, all the time. I look at my rate of productivity, do some math by determining the available hours I have, and make goals for myself. This is not, in itself, a bad thing. I am a planner, and nothing would get done otherwise. However, just
Personal Work/Life Balance Read More »
No one is an island, least of all creative people. All of us who are engaged in creative work need to have lives that support that work. But what does it mean to have a support system? What forms can that take? A major kind of support, and perhaps one of the most important, is the support of the people in your life, at least some of them.
Your Support System Read More »
It would be nice sometimes if life worked according to video game rules. You could overcome the challenge, level up, and be able to use that new skill in subsequent levels. And to a certain extent, it kind of does work like that. You usually only have to learn how to ride a bike once, for example (as long as it takes you). Driving also tends to get better as
The Unbearable Beauty of Circular Progress Read More »
Everybody has the same advice if you want to accomplish any sort of major creative endeavor, whether it’s becoming a published author or creating award-winning macrame projects. The advice is Make it a part of your routine. I’m going to focus on establishing a writing routine here, but some of this advice is good for any kind of creative project. The first thing you need to do is take a
How to Establish a Regular Writing Routine Read More »
My last post went over the basics of how Self-publishing works. But there are a lot of other things you need to make decisions about. Here are some things you need to think about when you start your self-publishing journey. What’s an ISBN Anyway? An ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is the identifier your book will carry in various retail systems. It’s how the system identifies it. You need one
More Self-Publishing Questions Answered Read More »