If you spend a good deal of time engaged in historical research, as I do, it is possible to come to believe everything on earth is connected in some way. This connectivity often appears to be chance or coincidence, but upon close inspection I often suspect patterns. It can be difficult to ascertain the difference … Continue reading Coincidence, or a Pattern?
Writer Resources
Is the Amazon Kindle Countdown Effective?
Recent chatroom wisdom tends to dismiss the Amazon KDP marketing tools Countdown and Free Books as less than effective for eBook marketing. The reasoning is all about numbers - there are simply too many free books at any one time, too many books offering countdown prices, too many authors altogether. I disagree For those who … Continue reading Is the Amazon Kindle Countdown Effective?
A Review of Publishing Today
With a title this assumptive, I hasten to acknowledge I possess no lofty credentials or superior access to data upon which to base the ideas which follow. I am not a queen bee, I am a drone. But even the drone bee is cognizant of change in the quality of the honey over a period … Continue reading A Review of Publishing Today
Why Pre-sale?
Pre-order for books is a fairly new tactic, now wholeheartedly embraced by Amazon, iBooks, Smashword and other on-line sellers. My newest Zack Tolliver, FBI novel Under Desert Sand will be placed on pre-order at Amazon.com immediately after Easter. In this article I will discuss what I feel are the advantages and disadvantages of using pre-order … Continue reading Why Pre-sale?
A Conference just for Indie Writers
The free on-line conference for indie writers and publishers, Indie Fringe, is coming around again. It happens at ten Saturday morning March 18. This is one of the best resources you never heard of. Again, it's absolutely free. You do need to register, but that takes seconds. They just want your name and Email. Did … Continue reading A Conference just for Indie Writers
Writing A Review Is Easy
Of course, everybody knows how to write a book review. We all wrote them in grade school. All those summer reading reports due at the opening of school. The formal review styles we were taught in English classes. No wonder we pause when asked to write one. Who's got the time? Times have changed. Book reviews … Continue reading Writing A Review Is Easy
Free Choice for Readers
Life in the digital age is user-friendly, full of choices. The choices we make determine the choices available. The path not taken tends to disappear. This is certainly true in the world of books, for readers as well as writers. These creators and consumers maintain a symbiotic relationship, the writer dependent upon the choices made … Continue reading Free Choice for Readers
Four Things I Learned In 2014
The holiday Season is upon us. Little is left of 2014 but the memories. I will build my New Year resolutions for 2015 upon the backs of my mischances and lost opportunities of the prior year, and shape them by my successes. My learning curve was influenced by several experiences over the past year. Allow me to share … Continue reading Four Things I Learned In 2014
The Value of Writers Conferences
Having just returned from my second writers conference in six months, I find it natural to contemplate the value received versus the fiscal drain. Most conference attendees , at least those to whom I speak after their conference is done, tend to evaluate the experience in terms of useful gain. That is to say, what did … Continue reading The Value of Writers Conferences
Do You Know Your Market?
For those of us who got into this business because we want to write, marketing is a huge unwelcome distraction. It presents conflict, and not just because of the time it consumes. There are other, more disconcerting conflicts as well. For instance, market expectations. I was recently told by an agent/publisher that my new novel is … Continue reading Do You Know Your Market?
R Lawson Gamble 