Finally! I’ve reached my target readership
All of those blog posts about writing craft and the e-publishing industry have finally paid off…
Author: Matthew Iden
Kobo: The Heavyweight Challenger?
I interrupt the second Tip Tuesday to talk about something that will have vastly more impact on your writing career than eliminating adverbs or what back matter to put in your books.
Back in early June, eReader company Kobo announced its launch of Writing Life, a platform for independent authors to self-publish their works. I came a little late to this game, but with some persistence emailing the Kobo Support Team, I was able to glean a few details that I’m not sure are publicly, or at least widely, available yet.
The Stages of Novel Writing
Sookie, with textile ape toy.
I’ve spent the last week dogsitting my sister’s Irish Wolfhound/English sheepdog mixes, Sookie and Elrod. They’re two gentle giants who would—probably—leave the house alone if left to their own devices, but I feel obligated to hang out with them and make sure they feel comfortable.
Tip Tuesday: Professional Writers’ Organizations
I’m starting a new weekly feature on the blog, Tip Tuesday, where I pass on a few things I’ve learned about writing craft, self-publishing, editing, and the culture and community of authors.
If you like what you’ve read, please throw a LIKE at the bottom of the post and share with friends you think could benefit.
It’s often said writing can be a lonely profession, and that applies whether you’re a novice or have been cranking out novels for years.
For someone just starting out, however, there’s the added burden of not being sure where to start; it can often be a case of “you don’t know what you don’t know.” But for those lost in the metaphorical woods of writing, professional writing organizations can be a good place to find your way and for a reasonable (usually less than $100/year) price.
While many organizations exist to help represent established (i.e., traditionally published) writers, most of them understand that established authors were all amateurs at some stage and offer some guidance and support for newbies, as well as recognizing the growing contingent of self-published writers out there. Genre writing, especially, has many helpful organizations.
The Six-Day Fantasy Swag Post-Mortem, Part II
This is a breakdown of a recent KDP Select experiment (a six-day sale 6/22-6/26) I ran on three short fantasy titles of mine—Sword of Kings, Assassin, and Seven Into the Bleak—to see if visibility for one would mean sustained visibility for all. Read Part I here.