Great Finds This Week

May 9, 2012 in Author Platform, Publishing, Writing with 0 Comments

Here are some of my favorite finds from the week:

New Fun Read:

Book cover Force of HabitForce of Habit, a novella by James Scott Bell
$1.49 for the Kindle Edition

Just who is Sister Justicia Marie? And what is she doing to some of the toughest thugs in L.A.? When a nun is viciously attacked, Sister Justicia takes it upon herself to find out what happened. The cops don’t like that. Neither does her Mother Superior at St. Cecelia’s. But when a couple of hoods try to stick up a liquor store and Sister J brings them down, something is unleashed inside her…something that will either confirm her calling . . . or destroy it.

Read James Scott Bell’s story behind the book in his blog post on The Kill Zone.

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Creating Assets and Manufacturing Money

May 8, 2012 in Author Platform with 0 Comments

Book cover Digital Writers Guide to Building Assets

Find it at Amazon (affiliate link)

In March of this year, I had the honor of joining Sterling & Stone, a new digital publishing company, as an editor. Sterling & Stone is the creation of Sean Platt, Matt Gartland, and Lori Taylor. Our first book series, The Digital Writer, was launched in early April, and includes titles that can benefit any writer. Whether you write sales copy, freelance articles, books (nonfiction or fiction), or blog posts, there’s something at The Digital Writer for you.

I encourage you to visit The Digital Writer (http://thedigitalwriter.net) to learn more. Each week, a new title is introduced and available for one week as a free download. When you sign up on The Digital Writer, you have instant access to additional titles, as well as printable support materials to go with the books. Even if the current book title doesn’t strike a chord with you, the weekly epic posts on The Digital Writer (courtesy of Sean Platt) are mini-books in themselves.

This week’s post is 5 Smart Ways for Writers to Make Easier Money. Here’s a teaser snippet from this week’s post:

You’re a writer with magic to be envied.

You possess the rare skill of being able to make something from nothing.

You can change thinking, create emotions, and paint pictures in your readers’ minds.

You can manufacture money just by moving your fingers across the keyboard.

Through the alchemy of writing, you can take what makes you unique and turn it into consistent revenue. Write with a plan and you can turn your thoughts into assets that pay out on repeat.

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15 Grammar Goofs That Make You Look Silly

May 3, 2012 in Grammar & Style with 0 Comments

grammar-goofs-thumb

From Copyblogger Media

 

 

This comes from the very creative folks at Copyblogger Media, and is a fun visual of 15 very common — yet still egregious — grammatical goofs. If you struggle with your vs. you’re or affect vs. effect, perhaps this infographic will help you avoid looking silly.

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You Are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One) – A New Book by Jeff Goins

April 26, 2012 in Uncategorized, Writing with 0 Comments

I always enjoy visiting Jeff Goins’ blog, Goinswriter.com. Jeff strikes me as authentic and unassuming, and he’s very generous with his readers. His new book, You Are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One) is an extension of his quality blog. You can learn more at http://youareawriter.com.

You Are a Writer book cover

You Are a Writer by Jeff Goins

In You Are a Writer, Jeff taps into some of the things that plague many writers:

  •  a longing to create something meaningful that inspires others, yet we fail to make it happen
  • a lack of confidence in themselves
  • a habit of comparing themselves to others who have achieved what they strive, or long, for
  • letting fear — of rejection, failure, or even success — keep them from finishing things
  • letting distractions get in the way (social media, unproductive tasks, even fear)

Jeff addresses the issue of becoming trapped by the thing we love because we’ve lost sight of our focus. Over time, we realize we’re writing for the wrong reasons: to please others, not ourselves. He walks us through practical steps for regaining our confidence in ourselves and refocusing, which in the end, makes us not only happier, but better, and more successful, writers. The initial steps are to 1) adopt the mindset of a writer, then 2) start doing it.

Jeff writes, “I’ve learned the secret to writing for the love of it and getting acknowledged for your work. And I’m going to share it with you.”

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What Writers Can Learn From Alcoholics and Addicts

April 12, 2012 in Writing with 1 Comment

mountain climber Our family has traveled the journey of substance abuse recovery with a loved one. I’m profoundly grateful for the experience, because through it, I learned a lot about a lot of things. In the recovering alcoholics and addicts community, there are certainly plenty of messed-up people (who may remain messed up), but there are also some incredibly strong people who are succeeding against all odds.

As a writer, there may be times you feel everything is working against you. Perhaps the demands of everyday life make it next to impossible to carve out time for writing. Maybe you suffer from writer’s block, or you’re plagued by feelings that you’re not actually good enough to be a writer; and perhaps you aren’t yet, but could be. Perhaps the process of navigating the publishing world, with all the available options, is overwhelming. And the idea of being your own marketing whiz may want to make you shoot yourself.

If any of these things resonate with you, here are some lessons weary writers can learn from other people who are trying to succeed against all odds.

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The Oleanders of San Leon – One Man’s Adventure in Building a House

April 10, 2012 in Author Stories with 0 Comments

OleanderThis post is generously shared by Andy Upchurch, who is a fellow member of the Bay Area Writers League (the Texas Bay Area, not California). Andy’s new book, The Oleanders of San Leon, is his story of migrating from Arkansas to the Texas Gulf Coast, living on his sailboat, then deciding to build his own house, even though he had no construction skills or knowledge of how to build a house. In addition to being an adventurer and writer, Andy is a musician who plays classic rock music with his band, Andy & The Dreamsicles. You can find them on Facebook, and if you would like to chat with Andy, email him at andyupch(at)aol(dot)com. 

THE OLEANDERS
Of
SAN LEON

FOREWORD

 

An oleander is a flowering bush. “The Oleanders” in this book however refers to a place, not shrubbery. It is named this because of the profusion of wild oleander bushes which were found growing there. This is in the style of some of the smaller Caribbean islands, where the houses have names instead of street addresses. The Oleanders is located in a rural area known as San Leon, located on the coast of Texas.

The author grew up in Arkansas and became a musician and sailor. He migrated to coastal Texas where he lived aboard a sailboat. He later got the notion to build a house, even though he had never built one and had no construction skills.

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Favorite Posts from Last Week

April 9, 2012 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

Brown paper with torn section and words weekly wrap

Here are some of my favorite posts from other blogs and sites that I found last week.

Thanks to e-Books, Publishers Find Flat is the New Up
Large book publishers’ most recent earnings reports reflect a new normal: Revenues are roughly flat, but profits are up — in large part due to e-books.

The Marketing Paradox: Start Small to Get Big
You may have dreams of reaching millions, but to reach millions, you have to start with the people who are your target market or demographic. Or, you have to think like a marketer.

Tricks to Creating a Page-Turner
Did you know that there are some simple formatting tricks that anyone can do to improve the readability of a manuscript and keep the reader turning pages? And what’s really cool is that you don’t have to change your story at all to benefit from them. Not a word.

Six Core Storytelling Competencies: Good, Better and Best
Ask anyone who writes fiction how many issues an author needs to think about, how much stuff there is to know and execute, and you may get an answer that amounts to dozens, even hundreds of things. All of those dozens of things, or hundreds of things, can be categorized into six discrete buckets of elements, nuances and requisite functions, each of which is essential to a successful story.

Happy Monday, and happy reading and writing this week!

 

15 Things Every Writer Should Know

April 6, 2012 in Uncategorized, Writing with 0 Comments

The Digital Writer 15 Things Every Writer Should KnowThe information in this post comes directly from 15 Things Every Writer Needs to Know (And All the Mistakes You Never Want to Make) from The Digital Writer, a new book series just released by publisher Sterling & Stone. I am an editor at Sterling & Stone and can attest to the quality of information in the Digital Writer books. For more information on The Digital Writer series, go to http://thedigitalwriter.net. 

 

 

The following 15 road signs are ones that nearly every writer should follow, and they will benefit greatly if they do. After four years online, I’ve seen successful writers engaging in the same effective behaviors, while struggling writers are making the same fundamental mistakes.

Learn the 15 roadsigns every writer should follow, and avoid the 13 mistakes most writers make, and you will go further, faster — driving closer to the digital writing career of your dreams, without wasting your time.

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Food (and Drink) For Thought

April 5, 2012 in Food with 0 Comments

glass of sangria

 

 

Sometimes I start drifting toward formality and convention here on my blog, as if the Blog Police are monitoring my content, or Google Analytics will shun me for improper posts. So, in an effort to remain authentic and true to self, this post has nothing to do with writing. It’s about food and drink  – specifically, drink — because I’m as much a foodie as I am a reader/writer.

Here on the Texas Gulf Coast, spring is hinting strongly at summer, so my mental menu planning is shifting as well. One of my favorite summer treats is this spectacular sangria. It may be a little early for it yet, but it’s not too early to start planning, right?

If you need a little break from solving life’s problems, slaying dragons, or rescuing damsels in distress, this pick-me-up might be just what you need. Or, it might be just what your protagonist needs.
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Why I Hope Traditional Publishing Never Dies

April 4, 2012 in Traditional publishing with 2 Comments

Stamps Once Upon A TimeJust so you know, this post is not slam on self-publishing. I read, and I keep up with the traditional vs. indie debate. I understand the arguments on each side, and most of them are valid (in my opinion). I think it’s phenomenal that talented people have found new doors open to accomplish their dreams.

So, this post is not about the debate. It’s simply about my hope that even if indie publishing explodes in a mushroom cloud of new talent and deeply rich stories, traditional publishing never dies.

Today, I received my latest issue of Writer’s Digest — the paper copy, in the mailbox at the end of my driveway. I do a great deal of reading online (because like indie publishing, there’s some great material out there), and you would have to pry my Kindle from my cold, dead hands to get it away from me. But I still get a thrill from sitting down and turning the pages of a magazine or a good book.

In this issue, there’s a great article, 5 Steps to a Powerful Theme, by Donald Maass. As I read the article, I found myself thinking, not only does this guy know his stuff, but he can do it too; he’s a damn good writer. Since I’m as much a reader as I am a writer, that’s important to me. And that’s what we, as readers, have essentially been guaranteed with traditional publishing: a certain assurance of quality that we can depend on. Traditional publishers, along with the editors and literary agents, have been our gatekeepers, and I believe passionate readers place a deep level of trust in that.

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