(I swear this is not going to turn into another how-to book on writing. But I do have a couple technical points about revision that I want to say.) Writers have a blind spot when it comes to revision. It’s difficult to learn, because it’s a different skill set from writing. Writing is creation. It […]
Back before computers appeared on every desktop, I wrote a fantasy story. I tapped it out on a manual typewriter during a Carolina summer. I was renting a room in a house whose family couldn’t afford air conditioning, so as I tap tap tap each page, it would be dotted with sweat. I spent all […]
As regular readers know, “The Career Indie Author” is being written in parts. The section below on book promotions belongs in Section V, “The Life Cycle of a Story.” This takes the reader through the process of writing a book, from deciding what to write, calculating a profit/loss statement, researching titles, what tools are useful […]
Even though this post is part of Career Indie Author, it’s not an excerpt from the book. Instead, it a link to an article by Comic Curmudgeon Josh Fruhlinger about the Kickstarter campaign he ran to finance his debut novel, “The Enthusiast.” I’m linking to this because Josh upends the bag and describes the campaign, […]
This week’s episode is short but important, particularly the section on literary archives. I have many sections of it written, but here and there you’ll find small sections that needed to be filled in. This is one of those. 3. Life Insurance So long as we’re talking about money and death, another question that you […]
F. Technology 1. The Lure of the New I’m not a Luddite.* Really. I love technology … when it works and makes my life easier. Computers that hold millions of words, ebook readers, scanners, OCR software, email; I wouldn’t be able to do the work I love without them. * Luddite: Self-employed textile workers or […]
I. Taxes I’m not versed in tax law. I only pay them. This section will focus only on how best to handle your dealings with the government. Specific tax strategies should be taken up by a qualified professional. Are you a writer or someone who plays around with creating stories? The answer may not matter […]
At the Career Indie Author, our goal is to give you the tools to launch yourself on a successful career as a writer. Our job is not to teach you how to write; there are plenty of places to learn that, and we’ll point you to books that we feel give good advice on improving […]
Indie publishing means everything is on you to get the job done. You either do the work yourself or hire someone to do it for you. On this issue, I’m agnostic. If you can do it and you like the job, do it. If you can afford to hire someone, that’s fine too. I do […]
Procrastination is something almost every writer deals with. We make ourselves feel worse when we compare ourselves to hard-working writers who publish four books a year or more. When you look at their habits, however, a pattern becomes clear. * Stephen King, who writes every day, grew up in a poor family that was abandoned […]