Authors - Feeling Alone? Don't Feel Bad.

Writers Are Not Normal to Normal People

I learned some hard lessons in 2013, but hopefully I learned them well. One of the things I realized is: people really don’t get what a writer’s life is like. I’ll expound on that in a moment. First, let me tell you what else I learned:

- Sometimes, the people you meet online will have your back when the people you’ve known all your life, or at least met in person, are the ones stabbing you there. Sometimes your true friends are really your virtual ones. I’m so very thankful for my online Indie Author family.

- Of course, that’s not to say you should trust everyone you meet online. And sometimes the people you think you can trust turn out not to have your best interests at heart. There will always be cliques, and I will always be on the outside of them. But that’s nothing new to a loner like me, really. Sometimes it is surprising (not to mention sad) to discover who’s in the clique, though.

We're not to the good part yet - please keep reading at http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2014/01/08/writers-are-not-normal-to-normal-people/

My Birthday Wishlist

A few too many candles...

I may or may not have had a birthday a few weeks ago. I’ll never tell. But if I did have a birthday, I might be inclined to put a wishlist together. Since my life revolves around being a writer – you guessed it – my wishlist is pretty much writerly dominated. Here’s what I want – and what I shall stomp my feet in a fitting tantrum until I get – in no particular order.

Part rant, part satire, part me just being me... If you'd like to read more, you can check out the rest of the article at Indies Unlimited.

Claiming Your Book to Your Author Central Page Part 2

Last week, we showed you the shortcut method to claim a book to your Amazon.com Author Central page. If you missed that article, you can read it here. If you want to do it the more reliable way, we’ll show you that method today.

In order to claim a book to your Author Central page using this method, you must log in to your Author Central account. You can do that here: https://authorcentral.amazon.com/. Once you’re logged in, your home page will look like this:

Click on “to your bibliography” which I’ve highlighted in yellow above. That is where you will see...

Want to see more? You can, for free, over at Indies Unlimited here.

When Is a Book Not a Book?

When people ask me how many books I have written, that’s a tough question to answer. It may seem cut and dry to many, but I’ve not only created novels, non-fiction books, children’s books, and workbooks, but also calendars.

Is a calendar actually considered a book? A title? I don’t know. One would think the answer would vary depending on who I ask, but no – everyone says yes – the calendar counts.

So, why do I have such a hard time counting it?

To read the rest of this article and to cast your vote as to whether a calendar should be considered a book, click to Indies Unlimited here.

Triple Dog Dare Is Now Available!

My new chick-lit/comedy novel, co-written with five-star author and humorist Stephen Hise, is now available! Triple Dog Dare is for sale on Amazon.com at the introductory price of 99 cents through September 9th. Grab your copy now, because after that, it will be retailing for $3.99.

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon Canada

You can read the book description and watch the video trailer here: http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2013/08/31/now-available-triple-dog-dare/

According to the 19 reviewers who have already left comments on Amazon, it's a fun, light, fast read. I hope you'll give it a try!

Thank you, and have a great holiday!

Exercises for Authors

Yeah, that’s right. I’m an author. That means I’m cerebral. I work out with my brain, not my body, which means that my Nordic Track machine is used to hang laundry. It works quite nicely in that capacity.

Do those coffee crunches!

Our Laurie Boris tried to get us to start some good habits like stretching and some strange, new-fangled ergonomic stuff. All that’s fine and dandy, but I can’t really see someone like me actually making the effort to do any of it. So, in the true spirit of entrepreneurial opportunism, I’ve developed an exercise program tailored specifically for authors (and anyone who spends extended hours at a computer). Because what good is a program you won’t actually use?

That’s right, I’ve taken activities in which you participate every day and turned them into exercises! How can you go wrong? Well, duh, you can’t.

If you'd like to read the rest of this article, please go here: http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2013/04/10/exercises-for-authors/

Formula for a Bestselling Horror Novel

Of course, yes, I know you’ve been waiting for this. Who hasn’t been? I’ve already shared with you the formula for writing a blockbuster action/adventure bestseller, a knock-em dead romance bestseller, a spine- and pants-tingling romantic thriller, and a Young Adult Paranormal Romance. I know – that’s really benevolent of me, right? Despite that, you thought I left out a market with huge potential: horror. Well please, patience! I can only turn out one of these labor-intensive formulas each month. They’re quite draining, you know.

Speaking of draining, this book’s got it all: vampires, werewolves, zombies – a story destined to be a bestseller once you add your personal touch to it. How can you go wrong?

Follow my advice below, and you’ll be fighting off a legion of dedicated, zombie-like fans!

Formula for a best-selling horror novel:

If you'd like to read the rest of this article, please go here:  http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2013/04/24/formula-for-a-bestselling-horror-novel/

Tips: Top 10 Common Book Mistakes

Between the submissions we receive here at Indies Unlimited and the ones I receive for consideration for the Hurricane Sandy Library Recovery project, I’ve vetted close to 200 books in the past two weeks. Yes, my eyes are tired, and there’s a slight chance I may be just a teeny tiny bit cranky.

I’m noticing a lot of common errors while reviewing the previews of these books, which I’m going to list below. People complain (no, I don’t know which people, just people, all right?) that indie and self-published books don’t meet the same level of quality as traditionally published books. I don’t believe that can be made as a blanket statement. What I will tell you, however, is that these errors are DEAD giveaways that a book is a not-so-high-quality self-published product. Isn’t the goal ultimately that someone can pick up an indie book and a traditionally published book and not be able to tell the difference? Well, let’s do away with the issues below and we’ll be well on our way.

If you'd like to read the rest of this article, please click here:  http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2013/04/23/tips-common-book-mistakes/