Authors Electric

I have spent a lot of time bemoaning the fate of self-published authors over the years, but sometimes, I admit, I often overlook the rose for the thorns. For example, I learned yesterday that Barnes & Noble will now stock self-published books on their shelves . However, as you can tell from the dateline on the linked article, this is not exactly breaking news. Apparently, I missed the original announcement of this development two years ago. Yay! A corporate bookseller that loves indie writers!-- Weeeeeeell, maybe. Still, this is a huge development benefiting indie authors as it lets them into the previously exclusive-to-traditionally-published-authors market of bookstore browsers and foot traffic. Sure some local B&Ns have allowed local self-published authors to hold book signings and special events at their stores, but even in these instances, any books sold were sold by commission. In other words, authors had to purchase their own stock and donate a cut of their proce...

Hoglet self-annointing This picture received the most feedback I've always been a little dubious about social media and doubted if it can actually reach the people you need it to reach. Well at the end of last month (Sept 2014) Facebook proved to me that if you put up the right content it can work. Unfortunately the right content I put onto a Facebook page had nothing to do with my writing, but it did prove to me the possible power of social media. So much so that I wanted to share it with you. Anyone who knows me knows I run a not-for-profit hedgehog rescue from my back garden. At the beginning of September I started to care for a litter of four very small hoglets. I've been charting their progress by taking photographs and posting them onto the hedgehogs Facebook page . I uploaded a small album of images showing the hoglets reaction to new food (they started to self-annoint). I didn't think these images were anything different to similar ones I'd put up before....

Finally, after about four years in the gestation, my book on self-publishing, which takes a very different approach from the usual guides, is here. To get the grubby stuff out of the way first, you can buy it for your Kindle for £1.88 in the UK here , and for $2.99 in the US here , and it is also available everywhere else. I wanted the book to fill the gap I've noticed in the self-publishing library - how to retain your creative integrity and direction through the whole process from the first capital letter on page one to your 20th book and beyond. Because that's the key to retaining your passion as a writer, the key to succeeding in the way that matters: on your own terms. The chapters I've included reflect that concern: 1. The Pressure to “Succeed” 2. Why Do You Write? 3. Is Self-publishing Right for You? 4. Never be afraid to be you 5. Dealing With Self-Doubt 6. Dealing With Self-Belief 7. Handling Praise 8. Producing Your Book: Picking the Right P...