Book Covers Part Two
As Derek Murphy of creativindie.com tells all independent authors (and I highly recommend his books, courses, and articles), covers serve but one purpose: to draw the eye of the potential…
Book Covers Part One
Independent publishers have a variety of options, whether publishing digital or print books. There are individual designers who specialize in cover design; their prices vary. There are companies that make…
Website Woes
The internet is a dynamic place. And a weird one. Not only are there constant changes wrought by software companies forever fixing and improving their products, and people like myself…
Emotion
Romance books specifically evoke emotion; that is part of their appeal for many and what repels others. In my experience, men in general and academics in particular often dismiss the…
May-December Romance
While for some time now younger generations have been encouraged by media to consider mature adults to be beyond sexual thoughts and relations, historically it was common for an older…
Creative Blocks
Most blocks to creativity are internal; that is, they stem from our inhibitions and fears. And where do those inhibitions and fears come from? In my experience and observation, they…
Reviews
Once upon a time, reviews were written by book-industry professionals and newspaper columnists, and many bought books based on such recommendations. Well-known authors' opinions still carry weight both in the…
Websites and other wonders
One of the issues that has come up in publishing is the need for marketing, which includes having a website. And operating a website requires learning how to create the…
Musical Inspiration
The muses can sing to me in many ways, triggering ideas for a new tale. One of the more unusual inspirations for me was a video by a music company…
Hope
In fiction as in life, a person needs hope―even if it is simply the unconscious assumption that he or she will live to see another day. Moreover, even a story…