Pam Uphoff I’ve recently read two stories and while I generally don’t do book reviews, I’m going to take a look at these two. My sister convinced me to read “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus. Yes, the #1 New York Times Bestseller. “The Catch 22 of early feminism” accord to themselves. https://www.amazon.com/Lessons-Chemistry-Novel-Bonnie-Garmus-ebook/dp/B098PW8NP8/ OMG! Drenched... Continue Reading →
What day is it?
Release week is always "interesting". There are things to do to prep for it. Promotions to work. Final tweaking of the book files and cover. So many things. When you add in unexpected things like the ceiling in the garage falling in on your car, you tend to get not only frustrated but confused about... Continue Reading →
Alas, Poor Trad Publishing
The last week or so has been anything but smooth sailing for traditional publishing. You could almost believe the success of Brandon Sanderson's oh so successful Kickstarter campaign kicked off a time of bad press and potentially horrible decisions by trad publishing that will have a long-lasting impact on the industry for not only editors... Continue Reading →
Time to get back to work
I don't know about you, but I usually have a very difficult time getting back into the swing of things after a holiday. After all, holidays are supposed to be times to relax and enjoy friends and families. But, if you're like me, much of that time is spent cleaning house, cooking, cleaning after cooking,... Continue Reading →
You Don’t Say. . .
Just a quick post this morning. If you've been following my personal blog, you know I'm dealing with a shoulder injury that makes keyboarding "interesting". Since I'm on the final push to get Victory from Ashes ready for release, I'm trying to limit keyboarding to that. But never fear, I have found a couple of... Continue Reading →
Who Really Matters: Readers or Gatekeepers?
I've been head down, butt in chair for three weeks now working on a book that wasn't planned, wasn't even a glimmer of an idea before then. So it came as a surprise this morning when I woke and realized it was Tuesday and I needed to blog. Without an idea in mind, I went... Continue Reading →
Keeping up with the times
Over the last few days, I've been part of a discussion with some other writers in my area about publishing. Specifically, about whether or not traditional publishers are keeping up with the times. One of our group still holds out hope that traditional publishing will return to its glory days, bookstores will once again show... Continue Reading →
When do you need a contract?
Welcome to the business of monetizing intellectual property.* No, you're not in a different dimension or that nightmare of a class where you showed up for the test without studying (or clothes). I say again, welcome to writing and publishing. What is a story? What is a nonfiction book, or a work of art? The... Continue Reading →
Writers be aware and beware
Once upon a time, knowing what you needed to do to become a published author was easy. You had to write a book that would get past the gatekeepers. To do that, you needed to find an agent and then that agent needed to sell your book. You typed up your manuscript, made it as... Continue Reading →
Reality bites, at least where traditional publishing is concerned
From time to time, I'm asked whether I think a writer should publish their book as an indie or try to go the traditional route. Depending on who it is, I might temper my response a little. By that, I mean I will tell them the decision is theirs to make. Then I ask them... Continue Reading →