Member Blog

It’s free to join SPR and blog about your writing experiences. Read the latest blog entries from our community

An Interview with Amber Riley

An interview with Amber Riley, author of Kindred Blood. Info on completing this interview here.

1. How did you come to self-publish? Did you try to get published
traditionally?

I did try to find an agent. I believe I sent query letters to about 10 seeking representation before decided to self-publish. Once I found iUniverse, I thought it would suit me better than traditional publishing. I write because I love to write. I was worried it would become more like work than my passion.

2. What self-publishing service did you use? Happy with the service?

I used iUniverse […]

2011-10-08T18:11:44+02:00June 1st, 2010|Categories: Interviews, Member Blog|

Getting a Free eBook with a Physical Book

Cross-posted at my blog as well.

I saw a post on the Kindle forums asking “Will Amazon offer free to Kindle users, the hardcovers they have purchased?” and the obvious answer is no, since it’s not Amazon’s decision. Books you buy are not just the words of a story, no matter how ideal that would be. You’re purchasing a product, and a lease to use (read) that product in a certain environment. It’s not the words themselves that are being purchased. That’s how traditional publishers are treating digital books.

But I’m not part of a traditional publisher. And neither are […]

2011-10-08T18:34:12+02:00May 27th, 2010|Categories: Features, Member Blog|

Mischievous Tame Fox Inspires Picture Book

Hello! I am new to this blog. My name is Stevie, and I am an illustrator/author/veteran self-publisher. I published my first book, Lizzie Fox-Top, in November 2009. From the back cover:
***
“Lizzie with your hair so red, what’s that fox doing on your head?”

So demand the townsfolk of Lizzie’s world the morning after an abandoned baby fox wanders in through her moonlit window. When the fox finds comfort on top of the little girl’s red head, the pair become fast friends, despite the townspeople’s protest. After a few mishaps including one angry grocer, several stolen eggs, and a […]

2011-10-08T18:26:20+02:00May 25th, 2010|Categories: Member Blog|

iPad Review for Chinese Publication

Despite the fact that the UPS tracking showed my iPad in Guangzhou, China on April 2, the enchanting device showed up magically at my doorstep in the morning of Saturday, April 3. Amazing!

Growing up I used to love reading a good book while listening to music. Now I can have a vast number of books with virtually unlimited music selection (thanks to Rhapsody) and can take them anywhere! Would this not have been possible on my laptop and other tablets? Laptops don’t have the form factor to make it convenient. Having to fold open and close a laptop in […]

2011-10-08T19:36:20+02:00April 12th, 2010|Categories: Member Blog|

How to Become a Blogging Expert Overnight

With age comes wisdom…but, not when we’re talking about blogging.

It doesn’t take years to become an expert blogger. You can *conquer all obstacles* and become a professional as early as…tomorrow. Yes, I said tomorrow. To become a blogging expert, all you need to do is:

–         Define Your Niche – Mental blocks will be unheard of. Never will you tire for what you’re passionate about. Mental juices will flow. The articles will ring true—with an honest voice. The reader will devour your post.

–         Carefully Proof-Read – Checking for the usual punctuation and grammar is a given. Beginners can […]

2011-10-08T19:37:39+02:00March 29th, 2010|Categories: Member Blog, Resources|

Good to be Back!

I’ve been away from Self-Publishing Review for several months, but now that I’ve fulfilled some of the obligations that kept me away, it’s good to be back. The biggest task was judging one of the Spur categories. Two other judges and I read about 30 Western novels, most of which were self-published.

Between a few of the self-published and the traditionally published novels, there was not much difference in quality. That argues against the prejudice that might linger against self-published novels as a category, despite Joseph Wideman’s well-publicized decision that Henry Baum discusses on the front page. The other two […]

2011-10-08T18:37:17+02:00March 10th, 2010|Categories: Member Blog|

Writers and grandiose delusional disorder

The American Psychological Association estimates that each year thousands of writers suffer from delusions of inflated worth, knowledge, and identity. In our latest episode of “Inside The Writers’ Studio,” we visit one such author, R.J. Keller, as she is interviewed by a hair-obsessed reporter.

[…]

2010-03-01T15:14:06+02:00March 1st, 2010|Categories: Member Blog|Tags: |
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