Features | Self-Publishing Review

The Challenges of Being a Newly-Published Author

So, I’ve written a book and had it published. How exciting! It seems as if new doors are opening and that I have embarked upon a new career. That is true, but the challenges have only just begun. Now, the task is to get the word out. Major TV networks aren’t exactly knocking at my door. Where do I begin?

These are the questions I had to ask myself after I published the highly-rated Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude which I soon followed up with the first sequel, Babes in Bucksnort. I knew that I had good books […]

David Cowdery2020-02-21T03:57:58+02:00March 13th, 2011|Categories: Features, Member Blog|Tags: Author Branding|

So, You Want to Write a Book

Each of you has a book in yourself. After all, you all have your life stories. That is a starting point; at least it was for me. I wrote my memoirs about recovery from multiple addictions and mental illness. It helped me to heal and to learn how to put my thoughts down on paper. You can do that too.

Each of you is creative energy. You may not realize it. Just let yourself sit with that thought for awhile. Then try putting a pen to paper when the inspiration comes. You will be amazed at what can come out […]

David Cowdery2011-03-22T21:39:44+02:00March 13th, 2011|Categories: Features, Member Blog|

Thank God for Humor

Where would we be if we couldn’t laugh in this world that is frequently too serious for its own good? One of the greatest gifts I’ve come to discover is how to laugh at and with myself. I’ve spent most of my life taking myself and things way too seriously. It’s wonderful to have a sensitive heart, but it’s so important to shield it from unnecessary pain. That’s where a good dose of humor serves the spirit and leads us all to let go through wonderfully releasing belly laughs. One thing is certain. Humor not only helps us, it heals.[…]

David Cowdery2014-05-11T22:12:21+02:00March 13th, 2011|Categories: Features, Member Blog|Tags: Satire Book Reviews|

Self-publishing is a source of innovative thinking

Presentation: Self-publishing – a source of innovative thinking and how to benefit from it.

The presentation the link to which you see above was prepared for Ebook Lab Italia conference. I wanted to highlight a prevailing characteristic of self-publishers, yet not discovered and fully utilized by publishers and readers. It’s the innovative thinking.

In digital times, times of over-content, the front line is the attention of a reader. Technology leads to equal chances. Both big publishers and self-publishers use the same on-line tools and services to find the reader and convince him to buy the book. But obviously there […]

Piotr Kowalczyk2020-02-21T07:48:46+02:00March 11th, 2011|Categories: Features|

IndiePub ~ Amanda Hocking Just Might Not Be a Pioneer

I’m going to buck the trend in this blog entry by not rehashing Amanda Hockings’ impressive rocket success on the ePub scene. One might inadvertently take Ms. Hocking for a pioneer on the IndiePub scene, maybe look upon her story as the exception, a first, or a singular phenom. Make no mistake about it – the numbers are a knock-down, but let’s take a look at some of the pioneer IndieAuthors who just might have inspired this spunky little punk.

I learned of Boyd Morrison’s story at the 2010 Pacific Northwest Writers Association Summer Conference. Morrison has described the journey […]

Emily Hill2017-03-24T09:27:58+02:00March 10th, 2011|Categories: Features, Member Blog|

Review: Lightworker: The Unique Souls Who Have Come to Heal the Planet

I feel I must preface this review by offering full disclosure: Until now, I have never reviewed a work of non-fiction, nor a work which falls into the Spiritual or Self-Help genres. Naturally, what follows in this review is entirely my opinion, and I’ll do my best to cover what I think are its high and low points.

As I mentioned before, Lightworker by Sahvanna Arienta is what you would consider a Spiritual book, one written to help others find an understanding of their place in the world. The book revolves around a number of statements about the balance […]

Todd Keisling2014-06-19T12:25:45+02:00March 9th, 2011|Categories: Book Reviews, Features|Tags: Book Reviews, Self-Help Book Reviews|

Mark Coker on the Downfall of Big Publishing

This week, Mark Coker posted a new entry to the Smashwords blog detailing the rise of self-publishing and discussing the broken model upon which big publishing is built. From the article:

If authors – the beating heart powering Big Publishing – lose faith in Big Publishing, then big publishing as we know it will die. By “Big Publishing,” I’m referring to the old, pre-self-publishing system embodied by the Big 6 New York publishers, in which the publisher serves as the author’s judge, jury, gatekeeper and executioner.

If Big Publishing approves of your book, they acquire it. Post-acquisition, an author can

[…]

Todd Keisling2011-03-05T11:12:08+02:00March 5th, 2011|Categories: Features, Lead Story, News|Tags: Smashwords Tips and Articles|

The Writing Process

One of the things I love best about DVDs are the special features. I love learning how and why a movie was made as much as (and maybe more than) the the movie itself. The same goes for books. I love learning about the process that went on from conception to publication and all the steps and changes that happened along. So in that spirit, I thought I’d share my own writing process for those who are curious about where my stories come from.

First I don’t sit down and say to myself, “Self, you must come up with an […]

Jeff Thomason2011-03-03T15:26:28+02:00March 3rd, 2011|Categories: Features, Member Blog|Tags: Book Editing Tips, Writing Tips|