One of the hardest things about an endless task like writing and promoting a book is that there is always more you can do. You can always edit some more. You can always try to find more Twitter followers. Or write another blog post. Or reach out to another writer. Or give another interview. Or […]
Archives for May 2012
Traditional vs. Self-publishing is a False Dichotomy
Us vs. them is fun. It gets people’s blood boiling. It instills fear. It’s thrilling to be on a team, especially when you feel like your team is winning. These days it seems like traditional and self-publishing are increasingly pitted against each other on blogs and forums, as if one side or the other is […]
Where Did You Hear About the Book You’re Reading?
The way we discover books is ever-changing. It sure seems like we’re far more likely to discover books through a tweet, Goodreads recommendation, Facebook post, or online search than we are through methods that existed before the Internet. Where did you hear about the book you’re reading? I’m reading A Wrinkle in Time at the […]
On self-publishing and having a chip on one’s shoulder
There is an affliction sweeping the nation that until recently has mainly only been whispered about in private quarters, but which agent Sarah LaPolla and author Chuck Wendig touched on this week: Some (some!) vocal self-published authors have a rather substantial chip on their shoulders. Before we start get into name calling, let me state […]
Social Media is an Imperfect Sales Tool. Use it Anyway.
I somehow missed this post the first time around, but Red Pen of Doom wrote a post at the end of last year that, while extremely complimentary of my physical appearance (blushing, RPofD!), pointed out that my social media following has not resulted in the same number book sales as, say, Snooki. Who, yes, has […]
Do We Have a Failure to Communicate?
I’ve had several different conversations with friends lately wondering about whether our ability to communicate is being eroded in the texting/e-mail/Facebook messaging/G-chat/Skype/direct messages/can on a string era. We have more tools for communication than ever. Social media makes it possible to instantly know what our friends are up to and even see when they’re nearby. […]
