It started quite slowly a couple of years ago, but unfortunately it has now become a pandemic. The insidious contagion? The acquisitive author affliction. Self publishing has given absolutely anyone the right to write, be published and be read. The gatekeepers have been removed and without exaggeration, it has delivered the basic right of freedom …
Self publishing is not a new phenomenon anymore, and it has now become an integral part of the publishing landscape. However, there is one component that remains a stumbling block. Getting your book to sell. Book marketing is tough, hard work, time consuming and can even be dispiriting. If that’s not enough, it can also …
As many Vandal readers may know, I also run a book promotion website. Whizbuzz has been operating successfully for over three years, and has taken a ‘soft marketing’ approach to both promoting books and authors, as well as itself. During this time, Whizbuzz has attracted a large following and has just recently been launched on …
Twitter is the strange animal in the world of social media. It operates on such an undefined set of rules that are so vague, it is even unclear if Twitter itself is sure as to how it all works. The best I’ve been able to calculate is that there are no rules at all, until …
One of the common questions I am asked, is about formatting an ebook for Smashwords. While many think it is difficult or even tiresome trying to get a manuscript passed by Smashwords, the truth is that it is very easy. So long as you understand that you are preparing your ebook for a number of …
After reading a novel recently that I grabbed by pure chance, I was left with feeling that a potentially great story had been wasted. The first chapter was well written with a fantastic plot setting and this was what hooked me into selecting this book. As I read further, I was also impressed that the …
Selling books is hard work and also a very good way to alienate yourself as an author. Social media is full of self published authors trying to ‘flog’ their ebooks and all most of them achieve is to be ignored or unfollowed. In recent weeks I have had quite a few comments and messages asking …
While the Kindle publishing platform is undoubtably the largest at present, this doesn’t mean that it’s the only viable publishing platform for self publishing authors. Judging by the number of comments and visits to my recent post, Self Published Authors Get Ready, You’re Being Dumped, there is a genuine concern amongst writers that having all your …
After many years of being active on social media, and having accumulated reasonable followings, I’d have to say that the answer to this question is no, not directly. I don’t know how many times a day I see, ‘Check out my book’, ‘You’re invited to an event’, or ‘Download my book for free.’ My reaction …
Clearly I have nothing better to do today than have a giggle at how easy it is to be really stupid. So join my in a quick giggle-fest of some of the crazy book covers I stumbled on earlier today.
Writing a book takes a long time, and for those authors new to self publishing, the next step can be daunting – trying to attract readers willing to pay good money to buy your book. But first they have to find your book. One of the most frequent questions I’m asked by newly self published …
Eyes That Could Kill When being abducted once is just not enough. Langley Garret’s Sunday morning starts very badly after waking with a hangover and a depressed feeling of worthlessness, along with a foreboding sensation in his gut. With his wife working away yet again, and the realisation that their marriage is probably very close …
Ok, it’s almost summer and time to lie in the sun and read a good book. So to help you on your way, this next week will be ‘Free or Cheap‘ for many of my popular titles. While all the following titles have been reduced, some will be free during this week, so check the …
It’s clearly becoming a new trend for writers to diversify and supplement their modest incomes with a few tempting literary side line appendages. Unfortunately for me however, I just don’t believe I have the necessary qualifications to append these new ‘métiers‘ to my tired old title of just another writer. While I can quite happily …
Clementine’s Shadow After moving to the California High Desert for a new start, Deputy Casey Lang faces a hard truth: She must work through her fear of shooting another child or kiss her career goodbye. The disappearance of a six-year-old girl from a summer concert in the park puts Casey’s resolve to the test. The …
While reading two separate posts on Forbes and The Verge in the last two days regarding the annoyance of typos in e-books, it was reassuring in some respects to note that the brunt of the complaints were against large publishers. However, as I read the long list of comments on these posts, a few new pieces …
While reading the following poem, which has always been a favourite of mine, I couldn’t help but think of the similarity with the current debate and divide over self published books compared with traditionally published titles. It has become a bit city and the bush – New York and London against the world one might …
The Adventure’s of Billy Chicken Toes And The Wolf: Add Your Own Art Children’s Books Can One Little Chick Make a Difference? Once upon a time, a young barnyard chick named Billy Chicken Toes is shooed out of the henhouse to make room for the new hatchlings.Told to stay close by, Billy’s curiosity leads him …
It’s not like me to stick the boot into people, but really I just can’t help myself here. The world needs literary agents just as much as it needs oxygen, but at least oxygen has developed a likeable outward persona. For the life of me, I just do not understand why literary agents seem to …
