I teach a class called Editorial Techniques to my journalism majors, and one of the first things I try to teach them is that the responsibilities of an editor go far beyond just making sure that grammar, spelling and punctuation are correct (although those are extremely important, more important than some indie writers seem to … More The Complete Package–Revisited
Yesterday I wrote about getting started on your next book, how intimidating it can be and how important it is to just start, regardless of quality. And then I followed my own advice, and started my new book. Now I have the prologue, but don’t know where to go from there. Well, two things have … More I’ve Started. Now What?
As someone who grew up going to church, I have heard all kinds of stuff blamed on Satan. When I was young, I remember Flip Wilson’s famous line, “The Devil made me do it,” and even though we might not say it, sometimes we have that attitude. We think that if Satan tempts us, we … More Give the Devil His Due
I just had a pleasant experience. I got a notice that Kevin Newsome, author of the great Christian suspense book WInter that I have reviewed previously, came by and read my review. It’s nice to know that other authors are out there, doing what I am doing, namely wondering what people are thinking about my … More On the Drawing Board
As somebody who has written a lot, and continues to write a lot, the most comfortable place for me to be is in front of a keyboard. The least comfortable? On the receiving end of reviews. Well, I guess I should qualify that. Writers will always get good and bad reviews; that’s the nature of … More An Author’s Best Friend
I’m my own worst enemy. It’s been a busy few days, with the whole family traveling up to Oklahoma for a reunion. Now it’s just Gavin, my grandson, our three dogs and me. Shelly and my kids drove off to Jefferson to get my daughter moved into a new house. Those of us who stayed … More Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
Here’s a look at the new video trailer my son Matthew Robinson put together for my book Infinity’s Reach:
In the past 18 months since I started my indie author enterprise, I have experimented with lots of ways to get readers’ attention. After all the contests and advertising and promotions, I have come to the conclusion that the bottom line for selling books online is in reviews. How does one get reviews? You get … More My 99 Cent Sale
If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you know that I have said more than once that there are no guarantees in life. And that goes for writing as well. I told a fellow magazine editor one time while we were watching our first issue roll off the press: “Enjoy … More Positive Strokes
I can still remember the day when my mom brought me to Mountain View Academy to register me as a high school freshman. Part of the registration process was getting your photo taken for the “Funnybook” and adding a word to describe yourself. I couldn’t–or wouldn’t–give them a word, but after I left that table, … More Let Your Freak Flag Fly
The Great Adventure 