“Only a fool writes for anything but money.” –Samuel Johnson I’ve been writing a long time, and although I’ve never gotten rich from it, I’ve been able to make a career out of it. But if I had a chance to go back and advise my 17-year-old college freshman self on the fine points of … More Money and Writing
There are some writers who believe you have to write every day. If you don’t, you’re not a writer. I know: I heard that a lot in my early years writing. And it depressed me because I’m not that type of writer. I can’t sit down and just start writing if I don’t have a … More Between Projects: When I’m Not Writing
I’m in the editing phase of my 25th book. It’s also the third book in a series. While I am editing the book and formatting the pages for both the paperback version and the ebook version, I am gearing up to have the cover done. But one thing is absolutely necessary before I can hire … More Yes, name? No, name. Bad name? Good name.
Let me tell you a story about a book, a bear, and a beginning editor. Back in the 90s. I was just getting started as a book editor. I was given the assignment of editing a children’s book. It was one of my first books, and to my elation, it was a very good book. … More The Woeful Story of Pepper Bear
Shelly and I are spending the Memorial Day weekend in a traditional pursuit that many of you can probably relate to. We are holding a yard sale. We emptied out our camping shed with all the stuff we put there when we moved from Idaho 21 years ago. We’ve emptied out our son’s and our … More A Rose By Any Other Name… Is Still Marketing
It’s a necessary evil for authors. I’m talking about the M word. Yes, that’s right. Marketing. If you’re like me, you’d rather be churning out pages toward your next title, or even editing the one you have, OR talking to other authors about the challenges of selling books these days. But the hard part, the … More The Writer Who Speaks
The Great Adventure 