I hope you had a chance to read my newest short story that I posted yesterday. I am pretty proud of it. It is based on the challenge that went out from the Rough Writers, our student Creative Writing club on campus here. We have been building a fantasy world during this school year, and … More Getting the Word Out
“Leviathan” by Scott Westerfeld. 440 pages. Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. I have been meaning to read this book for a long time but haven’t, mostly because I was either reading something else or couldn’t buy it on sale, which is the way I buy most of my books. Because I have written one steampunk … More Review: “Leviathan” by Scott Westerfeld
I am determined to be a part of NaNoWriMo this year. For those of you who don’t know, that’s National Novel Writing Month, where each November crazy people like me attempt to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. I’ve done it three times, and have three books to share because of it. But there … More Tom Horn Rides Again
I’ve never been able to pat my head and rub my belly at the same time, and so I have been remiss in keeping up with my blog, or my writing for that matter. But I had decided early on that this summer was not going to be writing intensive. Instead, I have spent the … More Hits and Misses
Goodbye, Jackson Paul. We hardly knew ye. For those who are unfamiliar with the name Jackson Paul, that’s another good reason why he must die. You see, Jackson Paul is my penname. Or it was. But I discovered that having a penname and self publishing aren’t necessarily conducive to each other. For example, Smashwords is … More The Death of Jackson Paul
I’m not proud. It’s been sixteen months since I made the decision to go into independent book publishing after three decades of traditional publishing. I have already gone into the reasons why I did so, and I still think it was the right decision. And I knew from the very beginning that I was going … More The Biggest Mistake I’ve Made (so far) In Indie Book Publishing
Today is the last day of October, and tomorrow morning marks the beginning of National Novel Writing Month. For those who know NaNoWriMo, you’re know what’s going through my mind right now. Anticipation. Excitement. Wonder if I am making a terrible mistake. It’s a major commitment of time, energy and patience–both of you and those … More Last gasp. NaNoWriMo, here I come!
From a marketing standpoint, success in any endeavor where you’re selling a commodity is primarily a matter of linking the right audience or customer with the right product. There are two ways to do this. One way is to develop a product and then find someone to buy it. The plus of this is that … More Finding Your Audience
I will be the first to admit that I am a novice in the field of self-publishing. But I have learned a great deal since I jumped into the business at the beginning of 2012. Probably the most significant thing I have learned was how critical two things are as far as book sales are … More What a Difference a Cover Makes!
First of all, I want you to know that I truly enjoy a good western. I haven’t always felt that way. Growing up with a father who read westerns and wanted John Wayne movies, I saw my share of schlock. And that, I think, is what has led to the demise of the genre. The … More Why I like westerns, and the demise of the genre
The Great Adventure 