Tips for Book Series Writing
My first book was never supposed to be a series. I’m now on my third series and starting a fourth soon. If you want to save yourself a lot of headache, check out these tips from what I’ve learned about writing series intentionally and unintentionally. Let me also clarify that these series I’ve written are…
If I Could Start Over as an Author…
I would have a better plan. I often interact with new writers who are anxious to be authors, and I regularly say the same things. Build your author brand, your author platform, a collection or series of books to release, and a marketing plan… because I wish I had. What I’ve experienced since my first…
Writers: Great Books to Help You Show Not Tell
Fiction thrives on the emotional journeys of characters as much as the physical quests to hunt down murderers, slay a evil kings, or jump across galaxies to rescue survivors of an alien infestation. The way characters talk to one another can open the reader up to characters’ motivations and personalities, or it can push readers…
Self Pub Book Checklist
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the tasks you need to complete to self-publish your book, and you’re having trouble finding that sticky note with that “thing you were supposed to do…” I’ve compiled a Word document I use as a guide for what to get done to prep my self-published books for launch. It lists…
AMS Ads and CPC Help for New Authors
So I posted this to one of my lovely FB groups and thought I’d share it here in case anyone is searching for help on this topic. I don’t speak for Amazon. I’m just another writer who’s been trying to understand how to work Amazon ads and was hoping this could help some of you…
30+ Character Clothing Styles
I haven’t found many straight forward lists available online that cover different styles of dress. I studied this some in college but really wanted to lay it all out in a way that I could compare them in a condensed form. Occasionally, I’ll get an idea for a plot, but won’t know which style, setting,…
Master List of Colors & How They Can Change Reader Interpretation
(Color Charts Below) Though it’s often not the most important part, the right color can invigorate any description. I made these lists for myself, to help me pick color names that were exactly what I was searching for without becoming repetitive. Depending on the content, you might consider selecting recognizable names within a specific category…
Guest Post: Critique Partners – What They Are, Where to Find Them, and How to Make the Best
(Read the post below) Just want to give a quick shout out to Rae at A New Look on Books and thank her for letting me guest post on her website: anewlookonbooks.com She is also a freelance editor and a very kind soul. Twitter: @anewlookonbooks An important goal of critique swapping is getting constructive feedback.…
Copyediting Certification
As a self-publisher, I’ve had to wear a lot of hats… Knowing how to edit helps me write more effectively. Writing helps me understand the struggles of working with authors from an editor’s perspective. I’m only beginning my journey as a freelance editor, but I hope to help other indie authors polish and prepare their…
Fiction Novels: How Creating a Language Can Enhance a Story
I originally wrote this as a guest post for Blogging Authors. You can view it here: https://bloggingauthors.blogspot.com/2020/01/fiction-novels-how-creating-language.html How weird would it be if all aliens spoke English? Or witches and warlocks had no spells? We all know that creating believable characters is a critical component of successful storytelling. As authors, if our works are fantastical,…
Book Publishing Secrets
This is a post I wrote for one of my book tours, but I wanted to share it with you again in case any of you might be looking for some tips! The book I reference is listed below. You can view the original post here: Book Publishing Secrets A romantic-suspense novel featuring: miscarriage, hot…
Reblog: Author Interview on My Book Launch
You can find the original post here: https://mybooklaunchforauthors.blogspot.com/2020/01/book-launch-q-el-strife-author-stllar.html After your book was released, what was the first thing you did when getting ready for your book launch? I actually never “launched” my first book, Stellar Fusion. I did with my others but was too nervous to call attention to myself with the first. I wanted…
Critique Cheat Sheet
In preparation for a guest post on Critique Partners that I’ve been asked to do by A New Look on Books, I’ve finally compiled all of my critique partner questions onto one sheet. I hope this helps you as much as it does me. During the post, I’ll talk about what Critique Partners are, where…
Master List of Colors
Though it’s often not the most important part, the right color can invigorate any description. I made these lists for myself, to help me pick color names that were exactly what I was searching for. Depending on the content, you might consider selecting recognizable names within a specific category to supplement your theme. –Metals Emanate…
Self-publishing is Hope
When self-publishing, you do everything from write the story, find and work with an editor, select a way to publish, format and market your book. You research the hell out of the process only to find contradicting information. Stellar Fusion is ready, but I can’t hold my breath for something that might never happen. I sit here drumming…