Recognition Awards for independent and self-published books are tricky business. The Internet is awash with shady characters more interested in taking your money than giving you recognition. I know; I have fallen for a few scams. In fact, I think I can say that in most cases, the more you’re asked to pay, the shadier... Continue Reading →
Tell me about your favorite books As I mentioned in my last post, I've spent a lot of time on marketing activities recently. Which means I've watched a ton of book marketing Webinars, signed up for a gazillion email lists, and experimented madly. (If you're interested in some of the resources I've discovered, see below.)... Continue Reading →
I've had quite a few stories published in online and print literary journals in the last five years. And quite a few not published. I recently received a rejection from a publication that provides brief feedback in return for a small contribution when you submit. As I read the comments, it became apparent that the... Continue Reading →
Every Sunday when I was a kid in the tiny New York town of Hillsdale, my parents would drive five miles down a dirt road to the local grocery store to pick up the New York Times. My parents were transplants from the greater metropolitan area of New York City; I imagine that great hunk... Continue Reading →
The five things I'll make this quick, because I'm kinda fried. I snore, which I would be doing in the photo above if it weren't an awkwardly posed selfie. I dislike emptying the dishwasher but try to turn it into an exercise in mindfulness, which works only sometimes. I get cranky when I'm tired. I... Continue Reading →
Certainly, this is more difficult than writing an essay. You will envy those youthful writers who not only did it in their twenties (or earlier) but got published—and famous. To keep from becoming too discouraged, you’ll have to look for writing icons who didn't blossom until later in life. Now that the envy is under... Continue Reading →
Score: Title = 0, Me = 0. No winners here yet. For the last few weeks, I’ve been wrestling with the title of my soon-to-be-published novel. (Although wrestling may be too genteel a word. It’s more like street fighting.) Writers should spend a lot of time wrestling with this because a title, like a cover,... Continue Reading →
First, I’m going to dance a jig. My story, Before There Was a Benjamin, placed fifth (out of 387) in the November 2015 Sixfold competition. This is the fourth time I’ve entered Sixfold, and it yielded the best results so far. (See my previous thoughts about the competition.) Previous rankings 2013 - 170 of 282... Continue Reading →
I loved reading cookbooks when I was a kid. We had The New York Times Cookbook and The Joy of Cooking as well as 365 Ways to Cook Hamburger and Men Cooking (it was the 1960s). My best friend’s mom, who was much more into cooking than either of my parents, had books on Chinese... Continue Reading →
