Self-Publishing: A Unique Journey

Posted by on Dec 12, 2012 in Writing Life | 16 comments

Based on the emails and other messages I received last week, readers and writers are curious about how I arrived at my big decision to publish my novel, MINDSPEAK. First, let me just say, everybody’s path is unique. We know that, right? So, how we arrive at our own big decision is going to be unique as well. The only wrong decision out there is the decision to allow someone else’s motivation influence your own unique journey. 1. We have different goals. My #1 goal is simple. I hope to connect with readers. Period. Some writers want to make money. Some need the validation that an...

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Cover Reveal: MINDSPEAK

Posted by on Dec 5, 2012 in Writing Life, Young Adult (for adults, too! :)) | 17 comments

Before we get to the big reveal, I gotta first say your kind words and encouragement in the form of blog comments, emails, Tweets, “Likes,” and Facebook messages on Monday were so appreciated. THANK YOU! I am so grateful for you.  ♥♥♥ Now, a bit about covers. I could write several blog posts about covers and probably will. Covers are so very important. And difficult. Covers take a certain vision and creativity. And being someone who judges books by their covers, I took designing the cover of my debut novel very seriously. I’ve been sitting on this cover for a while!...

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PUBLISHING NEWS: A GINORMOUS, GARGANTUAN ANNOUNCEMENT

Posted by on Dec 3, 2012 in Writing Life | 19 comments

I’ve decided to publish my latest novel. I know. I know. This is HUGE. A ginormous decision. I have been analyzing and over-analyzing this decision for months. I have considered just about every angle. Every option available. And have examined every possible motivation behind my decision. And every thought and point I’ve considered leads me to believe that self-publishing is the best decision for me—a decision we can discuss on a deeper level in the future if you’d like. I’d like to be very open about my journey and my motivations, and I have blog posts planned to do just that. If...

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Ultimate Gift-Giving Guide for Anyone Who Loves A Writer

Posted by on Nov 28, 2012 in Writing Life | 10 comments

This post (a repost with updates) is not just for you writers out there. This list is for all the friends, family and other people who love the crazy people in their lives we all like to call… WRITERS. This is the ultimate gift-giving guide for anyone who loves a writer Update for 2012 – I’ve started a Pinterest Board – Gifts for Writers to aid as a visual. I hope you’ll stop by and follow this board (and all my boards if you like). I’m slowly adding pictures and links of great gift ideas all the time. Feel free to send me suggestions. The items on the...

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How do we say THANK YOU to the authors we love?

Posted by on Nov 18, 2012 in What I've Been Reading, Writing Life | 6 comments

Before I ever became a writer, I was a reader. And before I ever became a blogger and a tweeter and a frequent visitor of Goodreads, I had no idea how much writers appreciate hearing from readers. So, just in case you are ever wondering: AUTHORS LOVE TO KNOW READERS ARE LOVING THE WORDS THEY SPENT SO MUCH TIME WRITING, REWRITING, CRYING AND PRAYING OVER. As you know, I’ve had an extremely sad year because of this. And one of the things that has gotten me through many rotten days has been the ability to escape into some pretty awesome books. So, for today’s post, I am nothing more...

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Self-Published vs. Traditional-Published – Is this really the argument we should be having?

Posted by on Oct 31, 2012 in Writing Life | 9 comments

Occasionally, I read articles or blog posts that just go through me like a bolt of lightning and come out the other side like rancid meat. And I know… I KNOW these articles are meant to do this. From the very title, I KNOW the author (or the publication) is trying to get a rise out of me. I always try to give it a day or two to see if I’m still angry enough to rant about it. It’s funny, though. The article that got me all fired up last week? Not so much today. I realized it was the title of the article that actually got me fired up, not the message behind the article. And...

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