Writers, do you have a high-action starting scene that just isn’t drawing the reader in? What can you do about that? You need to set your scene to draw readers into the POV of the main character and give us an emotional connection to him. Without that, it’s hard to care about what’s going on. […]
Get some mentoring from us at Realm Makers Conference
This summer at the Realm Makers Conference, we’re offering free mentoring to anyone who signs up. We’re happy to share some of the Castle Gate Press special handling we give our authors. This TLC has so far resulted in: last year one Amazon category bestseller, and for this year a book that is both a finalist […]
The Answer Place: Should I, an author, focus on selling print books or ebooks?
The answer to this depends on whether you have managed to land one of the big five traditional publishers. If you are working with one of these, they have the keys to possibly making money on print books. Nobody else does. Not you, not your small press publisher. The reason is that you will have […]
The Answer Place: What can an author do better than a small press can?
Here are four things that you, as an indie author, could do better than a small press could do for you. Schedule and manage e-book price specials. For a publisher with a number of books, it’s hard to do well. For you, with just your own books, you’ll have the incentive to keep right on top […]
The Answer Place: What can a small press do for me that I can’t do myself?
Here are four things a small press can do for you, an author, more effectively than you can do for yourself. Get you entered into certain industry contests that favor traditionally published authors. If you’re doing it yourself, you may have to prove that you’ve got some best-seller sales in order to enter. Submit your book to Publishers Weekly and […]
The Answer Place: How can I proofread a book well?
Proofreading for small errors is not easy. Your mind gets tied up in the story and may just jump right over small errors, especially if you have read the story before. Here’s my best advice: Read the story backwards, paragraph by paragraph. This removes you from the flow of the story, and you’re more likely to […]
The Answer Place: How do I get a great cover for my book?
We have a question about covers this week: “How do I get a great cover for my book?” First, let me emphasize how important it is to have a truly eye-catching, genre-appropriate cover for your book. The reason? That’s how your book will get noticed in the ever-increasing number of ebooks available online. You’ll want to […]
Trad pub, small press, or indie publishing: which is right for you?
Fiction writers, should you aim for traditional publication, small press, or indie publishing? It’s a tough decision in a situation where publishers aren’t doing very well. You can tell that because they consolidate, sell out, buy each other up, and generally act unstable. There isn’t much money to be had in publishing these days, except […]
Is NaNoWriMo worth the bother?
I’m starting to get emails from the local NaNoWriMo organizers, and writers like you should be too. If you aren’t, go on over to nanowrimo.org and sign up. Somebody decided to make November into National Novel Writing Month and set up this national nonprofit organization to provide local structure–write ins, email support, writing buddies, and more. […]
Writers, how to find your audience
Writers, perhaps you’re wondering how you will find your audience, once your book is available. Here’s a suggestion: One reader at a time. I’m assuming the book has been edited by professionals before it’s published, and there’s no doubt that it’s worth bragging about. Before publication time, get review copies into the hands of plenty […]