When I first started writing fiction, I needed someone to believe in me. I was ecstatic to get my first BookBub deal – a deal that helped me get 20,000 downloads for book one in my series and earn $8,297 in the same month. I thought I’d made it. Together, we were unbeatable. But now The 3 secrets to book marketing, and a haunted...
“I don’t feel ready to write this post, but I’m going to anyway.” That’s how I started this post; these are things I’m still in the process of learning and accepting. In 2022 I’m aiming to be less ambitious, but there are some insights here. There’s something I want to say, or maybe want to The...
Last year we visited the Charles Dickens house in London, which is when we found out there was a movie about the author’s life called The Man Who Invented Christmas. I only watched it recently – it’s available on Amazon Prime – and then I watched it again and took notes. These are tips based on The 3 secrets to...
For the last few years I’ve been editing a 19th century treatise called “The Genius of Solitude.” I already posted the introduction and some of my favorite quotes HERE, but I took some of the longer quotes and turned them into infographics. I love these, not only for the aesthetic beauty of the writing (I The 3 secrets to...
We’re having a discussion in one of my Facebook groups, after someone asked how much they should pay to hire a freelance writer to do some ghostwriting for them. I suggested $500 for 50K. That’s not a lot of money, at all. Some people in the group are frustrated by people (like me) devaluing the The 3 secrets to book marketing...
Indie publishers are slowly coming to realize the importance of an amazing book cover. Since many self-publishing authors are starting out on a very small budget however, homemade, DIY book covers are still a popular choice. But be forewarned: although book cover designs come in a wide variety, publishers consistently use reliable, time-tested...
For years I’ve been wishing for some kind of automated, daily accountability to keep me inspired and motivated – and I’ve heard a lot of other authors asking for the same thing. The problem is, writing can be a very personal goal, and sometimes it’s hard to self-motivate, especially if nobody else really cares about...
BRILLIANT! Positively BRILLIANT. Most comprehensive outline I’ve ever seen anywhere. Thank you Derek! A few years ago I made the Plot Dot (now free on Amazon!) – my simple 8-point novel writing template, with the major dramatic twists most stories need to hit. I always wanted a more in-depth book outline and plotting cheatsheet, but...
Let’s say you make cake, but you don’t want to conform to a type of cake. You create an epic masterpiece, but it’s not quite chocolate, or carrot, or red velvet… it’s a mashup of everything, with layers and structure and everything is new and different. It’s ART. But now that it’s done, how The 3 secrets to book marketing, and a...
Let’s get serious for a moment: writing a book is a long-term project and it’s not going to magically happen for you until you stop browsing useless listicles that focus on everything except the actual writing part. You know the ones – they focus on motivation or lifestyle organization and give pithy highlights like...
When asked about the best writing apps or software, I used to say, “Just use whatever you have and are comfortable with.” But recently I’ve been focused on upping my productivity and wordcount, so I’m testing everything to see if anything helps. Here’s a quick review of some of the things I think are cool, The 3...
Author Jessica Pierce does some amazing Instagram promotion and wrote this awesome post about it. I often get asked questions such as, “Jess, what the heck is this Instagram stuff and how can I use it to sell my YA book?” or “Plz halp me because I don’t get Bookstagram.” Have no fear! I’m not The 3 secrets...
