As a self-proclaimed geek-in-heels, technology has been a mainstay in my life and career for over three decades. Since my first job out of travel agent training school in 1987, I was the office nerd, the one who could fix the printer or reboot the network. The agents I worked with were “old school,” knowledgeable […]
Back in the olden days of indie publishing, when the earth’s crust was cooling and it was a wild west of new information for self-publishers, I was fortunate enough to attend a conference in Austin, Texas, with this month’s featured subject, Tammi Labrecque. It’s hard to remember back that far. So much has changed since […]
After years of failing to keep my New Year’s resolutions, I gave up. But that’s not to say that I gave up on making life changes. I stopped with the grand declarations followed by the inevitable failure, and instead, I thought about the reasons those changes were significant to me. Those underlying reasons became a […]
Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing potential new contributors for Indie Author Magazine. Thirty-four brave souls stepped forward for consideration and a thirty-minute Zoom interview. Rather than feeling like thirty-four business meetings, it was instead a delight to meet some of the smartest, most interesting writers in our field. It was a personal reminder […]
In the September 2022 issue, I wrote an article about transmedia and how indie authors have the opportunity to capitalize on its facets. Transmedia, at its core, focuses on ways to deepen the relationship you have with your current readers and form new ones. As Jim Wilbourne explains, “Transmedia is taking a core story or […]
I’ve been a bit of a process improvement nerd since my days with a company that was chasing the illustrious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The award is the nation’s highest presidential honor for performance excellence. Our strategy for winning included looking at every department of a large travel management company with a fine tooth […]
There’s an old saying that goes, “If you’re going through Hell—keep going. That’s no place to stop.” The same can be said about first drafts, editing, and most of the business tasks associated with being a self-published author. Many of the tasks aren’t in our wheelhouse as creatives, or we do them so infrequently that […]
When I moved to Texas from California what feels like a million years ago, it sometimes felt as if I’d moved to a far more exotic locale than just a new state in the same country. The food was different. The BBQ meat looked burnt and inedible but tasted delicious, and everything was always covered […]
I have a new analogy I’d like to share this month. Indulge me as I rock this newborn while her exhausted parents try to get a nap. When you become a grandparent, the universe upgrades your operating system with a new app called “Been There Done That.” It pulls the most obscure memories out of […]
I realize that time ceased to have meaning when the world went topsy-turvy. What used to be a minute started to feel like seven hours. And what used to feel like a month sometimes felt like a single minute. It’s like we all collectively jumped in a Tardis and started cranking the knobs. With that […]
I have always seen IAM as an extension of the larger indie author community, born out of a group of international writers who met daily via Zoom and shared what they were doing to climb the mountain of success. Beyond the business chat between sprints, we also became bonded friends. There would not be a […]
Like Michael Scott from The Office, I’m not superstitious, but I am a little “stitious.” I don’t open umbrellas inside. I throw spilled salt over my left shoulder. I don’t walk under ladders. And I never say, “It’s going to be a calm week.” Because that’s when you know it will most definitely not be […]
When it comes down to a hero’s journey, the one thing that makes the story compelling is their ability to overcome the obstacle. What odds did they beat? What was previously insurmountable that they have now conquered? And, more importantly, how did they achieve success? Grit. Determination. Stick-to-it-ness. The answer, more often than not, comes […]
Like many creatives, I suffer from a terminal case of bright shiny object syndrome. I see ideas everywhere, and run after them like a puppy chasing a ball, leaving old ones by the wayside. I’ve also developed the terrible habit of stopping (too) often to check email, social media notifications, or reply to text messages. […]
Chelle Honiker Let me introduce the non-Texan readers to a new word. WhooBuddy. It’s what we say when we’re trying to describe the indescribable. It’s just days after the 20Booksto50k® conference in Las Vegas, and the post-con letdown is real. In the (almost) post-Covid world it felt surreal to see friends and colleagues from around […]
Chelle Honiker You could safely call me a digital hoarder. If there were a show about nerds who download and play with apps and find obscure programs to solve problems (that probably don’t really need solving) with technology, I would be its poster child. I am obsessed with trying new things. Two of my favorite […]
How To Look Back To Move Ahead When I was sixteen years old and had recently experienced my first real romantic heartbreak, my stepmother gave me a greeting card from illustrator Mary Englebreit which read, “Don’t look back, you’re not going that way.” That beloved card found a home everywhere I’ve lived. The message resonated […]
In over two decades of entrepreneurship, there hasn’t been a single successful person I’ve known, followed, or interviewed that hasn’t admitted to doubting themselves at some point. Call it what you will. I’ve distilled the many names I’ve used over the years down to ‘imposter syndrome’, ‘existential crisis’, and ‘plain old doubt’. It’s the voice […]
One September about a decade ago, I learned of National Novel Writing Month, commonly known as NaNoWriMo. Many of us have attempted to write 50,000 words in a month during that challenge, and it remains a popular and useful event. When I finally “won” after several failed attempts, I was thrilled, and more than a […]
Depending on several factors, the saying “Man Plans, God Laughs” might be familiar to you as a Yiddish Proverb, a quote from author Michael Chabon, or the name of a Public Enemy Album. I’m firmly team third camp. However you know this witticism, its truth remains. The best laid plans are often waylaid by events […]
Done is better than perfect. Just finish the thing. You can’t edit a blank page. All great advice for writers when they’re in the middle of the first draft slog. Keep going. But what happens when the words literally won’t come? When the muse won’t show up? Common advice for when you’ve got writer’s block […]
Magic and Alchemy. As indie authors, our days are filled with the wonder of words and how they weave togetherto tell tales. Sometimes, reality can be a wondrous tale too. Let me tell you mine. In 2017, I attended the Smarter Artist Summit in Austin, Texas. The conference was good, but what was exceptional […]
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