There are few things in life as personally painful as a breakup. When you’re a businessperson, you’ll learn eventually that changing your vendors and contractors can feel much the same way. Especially if you’ve worked with them for a long period or if they’re friends, or worse, family. And trust me, it doesn’t get easier […]
The place where young readers meet to talk about books. The show includes a celebrity reader and an interview with the author. The host is award winning public radio journalist Kitty Felde. Book Club won the California Library Association Technology Award and the DC Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Humanitites. Named one of the […]
Grammar Girl covers everything from punctuation and grammar to style and voice in her award-winning weekly podcast. The typical episode runs less than 15 minutes. And it’s fun. She shares her writing advice in three short nuggets: a quick and dirty tip, a hearty middle, and a closing snippet. Listen Here
Trying to achieve a healthy work-life-writing balance? Then check out Sarah Rhea Werner’s weekly Write Now podcast. Werner says it “gives you the encouragement, honest advice, and inspiration you need to balance work and life, pursue your passion, and write.” She is an award-winning podcaster and writer, national speaker, and creativity consultant. Listen Here
As your author business grows, it becomes more complex. In addition to books, maybe you’ve added a class, or merchandise, or make appearances and sell books at events. Making sure you have somewhere to accurately record all of your income and expenses will simplify your life come tax time. Needing a tool for my own […]
Discord is a multi-purpose chat app made popular by gamers that includes text, audio, and video. Available on all platforms and devices, it has quickly expanded to be one of the premiere locations for interacting with authors and readers. But for those accustomed to other social media platforms, Discord has its own ecosphere and a […]
Have you ever read a book and gotten lost because you didn’t know who was telling the story? Choosing the correct point of view is an essential decision for an author when starting a new project. Strong works are clear about who is telling the story and to whom. There are four types of Point […]
There’s nothing quite like holding your book in your hands—an actual printed copy whose pages you can flip. For fiction authors choosing exclusivity for e-books through Kindle Unlimited, print is an easy way to dip your toe into the wide marketplace without losing those page reads. For nonfiction and children’s book authors, print often makes […]
Dear Indie Annie, I have a fear of succeeding, of finishing. Since January I have written two novels … well, almost two. For the last two and a half weeks, I have been frozen on the last chapter of book two. It’s actually a very simple chapter; however, it sets up everything that’s going to take […]
How to Eat Your Way to Creativity What’s the best fuel for a writer? For the 2021 Summer Olympics in Japan, 59-year-old Yoko Nishimura created a healthy salad to keep athletes in top form and combat the heat. She boiled edamame beans, added protein-rich noodles, fresh fruit, herbs, and vegetables. Like athletes, authors need energy […]
In last month’s issue, we looked at what imposter syndrome is; now we’ll examine what it might look like, why we have it, and what we can do about it in order to better understand it. Identifying Individuals react and respond differently to their experience of imposter syndrome. Researchers found five common types; they are […]
Our characters often need weapons to carry out plot lines, but how does an author accurately portray the use or description of a gun when their experience may be limited? To help avoid the pitfalls of starting from zero with firearms knowledge, this article will tackle some basics. Types of Firearms First on the menu […]
With the resurgence of horror as a popular genre in the last several years, the world is seeing a plethora of writers try their hand at it. Whether you’re conjuring up a spine-tingling screenplay or aiming to be the next Stephen King, there are things to consider within your horror subgenre, especially as it relates […]
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 […]
Prepare yourself for the marathon that is NaNoWriMo To many people, October is pumpkin spice, cable-knit sweater, and soup season. In the NaNoWriMo community, October is (drum roll) Preptober. In the weeks and days leading up to NaNoWriMo, a lot of us are getting our stories and lives in order. Large chunks of time and […]
Often as creatives, we want to stay in our creative worlds and not worry about the minutiae of the business side of things. It requires leaving our happy places and doing tedious things like accounting and spreadsheets. And worrying about money. In some circles, I’ve heard people say that it’s “selling out” to worry about […]
Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all. – Helen Keller There comes a point in an author’s career when they need to be daring. For most of us, publishing the first book is our first bold step. But after that, we face the decisions of going full time, hiring staff, and what will […]
Meet the couple behind Mountaindale Press, the indie publisher shaping the GameLit genre Dr. Danielle and Dakota Krout work side by side to run their independent publishing company—but only figuratively. With Danielle as the CEO and Dakota as the president and an author for Mountaindale Press, both work full time to run the company, primarily […]
Whether you’re an author with fifty books or five, the legacy you leave behind when you die needs to be protected. Whilst none of us want to sit down and think about our own demise, neither do we want our heirs to have difficulties with our estate. It’s about practicalities, and safeguarding your legacy is […]
Indie Author Magazine introduces a new section this month with the addition of INSIDER INSIGHTS. We welcome Joe Solari, noted business expert as our inaugural contributor. Submissions are open on our website at Insider. If you’re an author who has published enough books to know that you have a readership and earn nearly enough or […]
When you hear the term “Outsourcing,” what comes to mind? You are most likely familiar with the concept of hiring external talent for editing and cover design. For most indie authors, that’s as far as they go. Partly because at the beginning of their author journey, they will likely bootstrap their careers. Money is scarce, […]
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