Blood-Red Pencil

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How to Sell Your Book: the Five Ws

There have never been more books to read, which is a good thing for story addicts like me. I am by no means a marketing expert but there are certain things that help me as a reader decide whether or not I will buy a book. Let's look at those items. The first item that catches my eye is the cover . There are many creative things people do when designing. There are thousands of premade covers. Many covers utilize the same stock art in both self-publishing and traditional publishing. For me, the cover needs to be seductive. It needs to suggest something interesting is going on inside. For me, it needs to reflect genre. If it is a mystery, I want to see the setting and a cover that suggests either gritty, noire, or cozy. Cozy I definitely look at. Noire I don't care much for but may look at. Gritty is a fifty-fifty kind of thing. How graphic is the violence? If I see cute kittens on the cover and then it goes into graphic details about serial killers enjoying their job, I will nev

Writing in Stressful Times

Have you ever found writing difficult in times of worldwide chaos? I doubt any of us is old enough to have been putting serious pencil to paper during World War II. I am among BRP's eldest contributors, and my first attempts at childish poetry came at the very end of that war (or perhaps shortly after it was over). On the heels of WW2 came the Korean Police Action followed by the civil war in Viet Nam that eventually involved military personnel from other countries. And along came Iraq and Afghanistan wars. While none of the more recent military actions reached the magnitude of the Second World War, all have impacted people around the globe. Then Covid-19 rode into the world with 2020 and introduced a global pandemic that has infected more than 767 million people and snuffed out 6,935,889 million lives as of 6 a.m. on May 31, 2023, according to WHO. While this huge death toll pales compared to the deaths of an estimated 75 - 200 million people in Western Eurasia and North Africa du

Writing Conferences and Workshops July to December 2023

Whether a one day session, one week conference, or a month-long writing workshop, writing related events are a good way to commune with other writers. They are opportunities to network and get your name out there. In some instances, you can meet and mingle with editors and agents. Some offer critiques or pitching sessions. Nowhere will you find a higher concentration of introverts enjoying each other's company. Local conferences are a good place to meet potential critique groups or recruit members. Note that information for this list is accurate as to what was available in January 2023. Some are free. Some require a fee. Some are more social than others. Many are for new writers, but a few dig deep into craft. You should choose an event that speaks to your needs and desires. Due to the pandemic, some conferences will be virtual, others hybrid. However, most have returned to in-person events with or without requirements for vaccines and masking. Please check each conference website

Understanding the Hatchette v Internet Archive Lawsuit and Ruling

Four publishers (Hachette, HarperCollins, Wiley, and Penguin Random House) sued the Internet Archive after it created a National Emergency Library that ran from March 24, 2020, to June 16, 2020, under its Controlled Digital Lending program (CDL) . This was a temporary book collection created from thousands of e-books and was intended to provide reading matter to people in lockdown when physical libraries had to close during the early stages of the pandemic. Although libraries have been allowed to create and lend out one electronic version (i.e., scanned) for every physical book it owns (in lieu of lending the physical copy, not in addition to), for the National Emergency Library the Internet Archive was lending out multiple copies of a digital book at once , and the four publishers sued over a number of their books included in the collection. The Internet Archive claimed they were operating under the fair use doctrine , but the publishers have sued for mass copyright infringement . O

Pets are the antidote to Guns, Banned Books, and Crazy People

April has been a hard month for me. I've had knee problems, our heating unit failed, and our water heater needed to be replaced. But nothing could compare with the sadness that's consumed me in the aftermath of the passing of my beloved dog, Bogie, who’s been by my side for almost ten years, who slept with me, followed me from room to room, and loved me without reservation. I know I’m not alone in this situation. I’ve read the stories of friends on Facebook who have gone through the same thing, lamenting that they’ve lost their best friend, that there was and never will be another pet like theirs. I feel the same way. Our pets just don't live long enough. I asked myself if there was anything more I could have done or steps I could have taken to extend Bogie’s life. The answer is no, and even the vet said I had performed a miracle to give him the extra few months he lived. I bought special food for his renal failure, gave him daily injections of fluid and pills to ward off

IngramSpark Removes Book Setup Fees to Give Independent Authors a Helping Hand

Good news for independent authors: the self-publishing platform IngramSpark has ceased to charge book setup fees. The change in policy came into effect on May 1st. This means that authors can now upload their new books free of charge, as long as they meet standard requirements. In addition, authors can also revise their books for free within the first 60 days of publication. IngramSpark has always been a popular choice for self-published authors due to its wide distribution network and print-on-demand services. For authors not resident in the US or the UK, it is often the only option for combined publishing and distribution. But the fees have been a hurdle for some authors looking to publish their work, with many authors waiting for the one or two times per year that IS offered coupon codes for free setup. The removal of the setup and revision fee is a welcome helping hand for indie authors looking to publish their work on a tight budget. According to IngramSpark's official announc

Linda Lane's Double Book Launch

Over the past several months, Linda Lane has been working really hard to get her first two novels ready for publication. Now she's excited to announce that they’re finally available on Amazon as both paperbacks and eBooks. The first is titled The Accounting , and the second is Tormented Tango . Both books explore family dynamics in depth as members struggle with the unexpected. Visit Amazon and check them out, and please leave Linda a review if you read them. If you know anyone who might like to read these books, let them know! The Accounting What if the person who should love you the most hurts you the worst? A powerful story of families that you won’t soon forget. Woven through its pages, The Accounting shares within its carefully crafted plot and well-defined characters events that will forever change the lives of four Kohler households. Family dynamics expose their weaknesses and reveal their strengths as they adjust to the sudden death of their beloved husband and father.

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