From Aspiring Journalist to Published Writer By Lisa Evans

Like many freelance journalists, I began my working life trapped in an office job I detested. The gray cubicle walls that surrounded me for eight hours a day Monday through Friday were not only claustrophobia-inducing but creativity-squelching.
I always knew I wanted to be a writer, but had no idea where to begin. My cubicle days became numbered when I came across a course in magazine writing offered by George Brown College in Toronto…

Do Foreign Authors Need a U.S. Bank Account?

I’m very interested in your POD services. I know you know what you’re doing. One question, Amazon requires a US bank account for Kindle publishers. What happens with your POD? Do you manage the finances? I’m in Australia, so getting a US bank account would be a challenge.

Going to the Dogs By Nadia Ali

Then one day, a friend of mine related a dispute she had with her husband over ownership of their dog and asked me to look up information for her. Having done some browsing, I was amazed to see how much information was available on the internet. My interest peaked and I did some further research to find information for a feature…

Florida Pictures!

We’re just renting for a year while we look for a place to buy so it’s not really “our” new home but it sure feels like it after just three weeks! We’re in a very quiet neighborhood that is only 10 minutes from the grocery store but about 25 minutes from the mall area…so, according to the post office, we’re considered “rural”…

Offering Credit to Bookstores Can Be VERY Risky By Angela Hoy

Long, long ago, when we first started publishing print books back in 1999, we used to offer all retailers, schools and libraries credit. Some had ridiculous terms, like “Net 90” (meaning we had to wait three months for a check that sometimes never arrived), while others blatantly violated our purchase terms…

Sell Your Frustration By Alice Wisler

“Someone broke into my car.” “She’s late again.” “Why would anyone say that to a friend?”
Frustration surrounds us whether we are in preschool, tenth grade, or an adult out in the world. But did you know that your emotions can be channeled to write articles that sell? Unpleasant real life situations can be created into pieces that actually benefit others…

My Traditional Publisher Abandoned My Book!

Several years ago I contracted with a publisher to write a biography. The contract was pretty draconian, claiming all print and electronic rights, but I anticipated good sales and, after some haggling, I signed the agreement.
It appears the publisher is no longer actively selling the book. A major indication of that, in my view, is that the book isn’t available through the publisher’s website now, although others in the same series are. I would like to reclaim electronic rights at least, and wonder what the best approach might be. Does the publisher’s obvious lack of interest in the book give me leverage? If I do a re-write before self-publishing, would that shield me from legal challenges?