Published on March 27, 2013
Last week, I wrote about our planned trip to the Peace River for some fossil hunting. Unfortunately, on Wednesday night, Mason started sniffling. By Thursday morning, he was running a low-grade fever and going through tons of tissues. So, we had to reschedule for this week. Problem is, it’s downright cold outside…
Published on March 27, 2013
Ebook formatting and conversion is not easy. The trick is to know what items in a manuscript will cause problems before you start so you can either eliminate them or change them to minimize the cleanup on the other end. Unfortunately, as evidenced by the errors in numerous ebooks on the market, lots of publishers just push raw manuscripts into software and then put whatever emerges up for sale…
Published on March 27, 2013
Regarding the complaint on Feb. 27, 2013 of a non-paying Canadian magazine – Canadian local BBBs are, if anything, tougher and faster than in the USA.
Bill Phillips
Published on March 27, 2013
Literary legend has it that mystery writer Robert Parker sent a two-sentence query to the publisher of his first novel: “Here’s my manuscript. Want to publish it?” While it was accepted–no doubt on the strength of the author’s bestselling style–most wannabe-published writers need more than this to be taken seriously…
Published on March 27, 2013
book marketing, promotional pitfalls

It seems to me there is a fine line between a press release and a promotional item. Wouldn’t you say that a press release is generally promoting something? Maybe the definition of “promoting” is the key.
Can I send press releases to anyone or only to journalists?
Published on March 27, 2013
I’ve presented workshops at other people’s events for over ten years now. You know, where you get invited to teach on a topic for an hour or so at a conference or seminar because someone sees you as having something important to say. My topic has been writing through heartache. Ever since my son Daniel died at the age of four, I found writing to be a healthy respite for my sorrow and became an advocate for sharing the value of writing for healing, hope and healing…
Published on March 20, 2013
On Thursday, we’re taking a homeschooling fieldtrip to the Peace River to dig for fossils. It was Max’s idea. He really wants to find a Megalodon tooth all by himself. Grampa is making two special sifting screens based on a picture of one made by a neighbor, who is retired and spends most of his spare time fossil hunting. He was generous enough to tell us where to go and how to find the best fossils…
Published on March 20, 2013
I have published a few non-fiction anthologies over the years and they have all been successful, both from a research and publishing standpoint in the beginning, and a sales standpoint later. There is a right and wrong way to collect and publish stories contributed by others.
In Part I, we discussed how much to pay contributors and what rights to request.
Today, we’re going to discuss contracts, how to find contributors for your anthology, paying your writers, and more…
Published on March 20, 2013
Before I found BookLocker.com, I started out with a publisher that continually pushed things at me, convincing me to buy unnecessary services that ended up costing me a big bundle.
I’ve been with Booklocker for three years now, and have never been pressured into anything.
Just so you new authors know, there is someone out there who actually has your success at heart.
I’m very happy I found BookLocker.
Stephen G. Lonefeather
SPIRIT DANCE: An Uncommon Love Story
THE HEALERS: Those That Were Hidden
Published on March 20, 2013
Writers often jump at the prospect of work. They will jump through hoops, walk through fire, and compromise their core values just because there might be a chance of getting some work. They will often overlook important details about projects, which might cause them to never get paid or get any credit for their work. Writers need to think carefully before they say “I do” to any project. Experienced writers probably know all of this, but inexperienced writers often make a lot of mistakes in this area. Here are some things to consider before saying “I do” to any project…