What Authors Can Learn from McDonald’s

What Authors Can Learn from McDonald’s

When you're trying to make a name for yourself as an author, it's tempting to aim for creating a single masterpiece that will set you apart from everyone else. But from a marketing standpoint, the better long-term strategy might be to focus on producing consistently good work. One of the…
October 9, 20243 Comments
Catapult launch

Newpub Strategies: How to Launch Your Book

On occasion I raise the velvet rope and give regular readers samples of the insider newpub strategies normally reserved for patrons. Today's de-paywalled post offers pro advice on perhaps the most important yet least understood parts of publishing. Launching a book successfully as an indie author requires careful planning and…
October 8, 20242 Comments
The Angel and the Third Key

The Angel and the Third Key

A recent post about reports of saints seeing their guardian angels raised the natural question: "What about us ordinary uncanonized Joes?" Commenter Feng Li favors us with his own personal account of what he believes was an angelic visitation. I met mine, long before I was a Catholic and didn’t…
October 7, 2024No Comments
Why Not Every Fantasy Story Needs a Magic System

Why Not Every Fantasy Story Needs a Magic System

In recent years, the rise of intricate, well-defined magic systems—exemplified by Brandon Sanderson’s work—has led many aspiring authors to believe that a detailed set of rules governing magical abilities is essential for crafting compelling fantasy. While Sanderson’s approach to magic has proven highly successful, not every fantasy story benefits from…
October 4, 202424 Comments
Angel

The Near, Celestial Spirits

Matthew 18:10 and the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 336 teach that each and every human person is assigned an angel who watches over us throughout our lives. But is there empirical evidence to support this Scriptural and Magisterial teaching? In short: Yes. And here are accounts of four…
October 3, 20246 Comments
The Burned Book

The Burned Book Audio Demo

With The Burned Book audio version funded, I thought my regular readers would enjoy a brief demonstration of the fun that's in store for them. Without further preamble, it's my pleasure to present the demop version of The Burned Book, Chapter 5, read by the incomparable Wes Thompson! Remember: This…
October 2, 2024No Comments
CL Moore

Women Sci Fi Writers: The Pulps vs the Social Pulpit

An observation recently made in online writing circles concerned the marked differences between female writers of the pulp era and the women who followed in their authorial footsteps. Just compare women who made their names prior to the 1960s like like C.L. Moore, Leigh Brackett, and even Flannery O'Connor to…
October 1, 20242 Comments
Future Past Screen

Welcome to the Future Past

It's been observed that nobody really wants to live in 2024. A lot of people, especially members of Generation Y, long to go back to the simpler days of the 1980s. But in reality, the main difference between daily life in the 80s compared to now was the absence of…
September 30, 20245 Comments
Rule of 3 Simpsons

The Rule of 3 in Pop Culture: Why the 3rd Try Wins the Crowd

Whether we're talking about a tabletop roleplaying game, a video game, or a movie franchise, when a new IP launches, success isn’t always immediate. In fact, it often takes more than one attempt to win mass appeal. History shows that pop culture products frequently achieve breakout success not with the…
September 27, 20249 Comments
Stopwatch

It’s the Final Countdown for Lord of Fate

It's been incredibly busy around here of late, so today's post will keep it brief with a quick update: The final countdown for our trailblazing Lord of Fate campaign is on! To say that this campaign has made history is no exaggeration. Our first Kickstarter smoked every previous Indiegogo milestone,…
September 26, 2024No Comments