Social Media Circus

Online Carnies and the Social Media Circus

There's just 1 week left to take back dark fantasy and reap the spoils. So back my grim adventure novel Lord of Fate on Kickstarter. Folks have been raking muck for attention since we left the Garden of Eden. Human nature is a) constant and b) fallen, so stirring up…
September 17, 20245 Comments
Higurashi - Business v Passion

Business Type x Passion Type

One central aim of this blog is helping writers learn to find readres. You can become one of mine by backing my dark fantasy novel Lord of Fate, now funding on Kickstarter. Ryukishi07, the creator of hit light novels such as Higurashi and Umineko, has given interviews in which he's highlighted…
September 9, 20243 Comments
Pie

Authors: Grow the Pie or Die

A speech that's become infamous in science fiction circles is Michel and Wolheim's "Mutation or Death." While the change it argued for was socialism, it did have a point from a business perspective. To paraphrase Major Motoko Kusanagi, stagnation is slow death. Business models must grow and adapt to thrive,…
August 29, 2024No Comments
Conveyor Belt rapid release

The Pros and Cons of Rapid Release

Because many of my valued neopatrons are newpub or newpub adjacent, my deep dive indie publishing tips usually get reserved for them. But every so often, I part the veil to give regular readers a glimpse of my patrons-only material. Today's post originated from a patron request to lay out…
August 21, 20241 Comment
Book Shelf

Why Authors Need Wide and Varied Influences

A big temptation for new authors is to immerse yourself in a narrow selection of books, often within the genre you're writing. You may feel that keeping exclusive focus on your genre will give you the best chance of mastering its conventions and satisfying your readers. But limiting your reading…
August 19, 20246 Comments

Why New Authors Should Master Genre Conventions Before Breaking Them

One of my cherished neopatrons called my attention to this post by The Brothers Krynn, which itself is a response to another piece by author JD Cowan. After spending some time retreading the "Are fantasy and sci fi separate genres?" debate, it brings up an issue that's running rampant among…
August 15, 20245 Comments

We Won’t Let You Slip Through the Cracks

There's no two ways about it. The situation is tough out there. If current trends keep going the way they're headed, it's going to get worse before it gets better. But it will get better. Because the only way to give meaning to suffering is faith in God, and God…
August 5, 20245 Comments
Editing

How to Edit Your First Draft

From time to time, I cross-post an item from the exclusive archives to give regular readers a sample of my insider content. If you find value in today's post, you can access weekly subscriber posts through my Patreon or SubscribeStar. You've completed the first full draft of your book. Congratulations! You've achieved what…
July 25, 2024No Comments
Writing: The Amateur vs the Professional Path

Writing: The Amateur vs the Professional Path

When new writers come to me for advice, I make a point of asking them one question: Why are you writing? That question catches most people off guard. The number of would-be authors who've never stopped to consider why they want to write is surprising. Because writing as a side…
July 12, 20246 Comments
Small Town

Take the Small Town Pill?

A recent trend online involves social media accounts giving aimless, despairing men advice on how to find the American Dream. What's noteworthy about this new brand of advice is that it urges Millennial and Gen Z males to leave the cities and venture into the heartland in search of the…
July 9, 20247 Comments