Writing is not a business

I recently read Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. It’s a fantastic book, not only because it gives you a basic education on financial literacy, but because it gives you a solid foundation for making money in general. It’s one of those books that really deserves its bestseller status. About midway through reading it,… Continue reading Writing is not a business

So you’ve written a short story…

So you’ve written a short story, and you’re wondering what to do with it. You think it’s pretty good and you want to see it published, but you’re wondering what’s the best way to do that. I can’t guarantee that this is the best way, but it is the way that I do it. Let’s… Continue reading So you’ve written a short story…

Shifting Strategies

A couple of weeks ago, Kobo came out with some new terms and conditions for their Kobo Writing Life program. Under the new terms, the list price for a book (not the sales price) cannot be higher than it is elsewhere. This throws a kink in the works, since the only way I’ve ever gotten traction… Continue reading Shifting Strategies

Why Kindle Unlimited is a broken system

I recently became embroiled in an unexpectedly hostile discussion on Mad Genius Club over the brokenness of Kindle Unlimited. In retrospect, though, there was nothing surprising about it. The OP had asserted that Amazon is “still the only real game in town,” which I attempted to refute. It ended with the fine folks at Mad Genius Club putting words in my… Continue reading Why Kindle Unlimited is a broken system

Checklist for STAR WANDERERS update

As I mentioned last week, I plan to take down the individual novellas in the Star Wanderers series and keep the two omnibus editions instead. This is both to declutter my book page and to prepare the way for new sequel novels. However, it’s really easy to get deer-in-the-headlights syndrome when undertaking a major project like… Continue reading Checklist for STAR WANDERERS update

Racism is trendy again

“People of color” is an inherently racist phrase. There. I said it. I may get into trouble for saying it, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Before we unpack the phrase “people of color,” let’s first define our terms. This is where the heart of the controversy lies. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, racism… Continue reading Racism is trendy again

Thoughts on series and perma-free

For the last five years, the conventional wisdom among most indie writers has been to write short books in sequential series and make the first book permanently free. It’s a strategy that works, to a certain extent. It’s what got me from making pizza money on my book sales to making a humble living at this… Continue reading Thoughts on series and perma-free

The Self-Sufficient Writer: Makers vs. Takers

There are two kinds of people in the world. No, not those who can count and those who can’t. No, not those with loaded guns and those who dig. Stay with me for a minute, because this is important. In fact, it may be the most important realization I’ve ever had. We have a tendency to see… Continue reading The Self-Sufficient Writer: Makers vs. Takers

Guest Lecture to Brandon Sanderson’s English 318R class

A couple of weeks ago, I gave a guest lecture to Brandon Sanderson’s English 318R class at Brigham Young University. I was one of Brandon’s students back in 2008, and he wanted me to talk about my experiences as a self-published indie writer. The lecture wasn’t recorded this year, but here is a rough outline from my… Continue reading Guest Lecture to Brandon Sanderson’s English 318R class

Can you make a living writing short fiction?

This question has been on my mind for the last couple of weeks, ever since I made a couple of semi-pro story sales. From all of the classes and conventions I’ve attended, the answer has been no, but I’m starting to wonder if that hasn’t changed in the last few years. First of all, it’s worth pointing… Continue reading Can you make a living writing short fiction?