Consistency Is Key

Hi Folks, First, credit where credit is due. The catalyst for this post was Terry Odell’s excellent post on “Tips for Using Apostrophes.” Say you have a character whose name ends in S, for example Thomas. At issue is whether to add another S after using the apostrophe at the end of the character’s name. I never do. In the same manuscript, I’ll write “I went to Thomas’ house before I went to John’s house and … Read more

On Publishing, Indie-Publishing and Making a “Name” as a Published Author

Hey Folks, I received a query from a writer who’s interested in a copyedit. He also asked whether I would help him find an agent and a traditional publisher. Uhh, no. After I explained why I thought the agent chase and traditional publishing in general was not a good idea, he wrote in reponse “About publication: I agree with you. However, I want not money but name as a published author, which you know somebody does … Read more

Roberta Jean Bryant’s “Seven Laws of Writing”

Hi Folks, Recently I pulled a scrap of folded, crumpled, mutilated paper out of my desk. I opened it and found Jean Bryant’s Seven Laws of Writing. I had actually typed them on a sheet of typing paper, then cut out around them and saved them. I don’t know for sure when that was, but I’m certain it predates the book in which they’re now found (see below). Anyway, now and then when I look back … Read more

My Updated Fiction Length and Price List for 2017/2018

Hi Folks, First, a few explanatory notes — 1. In everything below, I’m talking about indie publishers, like you and me. All signs indicate the traditional publishing model (the agency model) is dead or dying across the board. I’m also talking here about ebooks. If you want to deal with print, see my excerpt from Dean’s post at http://hestanbrough.com/the-journal-friday-106/. And remember that DWS’ pricing guidelines are for trade paperback books, not mass-market paperback books. 2. As … Read more

Pricing and Various Sales Venues

Hi Folks, A little rant this time, but a well-reasoned rant. It really is attrocious what Amazon does to authors regarding royalties. This problem came fully home to me awhile back when I uploaded the new version of The Wes Crowley Saga (10 full novels in one book) to Amazon and Smashwords. At Amazon, to get a 70% royalty, a book must be priced between $2.99 and $9.99. All other prices glean the author a 35% … Read more

The Only Five Comma Rules You’ll Ever Need

Hi Folks, This is gonna sound WAY oversimplified, especially given the nineteen PAGES of comma rules in the HarBrace College Handbook. But it’s true. If you use these five rules, you can’t go wrong: 1. Never put a comma between a subject and its verb or between a verb and its object. Also you must realize that a subject may be compound, as in “John and Ray went to the store and bought a television and … Read more

Tools for Writers

Hi Folks, Note: This post was originally scheduled for 1/10/2014. It didn’t post to MailChimp, so I’m posting it again now. Instead of a regular blog post I thought I’d toss out this list of URLs this time. I’ve found all of these useful at one time or another, and I still refer to many of them regularly. However, the presence of these URLs on this list does not necessarily constitute my endorsement or recommendation except … Read more

A Phoenix

Hi Folks, This morning as I conducted some routine maintenance on my website, I got curious. I checked the “Uncategorized” posts. Those marked Uncategorized were not sent to any list by MailChimp. Not even the Pro Writers blog, for which I wrote them. I found forty-three such posts, all of which should have gone to the Pro Writers list. So I’m beginning the arduous process of perusing, updating and rescheduling those posts. Those that are still … Read more

Update to Brave New World of Publishing

Hi Folks, This morning as I emailed a friend, I had occasion to revisit an old blog post, one I wrote here back in October, 2015. The information in it bears repeating, especially in light of recent posts over at Dean Wesley Smith’s website. I recommend you read my older blog post before continuing with this one, even if you think you remember everything about it. To do so, click Brave New World of Publishing. After … Read more

Interim, Interim Post

Hi Folks, If you’re a reader, I have some great news for you. If you’re a writer, I have some even greater news. There’s a new book bundling service called BundleRabbit. If you aren’t familiar with book bundles, let me explain. If you’re a reader, you can sign up to receive their newsletter. Each time a new book bundle is ready, they’ll send you an email. Then you read the email and, if you’re interested, go … Read more