Writing Tips Worth Carrying Around
By: Stuart Thaman | Posted on February 28, 2020
If there’s one thing that the internet excels at, it’s spreading misleading or even false information. There is so much misinformation floating around that independent authors are often led down the wrong path even after they’ve done their best searching for the right one. Best-selling author Stuart Thaman spends a lot of his time advising authors via his own blog or the writing forums he helps moderate, and he was kind enough to put together a list of tips that correct many of the most popular misconceptions he’s heard. While our blog has covered some of these in the past, it’s very useful to have them summed up so succinctly in a single post—and the addition of many points we haven’t yet covered makes this list worth reading not only for new authors, but more established ones as well. I see a lot of the same mistakes being made everywhere…. Read More >
5 Future Classics for Young Adults
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on February 25, 2020
Each and every month, Hidden Gems subscribers get the opportunity to read and review dozens of new books from over fifteen different genres. As reflected in the publishing industry at large, Young Adult novels continue to be one of the more popular genres; and so we’ve compiled a list of a few of our subscriber favorites from the last few months. The Fae & The Fallen by Brittni Chenelle This book blew me away with its fresh, spicy new take of high school gossip and drama. The tale takes place at the mythical Gifted Fae Academy – a Hogwarts for fairies, I guess – and sees an un-magical girl find herself drawn intoxicatingly toward the most dangerous guy at school… literally. In her 5-star review, Pinkwitch5 praised the author’s writing: “The author uses a unique way of story telling that had me immediately invested in the welfare of all the characters…. Read More >
Revenge of the Hermit Writer
By: Ginger | Posted on February 21, 2020
Most great writing is drawn from rich experiences and the ability to convey those experiences to the reader in a way that transports them into your story. But you can’t draw from rich experiences if you haven’t had any, which means that locking yourself in your house because you’re a writer and don’t have to ever leave isn’t necessarily a winning strategy. But it also doesn’t mean you have to become a full time extrovert. Find a healthy balance, and make the most of the time you spend living! A while ago, I wrote about how valuable being part of a writing group can be – especially as writing is, by its very definition, a kind of solitary experience. Today, I wanted to expand on that with a subject very close to my own heart – the other danger of being a hermit writer: Isolation. Many, many writers that I… Read More >
Author Spotlight Interview: Christian Angeles
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on February 18, 2020
While many of our author interviews are of interest more to readers of that author or that author’s genre, this one may have some particular interest to other authors – especially those that are interested in scriptwriting. Today, Ginger sits down with scriptwriter Christian Angeles to chat about his focus on the ‘mono-myth’ and how it has impacted his writing and career. Ginger has some particular experience with Christian, as he explains below. A while ago, we wrote about the importance of socializing with other writers, and it was being part of a writing group that led me to discovering the all-important Dan Harmon Story Circle – which has proved to be a game changer for my writing. Today, I’m excited to interview the man who taught that segment to our writing group – scriptwriter, reviewer, and reporter Christian Angeles. In addition to articles in New Brunswick Today and his… Read More >
Using Amazon Affiliate Links to Promote Your Books
By: Craig | Posted on February 14, 2020
You want to sell more copies of your books? You want to earn a little extra money while doing so? Well, Amazon Affiliate links promise all that and more – but in addition to understanding what they are, it’s important to know the rules surrounding them as well; especially as it pertains to books. Since the dawn of time, salesmen have worked off commission. This is the little percentage of the purchase price they get when they convince somebody else to buy something. It’s a powerful tool, because it means manufacturers can focus on their product, and eager salespeople can focus on getting that product paid for and into the hands of eager customers. As the largest retailer in the world, it’s no surprise that Amazon is all over affiliate marketing. They have a powerful program you can sign up to at affiliate.amazon.com which enables you to generate unique URLS… Read More >
5 Magnetic Mysteries for the New Year
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on February 11, 2020
At the end of 2019, Hidden Gems subscribers were treated to a myriad of mysteries to read and review for FREE – and we’ve cross-referenced the ratings and reviews to select five of the most compelling. It’s always tough to pick from all the great reads authors share with us, so if you’re a fan of the mystery genre, don’t hesitate to sign up and enjoy them all! Wings and Broken Things by Trixie Silvertale Trixie Silvertale‘s Mitzy Moon series are a unique blend of paranormal and cozy mysteries – with a frisson of romance thrown in for good measure. In this book, the third in the series, we really see our determined psychic hit her stride as she tries to track down who ran down her beloved veterinarian. “Another wonderful book by this author!” Darla writes, in her 5-star review. “Mitzy has two cases to solve. The local vet… Read More >
Stop Fishing for a Best Seller – Find Your Hook!
By: Ginger | Posted on February 7, 2020
With so many of the ingredients that go into a novel usually coming after actually writing it (like cover, blurb, marketing), it’s easy to forget about a very important thing that should be done first. If you’re serious about becoming a self-published author, you’ve got to understand that the success or failure of your book often occurs before you’ve even written a single word – and it all depends on your hook. A little over a year ago, I wrote a blog post about the Fundamentals of the Successful Book – and I spoke about how the cover, blurb, and formatting of a book are so essential for your success as an author. Your book is important, don’t get me wrong – the most important thing – but unless you nail the cover, blurb, and formatting you’ll find a serious problem actually getting people to read your book and find… Read More >
Author Spotlight Interview: Clayton Graham
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on February 4, 2020
Continuing our series of author spotlight interviews, this week we chat to British science fiction author Clayton Graham, author of the Milijun series of books, which ponder the question of what first contact with aliens might really be like. Now living in Australia, Clayton braved the time difference so he could let us know what inspired his writing, and what he was working on next. Clayton Graham’s colorful life led him from the cobbled streets of Stockport, in Great Britain, to a new home in Southeastern Australia. A former aerospace engineer, Clayton continues to look skyward with his writing – penning a thrilling series of novels based around the achingly plausible realities of a potential alien invasion – and the very human questions it forces us to answer. Clayton was kind enough to chat to us about his writing and his inspiration. HG: My first question is – who are… Read More >
