On Editing

"HOW MUCH?" I could virtually feel the incensed outrage of the author who last asked me this question, after I referred them to my editing page. They were not the first to feel this way, and won't be the last either. I know they didn't mean to come across as rude, and they didn't mean …

Still Looking For A Publisher? Why?

My dear friends, it's Sunday, and I was going to take a break from blogging. It almost worked! I was just ambling along in the blogosphere, and tripped over a very edifying discussion between an author and her publisher, Kensington Publishing Corp. Delilah Marvelle is setting things into perspective with great wit and finesse here. …

Autism – What Does It Mean?

This morning I read an article on D.M. Kilgore's blog. It made me wiser by far. I have two words for you: read it! It goes like this: Why, if that was your kid you'd bust that butt and tell her to stop acting like a cry-baby! Geesh.  You slip a disapproving glance their way and the mother drops …

Equality, you say? Not if you’re an indie!

I've poked my head out of my writing cave for a few minutes, having finished work on my Valentine's Day release, Not Juliet. Yes, it's done! Ok, back to business. I was seeking reassurance, I suppose, that my work would compete on the same level with all the others out there, and that quality will …

Authors’ Resources – Poll

Many of you know that one of the things I wish to do is provide a wide range of resources for authors and authors-to-be, so that, at a glance, simple yet popular issues could be clarified in one minute flat. Issues such as customary phrases people get wrong on a regular basis, for example. Some …

Publishing, Human Nature and a Question of Ethics

Is it only me, or have all of you been brainwashed with the same 'be nice' repetitive stanza until that's all that rolls around in your heads anymore? No, I don't blame you! How could I? I got the same treatment, and only recently discovered that ingrained idea needs a little adjustment. It was probably …

Shared Experiences on Marketing – Meet Dan O’Brien

Just a quick note to share an interesting post on an indie author's experience on marketing, complete with valuable information on review providers - all from an indie's perspective. Come and see. Meet Dan O'Brien.

Playing Psycho Is Not A Game

I found this post and it brought back at a moment's notice the point I was making in an earlier article, about the responsibility we, as authors, have. No better way to illustrate my point. If you feel strongly enough about this, please pass it on. Thank you. Here's a link to the complete post, …

Success – Your Own Recipe

Nobody respects writers, yet everybody wants to be one. This disturbing thought occurred to me a while ago and is proving to be a very, very stubborn one. No matter how hard I try, I just can't banish it. Add to that the relentless bombardment of articles from respected voices in the publishing industry, articles …

Grammar – Past Participle in a Nugget

Your next worst offender, judging by the poll (here's the poll, in case you missed it. Go on and vote, I'm keeping it open https://ellamedler.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/which-ones-your-worst-offender/ ) is to do with using the past participle, which is a cute little tense that we use a lot. The only problem is that you'll often find it right after an …