Should You Give Away Your Art?

On April 4, 2012, in FREE STUFF, Indie Authors, Opinion, PHREAKY FREE STUFF, The Market, Writing Tips, by rsguthrie

We’ve all learned it. There’s no free lunch. But there are also very few maxims and I have actually received a free lunch or two in my time that required nothing on my part but to sit down and eat them. Point is, I’ve been giving away free copies of my first book, Black Beast, […]

 

Sunday Soapbox: Better Judge Your Book By Its Cover (Because Everyone Else Will)

On March 18, 2012, in Indie Authors, Soap Box, The Market, Writing Tips, by rsguthrie

I usually don’t recycle guest posts I do for other blogs, but this one is an exception. I think cover design is an important consideration for Indies and that makes it worth an extra blog run. This post originally ran on author Trish Gentry’s fantastic blog, ChickletsLit. I love reading her blog because she, too, […]

 

Guest Post: Frederick Lee Brooke (8 Things He’s Learned)

On March 13, 2012, in Guest Posts, Indie Authors, The Market, Twitter, Writing Tips, by rsguthrie

You’re all familiar, I assume, with Twofer Tuesdays? This is when a radio station plays two songs in a row from every artist that day. Well in a way this is a Twofer for me today—I have the honor of hosting another guest blog AND it is also one of my favorite Indie writers around. […]

 

Phreaky Friday: Indies Must Pay (An Editor)

On March 9, 2012, in Grammar Police, Opinion, The Market, Writing Tips, by rsguthrie

Wow, I can’t believe it’s another Phreaky Friday already. TGIPF, right? Or any kind of Friday for that matter. And if you work an off-shift and today is your Wednesday (or God forbid, your MONDAY)…well, I’m sorry. But the rest of us are freaking PUMPED. (You can laugh at us next week.) So the other […]

 

5 Ways to Get Noticed and Earn a Full-Time Writing Job

On March 6, 2012, in Guest Posts, The Market, Writing Tips, by rsguthrie

I love hosting fellow writers on my blog, particularly when they have some usable advice for the rest of us. Lately I have been contemplating that leap of faith most serious writers will consider at least once in their lives. I’ve reached Frost’s celebrated divergence in the woods; down one road, corporate servitude and that […]

 

Phreaky Friday: Yes Virginia, There ARE Bad Writers

On March 2, 2012, in Indie Authors, Opinion, The Market, by rsguthrie

Have you noticed them? The eggshells all over the floor. They’re everywhere—hard to miss. They make an awful crunching sound and stick to the bottoms of the shoe something fierce. But we really need to keep moving. So maybe we shouldn’t worry so much about avoiding them, you know? Perhaps we should just walk where […]

 

Amazon Charging for Publishing: Responses

On February 18, 2012, in Opinion, The Market, by rsguthrie

I love civil discourse. I really do. Unfortunately, on the Internet discourse too often devolves to rant, argument, or diatribe rather quickly. Thing is, there were so many excellent (and adamant) responses yesterday to the Amazon Pay-to-Publish post that I really thought it would benefit people who missed the “Comments” section to hear some of […]

 

Phreaky Friday: Amazon Charging for Digital Publication?

On February 17, 2012, in Opinion, The Market, by rsguthrie

Not yet, but they damn well should. Yes, I am aware that most authors are starving critters and don’t need yet another entry in the expense column. But here’s the thing: when publishing is free, anyone can do it, and charging peanuts for an entire novel becomes less cost-effective. (Truth is, the price point on […]

 

Freudian Friday: eBook Pricing for Indies

On February 10, 2012, in Guest Posts, Opinion, The Market, by rsguthrie

One of the most interesting and arguable topics in the Indie (and traditionally published) markets is the price point for eBooks. While I haven’t yet made up my own mind completely, my own personal stance has been that the devaluation of all our hard work (i.e. the market presence that has been driving the price […]

 

Like Me!

On January 18, 2012, in Opinion, The Market, by rsguthrie

I had cause again recently to wonder at the way we as a culture tend to devalue things once they reach a certain level of popularity. Take the concept of “Likes”. Pretty sure Facebook coined the term, but it was Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert who for me revolutionized the old “Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down” […]