Use it to rediscover your love of reading — I’ve always loved the written word. Yet, somehow, Goodreads was not on my radar until I published my novel. It took less than a day for my author page to be approved, but my interaction with Goodreads does not stop there. …

Takeaways from publishing my first novel — It took far longer than I intended, but my first novel is finally available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and other retailers. I’m even on Goodreads. Yay! While one book certainly does not make me an expert at self-publishing, I did learn a few things. 1 — Your early…

What sense does that make? — The ebbs and flows of life are more pronounced as I get older. Oh, how I wish I could reclaim that sense of certainty from my teens and twenties… The assurance all would work out as planned and life is a joyous thing to celebrate. …

Here’s one option to streamline costs — You’ve decided to self-publish. Congratulations! That decision is but one of many you will face as you move from draft to publication. If you’ve done your research, you know the potential expenses that await… From business formation to cover design, proofing, and typesetting. But are you aware that publishing platforms…

Go from draft to publication without losing your mind — I’ve been prepping a novel to self-publish for over six months now, and every time a friend or family member asks about my progress, I grit my teeth and say the same thing: “I’m getting there.” I wish I could give a definitive date. It’s not like I haven’t tried…

It affects your work more than you think — I’m a proud introvert. While others pull their energy from group settings and adventures, I generate mine from being alone. Simplicity appeals to me, as does carving out ample time to separate myself from the world and all its demands. This mindset applies to more than just socialization. It also…

Chances are, you already have it — I kicked off my full-time writing journey in early 2020 and have learned a lot about writing and the many tools available to help you get from the draft phase to a finished product. But the one suggestion I never implemented was an audio reader during the editing process. As…

Define your expectations to achieve writing success — Every December, I draft my hopes for the coming year, as well as capture key events from the year that just passed. Heading into Year 4 as a full-time writer, however, I need more than vague dreams and wishes to achieve writing success. The following principles and takeaways will guide…

Hint: It’s not about billing — I worked as a contractor for many years, and doing so required a steady tracking of billable time… Along with using this data to create invoices and stay on top of other financials such as my hourly rate, I needed to show clients how my time was spent. Now that…