‘Excel for Writers’ & ‘Excel for Self-Publishers’ by M.L. Humphrey

Humphrey provides clear and thorough instructions on using Excel to support a writing career without descending into tedious detail. With the first book aimed at authors looking to put their writing on a more structured footing and those seeking to be published by others, and the second aimed at authors seeking to publish their own …

Reviewing The 2017 NaNoWriMo Writing Tools Bundle

I've been sent a free copy of Kevin J Anderson's 2017 NaNoWriMo Writing Tools Bundle with a request that I share my honest opinion of a few of the titles. Apart from the guide to Vellum (I already have a good eformating program and don't have a Mac) they all seem worth a read. However, …

The End of the Circle

Saturday marked the publication of the last episode of Seven Stones, my swords-and-sorcery serial. I might return to Reverend Kobb and the others in the future, and will be releasing further collections, but - after nearly two years - the arc is over. It's been an interesting experience writing such an episodic work. I haven't …

Some Nitty, Some Gritty

The Nitty Gritty Writing Podcast now has a third co-host, Edward Sullivan (who publishes under David Ulnar-Slew). And, in clear evidence of the universe being more than random, he joined on a week I couldn't make the broadcast: so you lucky mooks didn't have to miss out. https://youtu.be/N_ru8Kfoses Of course, I am now jealous that …

As Below, So Above

This morning, the internet gnomes presented me - among other things - an article by Austin Hackney on three big mistakes he made on his writing journey. My first thought was that they would good advice for any writer. My second was that they were good advice. I recommend reading the entire article: however, if …

Psychometric Trigger Locks

As Colleen Hoover writes trigger warnings can be a complex topic. How does one balance protecting people from traumatic reminders without spoiling books for others? Perhaps the answer, and other similar advantages, lie in expanding existing book-site technology. Having known more than one person who's suffered from a species of traumatic stress or phobia, I …

A Creative Perspective on EU Membership

With about a week to go until the UK Referendum on EU Membership there have been plenty of recent articles frothing and lashing about the hair colour or the shoe size of the other side. The opportunity to add the preceding chthonic image to the debate aside, these have struck me as irrelevant to my …

The Lightness of Gold

Do artists owe a duty to speak true things? A complex topic in itself, but more complex is whether that duty takes precedence over selling work. The rather spiffing Austin Hackney made several interesting comments in response to last week's post on avoiding gendered language: among them that authors need to consider commercial realities, but …

Second Seven Stones Collection Available for pre-order

Seven Stones, Vol 2: Opening the Way, collecting parts 10-33 of my weekly swords-and-sorcery serial, is now available to pre-order. And, it's currently discounted to 99c/99p. So, find your favourite retailer today. With the means to quiet his nightmares and a better idea of their source, Reverend Kobb and his companions travel further north in …

Is Selling Books Unethical?

As small business owners, many author-publishers will be familiar with the idea of giving away a sample (in this case, a book) to draw in customers; and with the arguments for and against. However, yesterday, I encountered the apparently radical suggestion that all books should be free. A suggestion that I find myself supporting. Usually …