Karen from Grammarly contacted me about trying their Premium account for free.
I don’t use Chrome, but I did download the Windows Microsoft Office add-in. It took just a moment to set up and start using and looks like it will be really handy. As I always joke, I are not the grammar queen, nor can I spell well, so Grammarly will be a plus for me. You can set it for Contextual Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation, Sentence Structure, Style, Vocabulary Enhancement, and/or Plagiarism.
I also have one six-month Grammarly Premium account to give away!
Just comment between now and Sunday night, May 31. I’ll announce the winner on June 3rd during the Insecure Writer’s Support Group post.
Title: A Change of Mind and Other Stories
Author: Nick Wilford
Genre: Speculative fiction
Release date: 25th May 2015
Publisher: Superstar Peanut Publishing
Nick Wilford is a writer and stay-at-home dad. Once a journalist, he now makes use of those rare times when the house is quiet to explore the realms of fiction, with a little freelance editing and formatting thrown in. When not working he can usually be found spending time with his family or cleaning something. He has four short stories published in Writer’s Muse magazine. Nick is also the editor of Overcoming Adversity: An Anthology for Andrew. Visit him at his blog or connect with him on Twitter or Goodreads.
Everyone have a great Memorial Day and remember those who sacrificed so that we might be free.
Earlier this year, France’s courts ruled services like the Kindle Unlimited illegal. Their Lang Law is a Fixed Book Price system, originally started in Britain. What is FBP and what does it mean from country to country? Read more at Publishing Trend Setter.
6 Ways to Modernize Book Marketing with Social Media
By Michelle Drucker, Manager of Marketing, BookPal
Visit Book Business Magazine
Who are the top 56 publishers in the world? Visit Publishers Weekly to find out.
On May 18, 2015, post about a movie, television show, book, or all three that falls into the category of Blood, Boobs, and Carnage. (Or just Blood and Carnage or other mixture.) It can be any genre that fits the bill – fantasy, science fiction, action, adventure, western, thriller, etc. Post the badge and visit other participants.
I don’t read that type of book and I don’t watch much TV. But I do watch movies and I decided to pick a favorite of mine.
The Terminator
It has every element, including Linda Hamilton’s breasts. There are explosions, gunplay, car chases, and more.
Despite the violence, at its heart, The Terminator is a love story. It will always be one of my most favorite, too.
What would you pick?
And I’m posting this image again as today marks 35 years since the big eruption of Mt. St. Helens. (I took this photo during the July 1980 eruption.)
First, I recently attended one of the most amazing writers conferences ever. I’ve attended dozens writers conferences and book festivals in the past. Many require payment for a table or a percentage of the profits. But at this conference, tables for selling books were free to the speakers, we were paid a speaker’s fee, and we received travel expenses and free hotel. Plus lunch was free.
Beyond the compensation though, it was an incredible event. It was very interactive and the attendees were very responsive. I met some amazing people and sold a ton of books.
Authors looking at writers conferences need to weigh the expenses against the benefits. Sometimes it is all about exposure and networking. But don’t put yourself in the hole and don’t give up a huge chunk of your profits unless you are sure it will be worthwhile.
The second item I want to talk about pertains to book covers. Authors are at the mercy of their publishers when it comes to a book’s covers. Most publishers do an amazing job with a cover. It represents the author’s vision and dream.
That’s why responses such as these are just plain rude and unacceptable:
BG - Nice push for the novel but… the cover is atrocious. I wouldn’t buy it in a thousand years. (Yes, I judge some books by their cover). Dz - The cover needs a professional touch, a bit of rework on the quality of the photo.
The author is excited and often in love with his or her cover. Don’t dash their hopes or make a snide remark about the cover. If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all. (And the covers for the books that received those comments were professional and beautiful.)
Have you attended an amazing writers conference or seen people bash book covers?
I wanted to thank Shelly for her recent video which featured my book, How to Publish and Promote Your Book Now!
And this is for Chrys Fey. In July 1980, I was in Portland, OR to see the dog races. Mt. St. Helens decided to give us a show.
