Member Blog | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Hollywood and Wine By R.M. Pala

A transcontinental Cinderella story set in the Great Depression.

Orphaned as a young child, Linda McLane lives a life of servitude and physical abuse with her guardians, a stereotypically villainous aunt and uncle. Alarmed by Linda’s plight, a kindly reverend notifies her other aunt, prominent Hollywood actress Vera Sinclair, who promptly whisks Linda away from her dreary English village and off to sunny Los Angeles. On the ocean voyage, Linda begins a transformation from gawky village lass to beautiful sophisticate, a transformation so complete that she finds immediate success as her aunt’s secretary, working toward the older woman’s spectacular comeback. […]

Kirkus Reviews2019-01-23T12:40:16+02:00November 8th, 2011|Categories: Member Blog|

Interview – Barbara Rayne – Author of 21 Erased

Barbara Rayne is the author of – 21 Erased – future dystopian society novel.

1. How did you come to self-publish? Did you try to get published traditionally?

I am used to doing everything I can from my home, so first I wanted to see if I could publish my book without ever leaving my home, and when I saw I could, I most certainly did. Traditional publishing was out of the question.

2. What self-publishing service did you use? Happy with the service?

Createspace was my service of choice and, so far, I’m very pleased. Those services

[…]

Barbara Rayne2011-11-08T13:47:01+02:00November 8th, 2011|Categories: Interviews, Member Blog|

Why Good Writing Always Enhances Good SEO

Everyone that has a website knows that they are in a sea of hundreds of millions of other websites. Even if you are in a unique niche or category, you still have hundreds of thousands of competing sites. This is not always a bad situation, however, you need to let people, that need your products or services, know that you are on the internet.

There are hundreds of thousands of sites that have products and services to enhance your SEO (search engine optimization), in the attempt to make you more noticeable in your particular area of expertise. Some of these […]

Dushawn Hadinger2011-11-08T13:10:50+02:00November 8th, 2011|Categories: Features, Member Blog|

Review: Carlos the Impossible by J.T.K. Belle

In this short but elegant novella, an aging matador from Mexico meets his greatest adversary in an infamous bull from the American heartland. Inspired by traditional folk tales, the author sets his story in an indeterminate time period, spinning a legend all his own with the compassion and verve of a born storyteller.

The novella begins by introducing the titular monolith of the book, a gargantuan bull from Kansas whose moniker quickly evolves from “Son of Carleton” to the ironic “Carlito,” to “Big Carl” and finally, to the ultimate compliment: “Carlos the Impossible.” By the time he’s been drafted for […]

BlueInk Review2020-02-21T05:40:50+02:00November 6th, 2011|Categories: Book Reviews, Member Blog|

Intro Interview: Katherine Gilraine

Info on filling out this interview here.

1. How did you come to self-publish? Did you try to get published traditionally?

At the time that I was editing the first book of my series, I was querying agents for a good year. I’ve gotten good feedback, but not one agent had ever said, “Send me the rest of the manuscript.” And it had gotten to where I had, at the time, two and a half manuscripts, and about two rejections per chapter.

I gave myself a promise that if by my birthday I wouldn’t secure an agent, I would […]

Katherine Gilraine2011-11-04T13:08:09+02:00November 4th, 2011|Categories: Interviews, Member Blog|

Kindle Me!

I am a book nut. Really! I love books; the smell of a fresh off the press book, printer’s ink, the smell of a leather binding, crisp pages and glossy covers with artwork that is fresh and presents the theme of the book to entice the reader even further than the “back of the book” blurb.

I also hate books; old yellow brittle pages on a book barely 10 years old, peeling laminate on paperback covers or dust jackets that can’t handle use and rip easily. Dust on library shelves that, once disturbed, can send you into a coughing seizure. […]

Boudica Foster2011-11-01T11:59:20+02:00November 1st, 2011|Categories: Features, Member Blog|

Library eBooks: Is the eBook Ecosystem Affected by the Amazon Library Lending Process?

My usual blogging direction is toward the ebook author and the self-publishing world. With this blog I take a left turn and explore the Amazon Library Lending Process and how it affects the ebook ecosystem.

The Jungle

The Inhabitants
In the ebook jungle, the traditional publishers are indeed the king of beasts. They control the prices and the access to the ebooks. Even the authors who create the content have little say. If publishers don’t want you to borrow one of their titles, you can’t. If they want you to wait for a title, you wait.

The next level of […]

James Moushon2019-02-18T12:17:54+02:00October 28th, 2011|Categories: Features, Member Blog|Tags: Amazon News and Tips, Smashwords Tips and Articles|

Jim Beck (Black Rooster Creations) Interview

1. How did you come to self-publish? Did you try to get published traditionally?

I came from the screenwriting world, and quite frankly, I was a bit fed up with all the blockades set up to stop talented people from succeeding. I see it every day. I had a stack of screenplays and outlines of stories that everyone seemed to enjoy, including managers and producers, but I wasn’t a schmoozer, which makes it harder to break in. After several close calls with success, a friend suggested that I switch to writing novels. I did some research and decided to self-publish […]

Jim Beck2014-05-05T22:35:09+02:00October 27th, 2011|Categories: Interviews, Member Blog|