Category: Staff Articles

Writing advice and insights from the staff of Indies Unlimited.

Ghostwriters on the Storm by Laurie Boris

Author and Ghostwriter Laurie Boris

When I tell people I ghostwrite, I usually get the same two questions.

First: “What are you working on?” To which I respond, “I’d tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.”

Second: “Don’t you want credit for your work?”

Not especially. I’m getting paid to do something I love. It keeps me in organic produce, which makes me happy. If I do a good job, I might be hired again, so I can buy more organic produce, which will make me happier. Besides, the writing I do under my own name give me gratification and portfolio to spare.

So what makes a good ghostwriter? Continue reading “Ghostwriters on the Storm by Laurie Boris”

Marketing – A novel experience

Valerie Douglas

You see, the thing is, marketing ain’t art. It just isn’t. Writing is art. One is left brain (marketing), the other right brain (writing). For most people anyway… except those lefties. Now, according to some measures, some folks say I’m reasonably successful at this whole writing thing. Am I getting rich at it? No. Could I make a living at it? I am, like any other small business person, for the moment. Will I still be making a living at it in a year? I sure hope so. But make no mistake about it, writing is also a business, and Indie writing even more so. All I can tell you is what has been working for me.

One of the first and best pieces of advice I ever read – and one of the ones most ignored is Continue reading “Marketing – A novel experience”

Hey, Indie Reader, I’m looking at you!

Let me set a scene. Sunday morning. My ‘day off’. My daughter running around like a monkey…stoked because I promised her I wouldn’t work. I got up, drank some kefir, checked my facebook…the usual. There was a message from a British man who read my first novel, ‘Joe Café’.  He had some questions about the book. He had a valid argument. I spent about 15 minutes and 500 words explaining my feelings on character and what I was trying to accomplish. It was all very civil. He was happy. My daughter wanted to play, but I thought that it was important to take a few minutes and respond to someone who took the time to read my novel. I still feel this way.

Continue reading “Hey, Indie Reader, I’m looking at you!”

Oh, for Tweet’s Sake

Author K. S. BrooksSo many people complain about Twitter.  “I don’t get it” or “it’s a waste of time” or “why does anyone want to know what I’m doing” or “I don’t see how it can sell books.”  Yeah, that was me, too, a while back.  Then I decided to grab Twitter by the…eh, well, whatever one would grab it by and use it how I wanted.

Honestly? I get most of my news from Twitter. It’s fast and easy and I can glance down my home page and see headlines on subjects which interest me. Not what Yahoo! or CNN wants me to see – what I want to see. And it’s easy. Continue reading “Oh, for Tweet’s Sake”