And it's a good thing I set that up before sending the ebooks out to Kickstarter backers, because Amazon and Ingram are able to test ebook files for readability on a wider array of devices than book designers are. We were able to fix some problems with displaying the illustrations in the Kindle/mobi version that Amazon's online proofing system ( Read more... )

...of my commitments to my Kickstarter backers, that is ( Read more... )

A homeschooling cooperative asked if I'd be interested in teaching a class of high school age kids. They knew I would be good for creative writing, but they were always looking for literature classes. (They're always hoping to pick up new students, too ( Read more... )

And boy was there a learning curve involved in getting it ready. I've taken a lot of comfort in the thought that the next time has to be easier. I'm not sure what the next downloadable freebie will be, but I'm determined to offer another one before I forget all the how-to I just learned ( Read more... )

The two of them together fit in the palm of my hand. I've needed them today, with all this news of the bleaching coral reefs. Maybe you need them, too ( Read more... )

Some parts of self-publishing are going faster than I expected, and some more slowly. I just posted a project update on Kickstarter, to include what I learned on the way to getting these lovely blurbs for the book cover:

The Imlen Brat opens in quite enjoyable territory. Then things start opening up, and moving in surprising directions. A ( Read more... )

This weekend I'll be in Rye Brook, New York, for Lunacon. I'm looking forward to reconnecting with a lot of friends and colleagues who rarely travel as far south as my current stomping grounds, especially my much-missed New Jersey critique group, Writers of the WeirdThe program volunteers just sent me the current draft of my schedule. Here's where ( Read more... )

I've got a little list... No, not that little list. After all, Gilbert and Sullivan had their Lord High Executioner name the Lady Novelist among those who'd surely not be missed. No, my little list is one you might actually want to be on, thanks to the friends and readers who told me what they like most about authors' email newsletters. (I've got ( Read more... )

I'm on a big book reviewing kick at Black Gate. In addition to reviewing the first volume of Tim Akers's Hallowed War series, The Pagan Night, a few days ago, I volunteered to take a look at a trilogy being published all in one season, and another trilogy that's winding up. So the publisher for the latter is sending me all three volumes, hoping I' ( Read more... )

First the story spent about twice the usual time for consideration at the toughest market in the genre, and came back with two full pages of description of the editorial committee's deliberations about whether to accept it. They could have sent a one sentence does-not-meet-our-needs-at-this-time. Instead, they told me exactly what to make better ( Read more... )