Welcome back or welcome for the first time. If this is your first time, please explore my blog/website and have fun. Whichever applies to you, I have worked up a top 5 list for you. Hope you enjoy. With no further ado, here are ‘5 reasons I love being a self-published author’, in no particular […]
Author: Gear and Pen
“Publicity, and Blogging, and Marketing, Oh My!” or “The Trials of Getting Your Book Noticed and Bought.”
Let me start off with these points: 1. I am self-published on a budget (no budget), therefore, I have no professional backing for publicity and marketing. 2. I am not good with internet stuff. 3. I have had no training or experience with this sort of thing. 4. I am the unprepared protagonist setting out […]
“It’s Great to Be on the Road Again.” or “Back in the Saddle… Kind of.”
I am still deviating from talking about what I have learned intellectually from other sources or things that make sense to my Vulcan half; at least for now. I might get back to those sorts of posts, but I think I am going to talk about the ‘in the dirt’ portion of my personal journey […]
“Well, Dam.” or “When Ideas Get Blocked.”
I want to give those reading these posts another caveat besides that which I placed on my “Why I Do What I Do”. I am a student in the art of writing. I am learning. I am taking you through the process as I am going through it. Sometimes I am giving information I have […]
“Even Fledglings Must Test Their Wings.” or “The Importance of Practice.”
What is the biggest problem when first putting pencil to paper or fingers to keys? Well, I suppose it varies from person to person, but if one is making their writing effort with the hope of having it read by more people than themselves, friends, and family, two of the biggest problems, I suspect would […]
“What’s Your Poison?” or “Choosing Genre.”
The choice of genre could be easy or difficult depending on how you view it. Sometimes it can be quite an easy choice, as a genre can just be a natural fit; sort of jump out and take hold of you. It can also be difficult because, sometimes, your best genre plays hide and seek. […]
“The One Where We Ask For Help.” or “Mentors, Family, and Friends.”
With “Boys Will Be Boys” I had the text ready, or nearly so, for years. The problem was, I lacked confidence in my writing and I lacked direction for the next steps. As far as I was concerned, my writing was not good enough to send out into the world. The concept was daunting. “What […]
“To Make a Long Story Short” or “Writing Small”
One of the obstacles I found in the writing process for a children’s book was the giant problem of writing small. Sometimes it seems strange to me that this would be my problem, because, though I can be long winded once I get into the flow, I also have a tendency, annoying as it is, […]
“Once Upon a Time…” or “Beginning the Book”
Who says a children’s story has to begin “once upon a time…?”This beginning is so popular that even one of the most recognized sci-fi movies begins with a similar and widely known phrase. I’m thinking space samurai, blasters, evil emperors, and Frank Oz and James Earl Jones (the series can not be the same without […]
“Choose Your Canvas” or “The Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Book Forms.”
My first writing interest was the novel. It is still my focus as an whole, though I have tried my hand at children’s stories and the children’s story is my first published work. It was not difficult for me to choose the novel as my format of choice. The longer build of the story appeals […]