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Authors: how to react to ignorance and rejection?

Every author needs a reader's circle that stays. It means loyal readers who will follow you and read every new book.  It is not always the case, especially with indie authors. It happens that someone read your two or three books and there it stops. It happened to me also, I did not hear a word from some people for a long time.  Readers are swamped with a bunch of books. They are like kids in a candy store, the offer is too big. If you want to keep the reader's attention, you must be the best. What happens if a reader rejects you? How to react? To keep a reader, you must give them some benefits. Offer them a discount or ARC copy. Show gratitude. If a reader rejects you for any reason, back off. Accept it as it is. Find a new market. Being ignored is not the end of the world. Still, you have many options to research, and instead of staying on the same point, you have a space for new people.  After some people rejected me I focused on new ones and did not regret it. I learne...

Will algorithms destroy written word?

If you are a thriller author, you must be careful about your book covers. Using a knife in your background means you are supporting violence. But, what if it is a weapon of murder in your book? If you write about murder, you will not post flowers or kittens, don't you? If you are a romance or erotica author, you must be careful not to post nudity. A man with a naked torso in the background, what does it look like? I am not joking, we are talking about algorithms nowadays. You will not be aware if are you breaking the rules, and the community will alert you. The author will not be able to advertise the book if someone reports your post might be deleted because it offended someone's feelings. Do you know what is insulting my feelings? The fact we fought for the freedom of speech and after centuries of burning books and sacrifices, we got back in the Stone Age and in the arms of censorship. Let me write you one example. I had proofread of book and this was my sentence. "The f...

Indie authors - friends or competitors?

Your book might be a bestseller. Imagine how you sold a million copies worldwide. You are enjoying yourself on the beach after you earn a lot of money. Sound like a dream? This statement is far from reality and it will never be true for the majority of indie authors. When I said I sold ten copies last month, some authors said it is a dream for them.  Speaking about the interaction between authors, many times it sounds like competition or rivalry.  Authors will request you for friendship on social media.  But, what are their intentions? They ask for likes for their pages and for that they need a big number of friends. They ask for readers, and you might be a potential reader. They ask a group to tag their books and spread the word. Recently, I got a friend request from an author who published his statistic, a report about million KENP reads. Should I be honored? I don't think so. It happens that popular authors want a wide reader base, and they want to attract other author...

6 myths every indie author should ignore

Being an indie author means a strong character. You should not let anything make you unfocused. Strong nerves and a good stomach must be your label. Otherwise, you will give up too soon.  During these five years as an indie author, I noticed some myths while I promoted my books. 6 myths in indie author's world: An indie author is not a real author. Just because I don't have an agent and I am doing everything alone, it doesn't mean someone should doubt my professional side.  Negative ratings and negative reviews. Checking your books means you will find negative ratings - 1 star, 2 stars, without explanations. Some people simply do that, to ruin your rating. Negative reviews are higher level, they explain why they don't like your book. It is ok if this explanation doesn't attack you personally or have a sense. Sometimes, it could be trolling.  Expectations about sales . It is not weird if you don't sell anything for months. This market is huge, indie authors are...

Featuring author Janis Evans

  J anis Leslie Evans, the “Healing Author,” has been writing since she was a child. Born in Buffalo, New York, she is a first-generation American born to Jamaican parents who immigrated from the Caribbean and Canada. Janis has been a resident of Washington, DC since 1982 when she entered Howard University as a graduate student and received her master’s degree in counseling psychology. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from SUNY Buffalo State College. She is licensed to practice in the District of Columbia, is the sole owner of Evans Counseling & Consultation, PLLC, and provides individual and couples counseling services to her clients. Janis has always loved writing poetry throughout her life and was first published at the age of 11 in an annual book published by Buffalo Public Schools, which highlighted the creative writing of its students. Janis continued to write for leisure as a young adult and was chosen to participate in a 2-week journalism workshop for mi...

Representing author Steven Smith

  Today I am featuring another awesome author, Steven Smith. His books are on this link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/kindle-dbs/author?ref=dbs_G_A_C&asin=B01M8EX5U5 Indie Author hails from the not-so-sunny United Kingdom. He considered himself a creative zany person, who expresses ideas through writing and art. This led him on a journey to release his first-ever self-published book in late September 2016. The Dragon's Reclaim series is set to be an 8-part Fantasy saga. He finds himself fascinated by dragons and all things fantasy fiction, so, was only a matter of time before wrote idea's down. As time passed by his ideas were combined, thus creating a whole world for characters to live in, and soon I had an entire saga spinning around in my head. More recently he has delved into publishing a Crime Novel, and a double-header Fantasy set of books, which are ten times more brutal and hard-hitting than any of his previous works. (18+) My review for Edgehaven: If you want a mystery...

Unfinished business - action thriller story

My new book will release on 16th June. Are you ready for a suspense thriller with war elements? A betrayal, revenge, and fatal women, all in one book. A short blurb: Twenty-four years after his grandfather was shot in gunfire, Amir joined the criminal group and seeks for revenge. He is working in Austria, coming home for weekends to his wife Jelena. She feels lonely, can't get pregnant, and suffers from anxiety. Dating gigolo Stefan will open Jelena to new possibilities. Hungry for adventure, she will move her boundaries. Meanwhile, a war criminal AljoĊĦa escaped from prison. How is Stefan connected to him? Amir has an obligation to do, as a devoted member of his family. Trapped between two options, which he should choose? Check out this link for an e-book:   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09VY6R9VG/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i11 For paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Unfinished-business-Kristina-Gallo/dp/B0B3KB6XRZ/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=