We featured Allison Maruska on Blogging for Authors and Newbies back in 2015. Now her book has sold over 20,000 copies and has 500 Amazon reviews!

That’s beyond exciting. That’s a dream come true for most writers. And you can do it too!

Here’s what she had to say back then, and below is a link to what she’s learned since.

Allison, it’s always nice when your full name exists as a custom URL. Did that make your decision easy?

I figured using my name would be the quickest way for my book readers to find me.

How long have you had it and how often do you post?

I’ve had this blog for a little over a year, but I had a Blogger site for a couple years before that. I try to post at least weekly, usually 2 times per week.

What do you like the most about your blog?…

ISBN is for International Standard Book Number, issued by a select agency in the nation where the publisher resides. You’re probably familiar with 10 or 13 digit ISBNs appearing on the copyright page or above the barcode on the back of a print version book. The barcode just identifies the ISBN and may or may not include a price.

Even though ISBN is a number corresponding to a book, it has more to do with the publisher and edition than the title and author. For example, the same ebook could have several ISBNs for different retailers selling it, and it would need another ISBN for a paperback version and yet another for a hardcover or audio book. A separate version is needed for the ePub file compared to the mobi file. Or if you change the trim size of a paperback, like from 5 x 8 inches to 6 x 9…

Like ISBN, copyright questions are common and the legalities of it can be complex. In most cases, copyright is something an author won’t need to spend much time worrying about. The tasks to copyright a book are straightforward, starting with simply writing a book. If you have any concerns, this fact alone should give some relief;

By writing your book, you own the copyright.

In 1886 The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works was signed as an international agreement on copyright. Your creation is your intellectual property. Think of it like this: only you have the “right” to “copy” your work and sell it; nobody else has the right to copy your work and sell it.

Your book is automatically under copyright, extending from the time you write it. However, there is a stipulation of proof. You need to commit the work to a readable form perceptible either…

The Hungry Monster Book Awards are awarded to books that have astounded and amazed us with unique writing styles, vivid worlds, complex characters, and original ideas. These books deserve extraordinary praise and The Hungry Monster is proud to acknowledge the hard work, dedication, and imagination of these talented authors.

Gold Award Winners

Silver Award Winners

The Onryo by Rocco Ryg

Slippery Things by Lane Baker

The Great Scourge by C.A. MacLean

The Heart of Hannen by Fawn Bonning

Jesus and Magdalene by João Cerqueira

The Crown Princess Voyage by Dylan Madeley

“Books give me the freedom to step outside of myself. That words alone can transport the reader to a reality as believable as the one he or she actually lives in, should not logically be possible. It’s a kind of real life magic.” – Alex C. Vick, author of Stealing Magic

Visit the Hungry Monster Book Awards page to…

Drawing by hibbay. Click for more of her awesome work.

I do a lot of my own design work, and I know that many of you do, too. I guess it’s one of the perks of being an Indie author; for better or worse, the only limit to what we do is our imagination. And our skills. Which is why I thought you’d enjoy these links that explain how to make your own dyed paper textures, and lets you download dozens of paper backgrounds – for free! These work great as a background for any of your ads, like Facebook ads etc.

Many thanks to Hillary Luetkemeyer, aka hibbay, for sharing her amazing talent with us!

• You can download 16 paper textures from Hillary’s DeviantArt page.
• You can download 15 more paper textures here
• You can also download 30 paper textures for free from Graphic Mania
• And you can

I recently read an article about the value of hugs – lower blood pressure, stress relief, emotional comfort and more.  Although I’ve looked for it again, I cannot find that specific article, but merely Googling a phrase related to the benefits of hugging will bring up hundreds of them.

An Irish folk singer, Ben Sands, wrote a song called “We All Need a Hug” that included this verse:

“Ah we all need a hug in the morning, and one at the end of the day.
And many as possible squeezed in between to keep life’s troubles at bay.
No matter where ever you ramble, our problems be great or be small.
It is my believe that for instant relief, a hug is the best cure of all.”

Virginia Satie, an American psychotherapist, is credited with determining an “RDA” for hugs, saying humans need “four per day for survival…

Chris Well

Guest post

Technology makes it easier than ever to shout out your message to the world. But these tools are available to everyone—and everyone’s using them. How can you be heard above the noise?

Publicity helps you rise above the noise. When you connect with influencers and let them spread your message, they reach more people than you can alone. With the right email—to the right person—you can get booked as a guest or for an interview.

Over my years working in the media, I’ve seen many do this wrong. Below are 13 tips to help you avoid some of their mistakes…

http://buildyourbrandacademy.com/blog/343409/13-quick-tips-about-publicity