(Part II… again sharing here with Marcia’s permission. Did I leave anything out?)

by Kassandra Lamb

I envy writers under thirty. Not for their youth, but because they have never known a publishing world where indie publishing wasn’t a viable alternative.

But I’ve heard even some younger writers make comments that indicate they think indie is what you do if you can’t get a traditional publishing contract. In other words, it’s a second choice.

Actually, for some of us, it was a first choice.

And sadly there are a few traditionally published authors who like to judge indies from the other side of the fence. (See Part I of this series: Creativity, Sensitivity, Laziness and Courage.)

For the newbie authors out there (or those considering jumping the fence), I will try to spell out the differences between the two paths. Also, I want to mention the pros of each…

There is a certain level of honesty in even the most outrageous of facts. Here are a few to ponder…

A. Asshole. Never use this word. It has been so overused it has had one of the S’s squeezed out of it. Asshat and asswipe are worthy alternatives but sound rather tween-ish and are best suited for the YA genre. The writing world is waiting for a suitable replacement and I’m considering creating a GoFundMe page to entice credible submissions.

B.  ?

C.  Comfort. There is no such thing in a writer’s life unless you count working in pajamas.

D.  Don’t. You’ve heard the rules: don’t use split infinitives, don’t use tags other than said, asked, and replied, don’t begin a chapter with dialogue, don’t end a sentence with a preposition, don’t, don’t, don’t. They are bullshit rules made up by seasoned writers who are trying to thwart the efforts…

Hello Story Empire readers! Today is my first official post on this site and I’m really excited to share some thoughts with everyone. Here are five free ways to market your book in some ways you may not have thought about before now.

Blog About Your Book

Yes, this has been said many times by many people but here are a few ways to consider doing it – especially if you write fiction. I’ve written a few about my characters or the world of Denaria. However, you can a list about things in your book as points of interest. Think about all the different ways you can use lists about your fiction that may inform readers and potential readers about your book. As an example, I recently shared “5 Kinds of Trolls in Denaria (and Why They’re Dangerous!)“. It was a good exercise and I hope it better…

Writers often find that the synopsis is the most difficult component of their novel submission package. Here we break it down for you so you can spend less time stressing and more time writing.  by Chuck Sambuchino and the Editors of Writer’s Digest Books

Source: Your Guide To An Effective Novel Synopsis

Source: How to write a synopsis. Via The Literary Consultancy

Source: Back to basics: Writing a novel synopsis. Via Jane Friedman

by John Briggs

Should your book be part of a series or a stand-alone?

Creating sequels to books is big business these days. It’s the popular thing and profitable thing to do, spurred on by the tremendous success of series like Harry Potter. Authors now, more often than not, conceive their books from the very first draft as multi-part series of epic proportions to relay an immense tale of, one hopes, great meaning or enjoyment.

I sometimes (often?) have arguments with the ghost of my husband. Perhaps argument is too strong a word, and quite likely it isn’t really him or his ghost, but simply my own delusional mind still trying to make sense of everything.

These disagreements are rarely about anything important, but isn’t that the way most marriages go? You gripe about the clothes that didn’t quite make the hamper. You bicker about who left the front door unlocked. You “discuss” the fact that the gas tank of the car is nearly empty. Or maybe it’s your wallet that’s empty. Yeah, that happens more than the gas tank…

I can almost hear him complaining about the shows I choose to watch on Netflix. Or reprimanding me for leaving my not-quite-empty coffee cup on the counter instead of rinsing it and putting it in the dishwasher, or gently disapproving of the bowl of ice…