Everyone Hates This Restaurant!

Jan 19, 2025 | My Publications

It’s been a while since I last published something, but now I’m very, very pleased indeed to announce my latest release: Everyone Hates This Restaurant is an illustrated children’s book inspired by my daughter’s love of desserts — to the point...

How to Use Jungian Archetypes in Writing: The Ultimate Guide

Sep 21, 2023 | Writing

Carl Jung’s archetypes are a powerful tool for writers as they tap into universal symbols and themes that resonate with a broad audience. Using them can enrich your writing by connecting your story to universal themes and symbols. By understanding and...

Understanding the KENP Scam

Aug 23, 2023 | Publishing

In my previous post, I explained how Jane Friedman’s name was used in a bunch of AI-generated books. Today, I’ll explain how this may be part of a larger scam. As TechRadar reports, a shockingly high number of AI-generated books have appeared. As an indie...

Could You Use eBay to Sell Your Books?

Jun 12, 2026 | Marketing

I’ve been using eBay for ages and have sold and bought quite a few items. What about books, though – both yours and any used books you may have? For many people looking to clear space, earn extra income, or start a small side business, selling books online...

Marketing “Skeleton Wreck”

May 23, 2026 | Marketing, My friends' Guest Posts

I was talking to my good friend and colleague, Keith Robinson, about his successes and failures marketing his horror novel “Skeleton Wreck,” and asked him for a guest post explaining what he’d done to achieve this. Here’s his post on the...

Adobe Acrobat Alternatives

Mar 9, 2026 | Other

If, like me, you regularly need to edit PDFs, you may recall that I’ve written about Adobe Acrobat alternatives in the past, so I thought I’d share another favorite today: UPDF. You see, until now, I’ve tried out PDF Elements, ToolRocket, and PDF...

NaNoWriMo Is Out. Welcome Novel November!

Sep 29, 2025 | Publishing

I recently wrote on Story Empire about NaNoWriMo being canceled. Now, I’ve received word that it’s back with a new name! After 25 years of fueling millions of writers with the encouragement needed to finally finish their novel, in early 2025, NaNoWriMo, or...

Transform Your Book Marketing with Eye-Catching Videos

Sep 25, 2025 | Marketing

Thanks to AI, we now have a new tool to play with that may help us connect with our audiences and generate excitement: video. Yes, I know that it’s been around forever, but we now have image-to-video AI apps and other goodies that make it simpler than ever to...

Can AI Help Sell More Books on Social Media?

Sep 4, 2025 | AI writing, Marketing

I’ve mentioned a few times in the past how AI can help write books, including my latest, Everyone Hates This Restaurant. But sell them? How would that work? And yet, every bit would help, given how many books are published every year in both digital and...

Writing for Memory: Top Tips to Journal Your Biggest Moments

Sep 3, 2025 | Writing

Those following my blog will probably have read how I keep a dream journal on my bedstand. Besides dreams, it contains all sorts of ideas for when inspiration runs dry. So, why do I do this? And what other ways are there to journal? Journaling is a powerful tool that...

5 Times the Literary World Was Rocked by Controversy

Jul 6, 2025 | Random Musings

Literature has long been a mirror to society, reflecting its triumphs, tensions, and taboos. But sometimes, the stories behind the books stir more conversation than the pages themselves.  From censorship battles to scandals involving celebrated authors, the literary...

Historical Gamblers Who Became Literary Icons

Jun 26, 2025 | Random Musings

September 1863. Fyodor Dostoevsky sits at a roulette table in Wiesbaden, convinced he’s finally cracked the code of gambling success. He writes confidently to his sister-in-law about possessing “the secret of how to win,” claiming it’s...

3 Fantasy Tropes I Love — And 3 I Avoid at All Costs

Jun 12, 2025 | Writing

This is a guest post by Savannah Cordova. Savannah is a writer with Reedsy, a marketplace that connects self-publishing authors with the world’s best editors, designers, and marketers. She loves science fiction and fantasy. 3 Fantasy Tropes I Love — And 3 I Avoid at...

When Book Marketing Fails

May 30, 2025 | Marketing

Book marketing has undergone far-reaching changes in the past few years. While in-person events and long-form interviews were once the staples, modern book marketing strategies now stress social media and phenomena like BookTok.  Promoting books might seem like the...