S.J. Reisner's Blog, page 47
April 11, 2016
Troll-Baiting: Critics, Haters, and Death Threats
Being a public person isn’t always easy. From pretending everything is great all the time, to watching everything you say lest you be attacked for your alleged political agenda, sometimes you just can’t win in the eyes of public opinion. Especially when it comes to critics and haters, and even trolls.
A few weeks back my friend and assistant Frank, who also volunteers over at demonolatry.org as webmaster, was sent a death threat through the siteemail. It wasn’t addressed to anyone specificall...
March 11, 2016
While It’s Sometimes a Scam – Sometimes It’s Not
It’s been a few weeks since Brent Underwood’s article What Does it Take to Be an Amazon Bestselling Author? $3 and 5 Minutes went viral through the writing community.
First I want to say that Mr. Underwood makes some fantastic points. There are most certainly people out there who game the system or charge authors ridiculous amounts to game the system for them. However, I’m here to point out that while it may be easy to get on Amazon’s bestseller list in obscure categories like Mr. Underwood p...
March 5, 2016
Writing Schedule #RMFW #amwriting #accountability
Inspired by Ms. Management in the RMFW Newsletter, and authorLisa Manifold, fearless newsletter editor and IPAL chairperson (among other things), I decided to play along and post my writing schedule.
Last year I began writing down my schedule daily whether it be for the day job or writing jobbecause I found I was forgetting too much, and keeping a schedule kept me on track. My productivity has definitely increased since I started doing this. So this post will give you an idea of how I work. I...
March 4, 2016
Temple Apophis (Thirteen Covens)
Belinda is a seer who has the ability to contact the denizens of hell. It begins…
March 3, 2016
New Release! Saving Sarah May
Losing everything doesn’t mean you can’t start over again.
Adventurous Sarah May had everything, the perfect job, the perfect house, the perfect future. But when the love of her life is killed in Iraq, it plummets her entire world into darkness.
Emily Frost never imagined an end to her abusive marriage. Now divorced, living with her mother, and raising her daughter, she vowed never again to give her heart to anyone.
Food critic Kate Berkhill has jumped from bad relationship to bad relationshi...
February 26, 2016
A New Genre – A New Series
Only one week before Saving Sarah May drops — March 3! I’m both giddy and nervous. If this book does well and people like it, there are two more in the series. Going into a new genre can be a bit nerve-racking. I’ve always enjoyed romance. Well, technically I just really enjoy reading good stories. But romance is no exception. I’m not one of those readers who sticks to one genre or a specific sub-genre. If it looks good, I’ll read it, genre be damned. Perhaps that makes me a bit of a book who...
February 19, 2016
New Covers!
Every so often an indie author has to go back through and re-evaluate old things. Like recently, I hired an editor to go back through Weekend Captive, SINcerely Megan, and Nice Girls Don’t to give them a good editing pass (updates forthcoming). Training Amy also received another editing pass from a real editor back in late 2013, a few years after its initial release. And this year, the Sorcerers’ Twilight novels are getting new covers. A friend made the old covers for me more than 7 years ago...
February 16, 2016
Saving Sarah May – Excerpt
Guess what’s coming? You guessed it! It’s SAVING SARAH MAY! Coming in March 2016! In the meantime, enjoy this excerpt!
After Sarah‘s fiance is killed in Iraq, her life spirals into darkness. In attempt to pull her out of her grief, her friends plan a trip to Ireland to help Sarah heal. But her friends aren’t without their own problems. Emily, recently divorced from an abusive ex, is adjusting to her new life as a single parent, and Kate is nursing fresh wounds after her boyfriend dumped her f...
February 11, 2016
To Pitch or Not To Pitch
That is the question.
I started thinking about this over the weekend–whether or not to pitchone of my new series ideas to a bigger publisher at this year’s Colorado Gold. Ultimately I decided I should probably wait until 2017, when my series schedule clears up. Even then, I may just keep it to myself.
So how did I come to this decision and how can you decide if pitching is right for you?
FOR NEW AUTHORS
Do you have a finished book, revised, edited and ready to go? Are you seeking traditional...
February 8, 2016
Why I Don’t Take on Apprentices
Again this week I was asked if I take on apprentices. Usually when Frank, my assistant, tells them no, they come back with, “Why?”
So this post is the official, nothing withheld answer as to why I don’t take on apprentices.
First – Being an apprentice/teacher requires a great deal of actual face-to-face contact. Daily is best. As an introvert who can count her closest friends on a single hand, it’s prudent to point out that I’m VERY selective who I choose to spend that kind of time with. So t...
