Beth Martin's Blog, page 3

Career Advice from a Seasoned Indie Author

Before I published my first book, I sought out advice on becoming an author by calling a friend of a friend who had self-published some books. On the call, the author told me he had been around the block and kicked all the tires. At that point, I didn’t even know what to ask, but his guidance put me in the right direction and helped me take my first few steps toward publishing with confidence.

Time For a Picnic

Inspired by the hot days of summer and upcoming Independence Day celebrations, I picked “Time for a Picnic” as the theme for July. I wanted to highlight outdoor activities, both big and small, and the pleasure of a simple meal enjoyed outside. I’m even more excited this month about the second Badger Camp my writing Discord server, “Write All the Words,” will be hosting! As one

Why I Finally Purchased ISBNs

I wrote this post on my I chose not to purchase my own ISBN. The post was very much a reaction to the passionate and loud advice to indie authors at the time that you had to buy ISBNs to give your books any semblance of respectability, and I just wasn’t buying it (the advice or the overpriced identifiers). I felt the world also needed a passionate retort to the discourse: No way! I do

New Short Story Release: Worth a Thousand Words

I recently gave a talk for the Maryland Writers Association on using AI tools for creative writing. I felt confident giving this talk because I’ve fully integrated tools like Chat GPT and Midjourney into my workflow.Specifically, Chat GPT was been a wonderful tool to bounce ideas off of (no worries, I’m not using AI to write my stories and all my words are still my own). I pulled up the

Book Review: You by Caroline Kepnes

Stalking as a spectator sport!My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐While chilling inside during a very rainy spring break, I decided to read a fun and entertaining book while stuck inside. Recently, some of the writers on my Discord group discussed the best stalker romances they were/had read, and You came up in the convo. I was already aware of—and a huge fan of—the Netflix adaptation, but had never realized the TV

May's Theme: Engineering in Writing

This month, I’m shifting focus from GET ALL THE WORD DOWN (learn more about Badger Camp in my previous post—we’ll be doing another Badger Camp soon, so stay tuned!) to creating intentional and intricate stories using the power of engineering. My math background is engineering adjacent, and I hung out with lots of engineers in college. I’ve always found the meticulous problem-solving

Introducing “Badger Camp”

Like many authors, I use writing challenges to help me stay motivated when drafting a new novel. Since a number of writers are distancing themselves from NaNoWriMo, the writers on the “Write All the Words” discord group thought it would be fun to create a new writing challenge where we can set our own writing goals and support each other as we try to reach those goals.Introducing: Badger

Marking Vernal Equinox by Celebrating Balance

When trying to figure out what my March theme should be, I pulled out my calendar and pondered over the events of the month. St. Patrick’s Day is fun, but I don’t have Irish heritage and typically forget even to wear green to commemorate the occasion. Easter is in March this year, but I didn’t want to focus on any religious themes and already did the whole “new beginnings” topic for the New Year.

Launching a New Adventure: The Starship Blunder Shared Universe Project

I'm thrilled to announce a brand-new project I’ve been working on this year: the Starship Blunder Shared Universe! This anthology will be more than a collection of stories; it's the beginning of an entire universe waiting to be explored and expanded. I want to invite you all to be a part of this creative journey with me!What is Starship Blunder?The spacecraft Starship Blunder travels through the

February's Theme: Love's Labyrinth

I don’t ever get overly romantic and sappy, but I’m willing to make an exception for Valentine’s Day. So for February, I wanted to embrace everything romantic with the theme: “Love’s Labyrinth: A Month of Romance and Puzzles”! This month, I’m going to explore the many facets of love, not just through the lens of romance, but also through more fun mazes and science-fiction stories. To get all the