Scott Harris's Blog, page 2

Review Mea Culpa

It’s Sunday morning as I write this. As often as possible, I spend part of Sunday going through some of the Amazon reviews that people have been kind enough to post about books I have written. I make an effort to respond to each one, good or bad, and find the process to be enjoyable.

Forum Featuring Meg Mims

When — and why — did you first fall in love with Westerns? I was in eighth grade when I went alone to the local movie theater to see “True Grit” with John Wayne. I’d always watched “Bonanza” and the Duke’s Western films on TV with my dad, but I didn’t want to miss seeing

Mile 44: Publicist — Yes or No?

First-time writers will often ask, “Do I need a publicist?” Maybe. I have a publicist, and I think he does an amazing job for me. In all candor, this blog post will read like an ad for Nick Wale, the man handles my publicity. But before it does, let me take a step back. Outside

Shotguns and Stagecoaches by John Boessenecker

I recently decided to start writing a new Western series, “Stagecoach Willy.” The thing is, I didn’t know much about stagecoaches, stagecoach drivers or those who rode alongside them — the shotgun messengers. I checked three or four sources to find the best book to get me started on my journey, and every time, the

Mile 43: Editor — Yes or No?

First-time writers will often ask, “Do I need an editor?” Sometimes, mistakenly, they answer, “No.” This happens for a variety of reasons. Maybe you were an English major in college and feel you have all the spelling and grammar expertise necessary. Maybe you really don’t want feedback on your project. Perhaps you think spellcheck covers

Leaving Brock Behind

It was originally my plan to write one Western novel. It was a good plan and fit very well with my penchant for burning through hobbies quickly. It was a bucket list thing, a lark that promised fun and fulfillment. I started writing in 2017 and self-published “Coyote Courage” toward the end of that year.

Mile 42: Amazon Author Page

Credibility and accessibility. If you’re wondering why you need an Amazon Author Page, those are the two reasons. Once you’ve finished your book (and you will!) and made it available for sale on Kindle and through Amazon (and you will), this is the next logical and important step. Of course, if you’ve signed with that

Mile 41: Lone Pine

In the previous blog post (on Kanab), I discussed the value, fun and importance of writers attending Western film festivals. The Lone Pine Film Festival (like many of the other Western film festivals scattered around the United States and the world) shares many of the same attributes as Kanab: a rich film history, great celebrity

Mile 40: Kanab

Most of us who write Western novels are also fans of Western movies. I am tempted to say all of us, but somewhere out there is someone who loves books and won’t watch movies — I just haven’t met him yet. However, for the rest of us, there are terrific Western film festivals throughout the

Mile 39: Cover

You’re going to need a cover. You may not be finished writing your book yet, but it’s never too early to start thinking about what you’d like the cover to look like. And if you haven’t, you should. The cover design has far more impact on the eventual sales of your book than you might