Sam Swicegood's Blog, page 2

Yes, self-published writers need a business plan

I recently came across this article by editor Rob Bignell, an esteemed editor and owner of Inventing Reality Editing Service. And I thought I might offer another perspective.

First off, let me say that I have an incredible respect for Rob Bignell. He has a proven history of high-quality editorial work. More to the point, it’s clear that Rob is making the point that having a structured budget is just as effective for the casual self-published author insofar as tax purposes go. As Rob mentions,...

5 rules for writing a plot twist

Think of the best twist you’ve ever read or seen. That incredible plot twist that blew you away. A perfectly-executed twist can make your readers scream “Aha” and pull them deeper into the climax of your book. A badly-executed twist, on the other hand, has a tendency to make your readers close the book and never open it again. So how do you do the former?

1. Plan your plot twist ahead of time.

Put in plenty of foreshadowing. In fact, feel free to foreshadow it too much in the first draft, and...

5 Disney Princesses Reimagined as Stock Photos of Toast

Welcome back and check out this awesome article that definitely wasn’t created by a data-scraping bot or an unpaid social media intern!

#1 – Princess Belle

In this incredible reimagining, Belle is a stock photo of a silver toaster with two freshly-toasted slices in it. Mmm, you can almost smell the butter! Be our guest–have a bite of toast!

#2 – Princess Jasmine

Jasmine is reimagined as the same stock photo as above, but cropped out a little larger so we can see the wound-up electrical cord....

Is it a vanity press?

It’s one of the most common questions for new writers who are querying their novel. “I got an offer! Is this a vanity press?” “Is this publisher legit?”

A Vanity Press is a publisher who agrees to publish your book for a fee. It’s really that simple. If you are paying anything out of pocket to get published, then it is a vanity press and you are getting scammed. The fact of the matter is, there are too many stories of people being duped a vanity press so I decided to offer this checklist. Thi...

Advance Reader Copies: What they are, why they’re important

If you’ve ever worked in a bookstore, you’ve probably seen a stack of books labeled “Not for Retail Sale” sitting in a back room for people to peruse. What you may have not realized is that these books are an important part of distribution and marketing called Advance Reader Copies. So how do you use ARCs, and why are they important?

What are Advance Reader Copies?

Advance reader copies, or ARCs, are preprinted copies of your book that are distributed to booksellers, reviewers, and even celeb...

FAQ for writers looking for advice on Social Media (Updated January 2019)

I belong to a handful of social media groups that target writers of all kinds. I see a lot of the same questions posted a lot, and wanted to do my part to help answer common ones. feel free to share this post to any new writers looking for advice. But be aware: my answers are honest, and honesty is sometimes hard to hear.

Q. A publisher offered to print my book! But they say I have to pay a fee/share the print costs/share the risk/”invest” in my book. What does this mean?

A. This means that t...

The Trust (Lampert Files #1)

Buy it now on Amazon.com. 

Many years ago, a wealthy businessman left behind a trust whose sole purpose was to investigate the paranormal activities of a small Kentucky town. After the murder of a researcher performing routine demographic surveys, journalist Kyle Lampert investigates.

This is the first in a short series of novellas featuring the trouble-magnet journalist Kyle Lampert and the incredibly clever Marcie Teeter.

The post The Trust (Lampert Files #1) appeared first on Sam Swicegood...

“Your Criticism is Lies”, or “Why I stopped giving advice to writers online”

Recently, to broaden my horizons as a writer, I joined a bunch of writers’ groups online. I’ve learned a few things.

Almost a decade ago, screenwriter Josh Olson wrote an op-ed called “No, I will not read your fucking script“. I remember reading it and thinking that, even if he had valid points about why he would not do such a thing, he shouldn’t have been such a dick about it. Even so, one particular quote stuck out at me that I’ve hung onto for a while: “It rarely takes more than a page to...

Sam’s FAQ for Writers who Post on Social Media Asking for Advice

I belong to a handful of social media groups that target writers of all kinds. I see a lot of the same questions posted a lot, and wanted to do my part to help answer common ones. feel free to share this post to any new writers looking for advice. But be aware: my answers are honest, and honesty is sometimes hard to hear.

Q. A publisher offered to print my book! But they say I have to pay a fee/share the print costs/share the risk/”invest” in my book. What does this mean?

A. This means that t...

Numb

 

I have debated making this post. Afraid it would be seen as a publicity stunt, or a virtue signal, or any other number of terrible things people do to exploit the fear that surrounds death. But after giving it some thought and a good night’s sleep I have decided it’s worth saying.

Yesterday, in the town where I live, there was a shooting.

I woke up this morning and don’t feel any less safe than I did yesterday.

I woke up this morning and I don’t feel any pain I didn’t feel yesterday.

I wok...