Michael Poeltl's Blog, page 11

gritLIT: Hamilton’s Readers & Writers Festival - April 16-19th, 2015

Don’t miss out on one of Southern Ontario’s un(der)discovered literary gems!
gritLIT: Hamilton’s Readers & Writers Festival is entering its second successful decade and is growing every year. The festival attracts audiences from all over the GTA and Golden Horseshoe, with dynamic and interactive readings, discussions and workshops held at the beautiful Art Gallery of Hamilton (123 King Street West).


Established in 2004 by Hamilton author Krista Foss, gritLIT has introduced Hamilton’s dynami...

Author Ideas 101 - Flash Fiction and Short Story Compilations

Whether you've written a few novels, or have yet to complete your first, you likely have a slush pile of unfinished, barely started or merely outlined story ideas. I propose that these incomplete thoughts are worthy of further consideration, and if not in the form you originally proposed them to yourself, than perhaps as a piece of flash fiction or a short story?



If you're anything like me, you have scenes and dialogues - that in a moment of inspiration - you had to jot down. Sometimes these m...

You can give a Kindle with a full compliment of ebooks!

This holiday season, why give a kindle or ebook reader without the recipients favorite genre already installed and ready to read? Surprise them!

Do they love post-apocalyptic stories? There are countless opportunities to include this genre into their Kindle. And sure, you could offer the Hunger Games Trilogy for a bunch of money, knowing they've likely read it already, or you could offer them an indie author trilogy for a quarter of the price. Something they've never heard of in the mainstream...

Spirit Science, it's all about the science of your spirit

Book one of the Hello Me series
If you’re involved in spiritual pursuits you’ve likely heard the term: spirit science in recent years. It’s a relatively new term for a growing community of people dedicated to proving we are more than our five senses allow us to grasp; that we are spirit first. More often than not this research takes place in labs. Yes, science labs; thus the term; spirit science. Much progress has been realized in this field of study, opening the eyes of both the spiritual and...

The Little Free Library Phanominom comes to the Indie Author's rescue!

Have you seen this? Little Free Libraries are popping up all over the place, and after viewing the map on www.littlefreelibrary.com, it looks like North America has certainly embraced it!

I actually found out about this a year or more ago and dropped off a Dan Simmon's book for other's to enjoy. The little free library was a few kilometres away from me and not on my regular route so I considered briefly erecting one of my own. Not a year later a Little Free Library suddenly, and with much brav...

Have you ever been traumatized by a book you read?

We're starting to see trigger warnings more and more now on books. A trigger warning essentially is a warning to potential readers that your book may contain graphic violence, rape, dog bites and other common tragedies that could have befallen your potential audience, thus triggering a painful response to your words. As far as I can tell, they act much like a rating on a movie might. Genre's used to be the go to subject when deciding on a book, but it looks as  thought trigger warnings w...

Google Authorship for the Indie Author

So you’re an author. What does that mean exactly? Has anyone read your book? Your short stories? Your poems? You’ve probably managed a few sales as an indie, going it alone, and that’s commendable. I know exactly how hard you worked to pick up 10 to 20 sales last month. But what if I told you that there is a new tool out there for us, one that rewards authors for simply writing?  And then what if I told you that you could be considered the preeminent expert on your chosen genre? A title...

Apocalypse - Jesus to ruin your summer with a second coming this spring, guaranteed!

It's official, at least for the Family Radio broadcasters placing billboards all over the US declaring the end of the world will take place on May 21st, 2011.
See this write-up on the 'guarantee' that Jesus is going to ruin your summer by preempting it with a second coming!
http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/billboards-warn-judgment-day-right-around-corner-131520

Steven Colbert has also confirmed Family Radio's warning:
http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/88342/stephen-colbert-confirms-may-21st-apocalypse...

Using design to sell your books isn't just for the covers anymore

It was once true that the book cover design sold your books for you. While that may still be the case, there are several new ways in which design can sell your books.

They're called Infographics. Pick a quote of substance from your book, pull it right from your characters mouth, they won't mind, you gave it to them after all. Then hand it over to a designer and ask that they create a design around the quote, and give credit where it is due, name your character as the person from whence the q...

Using design to sell your books isn't just for the covers anymore

It was once true that the book cover design sold your books for you. While that may still be the case, there are several new ways in which design can sell your books.

Pick a quote of substance from your book, pull it right from your characters mouth, they won't mind, you gave it to them after all. Then hand it over to a designer and ask that they create a design around the quote, and give credit where it is due, name your character as the person from whence the quote originated. This helps...