Alexander M. Zoltai's Blog, page 152

Author Interview ~ William M. Brandon III

We have a bit more than an author interview today.

We’ll also find out about Black Hill Press, Publisher of Contemporary American Novellas.

So, here comes Mr.William M. Brandon III…

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Let’s get to know you a bit first, William. Where are you from?

I’m a military brat, so that becomes a complicated question. Originally I am from Las Vegas, Nevada, born on Nellis Air Force Base in 1975. We left Las Vegas before I turned one year old and I’ve been moving around since.

You moved recently didn’t you?

Y...

Friday Fantasy ~ Number Eighteen

The Barbarian’s Saving Grace

~ He was a foreigner in this country.

Image Credit ~ http://fantasystuff.weebly.com/griffin.html

He was careful to stay to the fringes of the great cities.

Still, there were those who came across him—those from the cities, acting more important than they were—deigning to stop at one of the villages, near the great roads, where he mingled with the simple folk…

The people from the cities hated his differences—dark skin and blue eyes.

They hated his size—heads taller and w...

A Few Facts ( And, Speculations) About Indie Author Earnings

Much is being said about how much a writer can earn if they self-publish.

Image courtesy of Thiago Felipe Festa ~ http://www.freeimages.com/profile/thiagofest

And, much is being discussed about the terms “Indie Author” vs. “Self-Published Author”.

Today, I want to focus on the Earnings for writers (whatever they’re called) if they Don’t use a Traditional Publisher…

We have to start with considerations of how digital self-publishing is affecting traditional publishers.

And, it would also be advanta...

How Is Digital Self-Publishing Affecting Traditional Publishers?

The importance of relying on a few people at massive companies to judge whether a book should be published seems to be evaporating…

Image courtesy of Zsuzsanna Kilian ~ http://www.sxc.hu/profile/nkzs

Plus, self-publishing isn’t really new.

Many famous authors of the past self-published.

The difference (and, what’s causing concern for traditional publishers) is Freely-Available Digital Tools.

I’m going to share part of an article byJack W Perry, owner of a consulting firm helping publishing transit...

Can Nonfiction Be Literary?

Do you like to read fiction?

Image courtesy of Antony Ruggiero ~ http://www.sxc.hu/profile/Dreegez

How about nonfiction?

Do you like compelling, vivid, and dramatic writing?

What’s your definition of Literary?

Why all these questions?

Well, I have some great writing to share and it’s all about“true stories well told”.

That quote is one man’s definition of Literary or Creative Nonfiction.

That man is Lee Gutkind, sometimes called the“Godfather behind creative nonfiction”.

That last link is to Gutkind’s...

Anybody Have A Question About The English Language?

Blogging is a constant education.

Image courtesy of Chris Baker ~ http://www.sxc.hu/profile/immrchris

I have a post I thought was Most Visited because writers liked it.

Wrong!

People learning English like it :-)

And, I found a site that anyone, with any interest in English, just might fall in love with.

In fact, I found a slew of sites that anyone, with nearly any question, could use to find an answer.

Also, if they don’t have something for your Q&A needs, you can start your own site.

Naturally, I fo...

Friday Fantasy ~ Number Seventeen

Oh, My, What A Dream . . .

~ I woke with an image in my mind, clear as day and hard to shake.

Image (with some manipulation) courtesy of http://www.sxc.hu/profile/chrisjewis

It came from my dream but wasn’t the last thing that happened—the last thing was a scream.

What I woke up to was the first sight, from the mountain, looking down on the causeway leading to the wooded part of the island.

Rain on the window, sun rising, and me wondering again what all those buildings were…

I’ve never had a dream...

Writers & Money ~ What A Lovely Affair

Are you a writer?

Image courtesy of http://www.sxc.hu/profile/soopahtoe

Do you know one?

Are they rich?

So much these days in the press about writers and money…

I published a post back in 2011 called,Simple Question ~ Can Writers Make Money?, and said that it depends on what kind of writer you are…

So, for instance, a writer who wants to devote their life to fiction but would like to make more money might want to consider freelancing in some form of reality-article hacking…

As far as fiction writers...

It’s Document Freedom Day !

Do you use “documents”?

Locations of Major Document Freedom Day Events

Documents with words or numbers — spreadsheets, presentations with images, drawings, math formulas, or databases?

Do you use Microsoft Office to create those documents?

Ever had severe problems with Microsoft Office?

Ever wonder why you should pay money for a program that seems broken out of the box?

I can hear some folks saying, “But, it’s the Standard. I have to use it because everyone else is using it.”

Well…

Actually, you don’...

FLASH NEWS > I Just Found, Out It’s Tolkien Reading Day !!!

I love Tolkien.

Some folks hate him.

I think most people who’ve read him have at least “appreciated” his writing.

I honor him so highly that this is my second post today—unheard of on this blog !

I found out about Tolkien Reading Day just a few minutes ago on what seems an unlikely place—International Business Times…

You can take that last link and read some cool quotes from Tolkien and find a bit about why March 25th has been set aside to read him.

Going to open my Kindle Fire HDX and at least rea...