Alexander M. Zoltai's Blog, page 202

Choosing To Self-Publish ~ Lots of Help . . .

Some folks still think self-publishing is somehow not “real” publishing. Yet, many who’ve been published traditionally are embracing the benefits of self-publishing. And, there are those who find advantages in both paths and maintain a base in both camps. If you’ve considered exploring self-publishing you’d be hard put to find a single site that has [...]

Preparing To Write A Book . . .

If you’re new here, please notice, in the left side-bar, the link to get a free copy of the novel I published a year and two days ago :-) Notes from An Alien isn’t really one book, though. It’s one story told in three ways—a novel, a collection of short stories, and a collection of [...]

Publishing News Is Having A Crisis

Authors who want to be published have, possibly, more options than they need right now. Traditional, Indie, POD, Small Imprint, Publishing Aid companies, and full Self-Publishing, to name the major options. Plus, all those categories are mating and producing offspring… It’s no wonder news about publishing has become as confusing as the act of publishing [...]

Site for Indie Authors & 10 Writing Tips from A Fantastic Linguist

Blogging five days a week about Reading, Writing, and Publishing demands that I use Google Alerts. Sometimes, I get reminded about important topics that slipped under my radar. Publetariat.com is one of those topics: “Publetariat is an online community and news hub built specifically for indie authors and small, independent imprints. Who needs another online [...]

Genre or Literary? What’s The Difference?

“…the question of whether a writer should try to write in a particular genre could become completely moot. What matters most is good writing, creative writing; even writing that pushes hard against genres and rules and conventions—steps up to the literary plate and belts one out of the authorial park :-)“ That quote is from [...]

Reading, Writing, Publishing ~ Which Do You Want Most?

Wanting something “Most” usually means there’s something “Next Most”, etc.… Sometimes, it’s impossible to break a tie for Most Wanted… I hope you’ll take a moment and let me know how you feel about these blog topics: (multiple votes are possible) And, for those who are traditionally published, (from The Writers’ Workshop, ) a Bonus [...]

What Makes A Great Story?

There are probably as many ideas about what makes a great story as there are stories told. In fact, telling someone how to create a great story is a story itself… Since I don’t post here on Saturday and Sunday, I thought I’d give you two very different videos to watch, both of which are [...]

“Writer’s Block” ~ Scourge or Challenge?

I’ve never suffered what’s called “writer’s block”. I have, though, gone for long periods and not written a single word. There is a difference between wanting to write and being incapable vs. having no intention to write. I imagine it could be quite a challenge to think one can’t write (consciously) while actually having no [...]

Help! I’m Being Swamped By Writing Advice!!

Some is good for you, some is pure poison; and, one writer’s poison is another’s saving grace… Writing advice is ubiquitous and, as more folk enter the expanding arena of publishing, the advice has become a bit like a tsunami. In a previous post about Joe Konrath, A Book Review In The Midst of A [...]

The Best Books? ~ Whose Opinion Do You Trust?

As time moves forward, humanity produces more books and the pace of production is increasing. How do we find and choose what to read? Many folks look at various lists of bestsellers; yet, the quality of the list depends on who compiled it. In a previous post, Bestsellers…, I included a number of sub-lists—single volume, [...]