Nick Stephenson's Blog, page 6

A Day in the Life of an Author – Real Life Case Studies

People always ask me, in between showering me with praise of course, about how an author spends their day. Just what do we get up to when everyone else is working an office job or cleaning sewers? (there are other careers available, but I’m not going to list them all here).“Is it all cocktail parties and book awards?” they ask, a look of glimmering admiration in their eyes. “Does your chauffeur drive you around town? Do you get to hang out with the movie stars headlining your latest big scree...

It all happened so fast

Ever wonder what it would be like to wind up in the middle of a thriller novel? Well, I had such an experience during a recent vacation…
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It all happened so fast. By the time I’d realized what was missing, it was already too late. The airport at the sunny beach town of La Rochelle, France, was barely bigger than a bus shelter, but whoever had swiped my bags had managed to slip away unseen. After pacing the entire building for the fifth time, I gave up and decided to call the police instead – r...

Adventures in Print – Sneak Peek of Panic in Paperback

Waiting for me upon my return from holiday was the first ever print version of Panic, the first book in the Leopold Blake series of thrillers. For those not familiar with the series, think Elementary meets Die Hard – a crime thriller with more twists and turns than a New York pretzel and plenty of action on the side. The ebook version has been out for a while now (click the cover image to the right for more info) and so it’s only fitting that a paperback version follow. In fact, there’s even...

The Last Day

It’s that time of the year, the last day of May to be exact, when life in England takes on a more subdued, yet quietly optimistic tone. The excitement of Christmas is far, far behind us, and still too far in the future to get all worked up about. Easter has been and gone. The crisp winter snow has long since melted into a brown slush, and now the blossom is starting to, well, blossom, and there’s generally a lot more green around. Being British, of course, this is nothing to get excited about...

A Career as an Author – How does it Compare?

And I’m not necessarily talking in terms of money, either. The life of the professional writer is hardly an easy one – countless hours spent sweating and fretting over deadlines, incorrect use of the subjunctive, and the clawing fear that your characters may one day come to life and throttle you in your sleep. Yes, we are a troubled bunch, but we know what we will and won’t stand for, and for the most part, we get to be masters of our own careers when it comes to our books and our publishing...

How I Got My Creativity Back

We’ve all seen it. At the station platform, in the car, on the sofa, in the cinema, even just walking around. Sometimes while they’re driving (although they know they’re not supposed to), sometimes when they’re talking, sometimes when eating, drinking, or making sweet, sweet love. Occasionally, I’ve even seen children doing it.

It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that a person in possession of free time and nothing to talk about must be in want of a smartphone. And you’ll see it everywher...

The Truth about Social Media – A selling tool for authors, or a complete waste of time?

The somewhat anticlimactic answer is: neither, really. And yes, I know, that’s a terrible way to start an article, but I don’t care – you need to read this post if you spend more than five minutes a day promoting your books via social media, because a lot of what I’m going to tell you isn’t considered accepted wisdom (note: those two words should never go together) and flies in the face of what a lot of Facebook and Twitter advocates will tell you.

First of all, let’s break it down.I’ve spent...

An Open Response to James Patterson – The Future of Publishing

There’s quite a furor going on throughout the interweb this week, following James Patterson’s decision to take out a full page ad in the New York Times Book Review and Publishers Weekly noting the decline of physical bookstores and traditional publishers, and suggesting that government intervention might be required in order to make sure important books are still being written in the years to come. Here’s copy of the ad:

Here’s the text in full:

“If there are no bookstores, no libraries, no ser...

Major Announcement for Writers, Authors & Journalists: Free Advertising and Essential Publishing Resources with this Great New Site

This is a great time to be an independent author and publisher.

I’m bursting with excitement to announce that I have been invited to join the ranks of the hottest new independent electronic publishing website ever created, and the results have already been incredible. This cutting edge community is specifically designed to provide the largest and most all-encompassing online network for indie authors, indie publishers, indie video producers, indie journalists, writers and content providers you...

Making it Count – What to expect from your first month in publishing.

So, the numbers are in. It’s now been exactly 1 month since Panic, the first novel in the Leopold Blake series of thrillers, went live on Amazon. It’s been a crazy time, and the results have blown my mind. Not just the sales themselves, but the things I’ve learned about writing, marketing, and selling books – I’ve learned more in the last few weeks than I ever thought possible, so, kind and caring person that I am, I’ve decided to share them with you. First, here’s a snapshot of what March lo...