Piper Punches's Blog, page 9
April 16, 2015
Missing Girl Continues to Bring Attention to the Social Injustice of Human Trafficking
As a writer, you string together words to form a sentence and you hope that in some small way those words touch someone. You release those words out into the world and never quite know where they go. They’re like a message in a bottle that bobs among the waves on the open sea. You sometimes even forget these words and your message as time passes. And then, one day, someone reaches out to you and you realize exactly how powerful your words can be.
I am humbled to have received this letter fro...
January 7, 2015
3 Reasons Book Signings Should be Part of Your Marketing Plan
My writing and publishing series took a bit of an unplanned hiatus the past few months, but with a new year comes new possibilities, right? And,for my fellow “indie” authors, I wanted to discuss something very crucial to your success. So, whether you’re a self-published novelist or part of a small publishing house, I have one very important question for you. Is your calendar filled with book signing events for 2015?
Many newly published writers erroneously assume that book signings are somethi...
December 31, 2014
Calmness and Acceptance – The Themes of 2015
Today’s the day! The one day out of the year when the majority sits back and reflects on their successes and failures throughout the year. How did 2014 treat you? Did you accomplish those lofty goals you set on January 1 when the universe opened up a sliver of opportunity for you to do better than the year before? Or, can you only see the way you failed?
As a general rule, I avoid New Year’s resolutions. To me they’re kind of like Lenten promises (if you were raised a God-fearing Catholic). Yo...
November 30, 2014
Welcome Camille Faye, Author of Voodoo Butterfly
In 2009, my husband and I traveled to New Orleans to celebrate 11 years of wedded craziness (yes, we always do things a day late and a dollar short). At first I thought New Orleans was a compromise because I really wanted to go somewhere tropical, but once we stepped foot into that town I knew it was the perfect choice. Ever since, I have been fascinated with the culture and underbelly of New Orleans. So, when I met Camille Faye through a local writers’ group and learned that her new book, Vo...
November 11, 2014
Local Author Open House
Get Your Holiday Shopping Done Early!
If you love to read, stop by the St. Charles City-County Library Middendorf-Kredell Branch located at 2750 Hwy K in O’Fallon on Thursday, November 13 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Over 50 local authors will be selling and signing their books. This is a great opportunity to chat with local authors about their books, take pictures, and learn more about the art of writing.
Books make great gifts! So stop by and say hello. You can purchase copies of Missing Girl and Th...
October 10, 2014
Excerpt from 60 Days
Here it is! The excerpt from my upcoming novel, 60 Days. The following passage is unedited because currently the entire book is going through the editing process. You know what that means? It means that 60 Days is getting closer to being available for you to get your hands on. Release date will be announced in the upcoming weeks. But until then, here’s a sneak peak!
If you like what you read, please share with friends, family, frenemies, anyone you know who loves to read. And, if they haven’t...
August 19, 2014
Define Your Life – Reject Traditional Media Standards of Beauty and Success
I wanted to take the opportunity with this blog post to acknowledge three inspirational and courageous women that I have had the pleasure of communicating with over the past several months. As a writer and a woman always striving to tackle new goals, it is important to forge connections with people in my life that understand the desire and sometimes the struggle to achieve those professional and personal milestones. Along my publishing journey (and,...
July 17, 2014
St.Louis Authors Are Hitting It Big in the Publishing World
Since beginning my writing and publishing journey, I have discovered that talented writers are not always found on the New York Time’s Bestsellers List. In fact, many talented writers may very well be your neighbors. Today’s post highlights authors that are from or currently reside in St. Louis. Although these writers may have geographic similarities, you’ll find that they are quite diverse. So, if you are looking for a new book to take on vacation or want to feed your ereader and stay up lat...
July 13, 2014
Get Branded
Photo courtesy of http://www.theatlantic.com
So you wrote a book. That’s an accomplishment that many people never achieve. For some people just knowing that they completed such a monumental task is enough, but for the majority of authors it’s just the beginning of an even bigger goal. If you have decided to embark on the self-publishing journey, the ultimate destination is most likely recognition and financial freedom. Who doesn’t imagine the life of a successful novelist? These are colossal g...
June 20, 2014
Revolt Against Traditional Social Media and Reach Readers the Old-Fashioned Way
Photo courtesy of http://www.theatlantic.com
Selling books requires more than writing a compelling story with complex characters and thought provoking storylines. It requires a high degree of marketing. Unless you are published by a major publisher that is ready to pour money into making you a success (and let’s be honest for the 99 percent of published authors out there that isn’t going to happen), the marketing is going to be left up to you.
In today’s world of social media, reaching your int...
