R.L. Herron's Blog, page 8

How Do You Find Readers?

So … you’ve written and just indie-published your book and now all you have to do is find fans, right? Good luck. You’re probably going to be disappointed in what I say next, because I’m not going to offer a magic way to get a ton more readers. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works, and […]

What’s a Successful Book Signing?

Orion Township Library – Book Signing, December 3, 2016. Before we really get into this, let’s agree on the term “successful.” I define it simply … your books are there, you have a place to sit and you sell a book. Sounds nutty, right? Really, it’s not. The Real Purpose The purpose of a book […]

Do Book Awards Matter?

Receiving Readers’ Favorite Award, November 2016 That depends on you, your book, and what you hope to achieve from entering contests. We know from Bookscan sales data that very few book awards actually help to sell books. The Pulitzer does, but most others make no measurable difference. Sadly, from experience I have to agree. I’ve […]

Why Do We Have to Market, Anyway?

  Just saying the word marketing is often enough to send a chill through most independent authors. Some liken it to a carnival thrill ride that spins you ’round and ’round endlessly. It can be scary. But I assure you it needs to be done. Where to Begin? Take an objective look at your website […]

Why Does Your Book Pitch Matter?

There’s a Lot of Noise Out There. As a writer, I find I’m always listening to other people’s conversations. Don’t get me wrong … I don’t do it to eavesdrop … it’s just a habit I developed to help me understand how people really talk to each other. It’s enormously helpful when crafting realistic dialogue. […]

Writers’ Conferences … Good, Bad or Indifferent?

Michigan Woods in the Fall My bride and I have plans with some dear old friends in the evening on Saturday, October 8, 2016 … but I’m spending the day at the Ninth Annual Rochester Writers’ Conference at Oakland University. I’ve found it to be one of the best one-day conferences around … a tribute to […]

Are You Writing Because You Like It?

The Renaissance Center – GM World Headquarters on the Detroit River. Eight years and six months ago I was sitting in my cubicle by the window high in the 400 Tower of the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit, waiting for my professional writing career to begin. In truth, it wasn’t the beginning of a career. […]

Are Your Monsters Memorable?

  There have been a couple of dark characters in my recent books. Real monsters. It seems almost counter-intuitive, but writing about them was actually a lot of fun. I’m sure we all think we know about monsters. They lurk in dark corners and come out when everyone is asleep. We see their shadows at […]

Rain Writing?

I’ve been watching it rain today. Big deal, you say. Actually, it is. There hasn’t been much rain here lately, so the soaking we got today was very welcome. It also gave me the perfect excuse to take a summer weekend day and spend it indoors. I try to write a little every single day, […]

Why Write?

Fireworks Over the Detroit River. As we ease into the holiday, I sometimes look back on things I’ve talked about here. I often get asked why I write, and if you follow this blog you know it’s one of the subjects I’ve mentioned before. I don’t know that I’ve ever said it’s sometimes a tough […]