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Authors Tales

Is it a book? Is it a …?

Writing and publishing a book is the most amazing process – not just for the pride it gives you as an author but for all the doors it opens as a result.
If I hadn’t written those 33 stanzas in 100 Years of Ermintrude back in 2006, I simply wouldn’t be doing what I am doing now. [...]

Happenings

Let me tell you a story

Once upon a time, there was not much literacy, no books and certainly no Kindles.

If you had a story to tell, you simply had to remember it  Fairy tales and parables were invented and ‘Chinese Whispers’ made sure the details of each story changed slightly on each telling.

Apart from the printing press and the social web, [...]

Happenings

Move over Dan Brown !!

I love it when a new author with a new mission and a new purpose emerges kind of from nowhere.
I am especially pleased when the author makes the transition from non-fiction to fiction author.
Blogger, speaker and all round publishing guru, Joanna Penn – also known as @TheCreativePenn – has done just that with her new novel [...]

Happenings

Author Platform Part #001: Foundation

Getting a book written and publishing is an amazing achievement and anybody who does it deserves a big pat on the back.
Sadly, that first copy of your book arriving in a Jiffy bag is just one step on your path to fame and fortune as an author and that retirement to a life scribing on a [...]

Happenings

Becoming a Celebrity Author

Many authors think that writing a book and getting it published is equivalent to climbing to the top of a mountain in terms of achievement.
This is understandable and everyone who does this deserves a big pat on the back !!
The reality is that in terms of you and your book’s journey, you are probably about half [...]

Creativity

Your 1st draft in a month

A book is one of the best business cards you will ever have.
Having a book written around your domain expertise is a wonderful door opener.
If you would like to share your wisdom and knowledge with the world, it has never been a better time to get your book published and it has never been easier to [...]

Happenings

This is 2011

2011 is destined to be an enlightening year for many of us as we move into the main transition phase of 2012.
In 20:20 hindsight, I can see than 2010 was a year for laying foundations and clearing residual karma – see That Was 2010
2011 will be about us coming into our full power.
As a result of [...]

Authors Tales

That was 2010

So another year is nearly behind us and what a year it’s been.
For me, much of the ground work I put in place in 2008 and 2009 came to fruition and I’d like to send a big thank you out to all that have helped and contributed along the way.
Before launching into another year – and [...]

Happenings

What’s your word count?

I am constantly asked by authors how big their book should be and how many words should they write.

This often seems to be a barrier to people even putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) thinking that they will never have time to write a book.

The average paperback page takes around 250-300 words so a [...]

Creativity

You Thought You Had 5 Seconds

When people repeat the same thing often enough it can enter the common psyche and be assumed to be true.

A good example might be an urban myth like the lemmings jumping off a cliff. It’s now equally well known (or thought as such) that this was a staged scene in a Walt Disney friendly critters-type movie. [...]