A book shop often fulfills similar functions, including author events (Iryna Varanovich / Pexels.com) A recent trend I’ve noticed is the sudden abundance of “author” or “reader retreats”—events designed to put authors and readers in close contact. Many of these are cropping up in the romance space, where readers might be fanatical about an author’s work. Authors, certainly, are always looking for...
Ahoy, matey! The Jolly Roger ready to set sail with a boatload of booty– I mean, books. (Mike Bird / Pexels.com) At this stage in the game, we all know book piracy is pretty rampant. Whether it’s someone in a country where the major stores don’t operate, or it’s someone who is tight on cash who still really wants to read a book, or someone is trying to stick it to “the man,” or it’s someone...
(Caio / Pexels.com) It’s a truth, universally acknowledged, that an author with a new book coming out must be in want of some ARC readers. Except this author. Fuck that noise. Over the last year or so, I came to the conclusion that I’m not going to do ARCs anymore. Here’s why. What Are ARCs? First off, what is an ARC? It stands for “advance reading copy.” It’s a super traditional thing in...
June has arrived, and with it, Pride Month 2024 has kicked off. Pride started in the 1970s to protest the treatment of queer people, both by law enforcement and society at large. The Stonewall Riots were the last straw for many queer people. They were frustrated by living in fear and denial, always under threat of violence from the state. Pride parades became a way of protesting this oppression...
A friend and I were discussing this topic a little while ago. I’d seen a recent social media exchange about it. Some folks expressed disdain. They couldn’t understand why people would want to read “predictable” romance novels. Stop me if you’ve heard this one … (Summer Stock / Pexels.com) And that’s a fairly understandable stance. I mean, I roll my eyes at a lot of Harlequin-type...
It’s hard to believe we’re at the end of yet another year. Most of us are already looking forward to 2024 and making plans, goals, and resolutions for the next twelve months.As we do that, though, it never hurts to look back at the year that was. Taking a moment to pause and think about what we did well, what we accomplished, and what we’d like to do differently is almost never a misstep.Of...
Some say it's censorship. Others want to leave the past in the past. The point stands: there are plenty of reasons not to edit old books.
AI is all the rage right now, owing largely to ChatGPT and Midjourney. While enthusiasts laud the capabilities of these new tools and call artists and authors “Luddites” for not adopting it, I think there are some very good reasons to steer clear of them right now. (Tara Winstead / Pexels.com) Here’s why I, as an author, won’t be using artificial intelligence to help me “write faster”—and why I...
Can turning to book reviews help you improve as an author? Ehhh, probably not--and here's why they shouldn't be your go-to for critique.
Some folks like to go around threatening to sue over copyright when people "steal" ideas. So, how does copyright work? (Hint: not like that.)
Coming January 28! Get set for more intergalactic hijinks when a monk inherits a HOST CLUB ON THE PLEASURE PLANET!