For Readers (and Authors, too)
This blog is for anyone that reads my books, as well as for anyone else who is self-publishing, thinking about self-publishing, or just curious about what it’s like to be an author during rapidly changing times. Whenever you visit here, I hope you’ll share your own comments and thoughts. If you’d like to know whenever I post a new entry, please type your email address into the box in the right-hand column and check the appropriate box (and the newsletter one, too, while you’re at it).
So, How’s That Election Work’n Out for Ya?
Or so we might hear Sarah Palin taunt a liberal. Just about every other pundit in the media, however, continues to scratch their heads in wonder, asking themselves, “Can this many people really, I mean really, be voting for Donald Trump?!? Well, if they had taken the time to read a recently released thriller by an unknown political satirist, they’d know that the answer could be, well, maybe not. read more…
What’s Really Happening in New Hampshire Today?
So far, the 2016 US presidential election has borne an eerie similarity to the plot of my book, The Lafayette Campaign, A Tale of Deception and Elections. Totally improbable candidates have shot to the top of the polls, and then succeeded in the Iowa caucuses. Which raises an interesting question: would you rather think that an election could be hacked, or that Americans really would vote in droves for someone like Donald Trump? If that’s too depressing a question to confront, you can escape from that disquieting reality for a few minutes by seeing how the New Hampshire primary unfolds in my book instead. Here goes. read more…
Indie Author Meets Animal Farm
There’s a heart-warming story in the New York Times this morning that tells the tale of a brand new independent author with a flair for marketing who not only turns her first erotic novel into a best seller, but goes on to start her own imprint and build similar success for equally talented Indie authors who don’t have that special marketing gene. Great! you say? Well, maybe not so great. Read on. read more…
Does Discount Book Promotion Work?
It seems as if more and more entrepreneurs are jumping into the book promotion e-newsletter business. The good news is that there are many services to choose from. Predictably, the bad news is that most produce few sales, and sometimes none at all. As with almost everything else in the self-publishing world, there’s no convenient source to consult to find out what works, and what doesn’t. In this post, I’ll provide the results of my own experiences as a starting point for others to work from. I’ll also provide advice on how to choose the services that may work best for you, and how to get accepted by the most competitive services. read more…
Welcome to the New Website
Over the past month I’ve been writing about my plans for revamping my self-publishing approach in several ways, including rebranding and creating an author website more suited for serious self publishing. What you see above and around this post is a big part of the result, although there’s a lot more going on as well. So what do you think?
Branding (and Re-Branding) for Authors
The desirability (or even the concept) of establishing a brand may not come naturally to many authors. Branding may appear to have nothing to do with authorship, or seem to cheapen the author’s craft, or represent an intimidating task to carry out – or perhaps even all of the above. But for non-fiction writers, and particularly genre authors, a brand is an important and unique tool to forge and to hone.
How to Build (and not Build) an Author Site
When I released my first book four years ago, I wasn’t convinced I needed an author site. After all, an Amazon Author Page includes most of the basic elements needed to establish a web presence, and it’s free to boot. I decided to build one anyway for the experience I’d gain in doing so, and now it’s time for a major rebuild. Here’s why. read more…
Max Power Recommended Read Awards 2015
One of the great things that happened to me as a writer this year was being invited to join a great author’s support group on Facebook called the Indie Author Support & Discussion group. It’s chock-a-block full of great writers who are also great at sharing their experiences, recommendations and time. And some even give awards.
Myths, Mysteries and Coming of Age: An Interview with Author Julia Lund
Back in July, I reviewed a fascinating new novel titled Selkie, by English author Julia Lund. I’m now pleased to present an interview with the author, in which she shares the inspirations for her work, her thoughts on defining an audience (or not), balancing lyricism with action, and more. read more…
A Happy Birthday Book Review
Notching another year in the metaphorical – and rapidly diminishing – stick measuring one’s life is not exactly a celebratory event. In fact, it’s right up there with performing your morning check in to confirm that you haven’t sold any books. Again. But every now and then, someone you don’t know leaves you a really nice review, and that can make your day.
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