Writing and Publishing
Meet Barbara Hinske, Author of Coming To Rosemont — A Debut Novel
Somewhere in a crabby moment, I wrote that the self-publishing industry exists for those who work in it; namely, the printers, publicists, promoters, contest sponsors, etc. A horde awaits the arrival of every neophyte author into the arena, eager to capitalize on the writer’s aspirations, ignorance, and boundless belief in self. All of that is…
Read MoreSelf-Publishing Industry Targets Writers as the Consumers
Anybody with the bucks can publish a book. It’s no longer a big deal, although an author can tap into an allotted fifteen minutes of fame basking in the praise of family and friends—hardly the most objective critics. There’s a misnomer at work. Self-publishing or publishing-on-demand only means printing. Bringing a book to market should…
Read MoreRevised Priorities Dictate a Change in Format for this Web Site.
I started this web site nearly two years ago. During that time, I have posted 109 different articles on a variety of subjects. The web site has built up of a following of approximately 450 visits on a rolling 30 day period with nearly 70% of those visiting the site doing so for the first…
Read MoreBarter Theater Performance of “October, Before I Was Born” — Reviewed by John J. Hohn
The play October, Before I was Born, a gritty drama directed by Mary Lucy Bevins, takes place on October 4, 1960 with the explosion at the Aniline Building at the Tennessee Eastman Company complex. Conveniently, the television is disabled at Martha Matthews’ residence, which program notes tell the audience is a home supported by blue…
Read MoreInternet Marketing Requires High Impact Photography to Attract
Authors who self publish face many challenges in marketing their work. In my previous posts, I tried to establish several key concepts: The task of Internet marketing is to attract. Promotional efforts must focus on identified markets with available points of entry. No data attests to the efficacy of one approach over any other. Sales…
Read MoreSelf Publishing Succeeds only with Competent Marketing.
I chose the self publishing route for my novel, Deadly Portfolio: A Killing in Hedge Funds, and went to press with it before I understood all that was involved with marketing a book. I assumed my experience as a career salesperson, as I have reported in previous blog postings, would carry me. I wanted to…
Read MoreSelf Publishing for Fun and Profit
I spent most of my career in sales. When I retired to devote myself full time to writing, I did not expect that my experience would translate meaningfully into my new venture, especially when I decided on self publishing. Writing is art, after all, and not to be sullied with coarser toil like selling stuff.…
Read MoreWriters Group Success Depends Upon Attention to Organizational Priorities.
I decided to try it again. Join a Writers Group. I have participated in four different writers’ groups over the past several years. Only one was a positive experience. While I am willing to allow that the negative outcomes may have had a little (or even a great deal) to do with my own dynamics,…
Read MoreInternet Sales Require Trust Building Skills of the Salesperson
Recently, I was asked if my experience as a successful career salesperson transferred into the world of Internet sales, an area in which I am actively promoting my novel, Deadly Portfolio: A Killing in Hedge Funds. My initial response was that no, that it did not. Then I began to think about it. My publisher…
Read MoreOutskirts Press Defends Self-Published Book Pricing Policy — Astonishing!
I was so astonished to receive one comment to my previous post, “Pricing Your Self-Published Masterpiece? Caveat Emptor,” that I sent the man who wrote it, Mr. Kelly Schuknecht, Outskirts Press, an email asking him whether he really wanted his comments to appear on the Internet. Since he submitted it as a comment to my…
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