After independently publishing NINE books since 2004, I'm still updating the way I put out books. Here is my current process, pared down to the bare essentials.
The Lifecycle of Independent Publishing as I Understand It (2021 Edition)
Made in Quarantine, Not 1950
I've waited most of my life to stand in front of this wall, and now that I'm finally here, I kinda hate it. I mean, I'm guessing most of this is tongue-in-cheek, poking fun at the ancient, backwards ways of our forebearers, but still. Maybe it's a good sign that everything on this wall was 40% off. Perhaps there were other people who stood where I stood and rolled their eyes just as I did.
It (Daniel) belongs in a Museum (of Ice Cream)
When it comes to getting the family out of the house during Texas summers, there are really only two requirements when choosing a destination: it has to be inside and it can't be outside. With that in mind, the four of us piled into the Highlander this past weekend and headed to the Domain where we had heard tell of an entire museum dedicated to that holiest of holy miracles, ice cream. Things...
How to Customize the Typology Theme’s Single Post Display For Fun and Profit
I try new themes every month, maybe even let them run for a week or two, but I'm always switching back to Typology. The theme focuses on your text and puts graphics and photos and complex designs in the background. If you want your words front and center, this is the theme for you. That said, there is something I don't like in the design, and you can see it on the single post page.
Sonic Boom
Like any good American parents, we got our son to go to school by promising him a treat afterwards. On Monday, Dom took him to Sonic for a lemonade slush. On Tuesday, I picked him up, and he demanded another, so I obliged. When Dom learned of this emerging pattern, she said “We’re gonna have to put a stop to that.” On Wednesday, the Sonic burned down. Now, I can’t prove Dom was responsible, but I...
State of the WIP: Talk dirty to me, Microsoft David
This month is all about the auditory readthrough. That means having Word read me the story while I follow along so my feeble human brain can't accidently skip a word. I actually do this twice: once in order of the character's chapters (skipping other POVs), and once in chronological order. Why this way? I don't know. This is just how it was taught to me by me.
And woe betide the creature who steps into her garden
The animals that pass the boundaries of our yard have
Flashes From the Verse: Epoch Quondam
It’s hard to recognize gunfire if you’ve never really heard it before. The sounds you hear on TV aren’t the most realistic, and they lack a certain proximity factor, a physical deforming of the surrounding air that you can feel at the base of your spine. Real gunfire is at the same time higher pitched and gut-rattling, such that you’re not sure how you’re supposed to respond.
Indie Publisher Marketing Starter Pack
Not pictured: the worthless scratch-off ticket that was supposed to pay for the marketing budget.
March 1, 2022 is the day. Probably.
I’ve been spending my free time trying to figure out a schedule that gets Vise Manor in your hands as quickly as possible. There was the hope of releasing it in time for Halloween (the story takes place in-universe around Halloween 2021), but there’s just no way to do that and have any expectation of quality. And there’s still so much to do. For example, I haven’t written...
