Using Ghostwriters: Authors vs. Author Mills — Guest: Shiloh Walker

Many have valid concerns about the ethics of using ghostwriters, but there’s a difference between the ethical use of professional ghostwriters and “author mills.” Shiloh Walker shares her insights into shady behavior.

 Read More
Using Ghostwriters: Authors vs. Author Mills — Guest: Shiloh Walker

The Ghostwriting Debate: Get the Facts — Guest: Shiloh Walker

Professional ghostwriting isn’t like the #CopyPasteCris plagiarism scandal. Author/ghostwriter Shiloh Walker is here to explain the hows and whys of ghosting, for both clients and ghosts.

 Read More
The Ghostwriting Debate: Get the Facts — Guest: Shiloh Walker

What Can Authors and Readers Learn from #CopyPasteCris?

In the recent scandal known as #CopyPasteCris, Cristiane Serruya plagiarized a lot of books. We’re looking at how it happened and what (if anything) can be done to prevent it from happening again.

 Read More
What Can Authors and Readers Learn from #CopyPasteCris?

Make Characters Unique with Layering

Somewhere along our learning curve as writers, we’re likely to come across the skill of layering. Layering can help us create unique characters, no matter how stereotypical or tropey they might be on the surface.

 Read More
Make Characters Unique with Layering

An Authors’ Guide to Creative Commons — Guest: Deborah Makarios

Post-NaNo and editing, how do we want to publish our work? Deborah Makarios shares her insights into what Creative Commons is and how it might apply to authors and our stories.

 Read More
An Authors’ Guide to Creative Commons — Guest: Deborah Makarios

Branding: The Right Way vs. the Wrong Way

A crazy story erupted on social media with the hashtag #cockygate involving authors, Amazon KDP, and trademark law. One author is attempting to prevent others from using a word in their book titles, as she mistakenly thinks our book titles are our brands.

 Read More
Branding: The Right Way vs. the Wrong Way

Reader Connections, Fake Personas, and Catfishing

Many authors try to create a sense of friendship and connection to their readers. But some “authors” aren’t authors at all—they’re marketing people using ghostwriters and fake personas to trick readers into forming those connections.

 Read More
Reader Connections, Fake Personas, and Catfishing

Do You Share Your Work in Progress?

The stereotype of a writer pounding away in isolation ignores how the online writing community gives us more options. We can work in secrecy or involve others by sharing our work in progress. There’s no right or wrong answer, but we should figure out which approach works better for us.

 Read More
Do You Share Your Work in Progress?

OnDemand Workshops & Blogging Basics

On social media, I often encourage people to ask me questions. That’s not a superficial platitude. I am pathologically helpful, so when a reader asked for my advice about blogging, specifically how we would start and when we should get started, I decided to do a mega-link post with all my tips.

 Read More
OnDemand Workshops & Blogging Basics

When Should We Start Building Our Platform?

In my post about book pirates and plagiarism, I mentioned that book bloggers and reviewers are now more wary of debut authors, especially those who are self-published. I don’t blame them. Some people out there are willing to do an insane amount of work to fake legitimacy. A book blogger exposed one author who created fake

Read More
When Should We Start Building Our Platform?