Artists and creatives face unique challenges with being entrepreneurs. I used to think my ability to write rather easily wasn’t all that unique. I thought everyone was able to formulate ideas and translate them to text and put them on a page or screen in the same way that I could. But over the years,…
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How are New Tools Ignored, Adopted, Adapted, and/or Abused?
It’s all about the choices made for them and their use. In the distant past, all art was one-of-a-kind. Even a reproduction of a work – text, art, or both – was a singular production. For thousands of years, books, scrolls, maps, and other art were created solely by hand. This is part of what…
And Now For Something (Kind of, But Not Entirely) Completely Different
Something different for me and my writing/publishing game, at least. As I’m sure you’re sick of reading by now – I started writing sci-fi when I was 9 years old. Wildfire is a 50-page, illustrated book you will never read. After Wildfire, I started but didn’t finish a few other projects. Then, at age 13,…
Let’s De-beta the Beta Reader
No debate, that just sounded funny in my head. What is a beta reader? A beta reader is someone who reads an unpublished work specifically to give feedback to the author. They are expected to comment on any plot issues, pacing, continuity, and other storytelling matters. Along the way, they might catch a few errors…
How Do I Navigate the Changing Landscape of Writing and Publishing?
There’s no right or wrong answer, just lots of options. When I finished my first sci-fi novel – 50 handwritten and illustrated pages – at the age of 9, I tried to get it published. For the creation of a 9-year-old, it wasn’t bad. But neither was it good. As I got older and (I…
What Can You Do with the Power of Art?
Art is both empowering and powerful. The power of art is apparent in many, many forms. Paintings, sculptures, books, architecture, music, acting, dance, fiber works, and so many other places. And within each of these, numerous genres, subgenres, themes, schools, types, variations, and more. Art is the ultimate in human expression. Creations for beauty, thought,…
I’m Striving to Keep Doing What I Love to Do
What I love is a combination of things that all tie to one thing. I love storytelling. Recently, I went to the big medieval event I attend every August with about 10,000+ people. For 9 days or so, I lived in a canvas square pavilion (10×10 feet, 5 poles, the center is about 9 feet…
Making Choices to Change My Business Model
Altering my path as an authorpreneur When I first began to self-publish, I used CreateSpace. Via this fantastic website, I could format both an eBook (Kindle) and paperback for publication – mostly to Amazon. I started slowly. It began with some of my nonfiction works. This, in time, would be moved to a separate name…
Consistency in Doing Your Art is Deeply Satisfying
I love how it feels to consistently reach “the end”. While everyone – and I mean everyone – is a creator in one form or another, not everyone is an artist. There are a wide range of arts to consider. Fiber arts, music, dance, painting, sculpture, writing, cake creation and decoration, and so much more….
Websites, Social Media, Email, and Other Marketing Tools of Self-Publishing
Writing is only the first step of the creative process for self-publishing. When I first started writing – as a 9-year-old – and completed my first sci-fi story; more than anything, I wanted to be a published author. Visions of my books being on the shelves at all the bookstores and in libraries danced in…