Wouldn't it be nice if we could all be great, artistic writers that instantly connect with our readership? I mean, that's the dream. But we can't all be Shakespeare, and we have to respect reader expectations in order to make that dream a reality. So, here's my learned lesson on balancing originality with reader expectations in the hopes that maybe you can avoid the pitfalls I fell into.

I usually get to a point in revisions where I throw my book back to my editor with a plea for help. Oftentimes, I'm stuck in the loop of over-editing. What does that mean? I end up spending too much time on things that don't really matter - or don't matter at this stage - and I end up wasting valuable time. This is the biggest problem with over-editing: we lose sight of the bigger picture. Here are some suggestions to know when to stop polishing.

Withholding info is an art form, whether you’re trying to build suspense, create big, shocking twists, or you’re just following a main character who is missing a lot of information themselves. It sounds simple—just don’t share certain details until they become necessary—but a lack of context or explanation can very quickly tip over from “I’m excited to learn more” into boredom, confusion, or easy distraction. Which is when readers DNF. But this is how I fixed those things in

As an author and editor, I have a unique perspective on the editing and revision process. I'll walk you through my process using feedback I got from my editor on my new book, A Traitor Among Tyrants (book 2 in the award-winning Artyra Chronicles)

Well, I don't know about you, but it's been an interesting few years for me. In January, I tend to get bogged down by all the New Year's resolutions and "new year, new me" propaganda. I used to love sitting down and mapping out the yearly quarters. The past few years have taught me that I don't have the stability or the energy to dive into that kind of plan. So, I shifted my focus.

I honestly still feel like it's January. Somehow a whole year has gone by, and my brain hasn't managed to catch up at any point. But, in an effort to remember where the time has gone (and to actually celebrate the wins), why don't we take a little trip down memory lane?

It's pretty hard for me to believe at this point that three years have already passed since I started my foray into the publishing world. While I feel like my journey is both unique and not unique at all, I've made my share of mistakes. This month, I thought it might be fun to share some of the biggest lessons I've learned as an author-slash-editor.

Obviously, when it comes to copy editing, there's a reason we hire things out. But my favourite thing about self-publishing is accessibility for a wider audience, and sometimes that means opening financial barriers. Not everyone can afford to hire multi-level editing every release. While this post won't be all-encompassing by any means, I have compiled some of the most important details that should help you self-copy-edit.

There's a ton of talk about marketing books - especially as self-published authors. What's the "right" way to do it? What's the method that will gain thousands of followers overnight? I wish I had a straight answer for you. But the one thing that remains true across the board is that the best seller of books is word-of-mouth.

When I wrote the Part 1 to this, A Thief Among Liars was just a fledgling tale making it's first steps into the real world. Now, it has a cousin in Seiber. So, let's break it down. What did I do differently? Where did the idea come from? What would I have changed?

When I published my first book, I didn't really know what I was doing. I read a lot of articles, talked to a lot of self-pub authors, and built my own plan. So much of it was trial and error. And I did it all virtually alone. The second time around, I knew I wanted things to be different. So, I set out to build my own publishing team.

Today, I share an interview with Kit Aldridge. We talk her debut novel, Unraveled, trad publishing vs. self-publishing, and her author mascot.

A character needs both an internal goal and an external goal in order to feel relatable and to drive the story forward.

When everyone is using socials to market, and there are more ads than organic content, is it still the best way to reach readers?

The path to publishing is an exciting (if daunting) process, one which has led many authors to spiral with self-doubt. But the biggest...

If you're a writer, you've probably experienced the dread of procrastination. So I've compiled 5 strategies to get that first draft finished

Writing a book is hard. You might scoff at that sentence. You might smile to yourself in quiet agreement, having gone through and...

While I hate trial-and-error, it's a great way to learn and I learned a lot from publishing my first book. Join me to learn from my mistakes

Dive into the breakdown of IngramSpark, Amazon, and Draft2Digital to find the best Print on Demand fit for you!

You’re an author who needs a map for your newest masterpiece of literature. I’m a fantasy cartographer who thinks you can make a banger map.