Category: Publishing & Career-Building

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Why Sequels Are Harder to Write – Guest Post by Hope Bolinger

Why Sequels Are Harder to Write – Guest Post by Hope Bolinger

Posted on by R.M. Archer

Today we have a guest on the blog! Hope Bolinger is a YA author and literary agent, and this post is part of the blog tour to promote her upcoming book: Den. Stick around to the end of the post to read more about that.

Have you ever read a sequel and thought, “Meh. The original was better”?

Or have you ever felt that a book didn’t need a sequel, and that the author simply wrote a second book because their publisher said, “Stacey, you sold a million books. We need a second installment NOW!”?

Believe it or not, authors get intimidated by writing sequels. Even if we’d originally planned for a series, we worry that our second book will end up like so many other second installments to popular books: mediocre at best.

In this article, I’ll break down some of the trickiest obstacles to writing a sequel, and how to overcome them. Continue reading “Why Sequels Are Harder to Write – Guest Post by Hope Bolinger” →

Reading for Writing: What Authors Should Read

Reading for Writing: What Authors Should Read

Posted on by R.M. Archer

I’m guessing that everyone here is a reader. I’m also guessing that most of you authors began writing out of a love for reading. When you started, reading was a grand escape and a fun leisure activity, and you read whatever you wanted whenever you wanted, but now that you’re an author you hear people saying “Read these books to improve your craft!” “Don’t read those or you’ll take too much inspiration for your own books and write a copy!” and other dos and don’ts that could make reading less enjoyable. We start reading for writing instead of reading for reading, which has its benefits but also its drawbacks. Here’s what I personally think authors should read (hint: it’s pretty much everything) and why each category is beneficial. Continue reading “Reading for Writing: What Authors Should Read” →

Indie Publishing 101: What NOT to Do

Indie Publishing 101: What NOT to Do

Posted on by R.M. Archer

Over the past few weeks I’ve talked about the pros and cons of both traditional and indie publishing, what’s really involved in self-publishing, and what you can get away without. This week, I’m going over the things NOT to do if you’ve decided to self-publish. Continue reading “Indie Publishing 101: What NOT to Do” →

Indie Publishing 101: Non-Negotiables (and what you can get away without)

Indie Publishing 101: Non-Negotiables (and what you can get away without)

Posted on by R.M. Archer

Last week I wrote about the (extensive) ideal process of indie publishing a book. However, sometimes the ideal isn’t plausible, your goals aren’t for a long-term career, you just want a foot in the door, etc. There’s a long list of reasons you could get away with only adhering to some parts of that list. So this week I’ll be discussing which items on the list are non-negotiable and which can be waived. I’m pulling all of these steps directly from my previous post, so check that out for explanations of what I consider each step to entail. Continue reading “Indie Publishing 101: Non-Negotiables (and what you can get away without)” →

Indie Publishing 101: What Does It Really Take?

Indie Publishing 101: What Does It Really Take?

Posted on by R.M. Archer

Last week I talked about the pros and cons of self-publishing versus traditional publishing, and this week I want to talk about the steps to publish a book if you go indie. From first draft to marketing after you’ve published, indie publishing (and traditional publishing) takes a lot of time and effort, and I want to shine a light on some of the concrete steps to publish a book if you go the route of indie publishing. Continue reading “Indie Publishing 101: What Does It Really Take?” →