Articles — Reading Tips, Book Lists & Author Stories

5 min read

11

The Pricing Mistake Most First-Time Self-Published Authors Make

Pricing feels like a small decision, but most first-time self-published authors make the same costly mistake with it. Here's what to do instead.

#self publishing

5 min read

10

Self-Publishing in Translation: An Underused Growth Strategy

Translation tends to get treated as a traditional publishing milestone. Here's why it's also a realistic, underused growth strategy for self-published authors.

#self publishing

5 min read

13

Why Print-on-Demand Quality Varies More Than You'd Expect

Two copies of the same print-on-demand book can look noticeably different. Here's why print-on-demand quality varies more than most authors expect.

#self publishing

5 min read

12

Rights Reversion: What Happens When a Self-Published Book Gets a Second Life

Rights reversion usually comes up in traditional publishing, but self-published authors deal with their own version of it. Here's what a second life can look like.

#self publishing

5 min read

12

The Hidden Costs of Self-Publishing Nobody Mentions Upfront

Self-publishing is often pitched as low-cost, but several real expenses rarely get mentioned upfront. Here's what new indie authors actually end up paying for.

#self publishing

5 min read

13

Writing Life

Free Tools for Tracking Subplots Across a Series

Subplots tend to get lost somewhere between book two and book four of a series. Here are free tools that make tracking them genuinely manageable.

#book culture

6 min read

24

behind-the-book

The Art of the Unsaid: Weaponizing Subtext and Strategic Silence in Dialogue

The most powerful line in a scene is often the one nobody says. A character who almost confesses something and changes the subject. A silence that stretches one beat too long. Subtext and strategic silence are not decoration on top of dialogue. They are often the actual content of the scene.

#fiction writing

15 min read

20

writing insights

Don’t Let the Stories Die

Real Stories come from the REFLECTIONS of Real People

#writing tips #historical fiction #collecting stories

Jodi Lea Stewart

6 min read

23

writing insights

A Skunk in Stilettos and False Eyelashes is Still a Skunk

Being Correct While Bypassing Stinky Grammar/Punctuation Jargon

#writing tips #fiction writing #grammar and punctuation

Jodi Lea Stewart

2 min read

16

writing insights

Don’t be a (Writer) “Rebel Without a Cause”

These days, it’s fun and exciting to think of oneself as an outlier… a rebel. That’s okay, but when it comes to our writing, where do we draw the line between rebelling with style and doggedly following all the rules? Here’s my take on it…

#writing tips #grammar #punctuation

Jodi Lea Stewart

5 min read

13

Community Voices

What Book Discovery Sites Get Wrong About Genre Filtering

Most discovery sites organise books by broad genre labels, but that's rarely how readers actually search. Here's where genre filtering tends to go wrong.

#self publishing #book discovery #author life

5 min read

19

Books & Culture

Podcast Guesting for Authors Who Hate Self-Promotion

Self-promotion doesn't come naturally to every author. Here's how to approach podcast guesting in a way that feels genuine instead of forced.

#author life

6 min read

18

Community Voices

The Quiet Power of Backlist Promotion: Reviving Old Titles Without a Relaunch

Old titles don't need a dramatic relaunch to find new readers. Here's how steady, low-key backlist promotion can quietly outperform a one-time event.

#book discovery

5 min read

13

Books & Culture

Why Some Indie Authors Are Deliberately Slowing Down Their Release Schedule

Rapid release has long been indie publishing's default strategy. Here's why a growing number of authors are slowing down instead, and what's driving the shift.

#author life

5 min read

15

Community Voices

The Overlooked Writing Communities That Aren't Reddit or Discord

Reddit and Discord aren't the only writing communities worth your time. Here are the quieter, often more useful spaces most writers overlook entirely.

#author life #reader community

5 min read

490

Books & Culture

Beyond Amazon: Where Indie Readers Actually Discover New Authors

Amazon dominates book sales, but discovery is a different story. Here's where indie readers are actually finding new authors before they ever search a title.

#book culture