Nuggets for March

This is a great post about the cost of self publishing, but what I find really interesting is the pricing philosophy at the end
http://www.chancefortunato.com/zompoc-survivor-blog/the-other-cost-of-self-publishing-or-how-to-do-it-all-wrong-and-still-get-it-right

I sometimes need permission to do things in ways other than what's recommended by "best practices." This post has things to say about content editors that I already suspected, so if you're wondering if you really need a content editor, this is a post you need to read.
http://pjmedia.com/lifestyle/2015/01/17/in-defense-of-editing/

This appeared via Passive Guy a while back, but it's worth reminding everyone that you can widen your audience by working with another writer
https://davidgaughran.wordpress.com/2015/01/31/how-to-win-sales-and-influence-algorithms/

Jodi Henley has a good post about blurb writing
http://jodihenley.blogspot.com/2015/02/writing-blurbs-and-short-synopsis.html

I came across this post by Chuck Wendig that's thought provoking about what it really means to write strong female characters
http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2015/02/16/how-strong-female-characters-still-end-up-weak-and-powerless-or-do-they-pass-the-action-figure-test/

God forbid any of us ever experiences someone sending a DMCA to Amazon or any of our other retailers, claiming to own the rights to our works, but if it should happen, this site explains succinctly how to file a counter claim.
http://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/responding-dmca-takedown-notice-targeting-your-content

I recently had a problem with visitors to this site getting redirected to a commercial site. Eventually, I figured out it was the Mailchimp gadget I added causing the problem. I don't understand why or how that would be the case, but it certainly put me off using their services. So if I needed an alternative. Here's what I found. (And if anyone has anything to say about these business, please leave a comment.)
http://blog.capterra.com/top-10-mailchimp-alternatives-small-business-email-marketing/

Nuggets for April

Some interesting thoughts about pricing not just your new book, but your backlist
http://www.edwardwrobertson.com/2013/10/challenging-assumptions-pricing.html

Some tips for deep point of view
http://querytracker.blogspot.com/2013/12/going-in-deep-point-of-view-pov.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+QueryTracker+%28QueryTracker+Blog%29 

I'm giving a single link for this blog, but if you need inspiration for marketing your book, I suggest you explore this site extensively.
http://webbiegrrl.blogspot.com/p/branding-for-indie-authors.html

When you're writing your book blurb, it might be helpful to consider the research done by Bookbub.
http://unbound.bookbub.com/post/71990474519/5-test-results-to-help-you-market-your-ebook

Pricing strategies have been on my mind a lot lately, so Kristine Katherine Rusch's post caught my attention. I don't agree with everything she says, but it's all worth considering.
http://kriswrites.com/2014/01/15/the-business-rusch-pricing-discoverability-part-7/

Worried about your plot? Need to write a blurb? This is a great post to help with both.
http://emmadarwin.typepad.com/thisitchofwriting/2014/03/dont-plot-just-play-fortunately-unfortunately.html

FREE!

Now that I've got your attention . . .

For the next five days, January 18th through the 22nd, Snow White & the Eighth Dwarf will be free on Amazon.

Amazon willing, of course, since I have heard of them on rare occasion missing promo dates. But I don't expect any complications, so pop on over and pick up your free copy of my snarky retelling of the Snow White fairy tale as told by the eighth dwarf, Bitchy.

To entice you, here's Bitchy's take on the queen's magic mirror.

Now nothing good ever comes from listening to magical mirrors. Mostly, because their inhabitants are, by nature, obsequious bootlickers, but the trouble really starts when one goes rogue. This happens sometimes when a mirror is possessed by someone of high social status. The competition with human sycophants drives them a little batty. As a result, they turn on the very person they’ve been sucking up to. Their union considers this PTSD—Post Traumatic Suck-up Disorder—but they play the occupational hazard close to the vest because they believe—and rightly so—that this potential neurosis would hurt their image. Personally, I think mirror inhabitants are spoiled children who can’t stand not being the center of attention.
  
So hop on over to Amazon and pick up your copy.

I hope you enjoy it, and I'd love to hear from you if you do.