Posting daily for 30 days on Instagram: Tactics & Lessons learned
In May, I came across an Instagram post that mentioned posting daily as one way to grow both on the platform and fuel mailing list growth. Many authors and influencers make a point of posting daily, so I decided to take the bull by the horns and try it. Here’s how I did it and […]
Five things I wish I knew before commissioning art as an author
Over the last two decades or so, I’ve approached haircuts in different ways: Going in and saying “I trust you, do your thing” and the opposite extreme of “here are some images of the style I’d like.” There was also the one time I used a verbal reference to a celebrity’s haircut, and the hairdresser […]
10 lessons from my first year of being a published author
On March 20th, with the arrival of Spring came my “bookversary”: My debut young adult novel “Flight of an Orphan Thief” turned one! Without dwelling on the fact that technically this post is late and I missed my first baby’s birthday – we authors and mothers carry enough guilt as is! – I wanted to […]
Deleted Scene from “Flight of an Orphan Thief”
While “Flight of an Orphan Thief” is told exclusively from Ayla’s perspective, here you discover a deleted scene from Ro’s point of view.
Author interview: Claude Forthomme on why not to self-publish, a love of writing, and multiculturalism
Claude Forthomme and I crossed virtual paths when I was the Head of Communications for the Women’s Brain Project and we collaborated on a piece on brain health for Impakter, where she is a Senior Editor. A few years later, after I finally read her book “Crimson Clouds” (yes, I have a monster TBR pile), […]
Author Interview: Ryan Artes on the Poetry of Identity
Have you ever met someone who was poetry? I met Ryan Artes serendipitously when I was in my last year at university, and we realized with a start that we shared two very close friends, even though we had somehow never crossed paths – until we did. Fifteen years later, when he told me he […]
Self-publishing on Amazon KDP: 6 Lessons
Back in March, I self-published my first novel. It has been an exciting journey, and I thought I would share some lessons learned about the whole process of self-publishing using Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (or “Amazon KDP”). Going in, I decided I would keep things as stress-free as possible, understanding that as a first-time self-published […]
A letter to my Impostor Syndrome
Dear Impostor Syndrome, While I know you’re always lurking, I appreciate that most of the time my cheerleader voice is louder than yours. You might be frustrated that despite your insistence to stick around, I refuse to let you interfere in all the things I set out to do. Fair, I suppose. I’m frustrated that […]
Advance Reader Copy: The magic of ARCs
I remember when I first came across the term “ARC”, short for “Advance Reader Copy”. It sounded like a promise and a responsibility, but more importantly, a badge of honor – and proof that you weren’t a bystander, a mere spectator. You had a toe in the backstage waters. What’s the difference between being a […]
Cover Reveal!
It’s done! It’s here! And I’m so excited to share… Here is the cover for “Flight of an Orphan Thief”, my young adult fantasy debut novel coming out March 20 this year: How it came about As mentioned in my last post “Book Cover Design: Where to begin?“, the options were numerous and almost overwhelming. […]