Low-cost marketing opportunity for authors: The Dark & Grim LGBT Book Giveaway

Dark & Grim LGBT giveaway logo

One of my favorite fantasy authors, Olivia Helling, is looking for authors of LGBTQ fiction who enjoy spinning grim yarns to participate in a giveaway on BookFunnel. Whether yours is a fantastical story falling into the grimdark or horror genres, or a novel that’s simply heartbreaking, this could be your opportunity to reach new readers. … Read more

Review: BlankPage distraction-free writing app

A lot of writers swear by distraction-free writing apps to help them get their work done. I’ve never tried one before, but probably should have, given how often I accidentally click away to Facebook in the middle of writing a story. So I was interested to see today that AppSumo is offering lifetime access to BlankPage for only $25. Access to the app usually cost $10/month. I decided to check it out. … Read more

Tax Season Is a Time to Keep Cool: A Writer’s Guide to Missing 1099-MISC forms and Unpaid Royalties

person doing taxes

It’s tax season here in the United States, and questions popping up on many author boards is, “What do I do if my publisher didn’t send me a Form 1099-MISC?” and “Can I deduct unpaid royalties as a loss if my publisher closed?” This article covers who needs a 1099-MISC, what to do if you don’t get a 1099-MISC or get one that’s wrong, and how little the IRS cares about your unpaid royalties. It also discusses reporting publishers you suspect of tax fraud. … Read more

Choosing an e-Newsletter Service: An author’s first impressions of SendPulse

If you don’t have an author email newsletter yet, you need to start one. Here, Dale gives a brief comparison of the email marketing services MailChimp and SendPulse for sending newsletters, with a look at ease of use, customer service, options, and price considerations. … Read more