Alliepottswrites

At the time of this writing, you’re still with us. You’re sleeper than you were before, which is somewhat hard to believe, and quieter too, but you are just as sweet. It’s funny to think of how we’ve grown together and what you’ve helped me accomplish. Considering how often we called you lazy, thinking back to those early years, it is impressive how much we experienced together. Remember how you…

Need an excuse to get out of an upcoming camping trip? Do these authors have a story for you.

Amazon has rules. Rules about who can and cannot post a review. Rules about what you, as an author, can and cannot say about another author’s book in your review—unless you don’t mind getting all your reviews taken down. The appeal process isn’t exactly biased toward forgiveness either. So when I say this post is not a review, believe me. But I want to talk about this book, and more importantly…

The advances in AI platforms are impressive, but not without their risks.

Artificially intelligent (AI)-powered chatbot software programs like Open.AI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Bing AI, and Google’s Bard all offer the promise of a quick and easy way to generate content. This might be great if your goal is simply to churn out as much content as you can hoping something might stick or go viral, but these platforms are not without flaws that can hurt you more than help if…

Some advice for anyone else out there considering launching a new social media presence

The future of Twitter is uncertain, leaving many to wonder where to take their social media addiction next. An alternative that has seen a massive upswing in registered users in the days following the announcement of Twitter’s new direction is Mastodon. While this service offers a similar platform for networking and sharing thoughts, it is not a drop-in replacement and does require a bit to get…

Recent changes to social networks could soon result in the loss of many writers' words unless we take steps to preserve them. I thought I'd reshare some of mine:

I often compare novel writing to running a marathon, and like running a marathon, you are more likely to survive the experience if you train. For me, pushing my creative muscles involved dabbling in the occasional flash fiction or taking part in a micro-fiction prompt. It occurred to me that recent changes to social networks, where many of these challenges take place, could soon result in the…

It's my latest book's launch day, so I thought I'd share how the story came to be

I am happy to announce that as of this post’s publication, Project Gene Assist: The Complete Series is available for purchase in both ebook and paperback editions. In it, you can find all three books in the trilogy: The Fair & Foul, The Watch & Wand, and Lies & Legacy in one convenient volume. But what is Project Gene Assist about exactly? Well, like all stories, it’s a journey, and one that…

What's the difference between a box set and an omnibus edition? If it is a new book, does it even matter?

Box sets are what we in the publishing world refer to as a collection of multiple books packaged together. However, while they are sold as a single sellable item, the end consumer is able to remove an individual book from the set at their reading pleasure. An omnibus edition, on the other hand, combines multiple books into a single bound volume that can’t be separated unless you were to slice…

What's in a Word? Announcing a Collection of #FlashFiction #Indiebook @sarahbrentyn

We’re big on “no spoliers!” in the Potts household. At least as far as our entertainment goes. Holidays and birthdays are a different story. We can keep an ending or a surprise twist to ourselves, but it is all my kids (and sometimes, their dad) to do not to share hints about the presents they are giving well before the day of the event. I’ve gotten into a habit of not taking them shopping until…

Reflections on a New Old Release

Those with sharp eyes may have noticed that I’ve updated my various banners across most of social media. A few were even kind enough to reach out and ask about it. The reason is, I have another title on my shelves — Metaphorically Speaking: Reflections on Happiness, Success, and Other Fictions. Yet, while this is a new release, it feels like an older one too. This is because it is a collection…

How I'm Reigniting My Creative Spark During the Time of COVID #amwriting

What has it been like to launch a post-apocalyptic book that takes place following a period of economic collapse and mysterious pandemic during an actual economic downward tailspin, series of stay at home orders, and side of civil unrest to boot? Well, let me be the first to tell you it’s been as rewarding as you would expect it to be.

In short, my book launch flopped.

Don’t worry.…

How to Set Your Self-Published Book’s Price

The following is the last installment in my I Want to Self-Publish – Now What? series.

Let’s be clear, convincing people who don’t know you or haven’t followed your exploits on social media to buy your book is hard. I mean really, reallyhard. Luckily, self-publishing allows authors to do something those who have pursued other publishing paths cannot. Namely set your own price, which on the…

Author SEO: Easy First Steps for Improving Your Book’s Chances for Discovery

This is another installment of my I Want to Self-Publish: Now What? Series.

According to the United National Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 2.2 million titlesare published each year—and that figure is based on data pulled from 2013, so it’s likely even higher by now.  This means if you do decide to self-publish, it isn’t enough to write a great book, you will need to…

The Key Terms You Need to Know to Set up Your Print Book

This is the fourth post in my ongoing I Want to Self-Publish series and picks up on where I left off on print books and book printers.

In most cases, ebook distributors allow you to upload a word doc file, which they will then convert into a file format that will work on a variety of reading devices. Sadly, book distributors are not nearly as accommodating when it comes to setting up your print…

Print Book Formats and Printing Options

The following is part three in my I Want to Self-Publish: Now What? series

I love my kindle, but there’s nothing like the smell and feel of printed words on the page. That said, it takes a lot more work to transform a manuscript into something that people will be proud to display on their shelves than it takes to get your book into an ereader’s device manager. In addition, once you hit publish,…

Ebook Formats: The Quick Guide for Getting Your Book On Digital Shelves

The following is a continuation of my I Want to Self-Publish – Now What? series.

I was, and am, a reader before I was a writer. I take pride in my overstuffed bookshelves. I love the look and feel of a printed story. Unfortunately, I have only so much space in my house for books. Tragic, I know. Thank goodness for the invention of ebooks and the ereader.

Ebook Formats

Ebooks are the digital…

I Want To Self-Publish – Now what?

I recognize that not all of my readers are also writers, nor are all my reader-writers considering the self-publishing path. However, for those that are, I thought I’d peel back the curtain, so to speak, and provide another glimpse at the wild and wonderful world that is taking control of your literary destiny. The next few articles are for you.

So you’ve made the decision to self-publish.…

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to, but I won't (maybe). Lies and Legacy is go for launch

I’ve hummed the refrain from It’s My Party by Lesley Gore more than once over the last few days. You see, I had every reason to celebrate this week. After seven years of work and over a quarter-million words, I’d finally added the phrase ‘The End,’ to my science fiction trilogy, Project Gene Assist.

Unfortunately, the universe has a funny sense of humor. My series, which, I repeat,germinated in…