In this post, I discussed the findings of a scientifically incontrovertible study (of myself) on the factors which influenced me when buying a self-published book. The findings surprised me (which surprised me, because I was surveying myself). I found that I knew what made me buy a self-published book when it was in front of…
Month: July 2014
Tark and Mara Search For Meaning
In a universe close away from here, Mara was feeling philosophical. “I’ve been thinking,” she said, knowing without a five-o’clock-shadow of a doubt that Tark would want to hear what was going on inside what was, by far, the heaviest part of Mara’s size zero frame. “Have you, my platinum preying mantis?” said Tark. He…
An Arts Festival Is No Time To Get Creative
Writing.ie has published an article I wrote about the fiasco that was my attempt to get writing last week, whilst out west for the Galway International Arts Festival. Go on. You know you want to read it. Go on. Seriously. Your week would be incomplete without it. If you don’t, you might never know why, ever…
Through the Looking-Glass: Power. Money. Baldness
Tark and Mara who? I did warn you. Explanation here In a universe not far from here, but somehow very like here, Tark was busy writing. “Darling, what are you doing?” asked Mara, newly transplanted eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement and distrust. Her husband’s industrious expression was severely out of place in their six-bedroomed chrome-and-mirror penthouse. Tark never…
What Makes Me Buy A Self-Published Book?
It’s summer holiday season. Therefore it’s self-published e-book time. I’m currently loading up to my Kindle. But what makes me choose one non-traditionally published book over someone else’s? It’s tough to know which marketing works, and which doesn’t; as a reader, I have to say that I find a lot of book marketing intensely annoying, and at best…
This Summer I’ll Be Reading My Ego: The Farce of Holiday Reading Lists
All the newspapers are doing their “Recommended Holiday Reads” for 2014. Of the ones I’ve seen, only the one in the Sunday Times wasn’t hilarious. The Sunday Times listed books by genre, giving their picks of the best romance, crime, thrillers, non-fiction etc this year. So far, so sensible. However, every other paper I read…
The Cynic’s Guide To Blogging
Tomorrow is my 1st bloggerversary bloggaversary Blogiversary! (Pause. Wait for silence). It is, though. On 9 July 2013 I started blogging about book sales, writing for money in an environment where there is no pay for writing, and other things generally in the book and writing worlds I felt like poking fun at. Anyway, I thought I’d celebrate…
10 Reasons Why Being A Writer Is Like Working In Middle Management
1. Both the people at the level below you and the people at the level above you suspect there is no need for you at all. 2. You’d rather not be at your desk most days, but if you didn’t have a desk to go to, you’d probably die. 3. You do all the work,…
On Blogging, And Memories Of Those Who Never Were
Following on from my last post, in which we discussed online personas, factual or ridiculous, I’ve been thinking about a couple of characters I dearly miss from blogging misadventures past. One very talented writer whose blog I love (thank you, Elaine Canham) suggested that whatever personal stuff writers say about themselves online could just be made up. This made me…
Tara Sparling writes 