One of the many questions that pops up in writing groups is which apps are the best for writing. I did a comparison of pure writing apps here, but there is more to writing than just writing. What? What else is there? Plenty Besides writing, there are apps that help you write, apps that help you organize, and apps that help…
Writing Clearly I wrote before about writing plainly or writing clearly, but it was not much more than a brief intro. It’s time we looked a little harder at the issue. Two-dollar words do nothing to clarify communication, but their use is a major factor in muddying the waters (making things less clear). But this…
How to Write Plainly Not too long ago, writing was the primary means of communicating so writing plainly was more than just important, it was imperitave. People sent letters to family, friends, lovers, and others. Writing was also used to conduct business, from initial introductions to finalizing a deal. How to write plainly was taught…
Writing a Good Novel Writing is an individual endeavor. I don’t mean it can’t be done jointly, but it is usually done alone; therefore, the ways people choose to write tend to be individualistic as well. One person may insist on writing every day in complete solitude. Another may only sit at the keyboard on…
The Best Mystery Book What makes the best mystery book? Ask ten people and you’ll likely get some overlap, but I’d be willing to bet you’d get at least 7 different opinions. Some might say it’s the dialogue that keeps them turning pages; others would swear it’s the character development; while a few may proclaim…
ISBNs For eBooks Many authors choose not to buy ISBNs for ebooks, although under certain circumstances— especially with distributors—you still need them. Depending on which distributor you use, you might have to pay a small amount for that unique identifying number. I know that Smashwords and Draft2Digital offer them free. Bookbaby and eBookpartnership and a few others charge a small amount—Bookbaby charges $19,…
A lot of companies try charging you for copyrights. Should they? Do you need a copyright for your book?
Before we dig deeply into barcodes and ISBNs and why any of this is needed, let’s get one thing out of the way.
If you intend to sell your print books in stores—yes, you need a barcode.