Random Musings

How Tightly Do You Control Your Blog?

January 12, 2012 Random Musings
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We’re in the middle of the Pitch Your Shorts pitch session with Entangled Publishing.  If you have a 10-60K word story with strong romantic elements, check out that post for details on how to pitch to six(!) editors. During the pitch session, I’ve had to lock down comments to make sure things run as smoothly as possible. [...]

Tagged as: advice for writers, blogging, branding, Jami Gold, paranormal author, professionalism, risk, website

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Are All Cheap Ebooks Crap?

December 20, 2011 Random Musings
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In my last post, I asked how much people would be willing to pay for ebooks.  Most comments agreed with my thoughts: Ebooks should be less expensive than paper books because of DRM, ownership, quality, and physicality issues.  What surprised me, however, was the number of people turned off by $0.99 ebooks. The comment section [...]

Tagged as: advice for writers, authors, branding, ebooks, ereader, feedback, Jami Gold, Kindle, paranormal author, self-publishing, social media, story openings

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How Much Are You Willing to Pay for an Ebook?

December 15, 2011 Random Musings
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Readers come in all types.  Some buy hardcovers, others wait for paperback, some only borrow from libraries, and still others buy the super-deluxe collector’s edition of their favorites. I’ve always thought of myself as a paperback reader who would spring for the hardcover for “keeper” books, but the ebook revolution is making me take a [...]

Tagged as: advice for writers, ebooks, Jami Gold, Kindle, paranormal author, professionalism, self-publishing, traditional publishing

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Do You Enjoy Fantastical Stories?

November 29, 2011 Random Musings
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We’ve talked about the importance of keeping our stories believable, but the fantasy genre (and all its subgenres) require certain aspects to be unrealistic. Character types and plot points involving dragons, superheroes, vampires, etc. are all beyond the reality of our world.  What does that mean for the reader? A few weeks ago, my friend [...]

Tagged as: genre, Jami Gold, non-fiction, paranormal author, romance haters, romance novels, Wendy Sparrow

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The Best Reason to Blog – Part 2

November 24, 2011 Random Musings
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Today is Thanksgiving in the U.S.  The day we eat too much food, roll our eyes at the antics of our extended family, and think about all the things we’re grateful for.  Or in my case, wait for the tryptophan to kick in from the turkey so I can catch up on sleep. Last year [...]

Tagged as: blogging, deadlines, feedback, happiness, Jami Gold, paranormal author, RWA, social media, Twitter, writing contests

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What Food Fuels Your Writing?

October 25, 2011 Random Musings
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After all the serious posts lately, I need a break for something fun.  And oh look, the calendar is playing along. It’s getting close to one of my favorite times of the year: Halloween.  As a kid, I loved dressing up (in one of those semi-lame-made-from-stuff-in-mom-and-dad’s-closet costumes), going out trick-or-treating, turning our basement into a [...]

Tagged as: happiness, Jami Gold, life balance, paranormal author, Twitter

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Have You Ever Been Interviewed?

August 18, 2011 Random Musings
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Today I’m being interviewed at two different blogs.  This is only the second time I’ve done interviews for my writing (the first time is linked here), but I’ve decided I really enjoy them. I don’t mean that in a narcissistic, oh-I’m-so-important way.  Rather, I get a kick out of seeing what other people ask about. [...]

Tagged as: blogging, branding, editing, guest blogs, Jami Gold, paranormal author, perfectionism, professionalism

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What Wrong Turns Have You Made?

August 9, 2011 Random Musings
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Kristen Lamb asked an interesting question on her blog last week, Are We Born to Create?  Her posts often make me think and inspire my own posts here.  (Her unofficial muse skill is one of the reasons I’ve dubbed her “awesome-dipped-in-glitter” (TM).  *smile*) More specifically, she wondered if creative people are born to create.  Many [...]

Tagged as: dreams, emotional heart, genre, happiness, Jami Gold, Kristen Lamb, muse, paranormal author

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A Rating System for Books, Part Two: How Can We Include Context?

August 2, 2011 Random Musings
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Thanks once again to all who responded to my last blog post about whether books should have a rating system.  And I say that not just because I didn’t need my flame-proof jacket.  *smile* Many shared thoughtful ideas here on my blog, Google+, and Twitter that helped me refine my opinion.  If you haven’t read that article [...]

Tagged as: antagonist, beta reader, book ratings, feedback, head-hopping, Jami Gold, omniscient, paranormal author, point-of-view, romance novels, Twitter

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Should Books Have a Rating System?

July 28, 2011 Random Musings
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This must be the week for me stepping into controversial topics.  It’s a good thing I’m still wearing my flameproof jacket from my last post on plot vs. character.  *smile* It’s been a while since Meghan Cox Gurdon’s article at the Wall Street Journal and her contention that young adult (YA) books are too dark.  I’m [...]

Tagged as: book ratings, censorship, genre, Jami Gold, Jami's rants, listening to characters, muse, paranormal author, self-publishing, traditional publishing, YA

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