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ethics

Branding: The Right Way vs. the Wrong Way

Painting of an R in a circle with text: Authors, Trademarks, & Ethics

A crazy story erupted on social media with the hashtag #cockygate involving authors, Amazon KDP, and trademark law. One author is attempting to prevent others from using a word in their book titles, as she mistakenly thinks our book titles are our brands.

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May 8, 2018

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Reader Connections, Fake Personas, and Catfishing

Yellow figurine on pile of fake coins with text: When Does "Fake" Become "Fraud"?

Many authors try to create a sense of friendship and connection to their readers. But some “authors” aren’t authors at all—they’re marketing people using ghostwriters and fake personas to trick readers into forming those connections.

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April 17, 2018

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When Does Disagreement Become Bullying?

Two men arguing on a couch with text: Can We Disagree without Being a Bully?

Several situations related to the line between disagreeing and bullying have been swirling through Publishing Land recently, so I want to address the subject while it’s relevant. That said, I’m sharing my opinion in this post, and you might have a different opinion. That’s okay.

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August 29, 2017

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When Fiction Is Better Behaved than Reality

Stick figures holding hands with text: Consent Matters: In Fiction & in Life

Recently, the U.S. election insanity dragged in the romance genre. Uh, wait, what? Some memes have claimed women shouldn’t be mad about the words used in Trump’s bragging because…Fifty Shades of Grey. Let’s explore this idea—without politics. *smile*

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October 11, 2016

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Egos in Publishing: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly

Big close up of a head with text: Egos in Publishing

Everyone has an ego, a sense of how they fit into the world. In the publishing world, that “everyone” includes the newbie writer and the multi-published NYT bestseller, the professionals of traditional publishing and self-publishing. Sometimes egos are healthy and helpful for getting things done. Other times…not so much.

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March 22, 2016

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Author Newsletters: 6 Tips for Smart Strategies

Line up of information dispensers with text: 6 Tips for Author Newsletters

Approximately seventy bajillion new books are released every day (give or take a few bajillion). Our newly released books might have a hard time being noticed, so when we find readers who like our work, we want to make sure they’re still in our audience for our next book. Enter the email newsletter.

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January 14, 2016

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