Independent publishing shifts control back to the creator—removing gatekeepers but demanding more discipline in return. These posts explore the realities of going it alone: production, distribution, marketing, and the constant balance between creative freedom and the practical demands of reaching readers.
AI hashtag generators can scan an image and produce suggestions in seconds, but speed does not guarantee relevance. For authors and book bloggers, the trick is letting artificial intelligence identify possibilities without surrendering judgement. The machine may recognise the photograph, but only the writer understands the story hiding beneath it.
Save Writing Hashtags. Let An AI App Take Care Of That For You. Read More »
Finding clear information on improving a website’s search performance is much harder than it should be. The search begins as research and quickly feels like walking into a marketplace disguised as a library. After enough searching, the information starts to feel dirty—polluted by people who benefit from convincing website owners that something is broken but […]
Do Google Search Console Reporting Gaps Reveal Its Indexing Speed? An Author’s SEO Diary Read More »
Author Michael Forman joins Bree Hartley to bring Linda J Bettenay’s Secrets Mothers Keep to life through theatrical readings. A year after discovering Linda’s search for an actor at Araluen, Michael returns to the gardens for the release of Wishes For Starlight, where he celebrates and enjoys the wine too.
Book release for ‘Wishes For Starlight’ Read More »
On 9 February 2024, I began writing a post every day. Nine hundred and nineteen writing days later, the habit has reshaped my author site. New articles joined carefully refreshed older work, while irrelevant pieces disappeared. This is what daily blogging taught me about discipline, editing, purpose and connected writing.
Writing a Blog Post a Day: What 919 Consecutive Days of Blogging Taught Me Read More »
SEETHINGS is available far beyond Smashwords and Draft2Digital. Readers can find the trilogy through familiar retailers around the world, including Amazon, Apple Books, Kobo, Waterstones and many more. I’ve created a country-by-country guide with direct retailer links, making it easier to buy eBooks and paperbacks locally without creating another account.
Where to Buy SEETHINGS: Find a Retailer in Your Country Read More »
Should independent authors load the car with books and sell them face to face, or build an audience online? Drawing on two very different author events, my own publishing choices, and years of digital promotion, I examine the costs, rewards, missed sales and long-term reach of both marketing paths today.
Should Authors Sell Books in Person or Market Them Online? Read More »
Podcasting from home means battling humming microphones, barking dogs, noisy appliances and the neighbour who fires up his leaf blower at the worst possible moment. Between electrical interference, late-night recording sessions and endless editing, producing The Dirty Rabbit Hole is rarely quiet—but it is always honest and deeply personal.
Podcasting at Home: The Humming Microphone and That Damn Leaf-Blower Guy Next Door Read More »
Promoting an independently published novel involves far more than posting on social media. An author’s website provides the stable centre: a controlled space where useful articles, topic clusters and internal links help search engines understand the work, attract suitable readers and quietly guide them towards discovering—and ultimately buying—the books themselves.
Promoting Novels Through Online Channels and Self-Publishing Read More »
Can WordPress help fiction authors find readers and sell books? A website offers a permanent home for excerpts, ideas and the themes behind a novel. But publishing alone is not enough. Authors must create inviting pathways that turn passing visitors into curious readers—and, eventually, loyal ones who return again.
Should Fiction Authors Use WordPress to Promote Their Content? Read More »
RSS can hide more readers than a website owner realises. This piece looks at anonymous subscribers, unseen downloads, stripped-back feeds, and the strange discovery that people may be reading your work regularly without appearing in your usual stats, comments, emails, or subscriber lists.
How Many Anonymous Fans Are Taking In Your Content Via RSS? Read More »