Tag: Indie

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Book Review: Write Compelling Fiction by L.J. Martin and Craig Martelle.

Write Compelling Fiction by L.J.Martin and Craig Martelle is a non-fiction title offering hints and tips on how to write compelling fiction.

The Cover: The cover for this book is a typical non-fiction cover. With its bright yellow cover it stands out, yet sits nicely amongst the brand of books in this series of titles for indie authors. Personally, I don’t feel the image conveys the content of the book, but it does hint that it is to do with writing. The title confirms what to expect from this book and sits clearly on the cover with strong contrast and a nice clean font.

The Good Stuff: I found the content of this book to be on point. It covers a lot of ground on the key factors that make up good writing. It is done in an inspirational way, which is I have found to be a consistent theme with these titles. This book would be a good addition to any writer’s tool box, from beginner to veteran writer. If you do not learn anything new, at the very least it will serve as a reminder of the things to be aware of.

The Bad Stuff: The examples inside this title are mainly based on westerns (which makes sense as one of the authors writes in this genre.) I really wish it had been geared towards the fantasy genre, I think I would have enjoyed it so much more – but hey, you can’t always get what you want. There is some repetition, especially with the prose used to present the concepts and techniques, but again, this makes sense.

Overall, I found this to be a great book about the craft of writing that offers tried and tested techniques used in good writing. This one earns a page turning 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks from me.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here. You can also find his titles available in libraries. If you liked this post please share it with your friends on social media.

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Book Review – Collaborations by Craig Martelle.

Collaborations by Craig Martelle is a non-fiction title that provides information on how to collaborate on writing projects with other Authors.

The Cover: As far as I’m aware, there is only one version for this book. It is bright, stands out, and is branded so as to align with other non-fiction titles in the Successful Indie Author series. I find it presents as a business focused title, which ultimately it is. Once again, I’m not a real fan of the colour choices, but the cover does grab your attention, the font is clear, and the cover successfully conveys that this is a non-fiction title.

The Good Stuff: There is a lot of great information in this title. The content was very informative for me and opened my eyes to what is involved in a collaboration. Not just the work, but how to protect yourself and the co-authors rights, etc… I like Craig Martelle’s down to earth, no-bullshit style. He claims to be a blue collar author, and I am convinced this is the truth. I believe it is well worth investing in this book if you are looking at collaborations. You may save yourself and others a lot of trouble.

The Bad Stuff: What can I say? It’s a great book. There is some repetition, but I’ve found that in this series of books and I feel it is just to hammer the point home. It didn’t bother me at all, but it may irk others. At the end of the day, there is a lot of value in this book for anyway looking to form a collaboration.

Overall, this was another easy and enjoyable read. It was very informative, gets you thinking about things you may not have considered, and provides some example contracts for different types of collaborations. After some discussion with my imaginary friends, we’ve decided to give this one 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here. You can also find his titles available in libraries.

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Book Review – Become a Successful Indie Author by Craig Martelle.

Become a Successful Indie Author by Craig Martelle is a non-fiction motivational guide for Indie Authors.

The Cover: There are two covers I’ve seen for this book. The first cover is bright and stands out. It typically represents a business focused non-fiction title, but the image is a fairly good representation of the content inside. Personally, I don’t love the colour choices, but the cover seems to work for this book. The second (and the cover on my copy) is more tailored to authors, the colours are more neutral, the font clean and clear, and the title wraps up what to expect within. I much prefer this cover, I just find it easier on my eyes.

The Good Stuff: I actually really enjoyed this book. I found the content to be very informative for new authors, it is also very motivational and inspiring. Not only that, it is a very down to earth, no-bullshit, kind of book, written in plain language. That is always a bonus in my mind.  

The Bad Stuff: I don’t believe there was any bad stuff really. The large majority of the content applies to anyone who embarks on the course of Indie Authorship, however, this book is aimed at an American audience. It has content specific to that region, but that is the target audience, so I guess I can’t knock it for that. I would just say to those outside the U.S. who read it, be aware of this and research what is required for you in your country. A specific example of this is the section on setting yourself up with an EIN and/or an LLC. These refer to an Employer Identification Number and a Limited Liability Company. The Australian equivalent would probably be a Tax File Number and a Trust.

Overall, I found this an easy and enjoyable read. It was informative and inspiring. I’m going to give this title a positively influenced 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here. You can also find his titles available in libraries.

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