by StephenOliver | Apr 18, 2021 | Other People's Work, Publishing, Writing
This is not one of my posts but something I am cross-posting from Edgeverse with their permission. It says something I’ve long suspected and have been saying for some time. I remember reading an interview with Frank Zappa in NME years ago. Despite its claims to...
by StephenOliver | Mar 24, 2021 | Writing
Here are some thoughts I had during a writers’ retreat in May, 2019, but it’s still as true now. “I can’t write because…” Name your problem: space, time, people, inspiration, whatever. I have heard this, seen this, read this, more times than I care to...
by StephenOliver | Mar 14, 2021 | My Books, Publishing
As I’ve promised before, it’s time to talk about rejections. “Rejection” is a harsh word to hear when you’re a writer, even though it’s part of the process. It’s painful to get a rejection because it means that someone doesn’t like your writing for some reason. And it...
by StephenOliver | Feb 17, 2021 | General
Have you come across The Pomodoro Technique [unsolicited plug]? It’s a method of dividing up your work time, to ensure that you work in a concentrated manner in short bursts, a bit like HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) for the brain. Basically, you set a timer...
by StephenOliver | Feb 14, 2021 | Publishing, Writing
Despite the horrors of Covid-19 and lockdowns, I hope this year brings you joy, good experiences and new knowledge. Apropos knowledge, I remember coming across a “law” of life some time ago, similar to Murphy’s Law: Roger Lincoln’s 2 Rules for Success:1. Never tell...
by StephenOliver | Jan 28, 2021 | Publishing
One of the problems of the modern writer is getting noticed by agents and publishers. There are places you can search, of course, like Query Tracker or Submission Grinder. But that’s hard work, working your way through hundreds of entries to find a couple that...
by StephenOliver | Jan 18, 2021 | Publishing
When I first started submitting my work to agents and publishers a couple of years ago, my writing coach Annalisa Parent told me that it is a numbers game. I didn’t understand what she meant. However, I did submit 75 times from the beginning of May last year and...
by StephenOliver | Jan 2, 2021 | My Books, Publishing
Some time ago, I self-published my self-help book “Unleash Your Dreams: Going Beyond Goal Setting” on Smashwords. Unfortunately, the automated analysis program called “The Meatgrinder” had problems with my formatting, but did not tell me...
by StephenOliver | Dec 10, 2020 | Interview, My Books, Publishing
I mentioned some time ago, in the post Another Interview, that I was interviewed by my friend Janine Bolon, a writer from America. We talked about being a writer, and what that can entail. Well, a few weeks later, we got back together again and had another chat, this...
by StephenOliver | Dec 3, 2020 | Other People's Work, Publishing
This is not part of my publishing career, but I would like to promote a novel written by a friend of mine, Philip Cumberland. It is a cross between a time-travel adventure and a police procedural, with intense descriptions of local colour. The premise is fascinating,...
