In the world of web, the difference between testimonials and reviews isn’t much. Defined though, a testimonial is a statement and a review is a critique. While the terms tend to reflect generation, the Google generation vs the hand written letters generation, the point is that they are important. In the world of books, a […]
The importance of keywords
Keywords are the words and phrases that Internet users type into search box of a search engine, such as Google, to find what websites that match what are looking for. Keywords are the same in books when you publish them. The keywords you choose for your book(s) is just as important as the keywords you […]
Author websites, yes or no?
In the coming weeks I’m going to be discussing author websites. There are many questions regarding whether you need one, what you should have on them and how to market them. This first question is about their necessity. Q. Is it necessary for an author or writer to have a web site? Why? A. If […]
How to market on a shoestring budget
A few weeks ago I was interviewed for a column and wanted to share some of my insight to help future authors. This industry, the book publishing industry is a challenging one. It is chock full of pitted roads and sharp turns and navigating those streets are not easy. But as a fellow author, one […]
What is the best advice you can give to ...
Howdy y’all! I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted any updates but I’ve been busier than I ever thought I could be! .and I’ve survived! I must tell you that after building a house, it feels quite excellent sitting behind a computer at my brand new desk. I’ve spent most of this year […]
Do author websites need a blog?
Today’s question is a popular one, primarily because blogging can be time consuming. If you are spending your writing time writing something other than books, are you utilizing your time effectively? Q. Do I need a blog on my author web site? How do I gain blog followers? A. I go back and forth on […]
Free ebooks to get the word out
Today I’ll be focusing on a very important question in regards to marketing, Free E-Books. You’ve spent a LOT of time writing your book – to give it away for free – is it worth it? Well that depends… Q. Have you found it effective to offer free ebooks to “get the word out?” A. […]
How to successfully market your book
Last week I wrote about how I was interviewed for a column titled, Author Questions FOR Successful Authors. That was not only an awesome feeling of joy, but humbling as well because someone considered little ‘ol me a success! Insert big grin here. Well after typing up my responses I realized this was incredibly helpful […]
An Interview with Hamilton Troll
Good morning everyone, today we have a real treat for you! We are sitting down with Hamilton Troll the star of the award-winning educational children’s book series. Hamilton, what is the very first thing you want your readers to know about you? I’m about six inches tall. I live in a hole next to a […]
An Interview with Jared Jarren – Constel
Howdy folks, today we are going to interview the main character from the book “Constellation Crimes” because his story is as crazy as they come! Jared we hear you have a new book out and it’s all about you. Would you like to tell us about it? That’s right. It all started with an eerie […]
A picture is worth a thousand words…
First off, Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope your day is as perfect as this picture. That being said, I’ve been asked to give some more writing points so here is one: description is key. A writer is supposed to paint a picture with their words and here is a great way to practice that. Take […]
DEAR Texas Radio Interview Part 3
Interviewed by DEAR TEXAS Radio: Author Kathleen J. Shields tells all! The following weeks I will be posting short clips from my radio interview from Wimberley Radio 94.1 FM KWVH and their latest show DEAR Texas Radio. These questions really dug down deep into the mind of author Kathleen J. Shields where she discusses all […]
How to Write Great Dialogue
I’ve read quite a few articles and posts lately regarding dialogue and was shocked at how many people have issue with writing conversation. Writing a conversation is one of the easiest things to do (in my opinion) … but maybe it’s because I am crazy enough to talk to myself. Many of the tips and […]
Square vs PayPal credit card processing
Many years ago my husband and I ran a business where we had a credit card processing terminal. It was a good size box that needed electricity and a phone line. Cost a monthly equipment fee, plus processing and transaction fees. It was quite nice to have even with the fees as it helped our business […]
10 Most Common Grammatical Mistakes
As an author (or reader) I see grammatical mistakes everywhere and cringe. While I see it primarily with friends, family, collages and fans – I cringe most when I see other authors doing it. Yes we edit our work – but I try incredibly hard NOT to make those mistakes (especially on social media) because the […]
Wiki? Hamilton Troll
Hamilton Troll – Species Classification (A short chap with a cheery smile, whose face can be seen as far as a mile) The word troll brings about fear and disgust in many people. There are plenty of stories and variations of troll species, most of which exhibit unfavorable traits and bad behaviors. Some say trolls […]
Where are the book sales?
I just received a newsletter entitled “Why won’t my book sell?” and to be honest, after reading it, I felt they were doing the author wrong… They start out with: You wrote a good book, you are pleased with its looks, you’ve done some social marketing but the sales you’ve gotten are mostly from […]
School Visit & Reading – Watch Videos!
Hello All, I know it’s been a week since my last post but that is because I’ve been editing and creating videos to share with you! I recently did a reading at: Blackshear Elementary Fine Arts Academy in Austin, TX and was privileged enough to have a videographer from the Texas Association of Authors record […]
Website Frustration & the Good ol’ Days
The other day I received an email from my grandfather, basically venting, regarding the frustration he experienced while attempting to order a couple of bath mats online. I read through his email and started to chuckle, because we all have been there. Links that don’t work Not compatible with Internet Explorer Flash that isn’t operating […]
Monopoly didn’t teach us right
I used to play Monopoly with a young friend of mine. He was actually very good. He would buy a property and immediately put a hotel on it that way he can get the largest amount of rent. I would buy a property and maybe put a house on it, that way I could get […]
San Marcos Daily Record Article About Me
I was so honored today to have seen this amazing article written about me and my children’s books. I just wanted to share it with everyone. This is a link to the PDF so you can read it… Local’s childrens books rally against bullying behavior