Why Reviews Matter
Amazon is big. Really big. It's a Walmart the size of Rhode Island, with a flea market out back the size of Texas. You're welcome to set up a table at the flea market; Amazon doesn't mind since it costs them nothing and they get a cut. You place a little stack of...
Author Update: 7/2/14
Well, I missed my scheduled Tuesday blog post this week, but I'd like to think it was for a good cause. Last night I finished the manuscript for World-Ripper War and sent it off to the editor. Next up: working on the detailed outline for the final book in the Mad...
Ask an Author: Do I need a writing outline?
I've been self-publishing for close to a year and a half now, and while that might not make me an expert, it is an ever-evolving landscape, and current knowledge is the most valuable. I'm active in the Reddit community and always available on Twitter, ready to answer...
Worldbuilding On the Go
Writing is a time-consuming endeavor. Especially when you have limited time available for your writing, the last thing you need is to spend that limited time on non-writing tasks. Worldbuilding it not writing. It might be related, but it's just a background task. It's...
If You Could Have Magic
What kind of magic would you want to have, if you could have the magic from a famous novel or series? If you leave the choices too open ended, you'll never get any sort of groundswell behind just one; there are just too many magic systems out there. So for the...
War in Fantasy
War is a common topic in fantasy. Not every story is about a war, or contains one, but at least in epic fantasy, they are more common than not. There is something about the scope and the stakes involved in war that fit the typical epic fantasy mold. How those wars are...
Secret Project Revealed
Secret Project Command has given clearance to discuss the Secret Project. As it turns out, I'm a contributor to an upcoming short story anthology, called The Dark Beyond the Door, which will hopefully be available coming came out June 1. J.R. Karlsson has rounded up a...
Crazy Fandom
There is something admirable in taking something to its fullest extent, then saying to yourself, "no, that's still not quite far enough." I was reminded of this recently when a fan presented Brandon Sanderson with a homemade shardblade, a weapon from his Stormlight...
How to Write a Book Review
Are you a shy reviewer? Not sure how to write a book review? When someone tells me they've enjoyed one of my books, my general response is to first thank them, then ask if they've considered leaving a review. As a relatively new author, I still actively seek out...
2014 Reading Update (May)
Back at the end of 2013 I laid out a selection of books I intended to read in 2014. Having just finished the first books (I still have the sequels of Mistborn to go, as well as picking up sequels for the other series), I thought it would be a good time for another...