The e-reader has changed publishing in ways few people could have imagined less than a decade ago. When even seasoned professionals are baffled by seismic changes in the industry, how can an author cope? Catherine Ryan Hyde, #1 bestselling Amazon author of 26 current and forthcoming books including the iconic Pay it Forward, and Anne R. Allen, bestselling humor author and award-winning blogger, offer warm, friendly advice on how to sustain a writing career during this time of upheaval. You'll see a lot of books out there about how to write, and a whole lot more that promise Kindle millions. But this book is different. It helps you establish a professional writing career in this time of rapid change—and answers the questions so many writers are asking: • Does an author still need an agent? Can new writers still get published by Big Five publishers? • What about digital-only imprints, mid-sized publishers, small presses—or should everybody self-publish? How can you tell if you've found a good self-publishing partner, or a scammy vanity press? • Do fiction writers need a platform? What's the difference between a hook, logline and a pitch? And how are they different from the dreaded synopsis? Does an author need to worry about all that if planning to self-publish? • Do you need to spend endless hours on social media? Should all authors blog? What are the secrets of a successful blog? How do you cope with rejection, depression, bad reviews and other downsides of the writing profession? How to be a Writer in the E-Age answers all these questions and more in this fun, information-packed book.

How to be a Writer in the E-Age: A Self-Help Guide

Self-Help

HYDE, Catherine Ryan

Allen, Anne R.

Creativity

Catherine Ryan Hyde & Anne R. Allen

The uber-rich editor of Home decorating magazine loses everything, including her Ponzi-schemer husband, when their own luxury home mysteriously goes up in flames. But that's just the beginning of Doria's problems. . Homeless, destitute, presumed dead and branded a criminal the once proud Doria has a crash course in how the other half live. . Meanwhile reluctant sleuth Camilla Randall is facing homeless and destitution too, as Doria's husband's schemes unravel and take down innocent bystanders along the way. . When the mysterious Mr X. turns up at Camilla's bookstore expressing concern for the local homeless Camilla is smitten. By now one might think once smitten, twice shy, but for Camilla the search for love is a constant triumph of hope over experience. . As ever Anne. R. Allen weaves a unique blend of crazy characters [Mistress Nightshade, anybody?], crazy situations [would you believe a Colombian drugs cartel?] and laugh-out-loud one-liners that all somehow comes together and makes perfect sense at the end. . Oh, and did we mention the Wizard of Oz? . No Place Like Home is the fourth of the Camilla Randall Mysteries, but can be read as a stand-alone novel.

No Place Like Home: The Camilla Randall Mysteries # 4

Literature & Fiction

Humor & Satire

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

This comic novel was inspired by a real unsolved Hollywood mystery—the death in 1973 of David Whiting during the filming of the Burt Reynolds’ movie, "The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing". Whiting was found dead in the motel room of the married British actress Sarah Miles, which caused a massive media scandal. The cause of Whiting's death was never determined. When smart-mouthed Bryn Mawr freshman Nicky Conway meets Fitzgerald-quoting Alistair at a Princeton mixer in 1969, she falls for his retro, Jazz-Age charm. But she discovers he’s a con man obsessed with his own “Daisy”—British actress Delia Kent. After Alistair manipulates Nicky into nannying for Delia’s daughter on the set of a Hollywood film, Delia finds Alistair dead in her motel room. Local police can’t decide if it’s accident, suicide—or murder, in which case, Nicky is the prime suspect. Names and places have been changed for this fictional speculation on what might have happened that fateful night. "In The Gatsby Game, Anne R. Allen blends a perfect combination of witty, sharp narration, a plot that won't let the reader go, and nuanced characters that evoke our caring. A genre novel that artfully transcends its genre."- Catherine Ryan Hyde, #1 Amazon bestselling author "Dark, twisted chick lit with a side of laughter. Plus celebrities, murder and and a smart-mouth nanny." Ruth Harris. NYT million-selling author.

The Gatsby Game: a romantic-comedy mystery

"Okay, 'fess up." Mickie McCormack's eyes twinkled as she plunked a book on the counter. "If you're that distracted by the Internet you're either looking at porn or you're Googling old boyfriends."I felt my cheeks heat up. "Um, I'm guilty of the latter, I'm afraid. I've just run into an old boyfriend and he's invited me to dinner, but..."The bell on the door jingled. There he was. Captain Maverick Jesus Zukowski, six foot, three inches of tall, dark, and the-one-who-got-away. ***The Camilla Randall mysteries are a laugh-out-loud mashup of crime fiction, rom-com, and satire. Morro Bay bookshop owner Camilla Randall is a magnet for murder, mayhem, and Mr. Wrong. But she always defeats the bad guys in her quirky, but oh-so-polite way.In this stand-alone 7th episode, Camilla befriends socialite Mickie McCormack-a sexy, mysterious older woman who's going through a painful divorce. Mickie has been Googling her old boyfriends to reconnect and "remember who she used to be." Unfortunately every one of those boyfriends soon ends up dead. Is the serial killer Camilla's old boyfriend Dr. Bob? Or one of Mickie's old boyfriends? And can Camilla's old boyfriend Captain Rick protect her and her cat Buckingham from being fed to the sharks before she solves the mystery?

Googling Old Boyfriends: A Camilla Randall Mystery (The Camilla Randall Mysteries)

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Mystery

Independently published

Catfishing in America (The Camilla Randall Mysteries)

Thalia Press

A Sampling of Award-Winning Mystery Authors For You To TryIs there anything better than discovering a new crime fiction author you like - then finding out that they have plenty of books in their series for you to enjoy?From cozies to contemporaries, with a crime caper or two thrown in for good measure, A Sampling of Sleuths features short stories from 10 proven mystery authors, each one with strong backlists. It's a great, risk-free way to quickly explore authors you may not have heard of yet - and find the ones that you deem bingeworthy. After that, the rest is up to you...Featuring short mystery stories by:Anne R. AllenMichelle BenningtonKate FloraLise McClendonKaty MungerGary PhillipsJ.M. PooleSarah ShaberConnie SheltonSusan Slater

A Sampling of Sleuths: Short Stories from Bingeworthy Mystery Authors (A Thalia Press Anthology)

Phillips, Gary

Flora, Kate

Slater, Susan

Munger, Katy

Shelton, Connie

Shaber, Sarah

McClendon, Lise

Bennington, Michelle

Poole, J.M.

Short Stories & Anthologies

The Camilla Randall Mysteries are a laugh-out-loud mashup of romantic comedy, crime fiction, and satire: Dorothy Parker meets Dorothy L. Sayers. Downwardly mobile bookstore owner and etiquette expert Camilla Randall is a magnet for murder, mayhem and Mr. Wrong. But she always solves the mystery in her quirky, but oh-so-polite way. Usually with more than a little help from her gay best friend, Plantagenet Smith.This sixth episode in the series brings back some of our favorite characters. Camilla is, as usual, on the brink of financial disaster when a trio of wacky women enter her life and the questions (and bodies) start piling up.Why does everyone think Camilla has the lost Portuguese crown jewels? Will homicidal Mack Rattlebag discover Camilla's boyfriend Ronzo only faked his own death? And what has turned polite little Buckingham into an attack cat?It's one surprise after another in this warp-speed comedy-mystery. Ronzo helps Camilla keep her struggling Morro Bay bookstore afloat with his unexpected tarot reading skills...until the lover of one of his tarot clients turns up dead on the beach. It's up to Camilla and Ronzo-and the tarot cards-to solve the mystery.Meanwhile, Camilla's ex-husband Jonathan Kahn resurfaces, sparking old feelings, and Ronzo has a new rival: a too-perfect doctor who may or may not be in cahoots with a gang of murderous New-Agers.***"There is a depth and freshness about Anne Allen's work that makes for a pleasing surprise!" Poet Janice KonstantinidisTremendous fun, wittily satiric and highly recommended." Nigel J. Robinson "A perfect blend of wild and wacky characters spouting hilarious dialogue while finding themselves in unpredictable and unexpected situations." Paul Alan Fahey, Rainbow award-winning author of The Mother I Imagined, The Mom I Knew."Lots of fun! Anne R. Allen is a hugely talented writer, and her Camilla Randall series never fails to entertain." Claude Forthomme, senior editor, Impakter magazine. "Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys romance, and crime suspense, with a lethally satiric edge." Dr. John Yeoman, author of How Did the Author Do That?

The Queen of Staves: A Camilla Randall Mystery (The Camilla Randall Mysteries)

An easy-does-it guide to simple, low-tech blogging for authors who want to build a platform, but not let it take over their lives. An author blog doesn't have to follow the rules that monetized business blogs do. This book teaches the secrets that made Anne R. Allen a multi-award-winning blogger and one of the top author-bloggers in the industry.And you'll learn why having a successful author blog is easier than you think.Here are some things you'll learn in this book:•How an author blog is different—and easier to maintain—than a business blog•What authors should blog about at different stages of their careers•Choosing the right blog topics for your genre and audience•How one type of blogpost can build your platform quickly•Basic SEO tips that don't make your eyes glaze over with tech jargon•How to write headers that will grab the attention of Web surfers •How to keep your audience by learning the tricks of content writing•Essential blog and social media etiquette rules•What happens to your blog when you die?"Anne writes the essential blog for today's writers." Mystery author Carmen Amato. "I love following the blog of Anne R. Allen…for up-to-date tips and helpful articles for writers on what’s current in the publishing world." Author D. G. Kaye."BRILLIANT! One of the Top 10 Resources for Self-Publishing Authors." author Mark Tilbury."Anne is one of the most successful author-bloggers out there." Reedsy"One of the Top 15 Blogs for Indie Authors to Follow…I adore Anne’s blog. Aside from being one smart lady, her mix of sass and education is priceless." Social media strategist and manager Frances Caballo"You know what a huge fan I am of Anne R. Allen’s blog…absolutely marvelous." Romance author Collette Cameron"I recommend following the publishing blogs of both Jane Friedman and Anne R. Allen…I’ve implemented many of their tips, which have helped boost my SEO." New York Times bestseller Eileen Goudge in Publisher's Weekly

The Author Blog: Easy Blogging for Busy Authors

Reference

Writing, Research & Publishing Guides

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