For self-published authors, it can be difficult to know how and where to market their books. Social media sites are the obvious choice, but there are other things an author can do to sell their books. I am currently running a book giveaway for my latest story - Xenure Station Trilogy and this is the poster to help promote both the competition and my books. The competition runs until 30 January 2022. This is one way to help promote a book and I added the cool LEGO spaceship to

And to celebrate the publication of my biggest story yet, I'm running a competition. Will you enter the competition to win free books and one of three spaceships? You read that correctly. With the launch of my latest book on November 15, 2021 - Xenure Station Trilogy, you will have the chance to win two print copies of each of my published books - The Decision They Made and Two Men in a Shed. And... two runners up can win a Millennium FalconTM Microfighter LEGO® Star WarsTM k

This is not a subject I like talking about. But... I'm going to because many readers think authors are compensated well for their work. As a self-published author, I can earn up to 70 or 80% royalties on my published books. This sounds like a good return on my time invested in writing, proofing, editing, designing, and printing books. Right? Well, once costs are taken out there isn't a lot left. If you're an author and search online for author earnings you will be depressed.

My novels and short stories are available online on most good book sites including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Booktopia, Book Depository, Fishpond, and more. I became a self-published author some years ago now. Has it been a good experience? Mostly, yes. My marketing bookmark and biscuits. I used these at my book launch in September 2020. Being a self-published author means you do all the heavy lifting - you come up with the idea, write the story, publish it on sites like #amazo

Maria P Frino's latest novel, Two Men in a Shed is available now. Buy as an eBook or print. Reviews are welcome. 18+ readers.

Sometimes a story needs to be longer than a short one. My sci-fi short story, Xenure Station: A Billion Light Years, is now a trilogy.

I have self-published some short stories and one debut novel. In 2021 I will publish another two novels - Xenure Station Trilogy, a science

There is more than one way to write a story. Authors use different writing techniques to portray their stories. Some stories are linear, some start with the ending, called foreshadowing, and others move backwards and forward in time. In my debut novel, The Decision They Made, which has historical elements, I used the storytelling method of going backward and forward in time. Some chapters are set in the 1980s while others are set during WWII. When I received a review on #good

Christopher Hitchens, an American journalist, is quoted as saying this during a conversation with colleagues. Hitchens was known for his sardonic wit. The whole quote (or something similar) is ‘Everyone has a book inside them, which is exactly where it should, I think, in most cases, remain.' As a living human being, you have a story. We all have. Whether this story is interesting to anyone else is a matter of opinion. I recently read 'Boy Swallows Universe' by Trent Dalton,

Speaking with other authors I have found not many of us enjoy marketing our books. Most of us enjoy writing but abhor marketing our titles.

You're ready to buy a new book, what influences your purchase? Is it a bestseller? The cover? The synopsis?

Apologies for the morbid title to this post but it's how I feel. I'm sure many other people feel the same way. As this is my last post for this year, I won't wallow in what #COVID19 did to us, but instead will look at my achievements and celebrate those. I hope you are able to do the same. It will certainly be a year many will not forget. This year has seen the largest learning curve I've had to deal with since my study days. Writing a book is an experience and publishing thi

Marketing a book is not easy, especially if you are self-published. I have short stories and a debut novel, The Decision They Made,

I launched two short stories and my debut novel in November and December 2019. They are available on Amazon Kindle and selected bookstores.

Short stories have a place in the literary world and for an author, the ultimate is publishing a short story anthology.

Working from home is normal for writers as well as many other creative professions. For me, I spend five days writing in my home office.

How has #Coronavirus impacted on book sales? Marketing is an uphill battle for many authors, but this pandemic has made it more difficult.

Which or That. These two words are commonly misused. This is one rule that should not be broken too often.

Since I first published my short story, The Studio on Amazon Kindle in November 2019, I have been busy organising my other short story, Xenure Station: A Billion Light Years and my debut novel, The Decision They Made as print books. The launch was all set to be on April 26, 2020 at Berkelouw Books Leichhardt. Until, as we all know, #CoronaVirus happened. Unfortunately, I now have to wait until #lockdown is eased to be able to launch these two stories. Hopefully, the launch wi

In my last blog, "Write What You Know Part I", I discussed knowing your subject matter. In other words, write about something you know well. Make sure your facts are correct because readers can spot mistakes instantly. They also have a habit of letting writers know when they have stuffed up! One of my friends, who actually started our writers' group, Write On Water, is an expert in sailing and building boats. Many of the stories he has written and published have a sailing or