Writer's Corner

My life has changed. A year ago I was earning zero income and foraging for hibiscus plants while I clawed my way to the end of my debut novel Ayse’s Trail. Six months later, I published my book and within two weeks it won the One Big Book Launch. From then on, I haven’t looked back. I still forage for hibiscus, chiefly because it tastes fantastic in omelettes and is a rich source of iron, but these days I can afford a Latte machiatto and a slab of chocolate cheesecake as well. How did I do it?

Too many of us writers are told there’s no money to be made from writing, that the market is saturated, that writers are poor. I’d like to hit that cliché squarely on the head. The publishing industry is in turmoil and nothing is what it used to be. You can make a living from your writing, you can even make more than that, and there was never a more conducive time to do so. But like anything worth doing, it requires action, and no, lying outstretched on your sofa expelling a series of prolonged sighs doesn’t count.

Like many authors, I entertained flocculent notions of my novel flying from the shelves while I stared into space twirling a pencil around my finger blithely waiting for the muse to float down and whisper ideas to me. It doesn’t work like that. Not for traditionally published authors, not for independents. Not even for J.K Rowling.

I believe that all artists have a right to a decent living. I’ve undergone a steep learning curve this year about how to go from being a writer to being a publisher. I'd like other writers to benefit. There is a clear strategy to selling your work. It's not rocket science.

Feel free to browse as I collate it all.

Which Way to Publish?

Publishing with Completely Novel

Finding your Niche(s)

Me with Ayse's Trail at the OBBL