What if it were illegal to wear clothes?

What if it were illegal to wear clothes?

What if it were the law to wear a temperature-controlled body suit made of fetus membrane ... every day?

What if you were a singer, and it was illegal to sing?

What if you sang anyway, and got detained by a LEO, and punished by having your vocal chords violently slashed, and eardrums perforated?

What if multiple offenders were killed for their skin?

Would you commit suicide? Drown yourself in the river?

Concetta would.

But something stops her in her tracks ...

Would you like to read her story?

Email me if you're interested in reviewing a copy of my latest release, a cyberpunk/dystopian short story in verse.

The complications of a writer's location & nationality (and how to overcome them).

As most of you know, I live in Greece.

"Ooh, aah, what a dream!" I hear you cry.

But is it?

No. Here are some of the problems I face.

1. No local writer's events to attend. If I wanted to go to a conference, or a book launch, or a workshop, I would have to fork out airfare and accommodation to visit the English speaking country it is held in.

2. I can't get any writer's grants. Okay, I'm Australian. But I don't live there, so I'm not eligible. I'm not eligible for any grants from the UK either, despite living in Europe, because I'm not a European citizen. I'm not eligible for a US grant because, well, I'm not either American OR a US resident.

3. I can't enter many book awards. For the same reasons, plus some, in point 2.

4. I can't publish on NOOK. They require a US bank account. (I don't like Smashwords, it has got to be the most complicated bookseller in this world. My opinion.)

5. I can't take advantage of all the literary candy that is in Australia either. Though I am a citizen, I am not a resident. And my books are self-published through the US, so my books can't even be considered "Australian Literature".

6. I am constantly coming up against problems with my royalty payments with Amazon. They only pay into bank accounts from certain countries. Greece is not one of them. I used to get checks. But that meant a shit load of fees on my end when cashing them. I'm lucky that I now have a UK bank account. Sometimes my royalties go in. Sometimes they don't. All my royalties from Amazon EU (i.e. UK, DE, etc) get paid direct into my account without any problems. But every time they try to pay me my royalties accrued from the US sales, I keep getting an email saying that my bank account information is incorrect. UGH. I keep complaining. They keep telling me they're looking into it, and I still keep getting emails saying my bank account info is wrong. It's impossible to be wrong if they are already paying some royalties into it. I'm owed more than three months worth of royalties. Why? I cry!!!

7. I can't market my book in a real public venue where I talk to real faces instead of virtual ones. I'm confined to the internet. It's tough. And isolating. And lonely.

There are more. I can't think of them right now. But my point is. My life as an Australian writer living in Greece is DIFFICULT.

I'm working really hard to do the best I can with the facilities I have. I create my own opportunities (Vine Leaves Literary Journal, Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop). I start community projects (Indiestructible, The Artist Unleashed). I guest post as much as possible on other people's blogs. I join awesome Indie Author Organizations (ALLi).

My point? Somehow, I still make it all work. I know this isn't going to get any easier. But I'm still motivated, and determined to never drop the ball. I NEED TO STAY VISIBLE.

No matter what your circumstance, you can succeed in one form or another. All you need is patience, stamina, passion and determination.

Have you got PSPD? If so, don't let any obstacle, big or small, set you back. Get out there, and make the most of what you HAVE. Because you can. We all can. If you want it.

Do you want it?

Then go get it!!!

Are you an expat writer? How do you cope with the limitations?

___________________

Don't forget to sign up to help promote INDIESTRUCTIBLE in September! 100% of the profits go to BuildOn, an amazing charity that aims to break the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through service and education.

AND ADD IT TO GOODREADS!

If you could Tweet about the sign-up form it would be great!

You can just copy/paste this:

INDIESTRUCTIBLE—Help promote fab new #IndieAuthor book—All profits go 2 @buildOnEmpowers! Sign up here: http://goo.gl/mNjo3 #amwriting

The Artist Unleashed: FINDING A WRITING NICHE IN NATURE, by Cinthia Ritchie

The Artist Unleashed posts have moved to a new domain. Please click HERE to read the rest of this post and for the opportunity to comment. Just search for the title of the post in the search bar on the new site.

"How to Sell More Books: Diversify"

It's an honour today to be a guest on Debbie Young's blog Off the Shelf Book Promotions where she and I talk about how to sell more books, and a little about my latest craft book, Adverbs & Clichés in a Nutshell.

"One way to raise your profile as a writer is to diversify, especially if you are self-publishing your work or being published by a small independent press. As I’ve said in a previous post, the best way to sell more books is to write more books – but that doesn’t mean you should focus solely on writing those books. It’s also worth seeking other ways in which to get your name before readers. This is especially true for self-published and independently published writers, who do not have the presence or clout of a big name publishing house behind them." ... READ MORE HERE

Let's talk at Debbie's. Hope to see you there! 

The Artist Unleashed: PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTHS, by Hart Johnson aka: Alyse Carlson (INDIE LIFE segment below)

The Artist Unleashed posts have moved to a new domain. Please click HERE to read the rest of this post and for the opportunity to comment. Just search for the title of the post in the search bar on the new site.

How to enjoy a larger variety of books (and consequently rate them without bias).

I like to read book reviews. Mainly to get an idea about what inspires someone to make their opinion of the book public. Let's say that I'm sorta conducting a character study. :-)

I've noticed that many book reviews lean heavily toward a bias on 'taste' rather than critical opinion. This can result in a lot of negative reviews of books that are actually wonderful reads. And I don't think it's very fair to give a book 1 star just because "I didn't like it."

So how can we learn to appreciate (and consequently rate) books that are different to what we would usually read? Here are some things you can ask yourself:

1. Does the writing represent its genre well? (NOT, I hate science fiction, this book is shit!)

2. Are the characters' personalities developed well? (NOT, I hated the protagonist, she was a bitch. This book is shit!)

3. Is it paced well? If it slows down in places, are the slower moments warranted and utilized for a specific purpose? (NOT, Man, I got so bored when the guy was describing his home town, and then talked about how it shaped his entire life. I mean, I wanted action, action, action! This book is shit!)

4. Is it executed/edited well? (NOT, I would have written/edited this book differently. This book is shit!)

5. If it is about a subject matter that you aren't entirely keen to read about, do you think someone who is keen about the subject matter would enjoy it? (NOT, omg, this book was way too violent. I hate reading about violence. This book is shit!)

Do you think it's possible to appreciate a book for what it IS, rather than criticize it for what it ISN'T?
___________________

Don't forget to sign up to help promote INDIESTRUCTIBLE in September! 100% of the profits go to BuildOn, an amazing charity that aims to break the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through service and education.

AND ADD IT TO GOODREADS!

If you could Tweet about the sign-up form it would be great!

You can just copy/paste this:

INDIESTRUCTIBLE—Help promote fab new #IndieAuthor book—All profits go 2 @buildOnEmpowers! Sign up here:http://goo.gl/mNjo3 #amwriting

The Artist Unleashed: INDIESTRUCTIBLE: INSPIRING STORIES FROM THE PUBLISHING JUNGLE, by Jessica Bell

The Artist Unleashed posts have moved to a new domain. Please click HERE to read the rest of this post and for the opportunity to comment. Just search for the title of the post in the search bar on the new site.