The word these days is that indie authors aren’t just writers, they’re entrepreneurs. And the great thing is there are so many tools out there that can help people like me get connected with the world. My latest discovery that I’m trying out is AuthorCentral by Amazon.com. This is a free tool that enables authors, whether their books are sold on Amazon or not, to host a website on Amazon.com (where the readers are) that you can customize to suit your own tastes. You can create a profile, post photos and videos, link to Twitter, host an RSS feed of your blog, and hold discussions with your fans. I just built my page tonight, so it’s still a bit raw. I posted my standard photo and my book trailer for starts. I still need to flesh out my profile, so there’s still work to be done. But honestly, this is the simplest tool I’ve come across to date that is designed for authors. It links me to my books to my blogs to my social networking. I have high hopes for this newly discovered tool. If you’re a published author, indie or traditional, I highly recommend checking it out.
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I wish I could say something original about Tolkien. I wish I could unveil some hidden mystery in his writings that would grasp the attention of the literary community. I wish I could say something new about the man that has not already been said. I’m not an expert on the Lord of the Rings, even though I have read it nine times - once for each member of the fellowship I suppose. I love the Hobbit and LOTR—but I struggled with the Silmarillion (which I just discovered is heading for the big screen), so I guess I’m not a full-fledged Tolkien fan. But never fret, I still have something to say on the matter.
It took me a while to realize where I was. From my vantage point on the stairway, I could see three sets of tracks running parallel. A red baseball cap lay upturned between the second and third track in the gravel. Other bits of garbage and debris lay scattered about but the red hat caught my attention. Beyond the tracks stood a row of square pillars supporting 4th Avenue. In the shadows of the pillars were corrugate tin walls that I knew separated the train station from the parking lot across the street. But wait, there's more: Where’s the story going? The 15th Step The morning train is always quieter than the return trip home. People are still waking up—or catching a few more zzz’s (I can hear the guy across the aisle softly snoring). Most people have books open, Kindles, iPads, or smart phones. I use this time to catch up on my e-mail, check my calendar, and plan out my day. A few minutes ago, I glanced up from my laptop as we were leaving Kent and was shocked to see white. At first I thought it was just a really intense frost on the ground, but it turned out to be a light trace of snow. I don’t know why this surprised me. It was 20 degrees at home when I woke up. I guess, in the four years I’ve lived southwest of Olympia, I’ve gotten used to being the first in the Puget Sound area to get snow—or at least to get more snow than the surrounding areas. I’m still excited about the ability to review my manuscript on my Kindle (read yesterday’s post) and I’ve already thought up a new opening to the first chapter. Something like “JR was dreaming about Heather when the miracle occurred.” Gives you something to look forward to. ^MD A quick dash to the train—wading through a sea of Seahawks fans heading to the CenturyLink field for Monday night football—and here I am. The train gets jostled around a bit just south of downtown Seattle. I lucked out and got a table so I can type while I ride. Only about every other seat is occupied in the car. I’m trying to ignore the other person at my table talking with the woman across the aisle from me. He’s made a connection and is getting contact info to send a resume for an open position. |
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Copyright © 2012 Shades of Gray - All Rights Reserved |
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