The PBS Blog

When the Truth is Stranger than Fiction

editing

November 30, 2021

Do Not Publish that First Draft

Starting in 1999, National Novel Writing Month is a challenge to write 50,000 words of a novel during the thirty days of November. It is a good way for writers determined to start or finish their books to hold themselves accountable. Today (11/30) is the last day of NaNoWriMo. Many of you have met your… Continue reading

self-publishing

#BeWritingOnWednesday, #WWWblogs, blog, blogger, blogging, draft, editing, first draft, revisions, rough draft, self edits, wednesday, wordpress, writers wednesday
July 7, 2021

Signs You Are Not Ready to Self-Publish Part 2: Not Preparing Financially

I once paid $300 for a book cover. At the time, I couldn’t afford to spend that kind of money on a cover. Not only did I not have the money, but even if I did, I couldn’t afford to invest it into a book cover when there were, as I saw it, much more… Continue reading

creative writing, self-publishing

#BeWritingOnWednesday, blog, bloggers, blogging, budget, business, cover art, editing, financial, indie authors, investment, research, self-publishing, writers, writers wednesday, writing, writing business
January 22, 2020

Quality over Quantity: Why I Pulled My Trilogy from Amazon

The Stella Trilogy put me on in more ways than one. It was the first time I got reviews on amazon for my books (I knew nothing about amazon when I started) and the Stella Trilogy book signing made me enough money to pay my bills and then some. It was the first time I… Continue reading

Articles, self-publishing

#amwriting, #WWWblogs, backlist, blog, blogger, blogging, edit, editing, indie, publishers, publishing, quality, revisions, stella, The Stella Trilogy, trilogy, wordpress, writers, writing
July 24, 2019

5 Ways to Self-Edit Your Blog Post

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve done a blog tips post. As fun as writing is, there is one thing that’s not so fun: The English language. As writers, though, writing and grammar go hand in hand. Usage of the wrong word or incorrect homophone use can change the meaning of a sentence or… Continue reading

Articles

#Wednesdayblogs, #writerswednesday, #WWWblogs, blog, blogger, blogging, edit, editing, grammarly, Hemingway, Microsoft Word, proofread, ProWriting Aid, revisions, self-edit, word, wordpress, writers, writing, writingcommunity
February 11, 2019

Editors and Beta Readers – Vital for Independent Authors

Excellent post. Indie Authors, take heed. Don Massenzio This post focuses on the importance of using an editor and enlisting beta readers if you are an independent author. Let’s start by comparing/contrasting independent and traditional publishing. In traditional publishing, an author receives an advance (if he or she is lucky). This advance is usually a… Continue reading

General Topics, self-publishing

#MondayBlogs, authors, beta readers, blogger, bloggers, editing, editors, indie, readers, reading, wordpress, writer, writers
April 26, 2018

Let’s Congratulate Don! Introducing DSM Publications!

Guys, help me to congratulate my author friend Don Massenzio on his new business endeavor. DSM Publications offers Editing and Formatting services to Indie Authors at a reasonable rate with advice and networking with other authors. Don is a big supporter of this blog so I am delighted to return the favor! Be sure to… Continue reading

General Topics, self-publishing

amazon, authors, blog, books, business, editing, formatting, indie, Indie Author, publishing, self-publishing, services, writers, writing
July 11, 2017

Editing Mock-Ups in Photoshop: Don’t Forget to Hide Layers You Don’t Want to Show

In May, I wrote a blog post tutorial on how to edit Mock-Ups in Photoshop for a professional looking 3D book cover image. I understand it went over some heads (Photoshop is not for everyone), but for those of you who are familiar with it already, be sure that you are hiding the layers you… Continue reading

General Topics

#TuesdayShares, 3D, blog, blogger, blogging, Book Mock-Ups, Covervault, edit, editing, images, mock-ups, Photography, photoshop, tutorial

About Me

My name is Yecheilyah (e-see-li-yah), and my work confronts historical erasure and advocates for a more inclusive understanding of Black history. Through book reviews and poetry contests, I uncover and preserve the rich, often underrepresented stories of African Americans.