I love my book reviews no matter whether they are good or bad. Obviously we all like the good reviews but there is no way that every person who reads our books is going to like them all. It's a fact of life. I always try to learn from bad reviews and see what I can improve if anything but remember, just because you get a bad review, does not men you have to change anything or that your book is bad. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. It's kind of like getting rejections from agents or publishers. Just because your book is rejected, does not mean that it's not good enough for another agent or pubisher. Believe in yourself as an author.
I think it has made books more discoverable and easier to access. It has also possibly made books more attractive as an option to readers as they don't have to carry the hard copy with them whn trvelling but can read online. I personally still prefer a hard copy though.
I would rewrite 'WordRealm' for sure. It was my first novel and there are many things I would have done differently in the book with hindsight. All the changes would only serve to mke the book far better. I realise though that there are changes I would make to every book I have written thus far. I guess it's something authors always think of after finishing and publishing a book. It's also whay it's so important to have an editor and arc readers who can give you input on your book so you can potentially improve your book and make changes before publishing.
I like to write in the mornings, but with a job I have to squeeze in writing time when I can. It's always best to make the same time every day in order to have consistency and form a writing habit.
I wanted to. write ever since I first learned to read. Unfortunately, there was no teaching in school that encouraged writing and the focus was on getting a degree and a job so while I always wrote a little bit now and then, the passion was always alive but the focus was on a career and generating income from that. I still believe that writing can and will be my full time profession eventually.
I believe a good cover and title are essential to making a book successful. Many people are visually stimulated and if the cover appeals to them it can encourage them to pick up the book and read the back cover which is just as important. The title of course should be intriguing enough that it also hooks the buyer to want to know more.
I think all writers expereince writer's block. My only advice is write through it or pick your story up later and keep writing. Later on, you can connect it where you got stuck to where you picked it up again. If you write through it, you may feel you're not doing your best work but that's okay because the firt drft is never perfect. Just do not give up. I believe writer's block can be avoided by planning your book in advance as far as possible. This way you know what you want to write and when in the story. It helps you stay on track.
Lots of sales, lots of happy readers and feedback from readers telling you about the difference your book made in their lives. Being able to wriite book after book and have sufficient sales to support my family and live the life of my dreams is my ideal.
Pay to publish is the most unethical practice in my opinion. This does not of course include covering the cost of having copies of your book printed by someone.
Authors can pay for services such as book cover design, marketing, editing and other services but not paying to publish. These days with a bit of effort to learn the process, anyone can publish their book in ebook, print or hardcover format. No one has to pay to do so.
A word of caution, if you pay someone to market your books, there are no guarantees ever that you will get massive sales. There is no magic formula other than trying different things, having a marketing budget, no matter how small and consistently trying to market your book.
