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Jeff Haws

Independent author

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Personal

Three mistakes I made with my first book

June 15, 2017 by Jeff Haws 3 Comments

While my next novel faces my editor’s red pen, I’ve been thinking about how to make this next book release better than my first one. Not that it was a disaster or anything, but I figure I should always try to improve. When you’re a self-published author, it’s all on you. So if you don’t find ways to improve, nobody’s gonna do it for you, and there’s plenty of competition ready to lap you if you’re moving slow.

So, I was looking back at what I did for that first book release, and I picked out three mistakes I want to make sure I don’t replicate. And, hey, if you’re an author, maybe you can learn from my stupid mistakes so that you don’t make the same ones. Because I’m a helper. [Read more…] about Three mistakes I made with my first book

Filed Under: Blog, Personal, Process Tagged With: formatting, learning, lessons, mistakes, promotion, Publishing

How to Write a Beta Reader Checklist

March 22, 2017 by Jeff Haws 3 Comments

Last weekend, I patted my next novel “Separation” on the butt and sent it out into a little slice of the world, letting my beta readers explore the town of Alessandra and its various characters. Hopefully, they’ll enjoy the read, and won’t ultimately tell me to toss my computer in a fire and start over from the beginning. [Read more…] about How to Write a Beta Reader Checklist

Filed Under: Blog, books, Editing, Personal, Process, Updates, Writing Tagged With: beta reading, editing, process, updates

Achieving Work-Life-Work Balance

March 8, 2017 by Jeff Haws 1 Comment

Any of you who have a project on the side of your regular 9-to-5 job can relate to the problem — how do you balance your pay-the-bills job with a satisfying life outside of work, all while also scratching the itch that is the other work you’re passionate about. That challenge can get even deeper if you have a spouse who deserves more of your time than just a passing “Hi, honey” as you head to your home office or workshop or garage or dank lair to dive into your side project after coming home from your day job. [Read more…] about Achieving Work-Life-Work Balance

Filed Under: Blog, books, Personal, Process

How to Hook the Reader from the Start

February 25, 2017 by Jeff Haws Leave a Comment

During a recent Facebook discussion about my new book, “The Slingshot” (available now on Amazon), an awesome fellow writer named Aurora Gregory said, “I swear, opening sentences are your super power…seriously…what a start!” It’s nice to know I have a super power, though I’m not sure Opening Sentence Man (“Leaping comma splices in a single bound!”) is gonna get invited into The Avengers any time soon. [Read more…] about How to Hook the Reader from the Start

Filed Under: Blog, Personal, Process, Writing Tagged With: beginning, opening, readers, Writing

Why I Write Every Day (And Why It Matters)

January 26, 2017 by Jeff Haws 3 Comments


I have a confession to make … for much of the time I was writing my next novel, I was a bad writer. That’s not to say not to say I was writing a bad story (though I haven’t read the thing, so I wouldn’t put it past me), but that I was doing a bad job at the physical act of writing. [Read more…] about Why I Write Every Day (And Why It Matters)

Filed Under: Blog, Personal, Process, Writing Tagged With: advice, consistency, momentum, process, tips, Writing

Books & Brews: Speaking at Reformation Brewery

January 12, 2017 by Jeff Haws Leave a Comment

If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter (or if you actually, ya know, know me), you know that one of my passions in life is trying new beers. Delving into local brews is one of my favorite ways to get to know any city I get the chance to visit in this country, and I enjoy supporting the local breweries around Atlanta. I know a lot of the brewers, and I really appreciate the community aspect of how breweries tend to become neighborhood gathering spots with fiercely local mindsets. Oh, and the tasty beer. There’s that too. [Read more…] about Books & Brews: Speaking at Reformation Brewery

Filed Under: Blog, books, Events, Personal, Updates Tagged With: Beer, Books, Event, reading, Reformation, update

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