Jeff Haws

Independent author

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Process

Three mistakes I made with my first book

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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

What does an editor do?

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Been a busy month or so. Spent two weeks wandering around Europe, and worked through the beta-reader edits on my next novel. Just sent it off to my professional editor yesterday, and that means we may see a final product around the beginning of August. You guys may get your hands on this book yet.

Just as I did shove my book out of its protective little nest, I ran across this terrific breakdown of how to pick an editor from the endlessly helpful Shayla from Curiouser Editing. It really goes into detail on what an author needs to be thinking about as he makes the fateful decision on who will be his manuscript’s bridge from being a crappy rough draft no one should have to read to being a publishable book that people might actually pay money for. [Read more…] about What does an editor do?

Do You Have Enough Story for a Novel?

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One of the questions I’ve been pondering as I’ve worked on my next short story/novella/whatever it turns out to be is, well, what it’s going to turn out to be. Is there actually enough story here for it to unexpectedly sneak its way to novel status, or will it just settle in as a longer short story? [Read more…] about Do You Have Enough Story for a Novel?

How to Write a Beta Reader Checklist

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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

How do you find beta readers? (Hint: Not on Goodreads)

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I’ve talked on here about beta readers before, but the topic is rattling around my head again — and not only because my next novel should head off to that stage by this weekend. Last week, I ran across this article on SelfPublishingAdvice.org by author Michael La Ronn. It’s titled “Writing: How to Find Beta Readers,” but it’s really all about how to find beta readers on Goodreads. [Read more…] about How do you find beta readers? (Hint: Not on Goodreads)

Achieving Work-Life-Work Balance

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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