Question: What has absolutely nothing to do with writing, but everything to do with finding an audience for your writing? Answer: marketing, of course. Today I have my first big conversation with a social media (SM) consultant. I’m not even sure that SM can help me find an audience....

I got my first price estimate last week from a social media firm. A lot of money for what seems to be very little. $650 a month for a few drops in the bucket, a few drops into the worldwide ocean on information that surrounds us. I got some...

I’ve started to contact social media experts to talk about their helping me build an awareness for my forthcoming novel, THE BEEHIVE, which I plan to self publish next spring. It is really, really enjoyable to tell these experts about my hopes and dreams for the book. But it...

It’s interesting to find out how many providers of social media services are out there. And to read some of the articles you can google about what to expect from these providers and how much they can cost. I’ve found a PR Lab at Boston University that seems promising,...

This week, I had a great idea. Or rather, a friend of mine did, upon which I followed up. Because I can’t come up with all the great ideas myself. I need inspiration from others. Because no one does it alone. The idea is to recruit college students to...

I can see a group of young college students, all women, working together to make me famous. Working to figure out how to sell Jeff Heller or his new main character, Jacey, to a world full of waiting readers. I have not lost my mind, at least not yet....

It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’re writing. It needs more editing. You cannot have enough GOOD editing. I just received critical comments from four of the women I trust the most to act as my informal “board of editors.” They all liked my latest manuscript. They...

I’ve always held self-promoting writers in scorn. Clowns, prima donnas, narcissists, people who like to shove their way to the front of every group and say, “Look at me.” The fact that for two years, I’ve been participating in a playwriting workshop, where every would-be author seems totally full...

After covid, every author’s plans for promoting his or her books has had to change. Previously, I spent a lot of time and effort preparing lectures on the history behind my novels. I presented mostly at local libraries, for audiences varying in size from as few as two people...

Some “artists” love to wrap themselves in this mantle of isolation and tell you they “live for their art,” which means you can’t depend on them to commit to love or any kind of emotional ties with a significant other. As you can imagine, that’s not me. I could...