Latest Articles from The Vandal AKA Derek Haines

Writing Has Never Been A Get Rich Scheme

Writing will not make fast money The biggest change to have hit the art of writing in recent years has been the expectation that by simply publishing a book, readers will rush to part with their money and buy it. Dream on. Writing is an art form that has never been an instant cash cow for authors. The starving artist analogy works extremely well because that’s how it’s always been. Yes, there have been some famous authors who have done quite well out of writing, but there were many thousands more who were either lost in the mid-list or never published and lying in the slush pile. The list of rich writers

When The Inspiration Deserts You

I’ll let you into a very personal secret. When I’m not busily writing, which of course means staring out the window with a blank look on my face, I actually have a list of everyday chores that I have the possibility to tick off upon completion. While none of these tasks carry a mandatory tag, well other than shopping for beer, peanuts and other basic life necessities, there are some that somehow get lost at the bottom of the list. Not being the best time manager in the world, I don’t have a priority system, but I do tend to apply a rather obscure measure against my writing inspiration level.

I’m Self Employed, And My Boss Is An Idiot

My Boss Is An Idiot! You would not believe how tough my job is. My boss makes me do absolutely everything! There is not a minute’s peace for me, as my ‘if you don’t get this done today, you’re out of a job‘ list grows longer day by day. You would think he could take on a few of the items, but no. He is too busy doing what bosses do, which is of course, not bloody much at all. I would have thought that a meeting with the accountant would have fallen firmly into his fiscal responsibility, but no. I get the culpability of trying to invent the truth and

Ebook Sales And Social Media

Slow down on social media Read any advice on how to market an ebook and all the tips and tricks and how to’s you find will advise using social networking as the be all and end all of ebook marketing. As As ebooks are simply an electronic file that slots in perfectly with Internet delivery, who could argue with this logic? So if you’re an ebook book author on Kindle, Smashwords, B&N or any other online distributor, you know you need to have a Facebook Page and personal profile, a Twitter account (or two), an Author page on Goodreads, another on Shelfari plus a Google+ account and of course another