The Anxious Author

 It's been two months since I officially started my freelancer journey, not counting the three months beforehand that I spent contracted to the late Gothenburg Times. I went into this business both blind and with an upper hand. Blind because there are several things I am trying to learn about. I have, however, an upper hand because I am not new to managing my own business. I've been working on my income and taxes since 2016 when I first self-published. Taxes are a daunting issue, I'll admit. Now that I'm not paying social security or income tax I'm scared to see how much I owe, come our yearly tax time in the United States of America.    I do have some tips and tricks to share with you all, though. As I've found it difficult to locate a steady mentor in the field of freelancing, I think it's important that I share what I learn from this journey with you. Freelancing, like self-publishing, is a small business and as much as creative minds like to ignore legal...

      It's been a hot minute since I've done an author spotlight. I'm back with September, though. This should fill in our missing spotlight and then I'll start work on our official October spotlight.   September's author is near and dear to my heart. I've known K.D. Hilt since she was a baby. Literally. I knew her before she was born. She's my little sister and I couldn't be more proud of her.   K.D. Hilt is the pen name of a Nebraska-born and raised contemporary fiction author.   "I'm dabbling in fantasy and paranormal," Hilt stated, "but I write general contemporary fiction with some mystery, romance, and family drama for teens to young adults."   Hilt graduated from high school in Nebraska and then moved to Ames, Iowa to continue her schooling. At the time of this writing, she is a senior in college.    "My older sister would make up, or write, stories and tell them to me when I was a kid," reminisced Hilt. "Lis...

    This is a little odd for me to be writing, but people have been reminding me to do an author spotlight on myself. They believe I should subject myself to the same questioning as our other spotlighted authors and talk a little about my works. Considering that I can't remember the last time I did an introduction post of some kind (outside of book release parties), they have a valid point.     Most of you know me as W.A. Ashes, which is my pen name, but some of you know me as Ashley or Ashes. I used to hide my true identity behind my pen name, but I no longer care. Originally it was a way to keep my personal life separated from my writing because people who knew me didn't want to read my books. At thirty years old, I no longer care. People who pass by me on the streets can choose whether to read my books or not. It's not going to break my heart. Nowadays, my pen name is kept simply because my fan base and other authors know me as W.A. Ashes. Plus, it is nice to...

       On July 29, 2022, a 114-year-old newspaper ceased publishing. I worked on this paper for the last year and a half of its life and it was one of the greatest experiences of my existence. It taught me a lot of things. I learned a bunch of programs like InDesign and Adobe Photoshop. It taught me formatting and AP style of writing (which I had the basics of before I started but rarely used). To steal a description from John Green, the paper's end came upon us like sleep, slowly at first and then all at once. Those of us that worked there knew the paper was in trouble. There were times we'd compare it to a sinking ship and ourselves as sailors using buckets to scoop water out of the vessel. I loved that paper, though. With every fiber of my being.       The Gothenburg Times was the first place to give me a writing job full-time. I never met the owners, but I worked closing with its publisher, who mentored me and taught me a lot about publishing...

   Dreia Wells is a relatively new author to me. I met her at a book release party planned by our mutual author friend, Angelina Kerner. Though Wells has not always wanted to be an author, she has a deep passion for writing and is carving out a place for herself among the world of paranormal and urban fantasy authors.      Wells is a duel-wielding author. Along with writing all things supernatural, she has a second pen name for contemporary and dark romance stories. Thus, you can find her responding to readers as both Dreia Wells and D. Sparks.       Though she is originally from Houston, Texas, in the United States of America, Wells currently lives in England with her husband and son. She's been a part of England for 13 years and has enjoyed the experiences it's given her.        "I write for adults," stated Wells. "Paranormal romance and urban fantasy. I also write contemporary and dark romances. The first book I publish...

      Book hunts became briefly popular in 2020, during the Covid pandemic. Libraries and schools used them to keep kids engaged with reading while they experienced lockdowns and virtual learning. Pre-pandemic you could occasionally come across an author doing one to promote their new releases, but they were far and few between. Post-pandemic this concept all but disappeared. Instead, libraries replaced it with book walks and there was no need for book hunts hosted by schools because book fairs could once again be held. The truth is, the need for them has never gone away. We've only forgotten what the pandemic made us hyper-aware of, that there are people out there who can't afford books and that you need to get creative with your marketing strategies.     During the pandemic, I did a lot of online events and giveaways, afterwards, I signed up for some in-person events (which Mother Nature then canceled). I've been experimenting with new ways of marketing, speci...

      June was a difficult month to pick a favorite book from. I read 20 books, putting me at 80/200 for my 2022 reading goal. I'm currently 19 books behind schedule. It's a little concerning, but not by much. If I make it to the end of the year with only being 20 books short, I'll count it as an achievement.     Every once in a while, you read a book that feels like it was written solely for you. I was lucky enough to read two of those books last month. I also read a book that I really enjoyed beyond the normal range.     That being said, June is an odd month. Instead of having one book of the month, we have five. I couldn't decide. They were all so good.      Here are the five I picked!