Opinion Archives

Plot vs Character: Which Comes First?

There are a few fundamental debates in writing, plotting vs pantsing, indie route or traditional, wide or exclusive and today's debate: plot vs character. But ALLi author member Rachel McCollin has a different perspective. She believes there is no debate, the two are interchangeable. Here's why...

December 14, 2019
Rachel McCollin
Opinion, Process 3 & 4: Production & Distribution, Writing
1 Comment

Gifts from ALLi Members

Welcome to the next blog in our series of festive posts. No matter where you are in the world or what holiday you're celebrating, we've got some top gifts from our writers and partners that you can give to friends, family or fellow writers. In November, we called on the ALLi membership to tell us what gifts they'd give to others. Today, we're sharing some of our favorite gifts.

The Best Writing Books of 2019

As the year draws to a close, in ALLi we've been busy looking at the year's highlights. Today, we're celebrating some of our favorite books published in 2019 for writers. We've purposefully not included any of the books mentioned in yesterday's best audiobooks of the year post so we celebrate a range of book. So if you'd like a comprehensive list of the best writing books of 2019 have a look at both post.

Best Writing How-To Audiobooks of the Year 2019

Audiobooks and podcasts are brilliant for learning on the go, and there are some great non-fiction ones out there for indie authors and creative writers. With the growth in audiobooks booming, it's hard to know what to listen to. To help narrow down your choices, ALLi author member Jules Horne takes a look at the best writing how-to audiobooks of the year 2019.

December 7, 2019
Jules Horne
Opinion
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Gifts for Writers

Welcome to the first in our series of festive posts. No matter where you are in the world or what holiday you're celebrating, we've got some top gifts for writers. Throughout November, we called on the ALLi membership to tell us what gifts they'd put on their wish lists. Today, we're sharing some of our favorite gifts.

Look Back at Self-Publishing in 2019

As we draw into the final couple of weeks of the year, it's we're feeling reflective in ALLi. Orna Ross ALLi Director, takes a look back at self-publishing 2019, the ins and outs, highs and lows.

Copyright for Indie Authors

Copyright can be a confusing tricky little beast, especially if you're a non-fiction writer. But even fiction authors can come a cropper. Images, quotes, even brand names all have copyright associated to them. ALLi partner member Tim McConnehey, founder of IzzardInk is here to tease out the ins and outs of copyright for indie authors.

How to Promote Books and Have Fun on the Radio

If you're going to be an author, then eventually, you'll have to talk about your books. Although it's daunting, ALLi author member Elizabeth Ducie is here to show you how to promote books and still have fun on the radio.

November 7, 2019
Elizabeth Ducie
Opinion, Process 3 & 4: Production & Distribution
0 Comments

Indie Authors and Creative Self-Publishing

FOMO, aka fear of missing out, has been around for a long time. But it feels like it's becoming more acute the more connected our world becomes. Technology and social media have eradicated barriers to communicating. We're all up in each other's business, knowing exactly what everyone is doing, what advertising they're using and how much profit it's making. But you have to wonder whether that's as poisonous as it is helpful. In this inspirational post, ALLi Director Orna Ross takes a moment to stop and reflect and remind each of us that the only way to win in this industry is to follow a creative self-publishing approach: to be uniquely-you.

November 4, 2019
Orna Ross
Opinion, Process 3 & 4: Production & Distribution
15 Comments

Creative Control the Power of Self-Publishing

In an encore presentation of the cover feature from the Q2 2019 Edition of The Indie Author member magazine, award-winning author and ALLi member Jane Davis shares with us the main reason she is proud to self-publish: creative control.

Opinion: The BookLife Prize for Indie Authors

As independent authors, one of the biggest challenges we face is “discoverability.” In the vast ocean of new books being uploaded onto Amazon every day, launching our own may feel a bit like casting a tiny message in a bottle into titanic waves. In order for our readers to find us, we need reviews—a lot of them—and preferably great ones from well-known and respected sources. With this in mind, Kristan Julius, ALLi author member checked out the Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize. This is her review and experience.