Author Morale...

If you look up the word morale in any dictionary chances are it reads: the degree of mental or moral confidence of a person or group. For me, as an author, morale means much more than that. It is that needed punch in the arm authors give each other, that woo-hoo for a great review, that tweet or share or shout out to help authors with their sales, and that blog post comment to help them get on the cyber map.

So how do you go about bolstering author morale? Follow the Golden rule. Treat other authors precisely as you wish them to treat you. If they don’t respond at once, keep at it, again and again and again. If there’s no response, no Esprit de Corps among them, then it may be time to move on and find another group of authors willing to help build your author brand and platform with you. Then, once you’ve establish an Esprit de Corps, you go the extra mile.

Going the extra mile is the state of mind you must develop in order to build morale and keep the momentum going in any endeavor. And going the extra mile makes you indispensable to others. You do for them what no one else does. And if they ask what they can do for you, tell them. So next time you find yourself perusing your favorite social network — go the extra mile and give an author a boost. Share their post. Tweet their stuff. Comment, friend, follow. Trust me — you’ll get it back in aces.

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Drawing the Line...

Author integrity. This is what separates the hacks from the professionals. Presently, the publishing world is in the throes of authors behaving badly. I’m talking about fake reviews. I’m talking about unethical behavior between peers. I’m talking about writer exploitation. Put all those ingredients in a pot, leave it to putrefy, and eventually it’s bound to start stinking.

Read about this conundrum here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/sep/04/sock-puppetry-publish-be-damned

This is a total wake-up call for the publishing industry. The stench of writers cheating on this new publishing system is slowly catching up with them. There’s egg on their faces. And it makes many authors look bad. I for one, shake my head in disgust, and promise my readers I will never act in such a manner, and I will make a pledge and draw the line when it comes to my ethical boundaries as an author.

So here’s my pledge to my readers:

·         I will personally never pay for a review. This industry is filled with enough businesses that exploit new (and seasoned) authors. Be careful what you buy from these businesses. Remember, during the gold rush, there was always someone willing to sell you a pick or shovel, and they were always the people laughing to the bank.

·         I will never, ever fake a review. Ever. What you see on review sites like Amazon, Goodreads, and even my publisher, Musa Publishing, are honest, heartfelt reviews.

·         I will never, ever bash or dis other authors. In reviews or the social media. If their story doesn’t hold water, than they’ll be the ones who will get all wet. Let their readers decide for themselves.

·         I will always invest in the best – in myself, and in my readers. Delivering great, entertaining content is something that I will always strive for, and it’s always a team effort. This also means continually learning about the craft of writing to better my best.

·         I will always have my work professionally edited, my book covers professionally designed, and the book formatting professionally formatted. You get what you pay for and my readers deserve top notch. Period.

·         I will not cut corners. There’s too many ‘authors’ out there trying to make a quick buck. Proper businesses are built over time, not over night. Remember, patience is a virtue.

What these so-called professional authors seem to forget is ‘what goes around comes around’. My guess is that their writing careers will spin out of control until they hit bottom, forcing them to find their integrity, and redraw their own ethical lines.

Image: 123RF Stock Photo 11386554