Eric R. Asher

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IndieReCon! 7 Worst Mistakes Indie Authors Make

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Are you an indie writer? You should really check out the conference at indierecon.org. It’s all free and full of useful tips. I wanted to talk a little bit about Joanna Penn’s insights on mistake number two. I’ve been reading a lot of indie releases lately, and this seems to be the most common mistake.

What’s the most important thing a writer can do? After writing a great story? Edit. And then edit. And then have an editor edit. A professional, honest, red pen-wielding, or “Track Changes”-wielding, editor.

Why? A mass of typos looks unprofessional as it devours your prose and chases the reader right out of the story. It’s not good for anyone. Editors will help you find plot holes, character inconsistencies, and a slew of other mistakes. Sometimes they will simply glare at you and ask “What were you thinking? Why is there a space dragon in your urban fantasy?” Don’t cringe, that’s a good thing. We want our stories to be the best they can be, and you’re going to need an editor for that.

Read Joanna Penn’s post on the IndieReCon website to learn about the other six mistakes: http://www.indierecon.org/2013/02/7-worst-mistakes-indie-authors-make-by.html
Stop by her fantastic site if you haven’t already: thecreativepenn.com

The Big Red Button (Well, yellowish button)

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I have to say, it felt great to finally push the button to publish Days Gone Bad. Almost four years since I started the first draft until now, but I am glad I waited. DGB was the first book I finished and actually considered publishing. Waiting to release it gave me time to write more books, give more depth to the characters, and come to the startling realization I needed an editor. That last point was especially important.

The ebook is now available on Amazon and Smashwords. The print book is going through formatting and should be available in about a month. Thanks to all who have shown and given their support!

Days Gone Bad – Slow and Steady

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I initially wrote Days Gone Bad back in 2009. It started out as a short story and sort of, well, exploded. Not surprisingly, it needed a lot of love to get to its current form. After toiling over three drafts on my own, I realized I needed some outside opinions. My beta readers were a huge help, but I wanted opinions from people I didn’t know and who had no knowledge of me or my sense of humor.

This eventually led me to Critters.org. I can’t say enough good things about them. Some of the most important feedback I received came from users on Critters. Give them a whirl if you’re thinking about joining a workshop. There are no fees and the system works quite well (you have to deliver critiques of other member’s work to get critiques of your own).