Fellow writers, authors, and book lovers:
I am changing the look and feel of 'The Shaky Shelf'! Among the changes are: the layout, features, and there is even an official domain: www.theshakyshelf.com! Go books!
I am extremely excited about the new page launch (any day now). Be sure to bookmark the new site address. The servers are in the process of updating everything yet so it may take a few days to become live. I am in the process of transforming the lives of book lovers, writers and bloggers everywhere. I assure you, there is no place you would rather be than right here!
Join me as I kick this site into orbit!
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Sunday, April 21, 2013
ANNOUNCEMENT!!
Hey all,
Sorry it has taken me so long to update the page. I had to do a serious move cross-country from New Jersey to Las Vegas and it has been super hectic. I am in the process of revamping this and all of my blogs to make them bigger and better. Stay tuned and hold on tight because The Shaky Shelf is about to get very shaky!
ATTENTION WRITERS/BLOGGERS: I am looking for other writers to collaborate on this and possibly other blogs. I need a long-term dedicated writer who will help me take this blog to the next level. The only requirement is dedication and a creative mind. If you know SEO that is cool as well. My goal is to turn this into a full-time operation and get dedicated space through funding. Please let me know if you are interested. Post a link to your work here and I will get in touch with you through your blog.
Sorry it has taken me so long to update the page. I had to do a serious move cross-country from New Jersey to Las Vegas and it has been super hectic. I am in the process of revamping this and all of my blogs to make them bigger and better. Stay tuned and hold on tight because The Shaky Shelf is about to get very shaky!
ATTENTION WRITERS/BLOGGERS: I am looking for other writers to collaborate on this and possibly other blogs. I need a long-term dedicated writer who will help me take this blog to the next level. The only requirement is dedication and a creative mind. If you know SEO that is cool as well. My goal is to turn this into a full-time operation and get dedicated space through funding. Please let me know if you are interested. Post a link to your work here and I will get in touch with you through your blog.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Tips to keep you focused as a writer
A good writer needs to be focused, dedicated, and committed. As a writer it can sometimes be very difficult to stay focused especially when there are so many distractions. Here are some tips that can help:
1. Set aside a time each day to write. Turn off the phone and the television.
2. Even if you are not working on any projects, write anyway. You never know when inspiration may come!
3. READ READ READ! It does now matter what you read as long as you read. You have to keep your mind sharp and it is difficult to write when you are not engaged in any outside content.
4. Keep a notepad beside the bed. Sometimes my biggest ideas come at night right before bed or in a dream.
5. Take a walk. You don't want to spend hours in front of your computer. Always give yourself a break and then come back to whatever you were working on.
These are just some quick tips to keep you focused and sharp. I also have several tools that I use as a writer that help me maximize my time. Check out the products (this also supports the site) to the right of this post. Almost every day I use my Kindle, the Livescribe Smart Pen, and Dragon Speech-to-text. These things are awesome because they allow me to get my ideas down quickly. Did you know that the Livescribe also has handwriting-to-text converting software that you can use when you upload your handwritten notes? I use this a lot as well and this saves LOADS of time! If you have any questions let me know. Please let me know how these tips have helped you and if there is anything else that you would like to see on 'The Shaky Shelf'.
Please sign up as a member of the site as well as our email list to receive a FREE ebook!
1. Set aside a time each day to write. Turn off the phone and the television.
2. Even if you are not working on any projects, write anyway. You never know when inspiration may come!
3. READ READ READ! It does now matter what you read as long as you read. You have to keep your mind sharp and it is difficult to write when you are not engaged in any outside content.
4. Keep a notepad beside the bed. Sometimes my biggest ideas come at night right before bed or in a dream.
5. Take a walk. You don't want to spend hours in front of your computer. Always give yourself a break and then come back to whatever you were working on.
These are just some quick tips to keep you focused and sharp. I also have several tools that I use as a writer that help me maximize my time. Check out the products (this also supports the site) to the right of this post. Almost every day I use my Kindle, the Livescribe Smart Pen, and Dragon Speech-to-text. These things are awesome because they allow me to get my ideas down quickly. Did you know that the Livescribe also has handwriting-to-text converting software that you can use when you upload your handwritten notes? I use this a lot as well and this saves LOADS of time! If you have any questions let me know. Please let me know how these tips have helped you and if there is anything else that you would like to see on 'The Shaky Shelf'.
Please sign up as a member of the site as well as our email list to receive a FREE ebook!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Make money in between projects with Fiverr and Elance
Hi everyone,
I hope your holidays are going well thus far. I have been engaged in several writing projects recently. In addition to my new ebook which will be finished soon, I have been doing a bit of freelancing. For authors it is sometimes diffficult to earn an income while we are in the middle of any projects. i have found several great ways to earn an income online without the need for long-winded introductions, interviews, meetings, etc. One of the sites is Fiverr.com. Most of you probably know about Fiverr. It is an awesome way to make a little spending cash in between larger jobs. Another great way to earn is through Elance. I have a profile on Elance and I think it is a great program. You can market your skills and even certify your skills for the site. This gives you more credibility with employers. There are no physical interviews or anything like that and this is great for supplemental income. You can sign up for Elance at: https://www.elance.com/?rid=2TWAX
Some authors may be against doing anything outside of their craft but sometimes you have to eat. I would rather outsource some of my skills from time-to-time rather than being a starving artist. While my books do bring in income, I sometimes need something extra while I am waiting to be paid from my larger more mainstream products.
I hope this post has helped all of you. I will be adding more helpful tips to get you through some of your dry spells. Remember, doing these things does not not make you any less of a writer or an author. In fact, some of these side jobs can help you hone in on your skills. You can use your writing skills to do things on Elance and Fiverr like blogging, ebook creation, etc. You can develop new skills such as: marketing and SEO as well. These thing will not only put a few extra bucks in your pocket but will help you develop and market yourself more effectively!
I hope your holidays are going well thus far. I have been engaged in several writing projects recently. In addition to my new ebook which will be finished soon, I have been doing a bit of freelancing. For authors it is sometimes diffficult to earn an income while we are in the middle of any projects. i have found several great ways to earn an income online without the need for long-winded introductions, interviews, meetings, etc. One of the sites is Fiverr.com. Most of you probably know about Fiverr. It is an awesome way to make a little spending cash in between larger jobs. Another great way to earn is through Elance. I have a profile on Elance and I think it is a great program. You can market your skills and even certify your skills for the site. This gives you more credibility with employers. There are no physical interviews or anything like that and this is great for supplemental income. You can sign up for Elance at: https://www.elance.com/?rid=2TWAX
Some authors may be against doing anything outside of their craft but sometimes you have to eat. I would rather outsource some of my skills from time-to-time rather than being a starving artist. While my books do bring in income, I sometimes need something extra while I am waiting to be paid from my larger more mainstream products.
I hope this post has helped all of you. I will be adding more helpful tips to get you through some of your dry spells. Remember, doing these things does not not make you any less of a writer or an author. In fact, some of these side jobs can help you hone in on your skills. You can use your writing skills to do things on Elance and Fiverr like blogging, ebook creation, etc. You can develop new skills such as: marketing and SEO as well. These thing will not only put a few extra bucks in your pocket but will help you develop and market yourself more effectively!
Sunday, August 19, 2012
A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones
"A Song of Ice and Fire", better known as "The Game of Thrones"
is a series of fantasy novels that were written by George R.R.
Martin. While I cannot truthfully say that I have read these
novels, I can say that they are next on my list of must-reads.
If any of you have seen the HBO series "Game of Thrones", you
would want to read these book as well. While I am partial to
medieval stories, I am not easily amused. Many have failed to
deliver a captivating storyline but that is not the case with
this "Song of Ice and Fire" adaptation. I am a Game of Thrones
fan for life. I would like to do a mini-series about the show.
It should kick off next week. I want to do a brief re-cap
before the new season starts. While I will touch on some of
characters and general gist of the story, I will not be giving
out too many specifics. Like the show, these posts will leave
you wanting more and I shall not disappoint! Stay tuned!
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Song_of_Ice_and_Fire
is a series of fantasy novels that were written by George R.R.
Martin. While I cannot truthfully say that I have read these
novels, I can say that they are next on my list of must-reads.
If any of you have seen the HBO series "Game of Thrones", you
would want to read these book as well. While I am partial to
medieval stories, I am not easily amused. Many have failed to
deliver a captivating storyline but that is not the case with
this "Song of Ice and Fire" adaptation. I am a Game of Thrones
fan for life. I would like to do a mini-series about the show.
It should kick off next week. I want to do a brief re-cap
before the new season starts. While I will touch on some of
characters and general gist of the story, I will not be giving
out too many specifics. Like the show, these posts will leave
you wanting more and I shall not disappoint! Stay tuned!
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Song_of_Ice_and_Fire
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Twitter contest
Hey guys, I am always looking around the Internet for good promotional opportunities. While it is usually a "swing and a miss", I just found something that could truly be beneficial to anyone who is trying to build their following and their brand. I joined a site called myblogguest.com and I found some contests while browsing the forum. One of the contests offers free retweets to bloggers who post information about their contest. It is a really interesting opportunity because we all know that Twitter is extremely popular and can be a powerful tool in any author's toolbox. Check out the contest here:
http://internetdreams.com/social-media/contest-1-win-free-prizes
http://internetdreams.com/social-media/contest-1-win-free-prizes
Monday, August 6, 2012
Higher standards
Recently, I went onto the Amazon discussion boards. Many readers are upset about the fact that lots of Ebooks are being published with a lot of errors. While I would like to say that this is not the case, I must admit that it is the case. While not all Ebooks are riddled with grammatical errors, lots of them are. I was under the impression that this was getting better but I am not so rue anymore. I went to Barnes and Noble recently and read some books via my Nook (yes, that is a cool feature that Barnes and Noble has provided its customers..eat your heart out Kindle, ha ha). It was disheartening to see how many Ebooks has mistakes in them. Many of these mistakes were so obvious that I am led to believe that the person did not even use the 'spell check' feature before converting and publishing their work.
I am not the grammar police. I commit many structural sins with regard to sentences. However, one of the easiest things to correct is spelling. I am not saying that Authors should be perfect with no flaws. However, I am saying that we need to be more mindful of what we publish. You do not need editors to find the errors that I found. We have to hold ourselves to higher standards. Just because it is easy to publish an Ebook doesn't mean that we should throw caution to the wind. Our readers are looking at us very closely and they do not like what they see.
I am not the grammar police. I commit many structural sins with regard to sentences. However, one of the easiest things to correct is spelling. I am not saying that Authors should be perfect with no flaws. However, I am saying that we need to be more mindful of what we publish. You do not need editors to find the errors that I found. We have to hold ourselves to higher standards. Just because it is easy to publish an Ebook doesn't mean that we should throw caution to the wind. Our readers are looking at us very closely and they do not like what they see.
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