Bashful Blagger
A blagger is bold and gets what they want by brashly saying things that are not always true. A bashful blagger is the same, but shy with it. Sounds weird? Well, yes: but that’s me, both a bold extravert and a shy introvert, only I tend to tell the truth, even in fiction. Here in the Bashful Blagger blog, I post boldly on my life as a sapphic author writing for a universal audience—anything to do with writing, publishing and marketing books—and rather more shyly on my real life. Happy reading!
The author with her inhouse editor, Chino
Out Now in Canada
Question: What’s black & white and read all over Canada? Answer: Chapters 1–79 of Becoming Janice… fingers crossed! Nice take on an old joke, wouldn’t you agree? But seriously now, because the publisher of Janice, Iguana Books, is located in Toronto, we’ve been...
Dr. Claire Bacon on how to avoid dangling your reader
Don't keep your reader dangling… wanting to find out who says or does what in the sentence you’re writing. That excellent piece of advice comes from science editor Dr. Claire Bacon, this week’s...
Valerie Fuqua on book marketing for beginners
For people starting out in the self-publishing business, Valerie Fuqua, author/artist and regular contributor to the Bashful Blagger, shares her thoughts on marketing. Valerie says, “I'm still...
Meme’s the word
As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Which is great for people like me. When I’m lost for words, I can’t talk or write. Nothing serious, it happens when I’m overtired, usually...
Cathy Scott unravels the mysteries of copywriting
Cathy Scott likes cats. And cappuccino. She also likes copywriting, which is just as well because it’s her job. Calling on a career spanning 40 years, here Cathy explains what is involved in the...
How to cut the cost of self-publishing
Publishing can be an expensive endeavor. But self-publishing offers many inexpensive options. Following the success of her first guest post on the Bashful Blagger, indie author Valerie Fuqua now...
Really good resources for writers
Don’t you just love looking things up? I do. For me the habit started when I was a kid in New Zealand. One day a travelling salesman knocked on our door. Dad answered and before the man could...
Ranking Janice
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not showing you Amazon’s rankings for my book because the scores are so terrific. They're not! They only hint at the vast scale of its competition. What can we do to help...
The Perils of Publication
And now, for something completely different! Instead of my usual (earnest) blog, this week I’m celebrating the new year by posting a spot of SapphFic that’s supposed to be… funny. Introducing the...
How to cure writer’s doubt
“Tis the season to be jolly” so let’s start with a jolly riddle. Q. Why are Santa’s Elves shy? A. Because they have low Elf esteem. On a less jolly note, another question. Have you ever wanted to...
Length Matters
No bones about it, we all know length matters. Given the choice between the long and the short, I know which match I’d pick, any day. Long is safe, it’s seductive, it’s impressive. The longer,...