by Ragini Werner | 3 February 2025 | Real life
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 after I’ve been focusing too long and hard on somebody else’s words....
by Ragini Werner | 28 January 2025 | Writing
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 mysterious art of creating communications that persuade us to buy the...
by Ragini Werner | 20 January 2025 | Publishing, Writing
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 shares what she has learned about cost-cutting in self-publishing, and...
by Ragini Werner | 12 January 2025 | Real life, Writing
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 finish his spiel, Dad held up a hand to stop him: “We’ll take it.” The poor...
by Ragini Werner | 6 January 2025 | Marketing
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 people looking for a good read to pick our book out of so many...
by Ragini Werner | 30 December 2024 | Sapphic, Writing
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 dyke-namic duo, Sappho Watergate and Rachel PaperKlippe. Enjoy! Scroll...
by Ragini Werner | 23 December 2024 | Writing
“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 write but can’t because you know that whatever you put down on paper...
by Ragini Werner | 16 December 2024 | Writing
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, the stronger, they say, and in many cases I’d agree with that happily. In...
by Ragini Werner | 8 December 2024 | Editing
This week’s blog showcases Valerie Fuqua (sounds like Few-kway), an indie author/artist who’s worked as a freelance developmental editor for over ten years. Valerie is deeply immersed in several author communities devoted to helping fellow writers improve their work....
by Ragini Werner | 2 December 2024 | Editing, Writing
So, you’ve finished your masterpiece. You’ve had it reviewed. You’ve revised it, polished some more, and at last you feel ready to release it to . . . no, not the world! What you need next is an editor. Here guest blogger Arlene Prunkl from PenUltimate Editorial...