We're into the last month of Q1, 2021 and, for the first time in a while, there is the feeling of hope in the air. Whatever form the new world takes, however, it is important to adapt to the lessons of our experience over the last year. The most important lesson for authors being not to rely on a single avenue to get your message to the world.
If your focus was on real-world launches, then work to add virtual events to your repertoire. If you publish exclusively on Amazon (or IngramSpark) then try going wider, to as many other platforms as you can. The more you diversify, the less vulnerable you will be to disruptions, be they natural or bureaucratic.
With this in mind, later in this letter, we have an announcement of something we're working on to fill a current gap in the author and reader experience. But first...
Former British ex-pat Roger Barton spent much of the 1970s working in Africa for the UK government printing services as part of an international aid scheme.
His life in Malawi and Zambia has inspired two books.
Waiting for the Rains is a work of non-fiction. It describes his experiences both in Africa and with respect to the ideas and impressions his British colleagues had of Africa.
Incident at Barbers Ridge is a novel, with fictional characters, that is based around a true event.
The Huey helicopter approached Mwanza at treetop height. Anything higher presented a better target for the rebels. They would have been like a sitting duck, silhouetted against the blue sky and a perfect object for an RPG to hit.
If you feel that you, or someone you know, would make an excellent featured independent author, please send us their name, contact info, and why you think they should be featured.
"A Young man in his late teens recently asked me the key to accessing creativity. He had just started an apprenticeship in the PR sector and was fast noticing the demands of the job involved more than just technical know-how, i.e. knowing how to write and how to create videos and blogs. He had to engage readers -- but how?! Trying to be creative blocked his flow."
There are many things in life that can sap our creativity. For many of us, we're living through a big one right now. So, if like the young man Francesca was describing, you find yourself having difficulty being creative, what can you do?
In this article, author and wellness mentor Francesca Hepton shares a holistic approach to filling, and keeping full, your creativity well.
Utility Fog Press, in conjunction with our promotional arm, Indie Book Showcase, will be hosting a global virtual indie book convention later this year. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.
If you are an indie author who would be interested in taking part in an event like this, or you would like to help out, please contact us at: contact@indiebookshowcase.com
If you're looking for answers to your questions about writing, publishing, or marketing your book, we have weekly office hours via Zoom.
Please be aware, we've modified our office hours system recently.
Recognizing that many people may not be comfortable with a 'drop-in' format, we've created a scheduling system. Office hours will still be via Zoom, however, they will be 1-on-1 and sign-up in advance is required. There are only two spots on each available day.
The booking calendar will be updated for the first of each month and has available dates and times for the entire month.
A unique Zoom link will be created for each meeting and you will receive yours by e-mail after booking a spot (warning: we've found that gmail often doesn't work well for this system). If you don't receive the link in your e-mail, please contact us (contact@utilityfogpress.com) and we will send it to you.
The Office Hours alternate weekly between Fridays (11:00, 11:45 am) and Wednesdays (4:00, 4:45 pm).
