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I live for the stillness of the witching hour
when sleep has cast a spell on the people
with “normal�� circadian rhythms,
leaving the creators and the midnight dreamers
unburdened
to explore the ragged edges
of imagination’s frontier.

By dark, the road becomes a river,
silver ribbon under the pale light
of unblinking Hunter’s Moon
cutting through the patchwork quilt
of manicured lawns and trimmed hedges,
sidewalks and picket fences until
finally breaking free of the segmented grid
of city blocks—parallel and perpendicular��
and meandering through the less-tamed
wild of the wood pockets and lake hollows and
corn fields waiting for harvest
where the deer tiptoe between rattling stalks,
careful as an autumn shadow
masking footsteps in October’s frigid breeze
before the blades shear away all cover and
leave the earth bald
exposed
barren for winter’s gale to scream
across the frozen tundra.

How quickly my mind leaves
the warm coziness of my little cottage
when the bonds are cut and it’s allowed
to wander like the sandhill cranes whooping
as they pass overhead to chase
the southern winds,
when no schedule or chore list or
social obligation tethers me to routine,
when the streets are quiet and empty
and free for roaming neurodivergent thoughts
to harness the energy of the night
as my ancestors did long ago while they kept
the fire burning through to dawn, watching
for the telltale glowing glint of predatory eyes
while the day hunters and morning foragers
slept under our diligent watch.

We thrive in the witching hour, descendants
of the night sentries, the guardians,
the restless souls who defy the persistent
nine-to-five shackles that strive to bind us
to the sun despite our penchant for the moon
and all of her glittering constellations
spelling stories in the black-velvet sky.

This is our time.

We dance with our muses in the moonlight,
assembling tales and weaving words into poems
and disappearing into the inkworlds of books
with pages tilted toward the streetlight
outside the frosted window glass.

The fire still burns through the night,
as it always has, but it’s invisible
to the naked eye—no embers, no heat��
we stoke the flame inside ourselves
instead of stirring glowing embers.

The tribe has evolved; it no longer believes
it needs the fire for warmth and safety anymore��
not with its lamps and candles, nightlights and walls
to ward off the shadows and seal the darkness outside.

No need for the night watchers, either��
once revered, now cast aside, they expect
us to conform, not them, to sleep
under moongaze and work
beneath sunrays��

But we can’t.

We’re still conditioned to
tend the nightfire.

And we keep it burning bright
in spirit rather than flame, the spark
of creativity smoldering through
the witching hour that belongs
to the old souls persisting
against the grain,
     the writers
          the artists
               the poets
     the bibliophilic adventurers
for this is who we are,
and this is who we’ve been,
ancestor and descendant,
stewards of the night.

This is our time.

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I’m a full-time author and part-time freelance writer, and I’ve written website content for a wide variety of clients. Some of those projects went a lot smoother than others thanks to clients who were straightforward with their needs, easy to work with, and professional. Others�� not so much.

In this article, I’m sharing eight tips to help you maintain a great relationship with the freelance writer you hire to create your content. This list is based on my own positive experiences and pet peeves I’ve encountered while working as a freelancer.

Table of Contents1. Provide a Brand Story

The best thing you can do right off the bat is provide your writer with a brand story before they start working on your project.

A is a narrative of your business, including its purpose, core values, services, history, and mission, ultimately painting a picture of how your company is presented to potential customers, clients, shareholders, investors, etc.

An important part of your brand story that’s particularly relevant to a freelance writer is the voice. This will help a writer understand the tone of your brand so they can emulate that in website copy, blog posts, ads, or whatever else they’ll be writing for you. They can also pick up on your vernacular and use that as a guide to echo the voice of your brand.

Does your narrative use simple, concise wording? Or is it more free-flowing and casual? Do you use technical jargon to appeal to a specialized demographic? Is your brand known for using humor? Empathy? Satire?

Understanding how you want to represent your business using tone and voice is immensely helpful for your writer to create on-brand content for you with minimal rounds of editing to get it right.

2. Give Your Freelance Writer All the Information They’ll Need

This seems like a no-brainer, but I can’t tell you how many times a client has provided minimal context for me and expected me to come up with something out of practically nothing. It’s incredibly frustrating when I can’t get specific details and I have to make educated guesses, only to have the client come back and say, “My business doesn’t offer that.��

I don’t know your business, and I’m not a psychic. Nobody knows your business as well as you do. If you want a writer to create your content, you need to provide them with plenty of details so they have all the tools they need.

For example, if there’s a specific process for customers to register for a service, spell those steps out for your writer so they can create clear instructions for the potential customers who will be visiting your website.

3. Don’t Overwhelm With Too Much Information

As a cautionary contrast to #2, don’t overcompensate by sending your writer so much information that they have to spend hours combing through dozens of long, tedious documents to find what they need.

Many freelance writers get paid based on word count or a project quote, not per hour. Of course we want to be thorough, but we also want to be efficient with our time, especially if we’re juggling multiple projects for multiple clients. There’s an ideal balance between not enough and too much information. Try to keep everything simple yet detailed.

4. Set Clear Goals and Deadlines

Freelance writers often work on multiple projects at once, which means they need to prioritize their time based on deadlines. It’s best to be upfront about your expectations and when you need your deliverables so your writer can work it into their schedule.

If you need copy written right away, make sure they’re aware of the quick turnaround time. Remember that if your deadline changes, that can potentially disrupt your writer’s entire schedule. They’ll usually try to accommodate as best as they can, but they aren’t always able to drop everything and move your project to the top of their list if you need it completed sooner than agreed upon.

In my case, freelance writing isn’t my full-time job. I run my own business, which means I’m setting up a vendor booth almost every weekend for markets, conventions, festivals, book signings, and other events. If a client reaches out on Friday afternoon and says they need website copy by Monday morning, it’s not going to happen, even if I’m willing to work outside of my normal hours. I can’t afford to sacrifice the wellbeing of my business to put somebody else’s first. Writers need sufficient time and reasonable deadlines even if they don’t operate on a regular Monday-Friday 9-5 schedule.

5. Refrain from Nitpick Editing (Especially If You Can Do It Yourself)

This one stems from a major pet peeve I’ve encountered surprisingly frequently as a freelance writer. When I was working for an agency, I was surprised (and annoyed) by clients who would send assignments back for tiny edits that were a complete waste of my time and theirs.

Here’s the thing �� the contract was complete when the written content was delivered to the client. The writing agency did not have access to the back end of a client’s website. It didn’t publish the article directly to their blog. Once the client received the document, they could then do whatever they wanted with it.

So I was continuously dumbfounded when a client would send the document back for inconsequential edits that they were perfectly capable of doing themselves. In the time it took for a client to type, “Can you change the word ‘large�� to ‘gigantic�� instead?�� and then send that to the project manager, who then sent it back to me, who then made the change and sent it to the editor, who then approved it and sent it back to the client, that article could have been tweaked and posted online already.

There was absolutely no reason why the client couldn’t make that change in their own document. It would have been a LOT faster, and it wouldn’t have wasted my time (along with the project manager’s and editor’s), which by that point had been allocated to other assignments.

Depending on the type of project you need, most circumstances wouldn’t require you to keep your freelance writer’s prose verbatim. In many cases, the freelancer is operating as a ghost writer, which means they won’t be credited as the author. You paid for the work, and now it’s yours to do with as you please. Therefore, you don’t need to waste the freelancer’s time with nitpick editing requests because it’s much, MUCH faster for you to go in and change a few words yourself when you’re ready to post the content rather than ask your writer to do it and then sit around waiting for them to send it back to you hours or even days later.

6. Give Clear, Consistent Feedback

Another pet peeve �� vague feedback. I’ve had clients send back comments such as “This needs rewritten�� or “This isn’t accurate�� without providing any more context.

Okay�� what exactly is wrong with it? Is the information not correct? Is the tone off? I can’t fix something if I don’t have any guidance. You need to tell your writer what’s wrong so they know how to correct it.

I can speak from experience when I say that constantly changing your mind and giving inconsistent feedback is a quick way to make a freelance writer want to pull their hair out in frustration. I once had a client who fixated on a “weak word�� on the home page and wanted it to be changed to something “stronger.�� I thought the noun was actually a very strong word that fit perfectly, but I’m not going to argue with a client; I pulled up the trusty thesaurus and found a replacement that was, in my humble opinion, a poorer choice. Imagine my surprise when I noticed the “weak word�� was actually in the brand’s mission statement. And by the end of the project, that word had been used all over the website after many rounds of edits because the client apparently changed their mind.

I’ve also run into circumstances where a client provided a list of keywords, but then wanted to change every instance where a keyword phrase was used so it didn’t match the original�� which completely defeats the in the first place.

It’s okay to change your mind during a project. That’s normal as the pieces of a website or article start coming together. But if you’re not providing clear, consistent feedback, your freelance writer is going to be very frustrated and might not be open to working with you again if they feel like you’re just spinning them in circles and making them constantly have to rewrite sections every time you do another one-eighty.

7. Send Notes & Requests in Batches, Not One at a Time

Remember that many freelance writers don’t work a typical 9-5 shift, especially if the job is a part-time side gig. For me, I’m usually busy during the day, so most of my work happens at night.

Because I’m working when clients are asleep, it’s inefficient for a client to send me one request at a time (especially if it’s a series of nitpick requests like the example in #5). I know I won’t get a real-time response, which means I have to wait until the next day to hear back. Addressing only one issue per day due to our opposite schedules is not ideal for either the client or the freelancer.

If you’re afraid of annoying your writer by sending a bunch of edits, comments, questions, requests, etc. all at once, don’t be. We would prefer that you compile all of those notes together in a list instead of stretching it out to communicate only one point at a time. It’s a lot more efficient for a writer to go through your list when they have time blocked off to focus on your project. Too much back-and-forth with little progress in between is extremely taxing for us, especially if we’re trying to balance other deadlines.

Give your feedback and requests to us all at once or in batches so we can check everything off the list in one sitting if possible.

8. Promote Open Communication

Ideally, you’re able to provide everything the freelance writer needs upfront so they have all of the information on hand when they start working on your project. But even in a perfect situation, your writer might have some follow-up questions for you as they progress.

Make sure you’re open to two-way communication so your writer feels comfortable reaching out for clarification. This is the absolute best way to ensure a healthy working relationship and the greatest chance of you being pleased with the copy that your writer provides, not to mention potential future projects if you and your writer are both on good terms by the end of the contract.

Conclusion

A freelance writer can be a great investment for your business, especially if you’ve reached a stage where you aren’t ready to hire full-time employees but still need to delegate tasks so you can focus on high-level projects such as planning your content calendar.

Maintaining a strong professional relationship with your writer not only helps to ensure that your current project is done well, but it also opens the door to a long-term partnership, which is particularly valuable if you find a writer who understands your brand story and vision.

The post first appeared on .

The purpose of this article is to share advice with creative entrepreneurs who are serious about building a sustainable business. Before we dive in, let me start by saying that this is not about me sitting on my high horse criticizing other vendors I’ve met at various festivals, conventions, markets, and other events.

If you’re familiar with my blog, you know that I write these articles from the perspective of “I made mistakes in my journey as an entrepreneur, so I’m sharing them here with you in the hope that others can learn from my errors and avoid making those same mistakes.�� I’m first and foremost calling out my own rookie miscalculation that is surprisingly common.

In the spring of 2022, I lost my job and made the difficult decision to take the plunge and fully invest in my own business. , but it wasn’t until fairly recently that I understood how I was making a critical miscalculation in the way I gauged whether an event was a success or failure. That ultimately impacted the way I scheduled and prioritized the events that were driving my business.

Since that revelation, I’ve noticed that many other vendors are still stuck in that same mindset I was in. It’s a defining difference between hobbyists and rookies versus serious entrepreneurs who are dedicated to running a sustainable business:

“I made back my booth fee, so I’m happy. At least I’m not in the red.��

I’ve heard this time and time again. And in the beginning, I was guilty of using this as my standard to measure success, too. If I made enough money to cover the fee that I’d paid to set up a booth at an event, I considered it a wash. Not a great event, but not a total failure.

But here’s the problem �� I wasn’t accounting for other business costs beyond the vendor fee.

That seems like a no-brainer when you spell it out, but it took me a little while to put those pieces together.

I’m an indie author, which means that I’m independently published. Although I have a distributor who produces my books and makes them available for global libraries, bookstores, and retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart, that company does not own the publishing rights. I do.

When I order boxes of to sell at events, I have to pay the print cost per book as well as the cost of shipping them to my house so I can then transport them to events. I’ve broken down some of those exact costs in , but since my profit margins vary depending on the format (hardcover vs. paperback), page count, and the number of books that fit in a box, I’m going to keep it simple and say that I earn 50% profit per book that I sell myself. (Obviously, that margin is much lower when a retailer like Amazon takes a big cut.) We’ll also estimate that the cost to produce and ship each novel breaks down to $10 apiece for the sake of easy math.

So, if I paid $100 to set up a booth at a market, and I made that $100 back by selling five books at $20 per book, I can’t say, “I made back my booth fee, so at least I’m not negative�� because I didn’t actually break even. I had to pay for the inventory that I sold, which means that I needed to make $150 in total to cover my upfront expenses ($100 for the booth + $50 for the base cost of the five books that cost me $10 apiece).

The #1 rookie mindset mistake I’ve seen among vendors, including myself in the beginning, is believing that making back the booth fee means you’ve broken even and had a successful event. In reality, you ARE in the red because even if you’re selling handmade products, there are still material expenses, not to mention the value of your time.

That’s not even factoring the many, many other costs of doing business. If you’re satisfied earning the bare minimum to break even, how will you pay for the tent to protect yourself and your wares during all-day outdoor events? How will you pay for the business insurance that’s required to participate in certain markets? How can you invest in banners, displays, business cards, and other marketing necessities to make your booth look good so people will want to shop there? What about filling your gas tank to drive to the next event? And your personal bills just to live?

When it comes down to it, how can your business sustain itself, let alone grow, if you aren’t making any profit?

The answer is obvious. It can’t.

Breaking this mindset was a crucial step forward for me as an entrepreneur. But it actually went even further by helping me identify other vendors who could be valuable networking connections because they could provide reliable advice about entrepreneurship and regional events.

I like befriending vendors who are near me so we can exchange ideas, tips, and possibilities for future events. There are a lot of factors to consider when taking another vendor’s advice about recommended events.

As an author and artist, I fit into a very specific niche when it comes to identifying my target demographic. An event that was successful for a vendor who sells mass-market items such as home decor or baked goods isn’t necessarily going to be the right place for me to try to sell YA fantasy books and artwork. Other artisans and fiction authors, however, tend to have a consumer base whose interests overlap with my fan base, so I can put more stock in their recommendations.

Figuring out whether a fellow vendor has set a similar bar for success helps me weed out some of the low-quality leads. If, at the end of an event, I’m disappointed that I didn’t make at least 5x the booth fee but my neighbor is just happy that they made the initial fee back, then it’s clear that our businesses are at different stages, and I’d be wary about other events they recommended. I would want to do extra research and try to get opinions from other vendors.

At this stage in my career as an entrepreneur, it’s way too much time and effort to sort and pack my inventory, load it into my car, drive to an event, set up my tent, unload everything, arrange the display, spend 6-12 hours in the heat (and the time CRAWLS if there’s not much foot traffic to keep you engaged), tear everything down, pack it up, load it in the car, drive home, and unload everything back into my house, all just to break even at the end of the day.

I’m focused on networking, exposure, and GROWTH. Breaking even doesn’t cut it for me anymore.

For other vendors, setting up at events is just a hobby supported by a day job, so making back the booth fee is their measurement of success. But for the serious entrepreneurs who are determined to build their business and make valuable networking contacts, that mindset is an instant red flag that separates the rookies from the veterans.

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Maybe it’s a writer thing, or maybe it’s a neurodivergent thing�� but one surprising revelation no one warns you about being an author is living in an eternal state of guilt.

What do I mean by that?

A lot of writers talk about procrastinating to avoid writing. I mean, a lot. It’s so common that it’s cliché, which is strange considering that writing is their passion. (Perhaps it’s their way of dealing with frequent ?) Or they struggle to focus on writing when the sink is full of dishes and the weeds have overtaken the garden and the house needs dusted and the laundry needs done and the clothes need folded and they really should have vacuumed days ago��

Interestingly, I seem to have the opposite problem. I’m aware of the chores piling up around me, but I prefer to procrastinate on doing those menial household tasks in favor of writing instead.

Writing is usually my source of procrastination. And that, I think, is a prime contributor to endless guilt.

When I’m not writing, I feel that I should be.

There’s a constant nag in the back of my mind reminding me that readers are anxiously (and vocally) waiting for the fourth book in my . I should have my nose to the grindstone, tapping away on the keyboard. And yet, the weeding and dishes and dusting and laundry and vacuuming need to be done. Life can’t completely stop so I can focus on writing.

But now that I’ve officially built a career around writing books and creating content, I feel guilty when I’m not doing that. I’m constantly thinking about my endless to-do list for my business and planning out when I can fit writing time in between events, event planning, errands, and chores.

That means when I am finally sitting down to write, I should feel great, right?

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When I’m writing, I feel as if I should be focusing on other business-related tasks instead.

Let’s forget about the general household chores for a second. Even if I’ve completed (or outright neglected) those, there’s a lot more to being an than just writing the next novel. For me, that list includes (but isn’t limited to):

Creating social media content for my official business pages/accountsPosting, liking, sharing, and commenting to stay relevantSearching online for possible regional events that fit my market nicheEmailing event coordinators, collaborators, editors, and other professional contactsFilling out and mailing vendor applicationsGenerating sales reportsKeeping records of book sales, event revenue, sales tax, business expenses, etc.BankingWriting blog postsBuilding the monthly newsletterManually adding newsletter subscribers from eventsProducing behind-the-scenes videos, posts, and other types of contentDrawing a new featured art piece every month (while also recording a timelapse video)Managing inventoryPlacing book ordersMarketing the seriesCreating handmade products (necklaces, earrings, book prints, etc.) to sell at eventsMaking new digital graphics, such as merch designs and custom emojis for the Creating the next book coverEditing, formatting, and print layoutAnd the list goes on��

To be fair, my list is a lot longer than most indie authors�� because I’ve built my brand around not only my book series, but also my art. For that reason, I don’t outsource a lot of tasks that other authors do. I draw my own maps, create my own character sketches, design my own book covers, et cetera. 99% of other authors don’t handle all of that content creation on their own—they pay a freelancer or rely on an in-house professional hired by their publisher.

But this list is an even bigger nag on my subconscious than the chore list. THIS feels more like business work. It has tangible deadlines and deliverables. So, if I’m focusing on the fun part of my business where my passion truly lies, it doesn’t actually feel like I’m working.

I think part of this guilt can be traced back to my early days as a writer. It was a hobby. When I was writing the series in college, I actually should have been studying for exams, writing papers, or sleeping so I’d be well-rested for class the next day. There was a built-in feeling of guilt that accompanied much of my writing time.

It’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that this is actually my job now. My first novel was published over five years ago, and I’m still waiting for the feeling of validity to sink in. It’s not only okay to spend hours writing fantasy novels—it’s expected now. My head knows that. My heart is still figuring it out.

For now, it’s a lose-lose situation.

I feel guilty if I’m not writing, but I also feel guilty when I am because there are other tasks that I could and probably should be doing. This isn’t something I hear authors regularly discuss, so the perpetual state of guilt came as a surprise for me.

I like to think that it’s a sign of “if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.�� A big part of the guilt comes from years of equating work with malcontent. Therefore, when I’m writing, it doesn’t feel like I’m working even though my brain is trying to remind me that I should be. I’m not used to working in those positive conditions.

I look forward to the days when I finally accept that this is my job, and I am working when I’m writing, and everything is good.

The post first appeared on .

Have you ever heard the saying “can’t see the forest for the trees��? That’s definitely how I feel about the way my business has exploded in the last year and a half since I took the plunge and committed to being a full-time author/artist.

In the chaos of writing my in between a hectic event schedule while managing , , , and (while also creating new artwork, graphic designs, book covers, custom emojis, and handmade products), I sometimes need to take a breath and step back to see my progress.

I often don’t realize how far I’ve come! Even in the span of a few weeks or months, my business continues to evolve. The best way for me to see this growth is by looking at the photos I take at events. More than once this year, I’ve needed to submit photos for a vendor application, only to find that my setup had changed in a matter of weeks and the photo I wanted to use wasn’t accurate anymore.

In this post, I’m reflecting on three crucial investments I made in the last year that helped me either transform the way I digitally share my artwork or create unique handmade products with my art.

Table of Contents

This article contains affiliate links. For more information about how these types of links are used on this website, .

1. Timelapse Camera

Last year, I decided that I wanted to prioritize my artwork in a way I hadn’t before. My primary focus continues to be fixed on my award-winning fantasy series, . As an artist, I created my own book covers, maps, and graphics for the novels, while my nonrelated grayscale sketches remained just a side hobby.

However, when I started introducing artwork into my display at events, I quickly discovered that there was high demand for it. I began to incorporate my art prints into a variety of products including puzzles, mouse pads, , canvas prints, notecards, postcards, etc.

When I created a channel, I decided that was a good incentive to not only push myself by setting a goal of at least one new hand-drawn art piece every month, but also to take my most dedicated fans behind the scenes and let them watch me create the art in a way I’d never done before. Hence, the decision to invest in a timelapse camera.

After browsing the options on the market, I went with the . Overall, this has been a good little camera. It was middle of the road on the pricing scale �� affordable for beginners but also not so cheap that it would fail right away. You can see footage taken by the timelapse camera in this video:

This timelapse video was on April 2, 2023. Every month, I create a new featured art piece and release an exclusive timelapse video to my Level 2-3 subscribers. about how Patreon subscriptions help to support my business and my subscribers get.

After over a year using the ATLI T100 1080P timelapse camera, I really have only two complaints:

You have to manually focus the camera, but there’s no screen on the camera itself. It runs through an app on your phone, and it can be hard to tell if a blank sheet of paper is in focus on your phone screen. My first few videos were a little blurry because I thought the camera was in focus when it wasn’t. Once I started setting my pencil on the page and using that as a guide to get the camera in focus before I started drawing, this wasn’t as much of an issue.The camera app creates its own wifi connection to operate�� which isn’t always reliable. When I finish recording and I open the app to stop the camera, it almost always shows an error that the connection is lost (even though it isn’t). The workaround is easy enough �� completely close the app, start it up again, let it reconnect, and then pause or stop the recording. Even though the app is closed, the camera doesn’t stop recording, so this extra step is a bit of a pain but doesn’t affect your video.

All things considered, those issues are minor, and this has been a worthwhile investment that enables me to produce engaging timelapse videos showing my art process to my followers. If you’re looking for a good starter timelapse camera, give the a try!

2. Laminator

Last year, I started creating sketches of the primary characters from my book series, but I wasn’t sure how I wanted to display/sell them. A few months ago, I started producing what I call “character book prints.��

To create them, I select an appropriate page from a misprinted copy of and remove it from the novel. I then take the digitized character sketch, reduce the opacity, and print it on the book page before signing, dating, and laminating it. Each page is hand-selected to correspond to the featured character.

Creating more Kit book prints for Kogan Con this weekend!

When I first started creating these, I would get everything prepared and printed, then take a trip to my local library to laminate the book pages. The library was a great resource with a very affordable per-page laminating cost, but it was time consuming to travel across town and preplan my trips prior to weekend events.

To my surprise, investing in my own laminator was a lot less expensive than I’d anticipated! The was under $30 and allowed me to complete everything from home. Not only did I use it to laminate my character book prints, but I also started laminating the tops of my puzzle boxes, which had been an ongoing struggle for me to protect the matte tops from water damage, dirty fingers, and general grime from outdoor events.

This handy laminator solved a lot of my problems without breaking the bank. I will note that I occasionally run into some issues. Because the puzzle tops are much thicker than the book pages, the plastic sheet can wrinkle if it isn’t fed through quite right. One frustration with the book pages is that every once in a while, the machine seems to grab a page without any issues, but when it comes through the other side, the corner is bent and crinkled even though the page didn’t appear to catch or need to be forced through. It takes a certain touch to get it just right (something I never had any trouble with when using the library’s laminator).

I’ll also note that the online reviews were correct �� the laminating sheets included with the aren’t the best quality, so you should consider purchasing better sheets separately.

3. Ultraviolet Light & UV Epoxy Resin

In my most recent , I wrote about my challenges, failures, and eventual success creating necklaces and earrings with bezels and cabochons. Super glue and jewelry glue didn’t cut it, which required investing in a UV light and .

I opted to go with the (under $15), which was specifically designed for small resin projects. This low-cost UV light has a timer option for 60 or 120 seconds. It’s nothing fancy, but it does the job, and it’s allowed me to reintroduce handmade jewelry back into my inventory lineup without worrying about the products deteriorating over time as they were before with inferior sealant options.

Behind the scenes making new necklaces & earrings for Kogan Con

�� Can’t Stop Me Now �� The Score

Supplemental purchases that went along with making necklaces and earrings:

(which saved me SO MUCH TIME and produced high-quality, ready-to-glue circles of my art prints versus trying to cut them out by hand) (The thicker loop on top was ideal for necklaces, looked more professional, and didn’t require extra jump hoops) (Smaller, thinner, and lighter weight, ideal for earrings but not as impressive for necklaces)

Three simple gadgets have opened the door to new art-related services and products for my business. I’m excited to see what the future holds for the next leg of the journey!

The post first appeared on .

At the beginning of 2023, I added yet another new product to my ever-growing inventory list: necklaces and earrings made from cabochons in bezel settings.

All of the designs were my own creations based on the two facets of my business. Some of them were graphic designs from my award-winning fantasy series, the . Others were prints of .

For a lot of my products, including mouse pads, keychains, notecards, postcards, , canvas prints, et cetera, I outsource the printing to companies that are able to produce the high-quality prints since I lack the equipment and materials to do it with my home printer. I was excited to venture into the homemade territory and create my own jewelry.

Of course, DIY jewelry making comes with a new set of challenges. I loved the look of my cabochon/bezel necklaces, but to my dismay, I couldn’t seem to figure out how to glue them into place without running into quality issues.

In this short article, I’ll share my failed attempts (and why they didn’t work) before finally finding a solution that did. Hopefully my trials and errors will help other creators be successful with their jewelry making endeavors!

Table of ContentsSuper Glue (Failure)

First up: .

I knew a local artist who was turning her abstract paintings into necklaces. When I asked her how she glued the cabochon into the bezel tray, she told me that she was using super glue.

I started with the regular Gorilla super glue, which seemed to do the job at first. I later switched to the , which worked even better. Both versions gave me only about 10 seconds to get everything lined up correctly and ensure there weren’t any bubbles. Although I felt a bit rushed with practically no window for errors, the jewelry looked good�� at first.

Over time, I noticed that the necklaces and earrings started to develop strange, silvery flecks between the cabochon and photo paper. This was particularly frustrating because the jewelry had looked fine right after it had cured.

Later, I looked at the necklaces my artist friend had made, and I noticed the same silvery flecks in hers as well. However, because her art prints were abstract, the flecks actually looked like they were part of the painting. I couldn’t pull that off with my work, so I had to find another solution.

Jewelry Glue (Failure)

My next attempt was Aleene’s jewelry glue. A friend had given me the last of her tube to try, and it also seemed to be promising at first. It did slightly blur the sharpness of the artwork lines, but I didn’t have any bubbles or flecks. However, it was an old tube, and when I searched online to order another, I found the right brand but couldn’t find an exact match to what I’d used. The closest I could find was .

This glue was advertised to “dry clear, strong, and permanent�� with a gel formula that seemed similar to the super glue that had almost worked. Unfortunately, this jewelry-specific glue interacted with the ink on the photo paper. The prints became so blurry and distorted that they weren’t even identifiable.

This glue probably works great on beads and metal, but for bezels and cabochons with a print situated in the middle, not so much.

UV Resin (Success)

By this point, I had officially thrown in the towel. Nothing I tried gave me the crystal-clear, high-quality finish I needed. I gave up on the bezel/cabochon jewelry and instead started turning my acrylic keychains into necklaces and earrings. That worked�� but they didn’t look nearly as nice.

Months later, a local crafter recommended that I try UV resin. She told me that I didn’t even need the glass cabochon; the resin would harden into a clear finish on top of the art print.

Although I was reluctant to waste more money on failed jewelry-making experiments, I decided to give it one more shot. I bought more bezels, , and a .

To my relief, it actually worked! I started with three test bezels. Rather than attaching the glass cabochon on top of the print inside the bezel tray, I applied a layer of resin. After 120 seconds under the UV light, the resin hardened into a perfectly clear finish without interacting with the ink at all.

Although the resin was meant to replace the cabochon, I liked the rounded dome of the glass cabochon better than the flat surface of the resin by itself, so I decided to see if the UV resin would work as a glue to cement the cabochon in place.

It was exactly what I needed! The resin preserved all of the details in my artwork and graphic designs, while the glass cabochon on top gave it the prime finish I loved.

Best Way to Attach Glass Cabochons to Bezel Trays

There might be a better method out there than UV resin, but for me, it was the solution after multiple trials and errors, wasted products, and lost money.

It’s not a 100% perfect solution. I do have to watch out for small bubbles, which I tease out of the resin with a toothpick before placing the cabochon and carefully pressing down to push any remaining tiny bubbles out toward the edge before hardening the resin under the UV light.

I’m just happy that I’m now able to offer these handmade products again! Over these past few weeks, I’ve been busy turning my art prints, graphic designs, and even pieces of book pages into jewelry to sell at events. UV resin has been a life saver for me! If you’ve been struggling to find the right adhesive to make necklaces, earrings, bracelets, keychains, and other accessories, you might want to give it a try and see if it works as well for you as it did for me.

Behind the scenes making new necklaces & earrings for Kogan Con

�� Can’t Stop Me Now �� The Score

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Authors today have a lot of options when it comes to publishing their books. While the old process of writing query letters to literary agents and trying to land a contract with one of the (Simon & Schuster, Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette Book Group, and Macmillan) is still a viable way to publish, more and more authors are opting to maintain creative control over their work and consider self publishing.

In the past, I’ve written about the pros and cons of . But one topic I didn’t cover was the third option of publishing through a vanity press.

Between the release of the first and third novels in my , I’ve talked to a lot of aspiring authors at events. Many of them ask for advice when it comes to publishing.

I’m always upfront and honest about my experiences. The truth is, the publishing route that I took isn’t necessarily the best route for other authors. It all depends on their genre, release schedule, distribution model, marketing plan, networking connections, experience, platform, expectations for creative control, et cetera.

My answer when it comes to vanity presses: AVOID THEM. In this article, I’ll explain why.

Table of ContentsWhat Is a Vanity Press?

A vanity press can also be known as a subsidy publisher or vanity publisher. If you’re wondering how it got the name, it’s because vanity presses target author’s egos and prey on people who are so desperate to see their book in print that they’ll pay just about anything to make it happen.

That sounds harsh, but the truth is, vanity presses are known scammers. Later in this article, I’ll share some of the insights I received from an author who used to work for a vanity press. But before we start diving into personal testimonies, let’s establish exactly what vanity presses are and how they differ from true self publishing.

Vanity presses are a pay-to-publish scheme. But just because you’re paying thousands of dollars for their services doesn’t mean the publisher adheres to the same standards as a traditional publishing house.

Traditional Publishing vs. Self Publishing vs. Vanity Publishing

Vanity presses take advantage of aspiring authors who aren’t familiar with how book publishing is supposed to work. In a nutshell, here are the three methods of publishing:

TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING is when the author sells the publishing rights of their book to a publishing house. The publisher pay the author an advance, which means that the publishing house assumes all of the upfront costs to produce the book�� and also the risk. They pay for the cover design, editing, et cetera. If the book flops, it’s the publisher, not the author, who loses the investment. The author doesn’t start earning royalties from book sales until the advance is paid back in book sales.

There are a lot of hoops an author has to jump through if they want to land a lucrative contract with a major publishing house. Nowadays, you need to have a literary agent if you want your manuscript to even be seen. The chances of escaping the “slush pile�� (the unsolicited manuscripts sent to a publisher) are pretty much nonexistent. That means before you can hope to impress a publisher with your book, you first have to impress an agent, who will take a percentage of your royalties if you successfully land a book-publishing deal�� which is very, very difficult in today’s market. You have to pitch the right book idea to the right person at exactly the right time.

SELF PUBLISHING has become popular over the last decade thanks to companies like Amazon making it easier than ever for authors to upload their books and send them to the presses. However�� it often comes with a bad reputation because (again, thanks to Amazon), a lot of indie authors cut corners and flood the market with low-quality books.

The self-publishing method places all of the costs and risks on the author. Indie authors (aka independent authors) generally don’t have to pay to publish their books. IngramSpark was one of the few self-publishing companies that charged a fee to upload your book, but in 2023, they finally .

A lot of people think that self publishing is as easy as writing a book and uploading the digital file. However, for the serious indie authors who prioritize quality, it actually takes a lot of time, hard work, and investments. They are responsible for hiring a professional editor and, if necessary, paying for a good book cover, interior layout, ebook formatting, et cetera. Those costs can add up quickly. However, these are service-based costs, not contracts. Indie authors who self publish are able to hire freelancers and/or utilize self-publishing services while maintaining complete creative control over their work, not to mention keeping 100% of the royalties (minus the print cost of each book).

VANITY PUBLISHING portrays itself as a hybrid option. At face value, it seems to have all of the perks of a traditional publishing house since it handles the tedious tasks of book publishing such as ISBNs, editing, cover design, layout, marketing, et cetera that an author might not want to deal with, and there isn’t the roadblock of having to find a literary agent and pitch your book (while risking rejection). If you can pay, you can publish.

In most cases, it’s a scam dressed up as a legitimate publishing option. Authors shell out thousands of dollars to have their book produced as cheaply as possible while the vanity press pockets most of the money. In the end, many books published through a vanity press are as low quality as unedited self-published books with a bad stock image cover.

Personal Testimonies: Why I Don’t Recommend Vanity Publishing

To be clear, I do not have any personal experience using a vanity press. Early in my career when I was researching the various publishing options, I saw way too many red flags with vanity presses and made sure to steer clear.

My original goal was to publish traditionally, but over time, I realized that keeping creative control and having the freedom to design my own covers ( as well as an author) was .

As I was learning more about book publishing, I spoke directly with several authors to ask them about their experiences and recommendations. Some of them were indie authors who had self published through Amazon’s company. (At the time, it was CreateSpace, but it’s now called , or KDP.) A couple of local authors I knew had gone the traditional route and were able to share a different perspective. I also had the opportunity to meet one of my favorite authors, , and ask her about her experience publishing traditionally.

But the stories I’m going to share with you today came from three authors who had direct experience with vanity presses.

Case #1: Editing, Marketing, & Costs

A local author I knew personally invited me to her home to talk to me about her journey. We had lunch while admiring the beautiful view of Lake Michigan, and I ended up spending several hours chatting with her about book publishing. She was over the moon that her first book had been published, and she excitedly told me about the process.

But the longer we talked, the more I was certain that she had been scammed. Based the research I’d already done, I knew that what she was telling me didn’t seem right.

I had read a few chapters of her book prior to our meeting, and I had been shocked by how poorly it had been edited. The pages were riddled with grammatical and punctuation errors that any English teacher, let alone a professional book editor, should have caught.

According to the author, the vanity press she’d used had “editing packages�� that allowed her to make up to fifty corrections, and then she had to buy another batch of fifty if she wanted additional changes. Supposedly, the publisher had an in-house editor who had worked on the book. I was stunned to hear that an editor had let all of those mistakes slide.

I asked the author basic questions such as “How many books have you sold so far?�� and “What is the publisher doing to market your book?�� She couldn’t give me an answer. She had no idea how many books had been sold and said she wouldn’t know until she received a royalty check. And she was just happy that the publisher had sent her bookmarks and postcards with her book cover on them; she didn’t seem to be concerned about what they were doing to market her book even though marketing services were supposedly part of the publishing package that cost over $4,000.

This was an author who wasn’t interested in mass marketing or making a career out of her books. She was just happy to have her novel in print so she could share it with her friends and family. Money wasn’t an issue for her, so she felt that the vanity press was worth the thousands of dollars since she didn’t have to worry about all of the tedious work that self-published authors have to do.

But I was a serious author on a tight budget. I wanted to build a career with a widespread distribution plan, and I knew that none of what she said sounded right. How could she spend thousands of dollars and not know how her book was being marketed or even how many copies she’d sold months after publishing?

Now, years after this meeting, I’ve had experience publishing through , , , and . Every single one of those platforms has provided me with a dashboard to monitor sales and royalties. At any given time, I can generate a custom report for any time frame. You should NOT be left in the dark when it comes to sales and marketing.

Case #2: Litigation

A few years ago, I met a local author who had published a children’s book through a small Christian publishing company. When we first spoke, he seemed happy with his experience. We discussed the possibility of me illustrating his next book.

After some time passed and I hadn’t heard any updates about the upcoming book, I reached out to him. To my surprise, I learned that the book was on hold because he was tied up in litigation with the publisher, who had apparently violated terms in the contract for his first book. The author had sued the vanity press. I wish I could say that I knew what the outcome was, but I don’t know if it was ever resolved.

I’ve seen ads for Christian publishing companies�� and to be perfectly honest, I think those vanity presses tend to be particularly sleazy because they prey on the notion that the religious aspect makes them more trustworthy. Surely a good Christian company wouldn’t be a scam, right? (That’s exactly what they want you to think.) It’s still a vanity press regardless of how they brand themselves.

Case #3: Upselling Services

A couple of years ago, I went to a conference for creative entrepreneurs. One of the guest speakers was an author who, like me, wrote in the sci-fi/fantasy genre. I seized the opportunity to introduce myself afterward and talk to him about publishing and marketing.

As we talked, I learned that he used to work for a vanity press, and he had nothing good to say about it. He openly admitted that it was a scam. His job was to upsell services to customers, and he hated it. He knew that it was a rip-off. Desperate authors would pay thousands of dollars for editing, graphic design, and marketing packages, only to have the press cut every corner possible and produce their book as cheaply as they could.

The marketing was a joke. Unlike a traditional publishing house, the vanity press didn’t make its money from readers buying the books; they made it from the authors shelling out money to publish, and then they skimmed off the top by taking a royalty percentage in addition to the upfront payments.

This author confirmed what I already knew about vanity presses. They operate on predatory business practices that target people who are desperate to see their hard work finally pay off in the form of a published book�� no matter how much they have to pay to make that happen.

Red Flags to Watch Out For When Publishing Your Book

Unfortunately, there are countless scammers preying on authors who desperately want to be published. If you’re considering working with a publishing company to bring your book to life, keep an eye out for these warning signs:

Double Dipping

A publisher should NEVER charge you an upfront publishing cost AND take a percentage of your royalties. Essentially, this translates to, “I don’t want to assume the risk of publishing your book in case it flops, but if it does well, I want to reap the benefits of your success.��

If you are paying the upfront costs to publish your book, whether that’s in setup fees, freelance work, self-publishing services, et cetera, then you should be getting all of the royalties because you are taking the initial risk.

If a publishing house is assuming the risk instead, then they must have enough confidence in your work to pay YOU in advance. Under no circumstance should you be paying THEM while also sacrificing your royalties. That’s double dipping, and it’s an immediate red flag that you’re being scammed.

Reading Fees

A reputable publisher will never EVER demand that you pay them just to read your book. Traditional publishers aren’t looking to make money in reading fees; they’re looking for authors who can make them money by becoming a bestseller.

You might see reading fees associated with literary contests, and that’s normal. Many of those competitions are run by nonprofits who need to collect those fees to function. But that’s not how publishers make their revenue. They earn their profits from readers buying books, not from authors who want to get their books published.

Editing Packages

If a publishing house offers you a “package�� for editing like the one my friend paid for, RUN! That is not how editing works!!

Authors do not buy x amount of edits at a time. The charges me based on the word count of my manuscript. The word count, not the number of errors/changes, should determine what you pay.

Overselling Promises

The most a publisher can promise is to get your book on the market. If someone guarantees anything more than that, like a Netflix deal, Oprah feature, or spot on the New York Times bestseller list, it’s a scam. Nobody—not even one of the Big Five traditional publishing houses—can promise over-the-top perks and follow through with that claim. They can’t even promise that your book sales will break even with the investment you put into publishing the novel.

Informational Add-Ons

Vanity presses also make money by selling informational resources to unsuspecting authors. But here’s a secret: you can usually find all of this information for free online. There are TONS of free ebooks, blogs (like mine), articles, and other resources available at your fingertips.

Even if you don’t want to self publish, you can still access resources through self-publishing websites such as and , which both have help centers with a lot of useful articles. If a publishing company is trying to charge you hundreds or even thousands of dollars for informational courses about how to write and/or publish a book, it’s a scam.

Unclear Leadership / Ownership

Just like with any company you’re considering working with, you should know who is in charge. If a publishing house doesn’t have a clear roster of who is on their team and who’s running the business, that’s not a good sign. You should be able to figure out who is at the helm without having to do a deep internet search.

Even if the publisher does post its owners, editors, and other employees, it’s still important to do your own research. Are they legit? What books have they published?

It’s easy to label yourself as a “bestselling Amazon author�� in your bio for extra clout. But that can be misleading; some people target an obscure niche on purpose just so they can avoid competition and snag that #1 rank. If the owner of a publishing company claims to be a bestselling author, but the only book they’ve ever published is a history of puppetry in North America during the 1800s, are they really an expert you should be trusting? Do you think they can get your romance or fantasy novel to the top of a mainstream bestseller list?

They’re not technically lying about being a bestseller, but they cheated the system so they could pose as an expert. Make sure you know exactly who you’re working with.

Conclusion

There are many, many reasons why I steer aspiring authors away from vanity presses. I’m fortunate enough to say that I’ve never been scammed by one, but I’ve met people who have fallen victim to their shady practices�� even if the author didn’t realize it.

I recommend crossing a vanity press off your list of publication options. Your best bet is to focus on traditional or self publishing. Neither is going to be an easy road if you’re a serious author intent on producing a quality book and becoming a competitor in the marketplace. But it’s a much safer bet, and the reward can be amazing if you stick with it.

Best of luck!

The post first appeared on .

I didn’t plan to become an entrepreneur. To be honest, the pressure of planning and establishing my own business was daunting. I didn’t want to assume all of that risk.

But in the years after college as I jumped from job to job, burning out every time and then looking for something new that could hold my interest for a while and pay the bills, I started to realize that I was getting really, really tired of wasting so much of my time working to make someone else’s dream come true.

I wanted to publish books so I could share the stories in my head with other people. I wanted to create art. And I wanted those passions to become a sustainable career so I didn’t have to spend my life creating content for someone else’s business instead of my own.

I published my first book in 2018 while working a full-time job. After the pandemic, when my work-from-home job became a return-to-the-office job, I quit. I already wasted enough of my valuable time working a day job; I didn’t want to add an unpaid commute back into the equation and lose even more time. I started working remotely, writing website content on a per-project basis rather than an hourly rate. The goal was to continue working as a freelancer while I slowly transitioned my business into a sustainable, full-time career.

Life had other plans. I lost my steady remote job in March of 2022. Faced with the choice of sending out my resume and starting the job hunt again or taking the plunge, I decided to invest in my own business.

It’s been a little over a year since that pivotal, life-changing decision, and I’ve learned a lot. I wanted to take a moment and share three pieces of advice I discovered about entrepreneurship.

Table of Contents1. Set Up Auto-Transfers to Build Your Savings

It’s SO easy to tell yourself, “I’ll transfer some money next time; I need everything I can get right now to pay bills and reinvest in inventory.�� And then next time, you tell yourself the same thing. And again. And again.

I was guilty of doing this during the first year of my business being full-time. What happened? When it came time to pay the sales taxes I was supposed to have set aside throughout the year, my procrastination bit me in the ass. I had to scramble to pool enough money together because I hadn’t been proactive enough to tuck away a little bit from each event into one designated savings account.

I actually have two pieces of advice to give on this topic.

One, set up a direct deposit so a small percentage of your revenue gets transferred automatically. This way, you A) don’t risk forgetting and B) aren’t tempted to skip it “just this once�� and develop a bad habit.

Two, make sure that auto-transfer goes to a separate bank account that is not easily accessible. Otherwise, even if you’re good about remembering to transfer a percentage of your earnings every time, it can still be tempting to tap into those savings if you can get to them with just a few clicks inside of your usual banking app.

I have two external banking sources that I use and recommend: Barclays and Square.

Barclays vs. Square Savings Accounts

is a British universal bank that has branches in at least 50 countries outside of the UK. Their online savings account program has 4.15% APY (at the time this article was written). In case you were wondering, the , so that’s a HIGH rate! And that’s exactly why I recommend this bank.

With Barclays, you have:

24/7 access to your fundsAbility to transfer between your Barclays account and other banksDirect depositNo minimum opening balanceNo monthly fees

I’ve been using a Barclays savings account as a rainy day fund for several years and have no complaints. Having an external savings account outside of my normal bank makes it easier to save because I don’t regularly see that balance unless I take the time to log in and check. I also don’t have immediate access to those funds. I have to log in, initiate a transfer, and then wait for one or two business days. Those extra steps make me unlikely to tap into those savings unless it’s an emergency.

I’ve used Square to process payments since I started selling my first book back in 2018. Recently, a fellow entrepreneur told me that he’d created a and set it up to automatically withdraw a percentage of each sale to set aside for sales taxes. Which�� is a really good idea.

At 1.75% annual percentage yield, Square’s APY isn’t as impressive as Barclays��. But what’s nice about this option is that you don’t have to set a fixed direct deposit rate if you’re already using Square for your business transactions. You can choose a percentage of your sales. So, on days where your sales aren’t great, your direct deposit would be smaller. With Barclays, you’d have to set up a recurring withdrawal, such as $50, rather than choosing a percentage.

I recommend setting up a Square savings account with a fixed percentage of your sales for sales tax purposes since that is also going to be a percentage of your revenue. And then, if you can afford it, also set up a Barclays savings account and pick a small deposit amount to tuck away for a rainy day or future investment. Even setting aside $20 a month is better than nothing, and over time, it will grow.

2. Remember to Value Your Time and Skills, Not Just Base Costs

This is a mindset I’m still trying to master (although I am getting better about it).

, I set my book retail prices based on the print cost and the wholesale percentage that sellers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble take out of the profits. It doesn’t matter if it takes me six months or six years to write the book—the price comes from the production cost, not how long it took me to write and publish the book.

But , the value of my work is different. I’m notorious for failing to factor my time, effort, skill, and talent into the retail price. It’s not enough to strictly look at the base cost and set a price that generates only a slight profit based on what I paid for the materials.

Not only does time and skill need to be a factor, but there are also other product costs that often get overlooked when calculating the base cost per product. Plastic sleeves for art prints, bags so customers can carry their purchases, business cards and promotional materials that are included, etc.

I struggle with pricing my work appropriately, but I’m working on understanding and acknowledging my value. Part of this issue is rooted in the attitude of consumers. Many people appreciate the hard work that goes into creating art, but not everyone. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for a customer to compliment an artist’s work, then see the price and, instead of saying that it’s out of their budget, implying (or sometimes even saying outright) that the art isn’t worth what’s on the price tag. It’s a knee-jerk, defensive reaction when people feel insecure, and it isn’t unique to me. It isn’t even unique to artists. All kinds of vendors I’ve met at events have to endure these encounters.

“I can find something similar for a LOT cheaper on Amazon.��

Of course you can. But there’s a reason mass-produced artwork is so cheap. Consumers shouldn’t expect an artist to be selling their hard work at the same price as a giant corporation that bought the rights and is now selling millions of mass-produced copies.

Unfortunately�� some of them do expect that. Society has normalized taking advantage of artists and not paying them what their work is really worth.

It’s easy to let those kinds of reactions get in your head and make you second-guess your worth. (Full disclosure: most creatives struggle with at some point in their career.) But here’s the thing—just as with any business, artists can’t survive without making profit. Barely breaking even on a sale doesn’t cut it. If an artist can’t pay their bills and afford materials, then they can’t keep creating new art for people to enjoy.

I’ve learned that I can’t let low-quality market demographics undermine my value and drive my decisions. My worth shouldn’t be defined by someone else’s budget. There will ALWAYS be people who want to negotiate for a lower price, and I won’t be a successful entrepreneur if I let them control my business like that. I could be in the red, and they still wouldn’t be satisfied until I gave it to them for free. You just can’t please everyone. It’s not possible.

If you respectfully tell me that my art is out of your budget, I will understand. I don’t want my artwork to be unaffordable, but I also want to be fairly compensated for the work that went into it because it did take time and skill to make, and I put a little bit of my soul into everything I create. You’re not getting something that’s been mass produced. I don’t sell my work in any stores. The only way to get my prints is directly from me.

I make sure to offer different types of products at different price points to accommodate a range of budgets. If someone likes my work but can’t afford a $50 canvas, they might like a $20 artboard or even a $2 postcard instead. I’m learning to set fair prices, stop apologizing, and change my response to, “If this isn’t in your budget, you might be interested in this smaller print instead.��

My point here: don’t forget to value your time, hard work, and talent on top of your base costs. It takes years of practice to develop these skills. It’s okay to charge for that. If someone wants Amazon pricing, then they should be shopping on Amazon. Don’t undersell yourself to accommodate them.

3. Networking is Invaluable

So far, I have 95 events under my belt. That includes festivals, artisan markets, book signings, conventions, etc. It’s hard to believe that I’m almost at 100!

At these events, I’ve met other authors, artists, and entrepreneurs, and each conversation is an opportunity to learn and to teach. Some of these vendors are just starting their journey. I can see that they have the potential to go far. I’m happy to share some of my experiences and give them tips based on what I’ve learned. Maybe, as their career develops, we can mutually benefit one another. Or not, but I still like to help anyway! It can’t hurt, and karma is good to kind people. If you expel positive energy, that’s what you’ll get back.

Other vendors have more experience than I do, and I know that I still have a lot to learn. I enjoy having business conversations, hearing about their successes and challenges, sharing resources, getting recommendations for events, and sometimes even collaborating on projects. I connected with Brooke, the woman who 3D prints my Amínyte pendants, at an event last fall. And I currently have another collaboration in the works with another vendor.

Networking has the potential to lay invaluable groundwork. I’ve learned about events to apply for (and some that I should avoid at all costs). I’ve gotten inspiration for new products, marketing ideas, and displays. I received financial advice and personal recommendations that introduced me to new companies that could transform my art into functional products at a reasonable price.

New entrepreneurs are prone to underestimating the power of networking. I’m here to testify that networking may or may not always turn into something of value, but it never hurts to build those connections and collect pieces of knowledge along the way.

You don’t have to see all the other vendors as competitors. In most cases, they’re not! I’ve befriended other authors and requested to set up next to them at festivals because even though we’re both selling books, we write in different genres. Sure, there might be some crossover with diverse fans, but we support each other. If someone isn’t interested in my genre, I’ll gladly recommend the other author’s work if it seems like a better fit. After all, I don’t want to pressure someone into buying my book if it’s not what they like (and then potentially leaving a bad review because they didn’t enjoy reading it).

It’s possible that a professional relationship might not yield any immediate value in the beginning, but by making the initial introduction, you could open the door to an amazing opportunity down the road. If you need to connect with someone, simply including “we met at this event�� when you reach out adds a personal touch that catches attention, even if the person doesn’t remember you.

I hope these tips are valuable for you. They’re based on my own trials and errors as I’ve advanced my career. Save money, value your skills, and network with the professionals around you, and you’ll set yourself up for success.

Good luck on your journey!

The post first appeared on .

Hello! I’m an award-winning .

Last year, after losing my job, I decided to take a leap of faith and turn my passions into a full-time career. This led to an intense schedule of setting up a booth at a variety of pop-up markets, festivals, conventions, and other events where I could connect with people and share my books and artwork.

One of the challenges I faced was finding a service that could produce high-quality prints of my artwork at an affordable price since I didn’t have a printer that was up to the task, nor did I have the materials I wanted (canvas, artboards, et cetera).

In my search, I came across . I started with a small sample order before placing a larger order that included artboards and canvases. Here’s my review based on my experience with this company so far.

Table of Contents

Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. However, this is not a sponsored post. I do NOT write any articles that are sponsored by the company or product I’m reviewing. All opinions shared in this article are my own. For more information about how affiliate links are used on this website, .

For a long time, I used Walgreens for my photo prints and canvases. Their quality was good, and I could usually pick up my artwork on the same day or following day. However, I had to time my orders around the company’s online promotions. If I wasn’t getting at least a 40%+ discount on my order, then my profit margins were way too low to be sustainable when I sold my art prints at festivals, markets, and other events.

That was what drove my initial online search to find a better alternative. Ultimately, Walgreens is a retailer selling directly to consumers. I needed a B2B company that offered wholesale prices to artists who intended to resell the prints.

I scoped out several websites and even ordered samples from before I discovered .

1. About Photo Canvas Land

Photo Canvas Land advertises itself with the tagline “Museum Quality Canvas and Prints for Professionals.��

It’s a USA-based company located in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo Canvas Land has been operating since 2000, and according to its website, “All of our products are handcrafted at our production facilities in Georgia.��

Their website also claims, “PhotoCanvasLand.com is committed to high quality photo canvas and your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed! If for any reason you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, you may return it within 30 days of receipt and receive a free replacement or a full refund for the price of the product.��

The company claims that it can do custom work such as color correction, red-eye reduction, cropping, et cetera upon request. However, since I do my own corrections prior to placing orders, I have not utilized this service and can’t personally attest to how easy it is to work with Photo Canvas Land for customizations.

2. Products & Quality

As of June 2023 when this article was written, here is the list of products available from :

Canvas
�� Wrapped (Gallery Style @ 1.5�� depth or Standard Style @ 0.75�� depth)
�� Rolled
�� Mini Canvas Board
�� Mounted (Gatorboard/Sintra PVC/Bamboo/Bamboo Board)

Fine Art Prints
�� Fine Art Paper (Elegance Velvet/Optica One)
�� Gatorboard
�� Sintra PVC
�� Foamcore
�� Styrene
�� Bamboo
�� Bamboo Board

Photo Gifts
�� Fabric Wall Cling
�� Bamboo Magnet (Canvas/Print)
�� Ornament (Canvas/Print)
�� Desktop Block (Canvas/Print)

Their selection of photo gifts is rather limited, especially if you compare it to the online selection at Walgreens. However, for an artist who is simply looking for top-quality prints on canvases and artboards, it provides exactly what you need! Photo Canvas Land might have a limited selection of products, but that means they’re able to do a handful of things very well instead of a wide range of services at mediocre quality.

For my first order, I started with artboard samples to see how my artwork printed on PVC. Check out my video showing off the new products when they arrived:

What do you think?

I had to do some research to determine what type of artboard to order. Photo Canvas Land offers foamcore, Styrene, Gatorboard, and Sintra PVC. :

Foamcore is essentially a Styrofoam center that has been sandwiched between paper coatings. It’s the cheapest option, but it tends to warp and is susceptible to corner dings and moisture damage.

Styrene is a flexible polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic. It’s semi-rigid and can be rolled up.

Gatorboard has more rigidity than Styrene due to having a dense inner core. Unlike foamcore, Gatorboard has a rigid coating that is resistant to moisture. It’s a middle-of-the-road option as far as durability.

Sintra PVC is a lightweight yet very rigid polyvinyl chloride board that has a low-gloss matte finish. It comes highly recommended as the best option for durable artboards that are unlikely to warp or suffer from corner dings, moisture damage, fading, et cetera.

From a quality standpoint, I debated between Gatorboard and Sintra PVC. However, when I discovered that these middle-grade and high-grade options were the same price, it was a no-brainer �� I chose the highest quality. I was not disappointed when the sample arrived.

My customers weren’t, either! I sold some of the new artboards at my next pop-market, and they’ve continued to do well at events as I phase out my matted prints and replace them with the PVC artboards.

For canvases, here are some highlights from ‘s website:

3. Photo Canvas Land Pricing vs. Canvas Discount

I had originally been ready to use Canvas Discount for my prints. I’d already ordered canvas, artboard, and poster samples. But once I paid closer attention to their artboard prices, I knew that it wasn’t the right company for my needs. Not only did they not offer the sizes that I wanted (8×10 and 11×14), but even their smallest artboard was more expensive than I had anticipated.

I knew that I could find better. That prompted my online hunt for high-quality artboard prints at a reasonable wholesale price. I browsed several different websites before finding Photo Canvas Land.

Unfortunately, Photo Canvas Land’s prices for canvases were higher than Canvas Discount’s. However, I’d experienced some issues with Canvas Discount when I’d ordered samples:

Their online previewer wasn’t accurate. My print should have been fully contained on the front of the canvas based on how the preview looked, but when it arrived, the top and bottom were cut off because they wrapped around the frame.“Canvas Discount�� was prominently printed on the back of the canvas, making the product feel cheap. It also had QR codes and additional text/numbers. I disliked not having control over the branding.

Although the canvases from Photo Canvas Land were a little more expensive, I had branding options once I joined their pro account for free. I could choose to use Photo Canvas Land’s branding, my own branding, or leave the back of the canvas blank.

Like Canvas Discount, Photo Canvas Land offers gallery-style canvases that have 1.5�� depth or standard-style canvases that have 0.75�� depth. Both companies provide options for how the canvas sides will look �� mirrored, white, black, or full bleed. (Canvas Discount did have an extra option, which was a stretched edge. However, as I mentioned, their previewer wasn’t accurate when I ordered a test canvas.)

As far as pricing, Canvas Discount is the winner for canvases. However, I’m willing to pay a few extra dollars to get Photo Canvas Land’s perk of using my own branding or leaving the back of the canvas blank so my art prints look more professional.

For artboards, Photo Canvas Land is the undisputed winner. They offer an extensive list of size options (55 sizes ranging from 8×8 to 40×60) as well as material options (foamcore, Styrene, Gatorboard, Sintra PVC), not to mention their pricing was about half of what Canvas Discount charged for their artboards.

For a finish, Photo Canvas Land lets you choose from luster, glossy, metallic luster, and metallic glossy. The metallic options cost an extra $0.50. (Note: when I ordered my first samples, I chose a mix of the luster and metallic luster so I could compare the two�� and I honestly couldn’t see any difference whatsoever. Either the order wasn’t right, or it’s not worth paying extra for a metallic finish that looks exactly the same as the regular luster finish.)

When it comes to artboards, Photo Canvas Land was the best option I found after searching multiple websites, and the quality so far has been top notch.

4. Shipping & Turnaround Time

Every order I’ve received has clearly been packaged with care. Each print is individually wrapped, then bundled and wrapped again for extra protection before being sandwiched between bubble wrap and fit snugly in a box that has no wiggle room.

For me, the turnaround time is a bit longer than I would like�� but perhaps since I’m used to picking up prints from Walgreens the same day or following day, I’ve been spoiled by the fast production time.

Photo Canvas Land claims on their website that they usually ship within 5 business days from receipt of an order. The delivery time is 3-5 business days in the US and 10+ business days to Canada after the order has left the facility.

For the continental US, orders can ship at a flat rate of $8.95 or expedited shipping at $24.95. Flat-rate shipping is great if you’re ordering large canvases or placing a bulk order.

5. Pro Account for Artists & Resellers

This is where Photo Canvas Land is an absolute win for me. I mentioned their pro account earlier when I talked about having my own branding on the backs of canvases and artboards, but there are additional perks to joining this program as well.

First, your branding isn’t just on the back of the artwork. It’s also on the packing sheet and shipping label if you need to ship prints directly to customers.

Second, you get special discounts. For canvases and artboards, you start with an extra 10% discount on top of the already-low price. If you continue to place orders, your discount increases based on your annual spend. You can earn up to an additional 20% off.

Third, it’s free! You get your own branding on art prints plus bonus discounts just by joining the program at no extra cost. You can also get a free 12×10 canvas sample to test the company out. This program is specifically designed for artists, photographers, designers, resellers, and other creative professionals.

6. Final Photo Canvas Land Review Summary + Unboxing Video

I have gladly been recommending to artist friends and vendors I meet at events. I’m always price shopping and asking other creative professionals about the resources they use, hoping to find the best economical yet high-quality solutions.

I am VERY impressed with the Sintra PVC artboards, and my fans have been, too! They’re affordable for me to purchase as an artist and sell for a reasonable price so people can enjoy my artwork without breaking the bank. The canvases are also good quality.

PROS:

Best price for artboardsExtensive list of size optionsOptional custom workAbility to leave products unbranded or use your own brandingChoice of material for artboardsAdditional discounts available with FREE pro accountAbility to create and manage folders for easy organization within your online accountProducts are well packaged when they shipFlat-rate shipping regardless of size/weight for big ordersOnline previewer is easy to use (and seems to be accurate)

CONS:

Canvas prices could be a little lower based on competitor’s pricesTurnaround time is a bit slower than I’d like (but not unreasonable)

Overall, I’m a happy customer who highly recommends . Be sure to check out my recent unboxing video when I unpacked my first order since joining Photo Canvas Land’s pro account:

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The phrase “write to market�� is one that aspiring authors hear frequently. But what exactly does it mean? And how important is it? Can you become a bestselling author if you don’t write to market?

In my experience, I typically hear this phrase used in one of two ways. Here’s my take on what “write to market�� means and how important it is to success.

Table of Contents1. Copy the Plot Formula of Bestsellers

Spoiler: I’m not a fan of this method. However, it’s one that’s prevalent (and successful) for many writers.

When some people recommend “writing to market,�� they’re suggesting that you should study the plotlines of bestsellers in your selected genre and basically employ a copy/paste strategy with slightly different characters and settings. When I attended a writing conference several years ago, this is the method that one of the keynote speakers used to build a highly profitable career over several decades.

You’ve no doubt seen this yourself. My go-to example is the Hallmark structure. Fans keep going back for more stories even though they all generally follow the exact same formula. If you’ve seen one Hallmark movie, you’ve pretty much seen them all.

And yet, this method is profitable for Hallmark. The audience wants predictability. It’s comfortable and creates nostalgia. Hallmark understands their viewers and what they want, and that’s exactly what they deliver.

To an extent, all stories follow a formula. There are seven basic plots that have been told and retold throughout human history. From :

According to Christopher Booker’s book,��The Seven Basic Plots: Why we tell stories (2004), the seven main types of story are:

Overcoming the Monster. This is a story of a ‘terrifying, life-threatening, seemingly all-powerful monster who the hero must confront in a fight to the death�� (p. 22).Rags to Riches: A story of a ‘humble, disregarded little hero or heroine who is lifted out of the shadows to a glorious destiny�� (p. 53).The Quest: A story in which ‘a hero and his [or her/their] companions go through a succession of terrible, often near-fatal ordeals��. Often they receive ‘guidance from friendly helpers�� (p. 73).Voyage and Return: A story where an individual or group travels ‘out of their familiar, everyday, ‘normal�� surroundings into another world completely cut off from the first�� (p. 87).Comedy: Stories that (historically) revolved around confusions such as mistaken identities and precarious situations played for laughs, often involving a main character ‘who against all odds finally achieves the happy ending�� (p. 134).Tragedy: Stories that typically feature a protagonist ‘becoming more and more ensnared in their predicament�� (p. 176), often an ‘incomplete, egocentric figure who meets a lonely and violent end�� (p. 180) due to making the wrong choices.Rebirth: A story that ‘marks the move from one universal pole of existence to the other, from death to life�� (p. 205) in showing how a character moves from an imprisoned or trapped state to freedom and renewal.

I would, however, argue that there’s a difference between being categorized in a well-known archetype versus copying the exact plot of a bestseller and swapping some details out to remarket it as a new story. To me, that’s unoriginal, and I’m not a fan of that method.

BUT, I will admit that it works for authors whose primary goal is to sell lots of books, make money, and land on bestseller lists. This version of “write to market�� prioritizes tried-and-true formulas that audiences like to binge over original stories that break the mold and take readers to new places. Creativity takes time. If writing books is your business, and your primary goal is to produce rapid-release bestsellers with minimal effort, then it’s hard to go wrong with a formulaic approach.

The risk with this method is pushing your audience into a rut of boredom. Some readers like to lose themselves in Hallmarkesque stories where they don’t get overloaded with or a complex cast of characters to keep track of. To them, the predictability is relaxing.

Other readers, like me, get bored reading the same plot over and over again with slight tweaks here and there. I want to be surprised! I want to explore new worlds and fall in love with new characters that have unique quirks and goals and faults.

This first example was my initial perception of the “write to market�� advice I kept hearing in writing groups. The message was basically: “If you want to make money writing books, you need to copy overdone formulas because that’s what sells.��

I balked at that idea. I hated it. How boring, I thought, just churning out different variations of stories other people have already written. If I wanted a dull, tedious job, then I could go back to working a 9-5 office job. It would pay better and be much less work.

If that was what it took to become a successful author, then I accepted that I would never achieve that status.

2. Identify Your Audience and Target That Niche

As I ventured into freelance writing and affiliate marketing, I started to learn more about , keyword research, and audience demographics. I came to realize that “write to market�� didn’t necessarily mean that an author had to rely on the copy-and-paste formula I discussed above.

Writing to market more accurately translated to “target a specific niche and write what that audience wants to read.�� That COULD be a generic bestseller formula, but it didn’t necessarily have to be.

Does it make sense to identify and target a particular audience for marketing purposes? Absolutely.

Did I follow this advice when I published my award-winning ?

…Not really.

Should I have?

Probably. It would have made my life easier, because marketing my books is still something that I struggle to do.

But, again, I still recoiled from the idea of writing anything other than the story that had filled my head and completely consumed my thoughts. Don’t get me wrong �� I love my growing fan base! But really, I’m just extremely fortunate that they happened to fall in love with the story I wrote. I didn’t think of my potential readers when I started writing, which meant that I had to figure out who my audience was after I had published the first book.

As far as strategy goes, that wasn’t well planned. I also didn’t write a story that fit into a neat box so I could say, “If you like this book, you’ll love my book.�� I in my series.

On the one hand, that enabled me to cross-market with different audiences. But on the other, it made it difficult to categorize and pitch my book to potential readers.

Conclusion

Here’s my two cents to conclude this article:

I personally don’t like the idea of copying the same formula over and over and over again. But I acknowledge that it does work for authors who choose to implement that strategy for rapid-release bestsellers if that’s what their audience wants. This method is more about business than passion.If you hope to become a bestselling author someday, there’s immense value to understanding your target readers and writing with them in mind.Although I recognize the value of writing to market (whichever method you use), I also believe that writers ultimately need to write the story THEY need to tell. We put pieces of ourselves in the pages. I know in my case, I can weave together pretty words, but something is missing if I’m writing for somebody else and not myself. I’m insanely lucky that readers connected with my passion project and came to love my characters almost as much as I do.

So, what are your thoughts on writing to market? Do you find it easy to identify your target audience and write the stories they want to read? Or do you primarily write for yourself and hope that readers are able to connect with the story that was in your heart? Is there a healthy crossover between what you need to write and what they want to read?

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