December doodling from The Dawnflier of @KimHeadlee #ASMSG #MFRWOrg

Christmas (c)2010 by Subbotina, Depositphotos ID 10605705.

I had a handful of download credits at Depositphotos.com that were burning a hole in my virtual pocket, so I splurged and selected several images that I plan to share with you here on The Maze during the coming months. I just love the sense of wonder and magic in this image, don't you? I'll bet she's smiling because her gift box contains the book she's been waiting for!

Speaking of books, I am excited to share two new releases with you today:

• The Business of Writing: Practical Insights for Independent, Hybrid, and Traditionally Published Authors released in e-book format November 14, and its print edition is now available for sale too.
• Raging Sea: Enemies and Allies, book 3 part 2 of The Dragon's Dove Chronicles, is now available for Kindle, Kobo, iBooks, and other e-tailers! I will be cutting back on social media involvement in the coming weeks in order to make a concerted effort to finish Angusel's story. The final installment will be subtitled Crucible of Combat. Subscribers to The Dawnflier newsletter received notice of its exclusive Amazon giveaway -- sign up today so you don't miss out on the next one!

In other news:

• Liberty has received a cover makeover. Scroll down on this post a bit to see this gorgeous new design.
• In preparation for 2017 BookBub promos, I have reactivated my books on Google Play. To date, these titles include Dawnflight, The Color of Vengeance, Morning's Journey, The Challenge, Liberty, King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court, and Snow in July. I plan to upload my other books, starting with parts 1 and 2 of Raging Sea, as I am able.

My next personal appearance will be as an author-guest at the 2017 MarsCon science fiction/fantasy convention, January 13-15. I am slated to give my Business of Writing workshop and a new presentation, "Dragons and Griffins and Bears, Oh My!" which is an introduction to the ancient carved stones of Scotland.

May your days be merry and bright!

***

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The Next Business of Writing Workshop: @FarpointCon SFF Con, Timonium, MD Feb 13!

Farpoint 23: "Baltimore Fandom's Family Reunion"
February 12-14, 2016, Radisson Hotel North Baltimore, Timonium, MD.

The Business of Writing workshop is going back on the road, this time to Farpoint, affectionately known as Baltimore Fandom's Family Reunion. 

And that's no exaggeration: there's an intimate, so-glad-to-see-you-again-my-friend ambiance to this con that cannot be duplicated at the larger fan cons and comic-cons. 

My Business of Writing workshop presentation is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13. All my panels and appearances:

Friday, Feb. 12

• 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. (except where noted below) Manning my table in the Dealers Room—which is open to the public at this con. My fantastic husband has volunteered to hold down my little fort this weekend whenever I'm occupied elsewhere. <3
• 4:00 p.m. Writing the Other (creating characters different from you in terms of gender, culture, sexuality, etc.), with Rigel Ailur, Jennifer Povey, and Jay Smith
• 7:00 p.m. Publishing on a Budget: Spending Your Money Wisely, with Danielle Ackley-McPhail, T.J. Perkins, and Richard C. White

Saturday, Feb. 13

• 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (except where noted below) My table in the Dealers Room (open to the public)
• 5:00 p.m. Dramatic reading from King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court. I plan to donate my final ARC copy to Farpoint's charity auction.
• 6:00 p.m. The Business of Writing Workshop
• 7:00 p.m. Enter the Hobbit (creating realistic sword fighting scenes in your novel), with Mike McPhail, and Richard C. White
• 9:00 p.m. Building an Audience (social media marketing techniques), with Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Jay Smith, and Michael Ventrella

Sunday, Feb. 14

• 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (except where noted below) My table in the Dealers Room (open to the public)
• 1:00 p.m. A Charlie Brown Farpoint: Celebrating 65 years of Charles Schulz and the Peanuts Gang, with Allyn Gibson and Howard Weinstein

I hope to reunite with you this weekend! :)

***

All this month, you are invited to...
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... and each action this month is good for one chance to win a copy of any of Kim's e-books. Please enter often, and good luck!

February Fandango in The Dawnflier (Feb. 2016) #ASMSG #IARTG #MFRWOrg

Photo c2013 by Kim Headlee.

No, the photo caption does not have a typo; I snapped the picture through the windshield of our truck the morning after a storm in January 2013 that left us with more snow (16") than "Snowmageddon 2016" did (a "mere" 10-12"). 

This year it was dismal and gray, with more snow threatening to fall the morning after the big storm, and I wasn't as happy with how those pictures came out. I am thankful that we weathered this year's event without losing power for once; we're on a well, so for us, no power = no water. I hope that either you weren't affected by this storm, or if you were, that things are getting back to a more even keel for you in its aftermath.

BREAKING NEWS: I have agreed to function as publisher for an elderly friend and longtime fan of my books. He’s a retired teacher of high school history and government who once told me that he’d have gladly used my novel Dawnflight in his classroom had it been available then. To date, that remains among the highest compliments anyone has paid any of my books, and I am honored to assist Dr. Fred Eichelman in publishing Faith, Family, Film: A Teacher’s Trek. Please stay tuned for more news about this charming and informative “not a memoir.”

MORE BREAKING NEWS: I am running a giveaway for print copies of The Challenge. Enter online via this link, but hurry – the contest ends one minute before midnight PT on 02/05/2016!

I had a lot of fun at MarsCon 2016 presenting my Business of Writing workshop and being a member of several panels. 

What's that? You wanted to attend my workshop but couldn't make it to Williamsburg? No worries, my friend! I will be presenting it again on Saturday, February 13 as part of Farpoint 23 at the Radisson North Baltimore Hotel in Timonium, MD. Stay tuned for another blog post detailing my full schedule.

Thanks for your faithful support of my work,
and if Snowzilla pounds on your door again, 

for heaven's sake, don’t answer it! :)

***
Enter this Amazon giveaway for your chance to win
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***

All this month, you are invited to...
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... and each action this month is good for one chance to win a copy of any of Kim's e-books. Please enter often, and good luck!

Latest Business of Writing Workshop presentation at MarsCon 1/15/16 Williamsburg, VA!

The Business of Writing: An Introduction
Workshop presented by Kim Headlee.

I have my MarsCon 2016 schedule,
and it's a great one! 

It kicks off with my Business of Writing Workshop at 5 p.m. Friday 1/15 (Room 14). Other programming for which I am scheduled, all in room Harrison 1:

• Friday, 8 p.m. panel: Social Media Etiquette for Authors
• Saturday, 12 noon panel: Adapting Books to Movies
• Saturday, 3 p.m. panel: The Mary Sue Complex
• Sunday, 1 p.m. panel: Paranormal Fiction - balancing the line between the truth and fantasy.

I hope to see you there!

***
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All this month, you are invited to...
— Follow Kim on Twitter
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... and each action this month is good for one chance to win a copy of any of Kim's e-books. Please enter often, and good luck!

The Business of Writing Workshop Dec. 2015 Schedule Update #ASMSG #MFRWOrg

First please let me thank everyone who attended my Business of Writing workshop presented at ChessieCon in Baltimore on Black Friday! You all were amazing, you asked lots of great questions, and I hope you had as much fun with our session as I did. :)

If you're reading this and were in the audience that day, please drop a note in the comments section!

If you couldn't attend but you live in the mid-Atlantic area, upcoming confirmed presentations include:

• MarsCon, Williamsburg, VA, January 15-17, 2016 (The Business of Writing: An Introduction)
• Farpoint, Baltimore, MD, February 12-15, 2016 (The Business of Writing: An Introduction... and possibly part 2, Diving Deeper, depending on how the final schedule shakes out)

As more appearances become confirmed, I'll keep you updated!

***
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King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court!

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***

Those who aspire to greatness
must first learn servanthood.

All this month, you are invited to...
— Follow Kim on Twitter
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— Leave a comment on any page of The Maze, especially if you have done the Twitter, Pinterest, and/or YouTube follow
...and each action this month is good for one chance to win an e-book copy of Raging Sea: Reckonings. Please enter often, and good luck!

Celebrate #BlackFriday with my Business of Writing workshop @ChessieCon in Baltimore!

Once you've had your fill of stuffing and shopping, and if you happen to live in the metro Baltimore/DC corridor, flap on over to the Radisson North Baltimore Hotel (Timonium, MD) to attend ChessieCon 2015! 

Don't delay if you plan to attend my Business of Writing workshop, however—it's scheduled at 4:15 p.m. Friday as one of the first programming events of the con. 

Topics I plan to present include: 

• Whether or not an author should incorporate.
• ISBNs: what, why, and how many?
• Imprints demystified.
• The Main Event: Createspace vs. IngramSpark!

And I have a special treat for convention goers: the paperback edition of King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court is now available. Mention this blog post for a 50% discount!

All panels and events for which I'm scheduled:

• Friday, November 27
  • 4:15 p.m.–5:15 p.m. The Business of Writing workshop
  • 8:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. Women in Camelot panel
  • 9:45 p.m.–10:15 p.m. Reading from King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court
• Saturday, November 28
  • 3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. KaffeeKlatch with Kim Headlee
  • 5:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m. Don't Be That Guy panel
  • 6:45 p.m.–8:00 p.m. Group book / art / CD signing session
• Sunday, November 29
  • 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. E-publishing and Small Presses panel
  • 12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m. A Princess with a Sword is still a Princess panel
  • 6:00 p.m.–midnight??? Dead Dogfish Party in the Consuite

I hope everyone enjoys a safe and happy Thanksgiving weekend!

***

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King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court!

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All this month, you are invited to...
— Follow Kim on Twitter
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— Leave a comment on any page of The Maze, especially if you have done the Twitter, Pinterest, and/or YouTube follow
...and each action this month is good for one chance to win an e-book copy of King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court. Please enter often, and good luck!

The Business of Writing Workshop Update: Diving Deeper (workshop part 2) #ASMSG #MFRWOrg

Elephant Rock, Heimaey, Islas Vestman, Suðurland, Islandia,
c2014-08-17 by DD_036 via Wikimedia Commons.

Last week was a hoot and a half for me: I learned rather at the last minute that the Rising Star programming chair had scheduled my "Business of Writing" workshop for not one hour but two! That left me scrambling to assemble a second presentation.

Fortunately, having blogged about various Business of Writing topics once a week since the beginning of June, I had a wealth of material upon which to draw.

The topics I selected for part 2, which I titled "Diving Deeper":

• The Publication Plan (posted 7/1/15)
• The Promotion Plan (posted 7/8/15)
• The Book Cover (posted 6/24/15, and I brought proof copies of my own books as "show-and-tell-all" :D)
• The Book Review (posted 7/22/15, and one of my most popular posts to date with >3500 views)

A timely article about the essentials of public speaking by author Nikki Woods reminded me of several tips and techniques:
http://www.nikkiwoodsmedia.com/12-essential-principles-effective-public-speaking/ -- though, for the record, I didn't do a lot of practicing, as she suggests, because as I mentioned last week, my public-speaking strength lies in being extemporaneous and connecting with the audience.

I am pleased to report that both workshop sessions went quite well at Rising Star! Since I am slotted for just one hour at ChessieCon (Baltimore, MD, "Black Friday" 11/27/2015,  4:15 p.m.), I feel quite well prepared to do a good job there -- though I may give a quick run-down of both sets of topics and ask the audience which presentation they would prefer to see.

Part one's list of topics may be viewed here. If you could attend one of my Business of Writing workshops, which topics would you like to learn more about?

***
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All this month, you are invited to...
— Follow Kim on Twitter
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...and each action this month is good for one chance to win an e-book copy of Morning's Journey. Please enter often, and good luck!

The Business of Writing: An Introduction (workshop description) #ASMSG #MFRWOrg

Der Gemeindeschreiber ("The Community Writer")
by Gemälde von Albert Anker, 1874.
Public domain (Wikimedia Commons).

Confession time! 

On 06/02/2015, I introduced The Business of Writing weekly feature on The Maze. Why?

To help fellow writers surfing the blogisphere, of course, but also as a means of collecting my thoughts because I had volunteered to present a workshop for folks wishing to dip their literary toes into the Indie Publishing pool.

This coming weekend—either Friday evening or (more likely) sometime Saturday; program details have not yet been released—I will be test-driving my Business of Writing workshop at Rising Star 2015 in Bluefield, WV.

Even more exciting is the prospect of presenting it again at Chessiecon 2015 (Baltimore, MD) at 4:15 p.m. on "Black Friday"—yep, the day after Thanksgiving! If all goes well, I may even be presenting it in 2016 at Marscon, Farpoint, and other events too.

Fans who have seen me on con panels know that my greatest strength as a public speaker is extemporizing. Even when called upon to deliver a lecture, I tend to jot down a list of topics and then speak as the spirit moves me.

Workshops (and this weekend's will be my first foray as a workshop presenter) I know operate a bit differently. Attendees tend to expect a formal presentation and handouts, at the very least, and perhaps more opportunities for interaction than a standard lecture affords. So, yes, my workshop will have a "formal" framework (and handouts!) covering the following topics:

• To Incorporate or Not Incorporate, that is the question.
• ISBNs – what, why, and how many???
• Imprints Demystified
• Book Production: DIY vs. Professional Providers for editing, layout, cover design
• The Main Event: Createspace vs. IngramSpark

Where I plan to differ from "standard" workshop presentation style is to display this list of topics and then ask the audience which topic they would like to see first, second, and so on, being prepared to jump back and forth in my presentation slides. Since I'm only allotted an hour for this workshop at each con, I'm hoping this will allow folks to come away with the most bang for their instructional buck.

I'll let you know how it goes... and better yet, I hope to see you there! :)

***
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***

All this month, you are invited to...
— Follow Kim on Twitter
— Follow Kim on Pinterest
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on any page of The Maze, especially if you have done the Twitter, Pinterest, and/or YouTube follow
...and each action this month is good for one chance to win an e-book copy of Morning's Journey. Please enter often, and good luck!