I’ve spent the last couple of posts being pretty firm about the importance of doing the work. In Hauling the Bricks and The Indie Author’s Scam Survival Guide, we talked about how there’s no magic shortcut—just putting in the effort, day after day, is what gets you there.
Indie publishing is booming, which means writers have more control over their careers than ever before. But with opportunity comes risk—and scammers are circling like sharks in a feeding frenzy.
Every year, new scams pop up, often just repackaged versions of old ones, designed to prey on authors who are still figuring out the publishing game. Because while anyone can write a book, successfully publishing and selling one is much harder. That gap—between the dream and the reality—is where the scammers strike.
Let’s talk about how to spot them, avoid them, and protect yourself.
This site is dedicated to productivity. Writing productivity, to be specific. There are hundreds of hints, tips, tricks, and hacks on PIFW to help you write more, write faster, and write better.
Recently, Anne R. Allen published a post titled “Can Marathon Writing Sessions Lead to Depression?,” citing studies that suggest long, intense writing sessions might mimic symptoms of depression. If you’re an indie author pushing for a prolific writing habit, this kind of claim can be alarming.
From The Productive Indie Fiction Writer: Let’s talk about a topic that’s been making the rounds lately: the idea that
Ah, the dreaded 3 a.m. wake-up. You know the drill. You’re drifting in and out of sleep, and suddenly, your brain decides now’s the perfect time to replay that awkward email you sent at work. Or it spins a delightful doomsday scenario about how your project will implode, your reputation will be ruined, and your cat will somehow suffer terrible consequences.
Not all dashes are created equal, and if you’re preparing a manuscript for publication, it’s important to know your en-dashes from your em-dashes, and why the dash you use in your manuscript may not be the one that shows up in your final book.
20 inspiring writing quotes.
Writing is hard. Some days, it’s staring at a blank page until your soul starts to shrivel. Other days, it’s forcing words onto the page that feel as clunky as a toddler’s first steps. This difficulty, though, isn’t a bug in the system—it’s a feature. What you’re experiencing is disfluency, the grinding friction that comes when creativity refuses to flow like a perfect algorithm. But here’s the kicker: disfluency isn’t just a hurdle to clear; it’s the point of the creative process.
For over two decades, Writers’ Digest has celebrated the best resources available to writers with its 101 Best Websites for Writers award. This annual list highlights exceptional websites that support writers on their creative journey, whether they’re looking to improve their craft, market their work, or navigate the complexities of indie publishing.
