A Writer's Blog

News about the Charity Event on October 20th - It Must be Postponed @booksorbooks @SeanHoade

10/17/2015

Due to health concerns of one of the key organizers, the Charity Event and Paperback giveaway to be held on October 20th must be postponed. It's always unfortunate to postpone an event with so little notice, but truly health must come first. To all those that were going to attend, please stay tuned for the details of the rescheduled date. And to all the authors that generously donated books for the charity giveaway - I will hold your books for the re-scheduled event and include every book sent to me as planned.

I apologize for the late notice, but it couldn't be helped. Thank you for understanding and stay turned for a blog post with the details of the date we select to re-schedule the event.

Thank you,

From Moran Publishing,

Stephen John Moran

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One Year Anniversary of the Ella E-book Publication - Thoughts on my First Year of Self-Publishing

10/13/2015

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ONE YEAR IN SELF-PUBLISHING
FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE ELLA E-BOOK

It's been one year since the publication of the Ella e-book. Where has the time gone? To say it's been a crazy, whirlwind year would be an understatement.

The first year in this self-publishing adventure has been filled with surprises. Almost none of my assumptions were correct. That said, here are some thoughts on self-publishing from my first year.

The most important statement I can make is this: self-publishing is a massive and constant amount of work if you want to make a name for your writing.

In no way am I saying I went into this endeavor thinking that self-publishing was an easy road. However, it has lived up to and exceeded expectations on the amount of effort it takes to keep your name out there. Readers see a veritable deluge of books pitched at them on a daily basis and you must work hard to be seen in a crowded field.

The second point that jumps out at me - the question most asked by readers - are you glad you chose to self-publish? The answer is an emphatic YES! Being able to maintain control throughout the publication process and ensure a quality final product was a matter of utmost importance to me and I'm glad I chose to self-publish the Ella book.

The next question I get asked daily - what advice do you have for writers considering self-publishing?

My answer is simple - I have published one book and one year of experience in this business so I'm not going to give a list of advice other than this: seek out experienced and successful authors and model your behavior on what those excellent writers have done. Russell Blake comes to mind. If you want to sell a large amount of books - follow, copy, and be inspired by his lead. Produce a large volume of quality writing is his basic advice.

Second, after you learn that the most important thing is to produce a large body of work, an author needs to learn the ropes of social media. For that I suggest following the posts of Rachel Thompson. Her excellent articles on how to 'do' social media as an author will form an excellent basis of how to brand yourself. Follow her!

The first year as a published author has been amazing and there are so many people to thank. The most important and central to everything I do has been my amazing wife, Maggie. She's there at every step to help with ideas, motivation, being my first and constant reader, and offering the support I need on this crazy journey. I couldn't do it without her.

I also must thank the editor of the Ella book, Su A. Joo - she helped bring this book from manuscript to final published product. I can't thank her enough.

Also integral to the process has been Marielle van Broekhoven. Her stunning cover art inspired and pushed me to perfect the novel and helped make the character of Ella truly life-like. Thank you for the amazing art!

The final thank you goes to the readers of this website. I thank you for the time you take from your day to visit and I hope you find entertainment and thought-provoking posts. Thank you for all the support with the Ella book and I hope you'll stay with me as other books arrive in the future!

From Moran Publishing in Las Vegas,

Stephen John Moran

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Kiana Loves Classical Music

10/9/2015

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Breaking Announcement - Moran Publishing Will Publish Colossus by Jette Harris @JettimusMaximus

10/7/2015

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I am pleased to announce that Moran Publishing has reached an agreement with author Jette Harris to publish her novel Colossus.

After reading through this novel three times in a week, I knew that I wanted to part of the publication of this wonderful book - and Jette has agreed to join the team of Moran Publishing.

This venture will truly be a team effort and I believe Jette's book matches well with my own novel, Ella, and that fans of both authors will benefit from this collaboration.

Colossus is currently in the final editing stages and when the manuscript becomes a final edited document, I will have more news about the publication timetable for this book.

I highly recommend my readers visit Jette's website HERE to view samples of her writing. I am quite confident my fans will enjoy Jette's first novel and the two others that follow in the "My name is not Heather Stokes" series.

Stay tuned for more information and posts about this exciting venture and join me in welcoming Jette Harris to Moran Publishing.

From Las Vegas,

Stephen John Moran

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Another Round of Denial - Empty Rhetoric by @adamzyglis #Gunsense #OregonShooting #2A #UCCShooting

10/6/2015

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MUST Watch Video - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Mental Health #Gunsense #MentalHealth #GOP #UCCShooting

10/6/2015

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My Review of "A Bedtime Story" by @LCMoonBTS and @realBTSProject

10/4/2015

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Today I present my review of A Bedtime Story by LC Moon, from BTS Project. I've struggled for weeks writing this review for a reason that will be prominently featured in this post - I've not encountered anything quite like this project and have not found the 'right way' to approach this review.

A Bedtime Story by LC Moon isn't just a novel, but rather a world created by a group of artists. It's a fascinating endeavor joining writers, musicians, production artists, and even a model/singer - all combining to create a seamless 'world' of creative content.

As this is something I'm attempting to create with my own 'world' (combining a novel with a music playlist, plus real time role play) - the entire BTS project is a wonder to me.

This book has it's own music soundtrack and video/movie enactment, both of quality that rise above the ordinary productions you see from most indies. The video is top notch and well produced, as is the music written by Lana Chacra - A CD accompanied the paperback copy of the book. The music is a perfect accompaniment to the novel and if you listen to it as you read, it helps the reader to step into this world. I can't recommend more to all the indie authors/musicians/artists - check out this project as an example of how you can do more with your art. Collaborate with other artists, take it to the next level.

As for the book itself - It's a modern re-telling of tropes found in the classic Beauty and the Beast - with two strong main characters literally battling each other for control and indeed, love. The pace of the book is what struck me most. I read the novel in a little less than two hours. It read like wild-fire and as a reader with a young baby at home, a novel that contains effective pacing and use of language to move the story along is MUCH appreciated.

I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys dark, erotic thrillers. This book will keep you turning the pages. And at the end of the day - in fiction, isn't that what we want an author to do? Keep those pages turning.

Buy this book.

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45 School Shootings in 2015 - #UCCShooting

10/1/2015

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Forward>>

News about the Charity Event on October 20th - It Must be Postponed @booksorbooks @SeanHoade

One Year Anniversary of the Ella E-book Publication - Thoughts on my First Year of Self-Publishing

ONE YEAR IN SELF-PUBLISHING
FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE ELLA E-BOOK

Kiana Loves Classical Music

Breaking Announcement - Moran Publishing Will Publish Colossus by Jette Harris @JettimusMaximus

Another Round of Denial - Empty Rhetoric by @adamzyglis #Gunsense #OregonShooting #2A #UCCShooting

MUST Watch Video - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Mental Health #Gunsense #MentalHealth #GOP #UCCShooting

My Review of "A Bedtime Story" by @LCMoonBTS and @realBTSProject

45 School Shootings in 2015 - #UCCShooting

THE TERRORIST OF PROVIDENCE STREET

SERVER

EXCERPT FROM SERVER
DAY ADVENTURE WITH MONKEY

EXCERPT FROM SERVER
KARL MARX: A REFUTATION

EXCERPT FROM ELLA
ROUTINE

EXCERPT FROM ELLA
THE INTERROGATION

REVIEW OF ELLA

Archives

Author

ONE YEAR IN SELF-PUBLISHINGFIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE ELLA E-BOOK

Archives

Author

ONE YEAR IN SELF-PUBLISHING
FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE ELLA E-BOOK