Category Archives: Uncategorized

Free and Lifetime option 5 February 2022 We promoted a free online platform and are excited to find that they have extended the deadline.   With so many things going on in the world that will forever impact the way people live and do business, going online is no longer just an option. It is aContinue reading “All in one software platform – create courses, sales funnels landing pages and more”

So many writers do not know how to market their book. Publisher Rocket is our favourite. We have written about publisher rocket many times: Ways you can increase your Book Sales using Publisher Rocket 10 Best Marketing Tools for Authors in 2020 With an outright cost of under $100 USD you get: Get Instant Access:Continue reading “Black Friday Deal Publisher Rocket”

Mary River Press Services presented for the U3A meeting at the University of Sunshine Coast, Fraser Coast campus last week. Self-published author Ann Moffatt invited us to a series of talks she organised on self-publishing. We shared the business planning template and went through some tips on how to self-publish and market your book affordably.Continue reading “Self-Publishing Presentations”

Are you an Australian author or creator? Did you know that publishers or creators – authors, illustrators, editors, translators, and compilers – can all get money back for an estimated loss of income due to books being available in libraries – public and educational lending libraries? The deadline for submitting new title claims closes onContinue reading “Get Paid to have your Book in a Library”

Once upon a time, librarians were deeply connected to the community. They would choose appropriate resources to meet community needs. These librarians were leaders who would respond to requests and provide diverse resources to expose community members to excellent resources available in various formats and genres. These resources would meet needs, fill gaps and expandContinue reading “The Death of Librarians as Leaders”

Have you ever wondered how authors get their books to bestseller status? Do you want to increase sales? Like most authors, we found that you can waste a lot of money on marketing, with little to no engagement, let alone conversion to sales of your book. As librarians, we understand how keywords and strings helpContinue reading “Ways you can increase your Book Sales using Publisher Rocket”

Authors can now access marketing tools all in one place. The World’s Number One Website Creator, Page Designer, Blog & Funnel Builder If you are a self-published author, you are a businessperson. In this day and age, any business that wants to thrive must go online.With so many things going on around the world andContinue reading “The Business of Writing and Free Tools that can Help”

Did you know that you can get many older books from the Book Depository? They provide free delivery worldwide, so you only pay for the book.  Rosa Praed (1851 -1935) is a novelist who lived for a short time on Curtis Island, off Gladstone, Queensland and based some of her novels on the area. She has manyContinue reading “Where do you get older books?”

One of the most expensive aspects of self-publishing is editing.  Many writers cannot afford to get their work edited, so feel they cannot publish their manuscript. You can self-edit, although it is not for the light-hearted. Proofreading of the final manuscript by a professional would then be the only cost. We have some tips forContinue reading “Seven Tips for Self-Editing”

Many short stories gracefully travel through setting the scene, rising the action, reaching the climax and then quickly create a contrived and rushed resolution. We have put together some tips to help writers complete their stories in a way that suits the characters and the plot. 1.   Kill a character. This is a dramaticContinue reading “Ten Tips to overcome Conclusion Confusion”

We have all heard of Steampunk,  but what is Hopepunk? Empty streets, surveillance, lockdowns, abuse of power, human rights taken away for profit, exploitation of individuals and the environment, persecution and dehumanisation of minorities – all warn of a slide into dystopia. Poor governance in the face of COVID-19 was the final straw that brokeContinue reading “What is Hopepunk?”

Many writers are working between the gaps of paid work and family life to complete their projects. Saving time is essential to boost output. If you are time poor, follow these eight suggestions to help maximise your productivity. Set up a business plan and schedule your publishing. There are lots of free plans here: OnceContinue reading “Eight Time Saving Suggestions for Writers”

Self-publishing has great benefits. You get to control the process and earn all the royalties, it is quick, with editing, proofing and layout completed for a moderate cost. Writing the book is the easy bit. With self-publishing, you must do all the marketing yourself. Formulating a marketing strategy is the best way to successfully investContinue reading “Five Free Marketing Plans for Authors”

If you decide to self-publish, writing your book is not enough. You need to be able to market your books as well. Marketing comprises Facebook which can include a fan page and groups; Instagram; Twitter; LinkedIn; YouTube; a Blog with good search engine optimisation (SEO); press releases; and an email list. The idea is toContinue reading “10 Best Marketing Tools for Authors in 2020”

Do you want to write? Would you prefer not to have to spend large amounts of time on the manual tasks of editing and getting feedback? Lots of apps are available that help expedite the writing process. This makes it so much easier to get the creative juices flowing. Here are 12 software tools recommendedContinue reading “12 Recommended Software Tools to Assist Writers in 2020”

In a fractured and profane existence, art provides a route to the revered and divine. There is an idealism about creatives living on the edge. Their sensitivity and vulnerability are considered necessary to find and reveal beauty. Many artists deal with inner troubles. Yesterday was World Mental Health Day and from 10 to 18 OctoberContinue reading “Seven Australian Writers who have Suffered with Mental Illness”

Have you wanted to write using a pseudonym? People do this for several reasons. Sometimes their own name is very common, other times their content does not blend well with their day job. Another reason is that authors wish to remove bias when having their work assessed. Women have had a tough time getting published.Continue reading “Australian Writers who have used Male Pseudonyms”

Rejection is particularly difficult to handle for perfectionists and high achievers. As a writer you will have to get ready for a lot of it. Publishers, editors, agents and readers can reject your work in polite or nasty ways. Modesty can be important but when this slips into overwhelming self-doubt, as you internalise the criticism,Continue reading “Four Tips on how to Handle Rejection and put Self-Doubt in its Place”

Many self-publishing authors do not have a lot of money to spend on getting their book to publication standard.  Most require a little assistance to get the manuscript completed. Do you know what a reasonable fee is for editing or proofreading your text? Do you know what roles there are that participate in this process?Continue reading “What should you Pay for Editing and Proofreading?”

Are you a control freak? Do you want your book out quickly?  If so, then self-publishing is for you! The biggest benefit of self-publishing a book is that you maintain control over the product. If you have esoteric interests or wish to maintain the integrity of your work, the self-publishing process ensures you maintain theContinue reading “Benefits of Self-Publishing”

The next step of story writing once you have completed your exposition is characterisation.  In short stories there are usually only one or two characters. Firstly, you need to know their name, age, occupation, happiest memory, worst memory, best friend, favourite food, nationality and hopes for the future. Knowing about their family life, where theyContinue reading “Five Tips to Improve Characterisation”

Exposition means background details provided by the storyteller or narrator. It is sometimes called setting the scene. In a short story everything hangs on the start. You need an explosive start to grab the reader’s attention. Skilful writers can introduce key information about settings, characters and themes. The best authors can intrigue the reader enoughContinue reading “Four Tips for Writing the Exposition”

Have you lost your mojo? Are you being squeezed into the norms of the working day? Are you squashed as the world awards status to those who possess logical and linguistic intelligence? Is the everyday experience of having people point out spelling mistakes crushing your confidence? Guess what? Some people can more easily remember andContinue reading “Ten Ways to Ignite your Creative Embers and Exploit Incubation”

The best way to get started is by writing a short story. There are lots of short story competitions you can enter that will test your skills. The Australian Writer’s Resource Competition page is updated regularly and lists current competitions found by trawling other sites. Mary River Press Services’ annual competition can be found onContinue reading “How to Improve your Writing Confidence”

My first writing mentor was Colin Thiele, even though he didn’t know it. I was in primary school and living in a small regional area in Queensland.  We got the opportunity to attend an author talk by him at another school. I felt excited as I was herded onto a bus for the trip acrossContinue reading “Why you Need a Mentor?”

One of the great things about technology is that it has opened up the world of publishing to everyone. Well almost everyone. If you are not tech savvy, can’t type and have trouble spelling, it is still difficult. Take heart because W.B Yeats was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature and was unable to spellContinue reading “Self-Publish eBooks”

Identity, voice and representation are the cornerstones of knowledge and power. A community is robbed of its richness if there is a lack of diverse voices telling their story. This is clear when looking at history. Much of Maryborough was borne from Chinese labour and yet not one picture of the bedazzling Chinese shops thatContinue reading “Becoming a Creator”