This Week on Books Direct - 12 May 2013

This Week on Books Direct - 12 May 2013

Here is a list of the articles you may have missed this week:

"An Homage To Beloved Classic Authors (PHOTOS)" - Article by Ryan Sheffield for The Huffington Post.

Ryan draws portraits of those authors who inspire him and couples them with quotations he feels exemplifies their characters. These drawings are not just an homage to great authors, but also his personal message of gratitude to the storytellers that had such a profound impact on his life and the lives of so many others.

"The History of Typography" - The history of typography, in a stop-motion animation made of 291 cut-paper letters and 2,454 photographs.

"When Magic is the Reality" - Article by Karen Wyld.

Karen compares the genres of fantasy and magic realism.  Is magic realism just a posh form of fantasy?

"Getting Under My Skin: 3 Role-Playing Techniques for Writers" - Article by Lisa England for JourneyCraft.

Lisa explores three role-play techniques that have led almost immediately to stronger story characters.

"Social Media: Have You Got It All Wrong?" - Article by Catherine Ryan Howard for Catherine, Caffeinated.

Using social media to promote your book is not anything magic or mystical. It's not a hit-or-miss fuzzy cloud from which success only rarely emerges. It's just the simple act of finding readers who liked a book like yours and telling them about your one.

"The Body-Brain Connection: Does Your Sedentary Lifestyle Damage Your Writing Talent?" - Article by Writer's Relief.

These days, many of us lead a sedentary lifestyle - especially writers who make their living seated for untold hours at computers. Aspiring, nonprofessional writers have it even worse - before spending long hours writing at home, they've already spent a full day at a desk job. All this sitting is bad for your body, your brain health, and - as science now suggests - your creativity. So, what can you do about it?

"3 Reasons Why Some Books Never Sell" - Article by Rob Eager for WildFire Marketing.

If you've written a book that isn't selling well, don't blame the public. If your book is struggling to sell, the problem is usually associated with one or more of the issues outlined here.

"The Writing Rule Book [Infographic]" - Article by Hunter Emkay for Hunter's Writing.

If only there were a Writing Rule Book ...

"7 Reasons You May Be Losing International Readers" - Article by Gary McLaren for Publish Your Own eBooks.

Gary lists seven reasons why you might be losing your international readers … and four things you can do about it.

"The Single Most Effective Book Marketing Strategy An Author Can Use" - Article by Jonathan Gunson for Bestseller Labs.

Start marketing your book long before it appears on the stage. The day your book launches is way too late to start your marketing program.  Ideally your 'theater' needs to be filled with an eagerly waiting crowd, long before your book fronts the footlights. But for first time authors this can quite rightly seem to be an impossible stretch.

"Why No One Is Buying Your Book and What To Do About It" - Article by Jeff Bennington for The Writing Bomb.

Have you stared at your book ranking and sales data and wondered why no one is reading your work? No one has ever heard of you. Readers do not know you exist. One of the biggest obstacles for indie and small-press authors to overcome is finding readers. You may have a great book cover and your prose may be razor sharp, but let's face it, you are one in a million. Hundreds of thousands of books are published every year, and as a new author, it's not likely that readers will search your name or your book’s title. So what can you do?

"Free Books for Mother's Day" - Article by GalleyCat.

Looking for a literary Mother's Day gift? Fill your mom's iPad, Kindle, Nook or other eReader with classic eBooks about mothers. These are not all sentimental or happy stories, but they will give your mom some classic literature to enjoy all year round.

"How To Attract Readers By Creating A 'Lighthouse' Author Brand" - Article by Jonathan Gunson for Bestseller Labs.

Hidden behind the covers of your books are features unique to you that can create a memorable Lighthouse Author Brand, making yours the first books that come to mind when readers decide to look for something to read. Jonathan highlights seven tactics based on your writing to help establish a Lighthouse Brand in readers' minds and grow your long-term readership.

"5 Ways to Make Your Novel More Suspenseful" - Article by Brian Klems for Writer's Digest.

Suspense happens when a scene becomes charged with anticipation. It's the possibility of what might happen that keeps the reader on the edge of her chair. Brian shows you 5 ways to make your novel more suspenseful.