DIGITAL PUBLISHING AND ME - MISTAKES & ADVICE Part 1 of 3

This year marked the 15th anniversary of my jumping into digital publishing.

I wanted to commemorate this milestone by telling you how I made that bold move, the mistakes I made, the things I learned, and what digital publishing has done for me.

The first title I slapped on this blog post once I'd writte it was Digital Publishing and Me—What I've learned in 15 Years of Writing and Publishing Ebooks.

Like the post itself, the title was way too long so I shrunk the title and broke the post into 3 parts. 

Today, you're reading  Part 1 of 3: Mistakes and Advice. I have a lot of both I guess.

Part 2 of 3: More Advice and Insights publishes Wednesday, September 9, 2026.

Part 3 of 3: Rewards For Me and Maybe For You publishes Friday, September 11, 2026.

BACKSTORY

Recently, I came across a post I wrote for another author's website back in June 2011. I had published one of my backlist books on Amazon KDP in late March which is why she asked me to be a guest on her blog.

My post for her explained why I did something that was considered extremely radical—repubishing a  backlist book as an ebook.

Champs-Élysées Books, shows 1 of my books

Today, I decided to reprint part of my 2011 post here because it may change the opinion of readers who still think ebooks are not real books.

It may  also convince authors who believe digital publishing isn't worth the effort that they're missing a great opportunity to advance their careers—not that we who digitally publish need any more competition! 

Here's the excerpt from 2011 with my "today" comments in brackets.

EXCERPT, EBOOKS: SMART, NOT DUMB (2011)

When I announced to a group of authors that I intended to publish my backlist and even some original fiction as ebooks, many wondered why I would do that. It was easy to see they questioned the wisdom of my intention.

There's a polarity when it comes to writers and indie publishing, and there are two primary schools of thought: the best thing since sliced bread or that sucks. 

These opposite opinions are pervasive in the world. [The low opinion of ebooks is still held by many well-known authors as do some readers.]

BOLDLY GO WHERE SOME WRITERS ARE GOING

I'm a firm believer in "nothing ventured; nothing gained." When markets are drying up, left and right, it's nice to see something opening up that can directly benefit writers, and that's digital self-publishing. 

By benefit, I don't just mean making some bucks. I also mean finding an audience for your work.

I've stated before that: "I've given up on New York publishing, BUT they gave up on me first." And, I'm not the only published author who couldn't fit the square peg of their writing into New York's round hole. (No pun intended but feel free to laugh.) 

I'm a writer. I want to be read. Many authors are finding readers by becoming indie authors and publishing our own work. If you want to try the indie author route, learn all you can about the process. That's why I'm here today.

I want to give you some advice, based on my personal experience as well as that of some friends, in the hope that you may avoid some of our dumb mistakes. 

When I published Just One Look, a previously published book that became my first ebook on Kindle and sold thousands of copies every day for a solid month, I made every mistake possible so I'm particularly qualified to talk about how NOT to be dumb.

 [Why did that happen? Because there wasn't much "how-to" information out there in 2011.]

I've got 10 Tips for you that I first wrote in that 2011 blog post. You'll find the first 5 Tips in this post. The others will be in Part 2. 

2011 ADVICE THAT'S STILL VALID - 10 TIPS

1. Learn how to properly format your file for an ebook that looks professional. [Now there are options for the type of file you can upload besides DOCX, MS Word like Atticus, available at a relatively low-cost for a one-time fee, that can create a beautifully formated ebook or print book. 

[When I started, I had to learn how to transform a Word file into an HTML file and how to insert a black and white cover image into that file. It was a time-consuming process. 

There was no Kindle Unlimited then so an author was smart to publish her ebook in as many places as possible. That meant learning how to format for Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple, Smashwords, and a half dozen other publishers who have since closed their doors.]

2. A great cover was important then and now. For authors who can't afford a graphic artist, there's a new tool, BookBrush, that can produce great looking covers, and the learning curve is easy.

3. Make sure you have the legal right for anything you publish. If you plan to publish a book that was previously published elsewhere, you should have a legal reversion of rights letter.

If you're using images from the internet, you must have a license to use each image so always read the User License on image websites so you know what you can and cannot do with the image you purchase or get for free.

4. Make sure your manuascript is bullet-proof before you upload it. That means getting a good proofreader and/or editor. That also means not doing anything that might get you sued, for instance, using the names of real people who may take exception to your actions.

Some think that as long as you don't say anything negative, it's okay to use the name of a real person. That's not true. I personallly know an author who was sued by the person she mentioned in her book. What she wrote was simply Mrs. So and So, the owner of Name of Business. That got her sued.

5. Be patient and take your time so you don't make dumb mistakes like uploading the wrong manuscript file. Yes, that's obvious, but I did that the very first time and didn't realize it until I started getting bad reviews. I didn't understand what they complained about in my book until I looked at it on my Kindle. 

Wow. I still can't believe I did that. I can only chalk it up to being exhausted and bleary-eyed by the time I got around to uploading the file and clicked on the wrong file. 

Always make sure you have your wits about you. Don't try to set up a book if you're tired, frazzled, or rushed. Haste really can make waste.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I hope you're finding this information educational or at least entertaining. 

Join me on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, for Part 2 of 3: More Advice and Insights learned from my adventures in self-publishing.

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Saturday Share Recipe - Punch Bowl Cake

Believe it or not, we're just 2 1/2 months away from Thanksgiving. From then through New Year's Day, it's going to be a marathon of cleaning and cooking and getting ready for holiday guests.

I take the easy way out and start planning now—gifts, who's arriving and when, who's sleeping where, what kind of meals do I need to prepare, etc.

Meal planning is easy when done in advance. I make out menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner because if I know what to cook, shopping for ingredients is much easier.

Also, I like to make easy entrees and desserts. One of the easiest and really delicious desserts is Punch Bowl Cake because it's easy to make, easy to change the flavor profile by switching the pudding and fruit to other types, easy to serve—with a spoon instead of having to slice it—and it's really tasty. If you think about it, Punchbowl Cake is merely a  trifle.

Make pudding often? Buy in quantity.

PUNCH BOWL CAKE

Ingredients

1 boxed yellow cake mix

2 packages of vanilla pudding mix (instant or the kind you cook) I use the large so I have plenty of pudding for the layers. Any leftovers, the kids eat.

16 ounces whipped cream

1 can crushed pineapple, drained

4 sliced bananas

Chopped pecans, fresh or toasted. (Toasted with a caramel glazing is really good.)

1 can cherry or strawberry pie filling (To my surprise, it's much cheaper at Amazon.)

Directions

1. Bake the yellow cake according to the box direcctions. Let it cool completely. Either cut it into cubes or tear it into bite-sized pieces.

At Amazon

2. Prepare the vanilla pudding according to the boxes' instructions. If using instant pudding, let it set up. If using the kind you cook—which I think has a better flavor—make it and let it cool to room temperature.

3. In another bowl, lightly mix the crushed pineapple, sliced bananas, and the pie filling.

4. In a punch bowl or a large clear bowl—so you can see the layers—begin to build the cake.

5. Layer 1 is the cake pieces placed at the bottom.

6. Layer 2 is the vanilla pudding spooned and smoothed over the cake pieces.

7. Layer 3 is the fruit mixture.

8. Layer 4 is the whipped cream.

9. Repeat the layers, finishing with whipped cream as the last layer. Garnish with the chopped pecans.

10. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 to 8 hours or overnight so flavors meld together.

OPTIONS TO MIX AND MATCH

Pudding mix can be vanilla, lemon, pistachio, or chocolate.

Nuts can be pecans, walnuts, macadamia, or pistachios. You can also use chocolate chips if using chocolate pie filling.

Fruit can be bananas, peaches, nectarines, stewed apples, dark sweet cherries.

Pie filling can be cherry, peach, strawberry, apple, or blueberry.

Whipped cream can be Cool Whip, but I personally don't like the taste of Cool Whip.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

If you like trifles, you'll love this dessert that serves a crowd which makes it perfect for parties and big dinnerss.

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Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.

Friday Facts - September Storms

We've had several days of dark, stormy clouds racing overhead. That made me wonder whether September was known as a stormy month.

Actually, it is. Here's a little research I did on the subject.

1. September is the busiest month for tropical activity. The peak usually occurs around September 10. 

2. Statistically, there have been more hurricanes in September than in any other month. This is because of the warm surface water temperature and the low wind shear.

3. September averages 2-3 hurricanes in most years, but some years like 2020 had a record number of storms. Historically, most tropical storms and hurricane landfalls happen in early and mid-September, for example, we just had Tropical Storm Eduardo sweep through here this week.

4. On September 2, a hurricane in the Caribbean made first landfall in the Dominican Republic. 

The next day it struck Santiago de Cuba Province and then slid along the southern coast of Cuba. 

By September 6, the storm reached the Gulf of Mexico. 

5. The storm intensified to a Category 4 with 145 mph winds. Then in the early morning hours of September 9, it made landfall on Galveston Island, south of Houston. 

The storm all but leveled the island. There are no firm death count from the Galveston devastation because many people were washed out to sea. Estimated deaths range between 8,000 and 12,000.

I grew up on the Gulf Coast and have known storms all of my life. When I was in my twenties, I moved to Japan and learned all about typhoons. The one thing they both have in common is deadly danger.

One thing I've learned is to always be prepared for the unexpected with survival foods, water, flashlights, candles, charged phones, medicines and valuable papers that can be packed in a short amount of time, and a bug-out bag when evacuation becomes necessary.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Storms can be awe-inspiring and the weather effects can be dramatic and breathtaking, but they should always be respected because the power of nature is greater than any other thing on the planet.

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Let's Laugh - HumpDay Humor

One thing most people loved about former First Lady Barbara Bush was her sense of humor.

Many women remember her for her famous pearl necklace she wore. She made no bones about the fact that the pearls were fake.

Mrs. Bush was sharply intelligent and witty. Many times her spontaneous comments caught people by surprise.

One can well imagine someone doing a "spit-take" when she spouted something completely hilarious—like today's quotation.

When George H.W. Bush lost his bid for a second presidential term, many people across the country had said they hadn't want four more years of George, but they wanted to keep Barbara for four more years of Barbara.

Mrs. Bush was the second oldest First Lady after Anna Harrison, wife of President William Henry Harrison, and, generally, was one of the most popular.

One of the most common criticisms about her was her protectiveness for all members of her far-flung family. But isn't that what a matriarch is supposed to do?

During her stint as First Lady, she received more than 100,000 letters a year which was a record. She devoted her time to advocacy for Literacy and for AIDS patients and research.

She is ranked 9th on the list of Best 20th and 21st Century First Ladies. Mrs. Bush passed away April 17, 2018

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

The quote above is one of my favorite. Laugh and enjoy.

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Spotlight NEW ROMANTASY BOOK by M.J. SCHILLER

I'm excited about this new book by my friend, M.J. Schiller, since I first heard about it. Why? Because it's a different kind of romance.

If you have wanted to try ROMANTASY, the hottest new genre in romance, M.J.'s new book is the doorway you need t choose.

FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS is the first in her new FAIRY TALE ROMANCE SERIES, and I think it's going to be a smash success.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Once upon a time...

A young lady named Izzy was abducted by marauders and forced into slavery. Upon her arrival at the castle, she was taken in by one of the king’s advisors, a wise and kindly man. 

As time passed, she fell in love with a young man whom she later discovered was the prince. This prince, Trevarius, as he was not the direct heir to the throne, enjoyed a rather carefree lifestyle. But he found Izzy fascinating and was drawn to her. To his dismay, his brother chose Izzy as his wife to spite Trevarius. 

Publishing today, Sept. 1, 2026

Will Izzy and Trevarius lose their happily-ever-after?

EXCERPT from FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS

The birds began to sing. Or rather, shriek. The high-pitched noise was followed by the loud whir of wings as they lifted into the air. Isadore crooked her neck and watched them rise into the sky, obliterating the sun for a second; then, she was forced to shade her eyes from its glare. Subtly, another noise replaced the first, coming from the same direction as the birds had and getting louder and louder with each passing moment.

What is…horses!

A chill washed over her that had nothing to do with the frigid water she was standing in. She had come with a dozen others to wash clothing in this stream. The water wasn’t as deep as their normal creek bed; however, it was closer to home, which is why they had chosen it. Nearby villages had been raided of late, and parents wanted their daughters nearby. She scanned the horizon and saw it. The wisp of smoke that meant others had been to their village. 

Her warning burst from her mouth at the same time the mounts erupted from the tree line surrounding the watering hole.

“Riders!” 

She moved as quickly as she could in the waist-deep water, releasing the shift she had been washing, letting it slowly drift away as the quiet, idyllic scene of moments before changed into a nightmare. 

Horses came charging into the water from the banks, and women screamed as they attempted to flee but were caught up in the hands of riders. She searched for her sister, Ysmay, and caught sight of her red dress. A man had his arm around her neck and shoulders as he dragged her from the water, kicking and wailing.

“Nay! Ysmay!” She began to wade in that direction, frustrated by the resistance of the water and the weight of her dress. All she could do was cry out and watch as the man hauled her sister onto his mount and plopped her in front of him. He laughed and pulled on his horse’s reins, twisting its head back to the bank. “Nay. Release her.” Ysmay at fourteen was two years her senior; yet, as she was smaller framed, people often mistook them for twins. 

Ysmay turned. Isadore couldn’t hear her but read her lips. “Flee, Izzy!”

Her view of Ysmay was cut off when a soldier and his steed cut between them, a yard away. The man grabbed a younger girl, who couldn’t have been more than ten, and she screamed. With dismay, Izzy realized that it was too late to help Ysmay; on the other hand, maybe she could at least save this one girl. 

Isadore struggled forward and lunged at the last second to latch onto the girl’s leg before she could be plucked from the stream. Getting her feet under her, Isadore reached further to try to claw the girl from the man’s grasp and almost succeeded. However, she was so focused on prying his fingers from the girl’s arm that she didn’t see the sword in his other hand until it was too late.

At Books2Read, or go directly to AmazonUS - AmazonUK - AmazonAU.

ABOUT M.J. SCHILLER

M.J. Schiller is a retired lunch lady/romance-romantic suspense writer. She enjoys writing novels whose characters include rock stars, desert princes, teachers, futuristic Knights, construction workers, cops, and a wide variety of others. In her mind everybody has a romance. 

M.J. is the mother of a twenty-eight-year-old and three twenty-six-year-olds. That's right, triplets! So having recently taught four children to drive, she likes to escape from life on occasion by pretending to be a rock star at karaoke. However…you won’t be seeing her name on any record labels soon. 

CONNECT WITH M.J. ONLINE

Website: https://mjschillerauthor.blogspot.com/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/m-j-schiller

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/MJ-Schiller-Romance-Author/286382241460365

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mjschiller/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mjschiller

Tumblr: http://mjschilz.tumblr.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/mjschiller

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6479377.M_J_Schiller

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/M-J-Schiller/e/B009JOQFQQ

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

If you read Four and Twenty Blackbirds, be sure an leave a review where you bought it. Authors love readers who do this, and it's good karma!

Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.

Saturday Share Recipe - Hummingbird Cake

There's a hummingbird that visits our patio every morning. It's attracted to the purple blooms of a hibiscus called Purple Showers.

After taking the nectar from those blossoms, it scoots out into the backyard and visits the sprawling lantana—one with orange and red blooms; the other with pink and yellow.

As I was watching it yesterday, the cute little bird reminded me of a cake my Mom would make.

Oh, my goodness, that cake was 3 layers of deliciousness with banana, pineapple, and pecans in the batter and frosted with old-fashioned cream cheese icing that melted in the mouth.

Why don't we make one today?

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

Image by Veronika Andrews from Pixabay.

Ingredients

• 3 cups AP flour, sifted then measured
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, undrained
• 2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4)
• 2 cups chopped pecans, divided into 1 cup each

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Use lower temp for dark pans.
2. Prepare 3 9-inch cake pans, grease and flour the pans or spray with baking spray.
3. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk around. Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla and stir until moistened.
4. Add pineapple, bananas, and 1 cup of the pecans. Mix well.
5. Spoon the batter into the cake pans.
6. Bake 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of each pan comes out clean.
7. Cool in the pans about 10 minutes then remove onto a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Make the frosting while the cakes cool.

OLD-FASHIONED CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

This recipe makes a big batch of frosting, enough to generously frost 3 layers so don't be shocked by the amount of powdered sugar it calls for. You can half the recipe and frost only between the layers and the top or more sparingly than the way my mother's generation did.

 

Ingredients

• 2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
• 2 sticks (1 cup) of butter, softened
• 32 ounces powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• tiny pinch of salt

Directions

1. In a large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
2. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time so you don't have a cloud of powdered sugar flying out of the bowl. Beat in each addition until light and fluffly.
3. Add vanila and a tiny pinch of salt and blend well.
4. Frost the cooled cake however you've decided to do it.
5. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of chopped pecans on the top of the cake and press into the sides.
6. Serve to rave reviews.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

This is what I call a "special occasion cake." I imagine your family will want you to make it more often than that.

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Review - Reacher Season 4 - Prime

We are watching Reacher, Season 4, which premiered August 12, 2026, on Prime Video.

Darling Hubby and I have read the Reacher books by Lee Child and were thrilled when a physically appropriate actor was finally tapped to play the larger than life hero.

Season 4 has a compelling mystery to keep viewers guessing, and it has some good secondary cast members: Sydelle Noel as Detective Tamara Green, Kevin Corrigan as her partner Shaun Docherty, Christopher Rodriguez-Marquette as Jacob Merrick, Agnez Mo as Lila, Marc Blucas and John Sampson, Kathleen Robertson as Elspeth Sampson, Kevin Weisman as Russell Plum, and Chris Owens as Nolan Cahill.

This series is tremendously popular and has legions of fans.

BUT...

 Don't throw rotten eggs at me, and for goodness's sake, don't send death threats that necessitate my calling the Constable's Cyber Crimes Unit again, but I have a little complaint. I'm probably thhe only one who thinks this, but with every succeeding season, Alan Ritchson as Reacher becomes more and more robotic in his performance.

Reacher, Season 1, was fantastic. Ritchson breathed life into the character. He was strong, larger than life, witty, and had an appealing personality as he tackled the mystery at the heart of the season. He didn't back down from threats. He used brutall force when it was called for, but he still seemed human.

With each passing season, he has become more like a machine, fighting, killing, brutalizing the bad guys, and tersely snapping out dialogue with nary a smile.

I'll watch the rest of the season and see if I'm wrong about his season's presentation of the Reacher character.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

It may just be me, but the powers that be need to go back and watch Season 1 so they can learn why Reacher was so immediately appealing.

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