As I begin to concentrate on my latest novel, I’m starting to realize that a lot of the branding and marketing I initially did for Sirens will need to be rethought. Gone are the times of the sexy, pouty red lip as we look toward a fresh beach story about bored housewives with too manyContinue reading “Time for a Rebrand…”
Tag Archives: debut novel
Sirens Three Months Later
Over three months have passed since I published my debut sci-fi novel, Sirens. In the time that has elapsed, I have learned quite a few new things about the indie author space and about myself as a writer. Mainly, over the past few months, I have watched as all of the self-publishing blog posts andContinue reading “Sirens Three Months Later”
Finally Ready for Print
So now it’s finally happening. After three long years of nurturing Sirens, this month, I’m kicking her out of the nest. Time for her to fly or fall. I’m equally excited and terrified by the impending October 28th release date of my book, but there’s a feeling of relief that ultimately comes with knowing thatContinue reading “Finally Ready for Print”
Cover Girl
Perhaps one of the most important elements of any book is its cover. As much as we like to deny it, everyone does, in fact, judge books by their covers. This is why I stressed so much about the appearance of Sirens from the moment I decided to self-publish. One of the great aspects ofContinue reading “Cover Girl”
Finding the Right Format
As I’ve continued on this self-publishing journey, I’ve begun to really understand why it takes a whole team to efficiently publish a book. Sure, anyone can upload to Amazon with a Canva cover, but I’m trying to make this debut novel look as professional as possible… and boy, is it a lot of work. FollowingContinue reading “Finding the Right Format”
The Editing Ordeal
So I’ve finished editing the final version of my upcoming self-published novel, Sirens, and the process absolutely sucked. Writers famously say that writing is a pain. You’d have a hard time finding one that claims that it’s an easy and fun pastime. In fact, Ernest Hemingway once said, “There is nothing to writing. All youContinue reading “The Editing Ordeal”
Get Into Character
Most people who have read my writing know that one of my biggest challenges is writing succinctly. I can often overexplain things, so when it comes time to edit, I find myself having to cut sentences and chapters down mercilessly. That is why I’ve challenged myself to introduce the main characters of Sirens to youContinue reading “Get Into Character”
Setting the Scene: Pittsburgh in the 2030s
One of the best pieces of writing advice I’ve ever heard is to write about places you are familiar with. By writing of foreign lands that you aren’t building from scratch, you can miss the nuance of these places at best and completely misrepresent them at worst. That is why Sirens is set in PittsburghContinue reading “Setting the Scene: Pittsburgh in the 2030s”
Sirens – My Wake-Up Call
My debut novel, Sirens, is a book that was born from strange circumstances and a lot of dismay. After roughly three years of keeping this story to myself, I will be publishing it by the fall of 2023.
Chloe Ruffennach's Stories 