• Challenge

    News On Kip

    The core, the person at the center of where we hold coast workshops, has been in a  rough health fight this last week or so and they just announced it and since so many of you know Kip, I wanted to put it here. No worries, Anthology workshop is going on as planned at the Anchor. Keep our thoughts positive on this. I have known Kip for over 45 years. He never backs down from a fight and he won’t this time. Here is the official press release… ——— Kip Ward often speaks about what an honor it is to serve the citizens of Lincoln City on the City Council.…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Now That’s a Stunner

    We Made Our Kickstarter Goal… In less than two days. I was hoping, of course, that we would make it and maybe a little ways farther to really get the remodeling started and done and get the system to get indie writer’s books into the store. Now we are working on the “ways farther” stuff. So far backers have supported library and school systems around the country, bought boxes and bags of books, and signed up to get credits for lectures and online workshops. And there is no limit on any of the rewards. At WMG Publishing and North By Northwest Books, even if we have to contact and send…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Flying In the Face of Common Knowledge

    Normal for Me and Kris… Over the years, Kris and I have seemed to constantly talk about things that are not believed in the common knowledge of publishing. And after forty years in the business, still selling and making more than a living by a long ways, Kris and I still continue to do that. Why? Because we believe in common sense and information, not common knowledge. Interesting that a number of examples came up over this last week. At Superstars, on the Craft Day, I taught three hours of Writing into the Dark. Now understand, I taught that you don’t need an outline, you don’t even need an idea.…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    We Have Liftoff… North by Northwest Kickstarter

    Now Live… This has been in the works for a time now. Wonderful to have it going. And lots of cool stuff as rewards, including discounts again on workshops and lectures. Just in time since some of you were running out of credits from the Pulphouse Kickstarter. (grin) The reason we are doing this is to expand the store into four unused rooms. But wow do those rooms need work. We are planning to do it no matter what, but the Kickstarter will speed up the process a whole bunch. And in the expanding, we will be starting up a system where indie writers and publishers can get their books…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing,  workshops

    Two Brand New Workshops and Special Offer

    ADDED NOTE: THIS HAS ALL BEEN CANCELLED SINCE NOT A PERSON EXPRESSED ANY INTEREST… Ahh, well, a good idea at the time… —————– That’s Right, Two… Bet you thought we weren’t going to do any regular workshops this spring. But nope, Superstars triggered two new ones that Kris and I really like. Plus with one workshop I am adding a special offer for only five writers. (See below.) Both of these new workshops are going to be starting in March. Both are craft workshops. And both are going to be crazy fun for me and Kris. And we hope for all of you who decide to jump in. First let…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Jet Lag Took Its Ugly Toll…

    Fell Asleep and Burned Dinner… Not kidding. I put on the potatoes and mushrooms and onions to boil. The idea was to have a simple dinner with pork loin, gravy and potatoes. Nope. It was not to be. Even simple seemed to be beyond me tonight. I set my alarm on my phone for ten minutes of a nap while the potatoes cooked and next thing I knew the poor helpless things were dry and burning. I hadn’t cooked dinner, I had tortured it. And the smell coming from the kitchen was not something to make anyone hungry. Kris sent me back to nap some more and fixed something from…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Even More Travel Fun

    I Had a Great Time at Superstars… I had the pleasure to meet many talented writers as well as hang around with some old friends I have known for over three decades. Fun conversations and I learned all kinds of stuff. But the travel problems I could have done without, especially that first trip in. (grin) And I was expecting issues going back because in my experience when things go south, it goes all the way south. I was mostly right about that. I was up and eating breakfast at 6 a.m. Mountain Time, which is 5 a.m. my normal time. About when I wind down normally, so my sleep…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Headed Home

    More Fun Panels and Smart Writers… Short note tonight to say that I really enjoyed Superstars Writing Seminar and am now headed home. So same basic information on workshops below. Tomorrow night I’ll write more about stuff I learned these last few days. BUNDLES OF WORKSHOPS AND LECTURES… So here is the bundle offers and how to sign up for them. I will put this on the sidebar when I get back to my larger computer. —ANY TEN LECTURES… $400 ($500 plus value… Contact Dean and pay through Paypal.) — ANY FIVE CLASSIC WORKSHOPS… $600 ($750 value… Contact Dean and pay through Paypal.) — ALL SIX STRENGTHS WORKSHOPS… $1,500 ($1,800…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Great Fun At Superstars

    Fun Panels and Smart Writers… I had some really fun panels today on topics ranging from the future of electronic books to newsletters. On Saturday I’m going to do a presentation on corporations for writers, then be on panels on agents (I have promised to be nice) and finding a balance. Then off for home. Tonight was the fun thing for me among many fun things. Something they call the VIP dinner, sort of like what we do at lunches on our big workshops. Six writers set with me for dinner and four hours later we were still talking about writing and all sorts of stuff. Great fun. So a…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing,  workshops

    Workshop Bundles Now Available

    Finally Getting To This… We have talked about offering workshop bundles for some time now, but didn’t get started on it until we finally got the Advanced Business Lectures done and did that bundle through Teachable. So now, if your plans are to take more than one thing going forward, we can give you a discount if you buy a number of them. And once you buy the bundle, you can take the workshops or lectures at your own pace. Here at Superstars I have gotten a number of questions about wanting to sign up all at once for a bunch of things, so since we had this worked out,…