Is Optimism the New Black?
By: Ginger | Posted on October 17, 2025
In this week’s blog, we’re stepping back from the usual focus on writing tactics and marketing tips to explore the emotional current running through today’s stories. Over the past few years, there’s been a clear shift away from the dark, brooding tone that dominated popular culture in the early 2000s toward a more optimistic view. From Superman’s warmth to a lighter, more playful Bond, audiences are beginning to favor heroes who face challenges with heart instead of cynicism. As Ginger argues below, this change reflects a world that’s grown weary of grit and craves something that feels good again. For self-published authors, that shift isn’t just an observation but an opportunity. Readers are hungry for stories that lift them up, and tone may be the most powerful way to deliver that experience. Whether you write romance, fantasy, or thrillers, Ginger’s look at this cultural turning point shows how weaving hope,… Read More >
Defending the Sweet Escapism of Gendered Fiction
By: Ginger | Posted on September 12, 2025
Fiction has always been a place where readers escape into exaggerated realities, whether it is the brooding alpha male of a steamy romance or the suave secret agent bedding beautiful women between missions. Yet when it comes to gendered writing, the criticism is far from equal. Male authors are often mocked for objectifying descriptions, while female authors are rarely called out for creating impossibly perfect heroes with toxic traits framed as desirable. This week, Ginger makes the case that both sides are guilty of indulging in fantasy, and that is exactly the point. These books thrive not because they are trying to reflect everyday life, but to give readers the thrill of sweet escapism. So instead of tearing down gendered fiction, he argues that we should recognize it for what it is and celebrate the joy it brings to millions of readers. In last week’s article, I dove into the… Read More >
Why I hate the “Describe Yourself Like a Male Author Would” Meme
By: Ginger | Posted on September 5, 2025
In the age of viral trends and overnight sensations, few memes have stuck around in the author community quite like “Describe Yourself Like a Male Author Would.” What began as a playful jab at clunky, stereotype-filled female character descriptions has become a recurring joke that resurfaces year after year. While often celebrated for its humor and its sharp critique of certain writing habits, it has also drawn criticism for lumping male authors together in an unflattering way. For writers in the competitive world of self-publishing, the real question is whether this meme encourages better storytelling or simply takes easy shots at a particular group. In today’s blog, Ginger explores the history of the meme, why it resonates so strongly, and both the valid points behind the humor and the double standards it may reinforce. From his own cringeworthy early writing that made him wince in recognition to examples where male… Read More >
Two Reasons Why I hate AI Art and Advertising
By: Ginger | Posted on October 11, 2024
As the summer slump fades, self-published authors are ramping up their marketing efforts once again, and if you’ve been on Facebook lately, you’ve probably noticed the surge in eBook ads. Among them, one trend is sparking a heated debate—the use of AI-generated art. Is it a smart way to cut costs and boost engagement, or does it risk coming off as cheap and impersonal? In today’s blog, Ginger leaps right into this controversial topic, sharing two key reasons why he isn’t a fan of this approach. While Ginger’s views aren’t unique among authors, the bigger question remains: how effective are these AI-generated ads? If they were proven to boost book sales and profits, would more authors be willing to embrace them despite their reservations? The digital landscape is constantly evolving, and not every decision has a clear-cut answer. Understanding the pros and cons can help you form your own opinion… Read More >
Should Amazon impose a ban on AI-authors?
By: Ginger | Posted on June 2, 2023
Like it or not, Artificial Intelligence is here to stay, but how does it impact authors? Can it really be used as a replacement to write books, and if so, should companies like Amazon be moving to ban AI-authors from their KDP platform? With such a new and rapidly changing technology, there are often more questions than answers, especially when that technology seems to threaten jobs. To help make sense of it all, Ginger is looking at the current state of Artificial Intelligence and how it applies to writing. Is it time for publishing companies to try and put a stop to it, or is it already too late? And more importantly, do authors really have anything to worry about? It may still be in its infancy, but Artificial Intelligence is already changing the very nature of the world around us. It seems like we hear new examples of this… Read More >
An Amazon Appeals Process is Long Overdue – Part 2
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on January 14, 2022
In part one of this blog, I went over an issue that recently affected a number of authors in which their Amazon accounts were wrongly terminated, and the hassle and pain they had to go through to exonerate themselves. I spent a lot of time discussing what happened, how and why I think the current system works the way it does, and the realities of what I believe is unlikely to ever change (and why). But that doesn’t mean the system can’t be vastly improved upon, we just need to make sure to ask for the right things. Today I’ll go over the changes I think Amazon would have a hard time arguing against, while still providing authors with a defense against the devastating consequences of having their entire careers unfairly ripped away. Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things… Read More >
An Amazon Appeals Process is Long Overdue – Part 1
By: Craig | Posted on January 7, 2022
A couple of weeks ago, some authors were surprised by a disturbing email from Amazon informing them that due to some vague and unspecific rule violations, their author accounts had been terminated and any outstanding payments would be withheld. These authors did nothing wrong, after a lot of time and effort on their part most were eventually exonerated and had things restored, but the fact that this can happen to anyone at anytime and for no good reason should not only serve as a harsh reminder of the dangers of having all your eggs in one basket, but as further evidence that Amazon needs a proper appeals process for when they inevitably get things wrong again. There are various arguments for “going wide” and publishing books on multiple online storefronts, but one of the big ones is the diversification you get by not having to rely on just one site… Read More >
Is Amazon taking Author Advertising too far?
By: Ginger | Posted on May 24, 2019
Amazon has been experimenting with their ‘sponsored’ adverts for books – placing them in ever-more prevalent positions throughout a customer’s shopping experience. The question is – have they taken it too far, and have these Amazon advertising spots begun to negatively impact both the success of authors and the reader experience? Ginger gives his opinion on the issue. What do you think? Recently, I was on Amazon organizing my catalog of books – and like I’ve done a thousand times, I typed my pen name into the search bar expecting to see all the books that come up related to it, independent of my Author Profile page. What did I get instead? Two ‘Sponsored’ books, neither of which were mine. My books were there – but ‘beneath the fold’. This means I actually had to scroll down before I’d even get to see any books relevant to the terms I’d… Read More >
The Undeserved Stigma of Self-Publishing
By: Ginger | Posted on October 12, 2018
Services like Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing have provided a new generation of authors an amazing opportunity to be successful outside of the confines of ‘traditional publishing’ – yet there’s still a stigma about self-publishing. As more and more authors choose to spurn traditional publishers, many feel that this stigma is increasingly undeserved. As my writing career has become more successful, I’ve been more and more open to telling people about it. I’m now a writer full-time, and it’s pretty exciting to be able to support my family from book sales. And yet, when I talk to strangers about this, I still often get a strange reaction from them. “Oh, I’d like to write a book someday. But, y’know – like a real book.” I always like to ask: “What do you mean a real book?” “Oh, you know – from a publisher.” It’s funny, but almost a decade after Amazon… Read More >
The Complex Relationship Between Authors and Free Books
By: Craig | Posted on August 17, 2018
There’s a lot of mistaken belief when it comes to free books, from both authors and readers alike. After all, whether they’re doing it for the love of the art, or just as a job, most authors still want to earn money from their work, so how can free books ever be a good thing? The truth is, the relationship between authors and free books go back a long time – and like any relationship… it’s complicated. Every so often I see a reader don their white hat to make the argument that they don’t use an ARC program because they think that authors should get paid for their work. An admirable sentiment, for sure. Still, I can’t help but wonder if those same readers have ever used a library, or borrowed a novel from a friend? After all, readers have been using those as traditionally acceptable sources of free… Read More >
