Writing about writing

  • 25 of the Best Fantasy Books You Should Read Next

    25 of the Best Fantasy Books You Should Read Next

    I know what it’s like: sometimes you finish a book and you just don’t know what to read next. That’s why I’ve put this list together of 25 of the best fantasy books (in no particular order) that should be at the top of your to-read list! Assassin’s Apprentice Any list of the best fantasy…

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  • Meet the Typical Fantasy Reader – Infographic

    Meet the Typical Fantasy Reader – Infographic

    The incredible worlds and stories within the fantasy genre appeals to people from all walks of life, young or old, rich or poor. But is there a type of person that fantasy appeals to most? Thanks to the latest Fantastic Insights survey of fantasy readers, we can create a picture of the typical fantasy reader. Are…

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  • 8 Ways Tolkien Changed Modern Fantasy Forever

    8 Ways Tolkien Changed Modern Fantasy Forever

    Is it possible to overstate Tolkien’s influence on the fantasy genre? The Lord of the Rings casts a huge shadow, defining tropes, cliches, and standards in a way that perhaps no other work has done to another genre. But just how much did Tolkien really change modern fantasy forever? No other work has so defined…

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  • What is Skerry Books?

    What is Skerry Books?

    If you’ve ever closely examined the information on a product page for one of my books, you’ll have noticed that the publisher is listed as Skerry Books. If you’ve ever wondered what that is, here’s the answer. It’s me. Independent publishing is a funny old game. Each vendor seems to do things slightly differently. They…

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  • Fantastic Insights

    Fantastic Insights

    What fantasy readers really think People with telepathic powers will already know what fantasy readers think. For everyone else, there’s the Fantastic Insights survey. What is the Fantastic Insights survey? I wanted to know more about readers’ attitudes and opinions towards the books they read, so I polled over a thousand readers across age, gender,…

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  • How to draw fantasy maps

    How to draw fantasy maps

    If you’ve read more than a handful of fantasy books, you can easily deduce that fantasy authors love maps. We assume that fantasy readers love maps too, which is why we keep putting maps in our books. I think it’s a safe assumption but, if it isn’t, fantasy maps are here to stay anyway; of…

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  • How to save money on the ebooks you want

    How to save money on the ebooks you want

    Do you buy your ebooks from Amazon? If so, I’ve found an ebook price tracking website that you really should check out! Have you ever bought an ebook only to see it for a cheaper price just days later? It’s annoying, isn’t it? The last time that happened to me, I’d bought a Star Wars…

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  • Maclunkey: Should Creators Change Their Art Once It’s Published?

    Maclunkey: Should Creators Change Their Art Once It’s Published?

    If you’re anything more than a casual fan of the Star Wars films, you’ll know how much George Lucas likes to tweak his creation with each rerelease. Even after he sold Lucasfilm to Disney, a new tweak emerged when the Mouse House unveiled its Disney+ streaming service: now Greedo inexplicably utters the word “maclunkey” before…

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  • 5 Reasons Why Reviewing Books Makes You A Better Person

    5 Reasons Why Reviewing Books Makes You A Better Person

    If you review the books you read, congratulations! This post is all about you and some of the many reasons why you rock. If you don’t review the books you read, don’t worry; this post is going to tell you why doing so is a good idea, and just how amazing you’ll be once you…

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  • Why I Got Rid of My Books

    Why I Got Rid of My Books

    I’ve been getting rid of my books. Phew. It feels good to get that off my chest. But let me explain. Books have always been more than the paper and ink they’re made of. Each one was a vessel for the story or information within. So I was greedy for books, hoarding them like Smaug’s…

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