Self-Publishing Advice, Writing Tips And Promotion Ideas

7 Realistic Ways Writers Can Make Money Online As A Writer Or Blogger

Derek Haines / April 27, 2026 / Publishing

There’s no doubt that making money as a writer has become more challenging in recent years, especially with the rise of AI-generated content and changes in online search. However, that doesn’t mean the opportunities have disappeared. Online publishing still offers several reliable ways for writers to earn income, even if the landscape has shifted. Readers…

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Why Amazon KDP Pays By Check For Author Royalties

Derek Haines / June 30, 2023 / Self-Publishing

Self-publishing with Amazon is easy. But if you live in a country where Amazon KDP pays by check (or cheque), receiving your royalty payments can be a problem. It is not only very slow, but you will be subject to minimum thresholds before you can receive any payments. In addition, you will need to pay…

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How To Edit There Is And There Are Sentences

Derek Haines / August 16, 2025 / Grammar

It’s very common to use sentences that begin with there is and there are. But using these two structures too often can weaken your writing. Whenever you see one, it’s always a good idea to consider editing the sentence. Sometimes, it’s as simple as deleting the word there and moving the verb. There is a…

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Why It’s Impossible To Delete A Print Book After Publishing

Derek Haines / June 23, 2023 / Self-Publishing

Once you self-publish a new title, you can’t delete a print book in paperback or hardcover versions. It applies to books published using Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) or any other publishing service. When a new book is published, the ISBN identifying numbers are registered with many catalogs and listing services. Even if you remove a…

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Kindle Pre-Order Customer Reviews Explained For Authors

Derek Haines / June 11, 2023 / Promote Your Writing

How do pre-order customer reviews work for Kindle ebooks? It might be a mystery if you are a self-publishing author because Amazon customers can’t add a customer review to a Kindle ebook on pre-order. But when you look at the Coming Soon section of Amazon books, you can see many ebooks on pre-order with hundreds…

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The Writing Tools And Software I Use Now Are Usually Free

Derek Haines / February 25, 2026 / Writing

How many writing tools and software programs do you need to write? I’m a writer, so I spend a lot of time on my keyboard every day. But contrary to what you might think, I use very few programs, and they are mostly free writing tools. Over the last few years, I have tried to…

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Goodbye To Microsoft Word After All The Years

Derek Haines / June 3, 2023 / Writing

Saying goodbye to Microsoft Word is a little like parting with an old friend. Over the long years, Word has helped me in study, business, and writing books. When ebooks first appeared, often the only way to publish them was to use a Word Doc file. But so much has changed in recent years, and…

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Watch Out (Check) For Phrasal Verb Redundancy In Writing

Derek Haines / July 17, 2026 / Grammar

Phrasal verb redundancy is a common issue in writing. It occurs when the prepositions after the main verb serve no actual use or purpose. In most cases, it’s easy to fix by removing the extra words or replacing the phrasal verb with a single-word verb. When speaking, phrasal verbs add color, nuance, and flexibility to…

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How To Recover A Lost Book Manuscript After Publishing

Derek Haines / May 28, 2023 / How To Articles

If you need to recover a lost book manuscript, it’s easier than you think. Perhaps you deleted your original manuscript by mistake or lost the file when you upgraded to a new computer. Another possibility is that your original file is corrupted, and you can’t open it. But if you want to update your book or…

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Bing Chat For Content Is Impressive And Scary

Bing Chat Content Creation Is Amazing And Scary

Derek Haines / November 9, 2025 / Publishing

As a writer, I know AI (artificial intelligence) is the inevitable future. But Bing Chat content creation is not the future; it’s the present. While I have many reservations and concerns, there is no point in burying my head in the sand. I hesitated, but because the tools are so easily accessible now, I had…

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