The blog
Notes from the villa
KDP, AI publishing, backlist math and the occasional unhinged rant about hustle culture.
Your first 180 days on KDP: how to publish 4 books in 6 months
A realistic month-by-month roadmap for going from zero to a four-book catalog, using pipeline stacking instead of writing one book at a time.
Side hustles for introverts: why fiction beats digital downloads
No clients, no camera, no customer service inbox. Why writing fiction is one of the most introvert-friendly online businesses there is.
The 3-second cover test: why your book isn't getting clicks
Most readers see your cover as a tiny thumbnail on a phone. Here's how to design for that, and the quick test every cover should pass.
25 AI-isms that tell readers a robot wrote your book
The words, phrases and sentence patterns that scream "AI draft," and what to do about them before your readers notice.
How to find Amazon KDP keywords for free (and fill all 7 slots)
A free, no-tools method for finding the search phrases romance readers actually type into Amazon, and how to pack your seven keyword boxes.
How to write a book blurb that sells: the 4-part formula
Your cover gets the click, your blurb gets the sale. Here's the simple four-part structure that turns browsers into buyers.
Kindle Unlimited explained: how authors actually get paid
Page reads, the KDP Select exclusivity rule, and how to decide whether to enroll your book in Kindle Unlimited or go wide.
How much does it really cost to self-publish on Amazon KDP? ($0 vs. $300)
An honest breakdown of what you actually need to spend to publish your first book on Amazon, from the $0 sweat-equity route to a lean $300 setup.
30 romance tropes readers can't stop buying (and how to pick yours)
The tropes that sell over and over on Kindle Unlimited, grouped by vibe, plus a quick test for choosing the right ones for your next book.
How to write a romance novel with AI (without it sounding like AI)
The exact workflow I use to plot and draft romance with AI while keeping the voice, tension and heat that readers actually binge.
Why I stopped selling templates and started writing silly little romance books
$5 planners, clients who text at midnight, and the day I realized a backlist is the only digital product that gets better with age.