#amreading – Page 8 – Jean's Writing

When is the best time to do your taxes?

Published on April 3, 2017March 30, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell15 Comments

Never if you ask me.

But, unfortunately, it’s that time of year!

At least here in the States. April 18th is drawing near and the tax man is waiting. And like dirty laundry a task that cannot be avoided.

If you haven’t filed your taxes maybe you could use a little more information. Thanks to Jane Friedman for sending writers a terrific bunch of tips to make this arduous task a little less painful.

Mine are filed! Whoo hoo!

What did I learn from reading Jane’s post?

I don’t have to make a profit to take deductions.
Expenses for my books and website are just that “expenses.”
I don’t have to have employees to have a business. Just me.
Keep good records. (Glad I use Quicken.)
Amazon will report your royalties, make sure you include them on your returns.

What Every Self-Published Author Needs to Know About Taxes

After you’ve read Jane’s post and tell me…

Have you done your taxes yet?

Did you include your writing profits/losses?

Did you learn something new from Jane’s post?

Tell me, I love reading your comments.

Please head over and “like” my Facebook page at Facebook at jeanswriting . Or to connect with me, click the “write me” tab. Don’t forget you can follow me on StumbleUpon, on Twitter @jeancogdell , and Amazon.com.

Please stop by and say “hey!” I’ll leave a light on.

Do you enjoy a little fun with words?

Published on March 27, 2017March 23, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell2 Comments

Then you might be a LEXOPHILE (LOVER OF WORDS.)

I love StumbleUpon. Never know what I’ll find when I push that orange button.

My latest find is LEXOPHILES (LOVERS OF WORDS.)

I smiled as I read through the list of puns and wordplay. Wish I were this imaginative. Of course, I’ve my husband and grandchildren to keep me in the pun game. They a never at a loss for a few.

Of the 46 listed, these are my 10 favorites.

#4. A backward poet writes inverse.
#13. You are stuck with your debt if you can’t budge it.
#17. A lot of money is tainted: ‘Taint yours, and ‘taint mine.
#21. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison: a small medium at large.
#24. If you jump off a Paris bridge, you are in Seine.
29. Marathon runners with bad shoes suffer the agony of de feet.
#32. She was only a whiskey-maker, but he loved her still.
#38. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.
#41. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.
#45. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

Do you enjoy playing with words? Making bad jokes and puns?

Have a favorite? Do share in the comments!

Which ones of the 46 made you smile?

Talk to me – I love comments.

Please stop by and say “hey!” I’ll leave a light on.

What is the first thing you see?

Published on March 22, 2017March 15, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell18 Comments

When you choose which book to read how do you decide?

Me? I look at the name, cover, and the number of reviews. In that order.

Why in that order? Because a name can tell me a lot about a book and sorry, but I do judge a book by its cover. The cover doesn’t have to be a smashing, professional, polished job but the cover must match the name and pique my interest.

As for the number of reviewers, well I want to see how many have read the book and the ratio of star reviews. Because, yes quantity is as important as quality. The reviews need not all be four or five-star reviews, but if there are only a few, they should be glowing, knock it out of the park reviews to grab my attention.

Now I’m ready to see what everyone had to say. This may surprise you, but I read the lowest star review first, not the five-star.

Why? Because I want to see the reason someone would give a book a low rating.

Often I learn more from them than the high ones. And believe it, or not, the three or four-star reviews have on occasion enticed me to click buy.

So don’t be shy. You picked that book for a reason. Share your reasons for picking it, and reading it.

The author and other readers will be grateful.

How do you choose a book to read?

Do you always leave a review?

Do you at least click a star review?

Talk to me – I love comments.

Please stop by and say “hey!” I’ll leave a light on.

Want to know why you need to leave a review?

Published on March 17, 2017March 15, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell8 Comments

Do you know why this is important?

I mean really important?

It helps a writer? Yes, of course. But there is more to it than that.

When we eat out, we leave the wait staff a tip. Even if the service is lousy, we leave a tip. Might be small, but we leave something behind. The staff worked hard to provide the meal, and our tip our acknowledgment. We may never return to that restaurant again, but that’s okay.

The same thing holds true for a book. The author works hard to produce a product for readers to enjoy. Some will enjoy the story more than others, but everyone should leave behind a tip (review.) Short and sweet, or long and eloquent, leave a review it doesn’t matter.

Don’t know what to say? Here’s a tip: read what others have said and to get ideas, to prime your thoughts into your own words.

Don’t have time to write a wordy review? Click on the stars but leave behind that tip with a one or five star review.

Remember to let the author know you read their book. The best way to do that is to write a review. Leaving your footprints in the sands of Amazon and Goodreads is important.