Quote of the month

Thanks to tireless Brian Scott of freelancewriting.com for sharing this quote:

"If you have a goal, write it down. If you do not write it down, you do not have a goal - you have a wish."

                                                                --Steve Maraboli, author of Unapologetically You

Snow storm reading recommendation

All eyes are on the news about the east coast storm, putting New Englanders at risk and hunkering down at home. CNN's analysis includes tips on what to stock up on. How great that my book, Release Your Writing, showed up in an ad on the same page today!  My sympathies are for those who have to bear such a storm, and the public service workers who have to restore services. My second thought is folks might be buying a lot of good ebooks!

Author, author, it's tax time

Comment from a Release Your Writing reader today...

What? Pay taxes on my meager earnings as an author? Please say it isn't so.

It is true that author royalties are taxable, as well as the revenue you collect from books you sell on your own at events. On the plus side, of course, all your writing related expenses are deductible, so the tax burden may even out.

Infinity Publishing has a nice summary of all the deductions authors are entitled to take. Writing is considered a business expense, unless you don't produce revenue within five years. Then, you are downgraded to "hobby" status.

Read more at Infinity here.