By Shelley Sturgeon

Happy Groundhog Day! For those who aren’t in North America, and might not know about our quirky custom here, Groundhog Day is the halfway point between the winter equinox and the spring equinox. We watch with bated breath as a groundhog emerges from his burrow. If he sees his shadow, we’re in for six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, supposedly spring will be early but ironically “early” is usually about 6 weeks away. :-) It’s a long standing tradition with an interesting history. Check out the link if you get a chance but most importantly, don’t miss out on this week’s articles!

And reminders for February:

• Article submissions for February’s Self-Publishing: Carnival of the Indies blog carnival are accepted until Saturday, February 15th. All the information you need to submit can be found here.
• E-book cover submissions for February’s e-Book Cover Design Awards are accepted until Saturday, February 29th. They will be included in our e-Book Cover Design Awards post that will be published at the end of March. All the information you need to submit your e-book cover can be found here.

Have a wonderful week! See you next Sunday.

Dan Wagstaff on The Casual Optimist
The Decade in Book Covers
“There is a bit of story to this post. The short version is that I started it in 2018 to celebrate 10 years of the blog. When that deadline went whooshing past, I thought I would rework it for the end of 2019 as a look back at the decade.”

Scott McCormick on BookBaby Blog
People Judge Your Book By Your Headshot
“The goal of your author headshot is to cement your brand. At all times you should be asking yourself, “What kind of image am I trying to project to the world?””

Jane Friedman on Jane Friedman
Jane’s Guide to Getting the Most Out of a Writers Conference
“Here’s what I’ve learned over the past 20 years about making the most of any event, whether you’re an attendee or a speaker.”

Jay Artale on How to Blog a Book
Is Gumroad a Good Option for Indie Authors?
“I run an author interview series where I shine a spotlight on how travel bloggers write, self-publish, and market their books. The majority of authors sell their ebooks via Amazon. Still, a small group sells their ebooks directly on Gumroad, which is a viable alternative to selling your ebooks directly from your website.”

Howard Lovy on Self-Publishing Advice Center
How To Publish Love Poetry Books: A Guide For Indie Authors: Self-Publishing Poetry Podcast
“Interested in writing and publishing love poetry? In advance of Valentine’s day, this week’s AskALLi session with Orna Ross and Dalma Szentpály will discuss How to Self-Publish Love Poetry.”

Photo: pixabay.com