Jordan R. Murray's Blog

Still updating your summer reading list?

You’re in luck! I’ve decided to put The Emperor’s Horn on sale for only .99 cents this weekend. Please share and spread the word.

Meanwhile, there are several writing projects that keep me busy this summer. Book two of the Magic in the Imperium series is well underway. I’ve put up a progress bar on my website so you can check in and see how it’s coming. Deciding who lives or dies is no summer picnic, I can tell you that much! Then again, I’m not as...

“Have you tried Scrivener?” asked my sister.

Smiling, I shook my head and said I wasn’t interested. If she uses it to write academic papers, I reasoned, how would it help me write fantasy novels?

Well… to be honest, I didn’t want to have anything else on my plate. It had taken days to format my first book with Adobe InDesign and Microsoft Word. I didn’t want another challenge right before my first book release. Then I started to write the first draft of my second novel. I had scattered...

What is BAHFest?

Until a few days ago, I would have believed almost any explanation that had to do with a sheep and wool festival. But when my boyfriend explained that BAH in fact stood for Bad Ad Hoc Hypotheses,I immediately agreed to go with him to MIT and see what it was all about.

Who would turn down the chance to witness intelligent, articulate people discuss unique and bizarre and, most importantly, utterly wrong scientific theories?

Wait, Wrong Theories?

Not only wrong, but...

At last, warm spring sunshine. Flowersare emerging with delicate blooms, but I confess that I am still surprised that April is almost gone.

I’ll write more about my travels this month shortly, but for now I wanted to share that poet, author, and friend Marly Youmans wrote a wonderful post on The Emperor’s Horn!

Our conversations about self-publishing and writing continue to pave my way with pearls of wisdom and inspiration.

Read it here, and I highly recommend you follow her blog. Marly...

Haven’t ordered your copy of The Emperor’s Horn yet?

That’s okay. We’ve all been pretty busy. But what’s even better than picking up a copy? Getting one for free!

For a limited time you can Enter to win one of five free ebook copies on Amazon.

Just another way of thanking you, my readers, for all your support and interest.

Now, onto picking up the pen for book two…

Happy reading,

Jordan R. Murray

Finding music to listen to while I work is a challenge. As a musician and music lover myself, I have to search long and hard to find something pleasant to listen to without it being distracting.

Instrumental and classical music tends to work the best, as words can be distracting. But, occasionally I get lucky and find choral music that is hauntingly beautiful. Foreign languages seem to help me tune out what is being said, and I look for more of an immersive experience to help me focus and...

A major battle in life is how to best use the time we have. It’s a common problem, and not just for writers.

No matter the hectic pace of a day, there are moments of free time that fall into our laps. But, just because the clock grants you a moment or an hour of free time doesn’t mean that hour will be a productive one. It doesn’t mean you’ll have the mental energy to do good work. You may spend that hour starting at the screen, desperate to write a single sentence! Why does that happen,...

It can never hurt to look for tips about using a website for the first time. I do this almost obsessively, and most of the time it saves me money, time, and a good number of mistakes.

You have to wear a lot of hats as a writer. Book agent, marketing team, and sales coach. Editor, even (please hire an editor if at all possible. But that’s a separate rant). Remember when you feel overwhelmed during this process that you’re not alone.

It’s okay to get an artist or professional to help you with...

Book Cover Design, Part Three

Let’s do a quick recap:

We looked at starting your research, where you madelists of design ideas, and built your own vision for your book cover. We had a little heart to heart about the different price ranges available to you depending on your budget.

Now, let’s take a look at how long it might take to go from lists and ideas to a book cover in your inbox.

What Kind of Time Will a Book Cover Design Take?

Anywhere from from two days, to two weeks, to eight...

Book Cover Design, Part Two

So, you’ve done a fair bit of research on what kind of style you want for your cover. Maybe a few colors, or even a full list of Brandon Sanderson books that you want to look like you could sandwich your own title in between. Wish lists aside, you have a decent idea of which book covers in your genre you like, and you’ve seen a whole boatload of truly horrible designs in the process. You even found a few of them that you loved.

Nicely done, you. Let’s find a photo...