2012 was a great year for me, one that exceeded my wildest dreams. Confession time: I had this secret hope that I could sell 100 copies of my books in a year. Well, as of December 29, 2012, I've hit 1,000 sales (and this doesn't include borrows) and counting! To say I'm happy and excited about this is the understatement of the century.
I've made some rookie mistakes and learned a lot in 2012, so I'm going into 2013 feeling like I finally have some idea of what I'm doing. That's been great, because it's helping me to focus and set some good, solid goals. So, here is what I'm looking to accomplish in 2013:
1. More books: First will be Asleep, book two in the Fairytale Collection., followed by Infiltrator, the second book in the Contributor series. I'm also going to try my hand at an 8-episode romantic comedy serial. I have most of it outlined and I'll share more details once I'm closer to having it ready for publication. Other possibilities: a companion book to Phoning It In that will focus on one of the secondary characters and another novella in the Creators sequence, which takes place prior to Contributor.
2. Expanded distribution: when my exclusivity period lapses with some of my works, I'm going to expand to other markets, such as Kobo and Barnes & Noble. I've had limited success with these in the past, but I want to give them another shot because I really dislike the idea of restricting the outlets where my readers can get my books.
3. Mailing list: I'm planning on quarterly newsletters with exclusives for members: giveaways, access to extended excerpts, etc. I'll also use the mailing list to alert readers of new releases. One thing I will never do: spam my readers. Ever.
4. Author website: This blog is limiting, and I'd like to have a central presence on the web for my bibliographies, blog posts, etc. I'm also the author of a fairly popular work of fanfic, and I think I'm going to out myself and host the fanfic on my site. In addition, I have ideas for some fun stuff: short daily stories, a forum for interacting with readers and getting feedback that will influence the way serials pan out, etc.
5. Social media presence: Though I'm still planning on Tweeting, pinning things that interest me on Pinterest, and posting to FB, I'm going to be devoting most of my efforts to Google+ and Goodreads, as I feel that these are the outlets that allow me to best interact with readers. I'm a big fan of Google+ Communities, and I'm thinking about dabbling in the Hangouts. As for Goodreads, well, I fell in love with that site a couple of years ago and use it daily as a reader, so it goes without saying that I love the idea of what I can do with it as an author.
6. Physical copies of my books: Several readers have expressed interest, and I'd love to offer the option to them. Since I already have covers for my books, I need to look into having these changed so they'll meet physical copy requirements. I've used several different cover designers, and I'm hoping to be able to negotiate with each of them so that I won't have to change any covers.
7. More group promotions: I love working with other authors and have found some amazing books thanks to my self-publishing journey. I already have one promo lined up for late January/early February, and I will try to participate in others throughout the year.
That's it for me! Thanks to all my readers for making 2012 such a memorable year for me. I wish you the best for health, happiness, and good fortune in 2013!
Showing posts with label Goodreads. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Goodreads. Show all posts
Monday, December 31, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
Motivational Mondays:
Happy Monday, everyone! Hopefully the horrible heat wave has ended in your neck of the woods. I know I could use some cooler weather! Still, the heat does make it appealing to sit in my darkened, air-conditioned office with the ceiling fan going full blast while I plug away at my latest manuscript.
What I’m working on: I'm in the middle of final edits for my Creators manuscript, with a targeted release date of July 21st.
This time around, I had the idea of putting a rough copy of my manuscript and editing on the Kindle, and I was very happy with the results. This not only gave me a feel for how the formatting looks, it also helped me to spot some additional errors. I can only stare at my PC screen for so long before small things begin to slip by me. With the Kindle, I could highlight the problem areas and make comments on the fly. Bonus: I could do editing while lounging on the couch!
I also found a link to a great program called SmartEdit. It's an amazing tool that analyzes your document and then gives you a report detailing things like how many cliches it found, how often you use adverbs, which words you use the most, etc. This is a real boon as it's sometimes hard to notice these things in your own work. Best of all, it's free! I highly recommend checking it out, even if you're not a creative writer. It would also be great for analyzing papers, work reports, etc.
What I hope to achieve: I hope to put the finishing touches on Creators and finalize the cover design. I'm also hoping for a few more reviews of The Eye of the Beholder, and I certainly wouldn't mind a continuous uptick in sales!
What are my challenges: I'm continuing to work on how to best market my novels. I've been really inconsistent with my blog, and I'm determined to try to make better use of it. Overall, I really just need to get more organized. It would be great for me to establish a schedule so I make the most of my writing time without allowing marketing time to dominate my days.
What freaks me out: I'm still dreading negative reviews but, overall, I'm feeling really positive. Though I am by no means a best selling author at this point, things have been going better than I expected, and that's always a good thing!
What’s making me happy today: I'm really excited at the thought of releasing two more novels. Every time I check Goodreads and see that someone else has added my novel as "to-read", it's a thrill. Ever since I was a kid, I've dreamed of becoming an author and having people read my book, and I can honestly say that the reality is better than any fantasy I ever constructed.
Teaser for Tuesday: Tomorrow's post will offer one last preview of Creators. It's a prequel novella to Contributor, a YA trilogy set in a postapacolyptic/dystopian future.
What I’m working on: I'm in the middle of final edits for my Creators manuscript, with a targeted release date of July 21st.
This time around, I had the idea of putting a rough copy of my manuscript and editing on the Kindle, and I was very happy with the results. This not only gave me a feel for how the formatting looks, it also helped me to spot some additional errors. I can only stare at my PC screen for so long before small things begin to slip by me. With the Kindle, I could highlight the problem areas and make comments on the fly. Bonus: I could do editing while lounging on the couch!
I also found a link to a great program called SmartEdit. It's an amazing tool that analyzes your document and then gives you a report detailing things like how many cliches it found, how often you use adverbs, which words you use the most, etc. This is a real boon as it's sometimes hard to notice these things in your own work. Best of all, it's free! I highly recommend checking it out, even if you're not a creative writer. It would also be great for analyzing papers, work reports, etc.
What I hope to achieve: I hope to put the finishing touches on Creators and finalize the cover design. I'm also hoping for a few more reviews of The Eye of the Beholder, and I certainly wouldn't mind a continuous uptick in sales!
What are my challenges: I'm continuing to work on how to best market my novels. I've been really inconsistent with my blog, and I'm determined to try to make better use of it. Overall, I really just need to get more organized. It would be great for me to establish a schedule so I make the most of my writing time without allowing marketing time to dominate my days.
What freaks me out: I'm still dreading negative reviews but, overall, I'm feeling really positive. Though I am by no means a best selling author at this point, things have been going better than I expected, and that's always a good thing!
What’s making me happy today: I'm really excited at the thought of releasing two more novels. Every time I check Goodreads and see that someone else has added my novel as "to-read", it's a thrill. Ever since I was a kid, I've dreamed of becoming an author and having people read my book, and I can honestly say that the reality is better than any fantasy I ever constructed.
Teaser for Tuesday: Tomorrow's post will offer one last preview of Creators. It's a prequel novella to Contributor, a YA trilogy set in a postapacolyptic/dystopian future.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Sample Sunday: Angering the Beast
After spending a night in the Beast's castle, Mira's father takes what he thinks is the perfect gift for his daughter and suffers the consequences...
Peering out, I could see that the man was approaching the gates. He paused as he reached them, glancing back over his shoulder. I moved into the shadows, concealing myself from his gaze. He stared at the castle for several long moments before stepping down from his wagon and walking carefully across the gravel path to the castle walls, casting glances about him as he went. I was perplexed, but then I saw his object. Slowly, he approached the castle wall and reached out a hand to touch one of the roses. I went perfectly still, my spine rigid. Reaching into his pocket, the man pulled out a small penknife and used it to cut the rose from the vine.
Pure, sheer rage washed over me like a black wave, and I let out an ear-splitting roar. Before turning from the window, I could see the man start, his face as pale as milk. I ran on all fours from the second floor, down the stairs, and burst through the front entrance of the castle.
“Merciful heaven!” the man shrieked, dropping to his knees and throwing his arms over his head at the sight of me.
He was tall and thin with arms and legs that were ropy and well-muscled. His hair was a drab shade of brown, and what I could see of his face was very plain and trembling with terror.
“You dare to steal one of my roses?” I roared.
He cried out in terror. “For-forgive me. I d-did not mean any harm,” he said, sinking closer to the ground, as if he sought to sink directly through it, the rose still clutched in his hand. I could see a bright spot of blood on his thumb from where he had pricked himself with one of the thorns. He had dropped his knife and it laid useless on the ground, far too small to be any threat to me and my rapier-sharp claws.
“You did not mean any harm?” I asked, my voice lowering into a deep and menacing growl. “I offer you my hospitality, feed you and shelter you for the night, and you repay me by taking what I hold most dear?”
“I did not think anyone lived here. I did not think the rose would be missed,” he said, in a small and terrified voice.
“Then who fed you, built you a fire?” I asked, astounded by the stupidity of his statement.
“I am sorry. Please, I beg you, have mercy on me.”
“Mercy? Why should I have mercy on a thief? I should strike you dead where you cower,” I growled furiously.
He lowered his arms and looked up into my face. I could see an expression of abject terror in his eyes, and a shudder of revulsion passed over his features. I raised one of my arms, ready to strike him down, but he held the rose out and pleaded with me.
“I beg you, do not kill me. I have three daughters waiting for me at home. What will become of them if I do not return?” he asked, his voice pitiful.
“Your daughters are none of my concern!” I shouted unthinkingly. “Why did you take my rose?”
“I took it for my youngest daughter. Her sisters asked me for expensive gifts, but she asked only for my safe return. I wanted to bring her a book, but could find none,” he babbled. “She is such a good child, such a kind and generous child, and I could not bear to return without a gift for her. When I saw this rose, I knew that she would love it. She has always loved flowers.”
Slowly and in spite of my rage, my mind was beginning to work. This man had three daughters, one of whom he described as kind and generous and who loved roses. Surely it would be a waste to simply kill him. Perhaps there was another option. I was silent for so long that the man ceased to shake and sob and went into what appeared to be a state of shock. His eyes went dull, and I knew that he believed I was going to kill him.
“You have two choices,” I growled, speaking slowly. “Your first choice is to go home and, in a fortnight, return to me. You will be placed in my dungeon as my prisoner, where you will die. Your second choice is to send your youngest daughter to me in your place. I will not confine her to the dungeon, nor will I mistreat her in any manner. She will be well cared for and protected in my castle, but she must remain with me forever.”
The man began to shake and sob again. “Please, have mercy! I will not send my youngest to you! But if I die, how will my daughters survive?”
“Those are your choices,” I replied coldly. “I care not what difficulty they cause you.”
“Please, sir, I beg you…”
“Silence!” I roared. “Be gone before I change my mind and kill you after all!”
My words spurred the man to action. Without looking at me, he clambered up into his wagon, his hand clutched so tightly around the rose that it was white. The rose itself was a deep, deep crimson, the color of the blood that ran from the puncture wound in the man’s thumb. The horse was nearly screaming in fear. His eyes rolled back in his head, showing me their whites, and he reared and nearly toppled both the wagon and himself. The man managed to hold on and, as he applied the whip, the horse shot forward and sped out of the gate at breakneck speed.
I stood watching the man as he disappeared in a cloud of dust down the road. Then I closed the gates and walked back into the castle, finding my servants assembled in the great hall.
“I expect you heard every word of that exchange,” I growled. They stared at me with their blank eyes but did not move. “Then you know what needs to be done! Ready both the dungeon and one of the guest chambers! We shall be prepared to deal with whoever returns here in a fortnight’s time.”
To preview other chapters, read reviews, and purchase a copy of The Eye of the Beholder for Kindle, visit Amazon; or visit Goodreads for additional reviews.
Peering out, I could see that the man was approaching the gates. He paused as he reached them, glancing back over his shoulder. I moved into the shadows, concealing myself from his gaze. He stared at the castle for several long moments before stepping down from his wagon and walking carefully across the gravel path to the castle walls, casting glances about him as he went. I was perplexed, but then I saw his object. Slowly, he approached the castle wall and reached out a hand to touch one of the roses. I went perfectly still, my spine rigid. Reaching into his pocket, the man pulled out a small penknife and used it to cut the rose from the vine.
Pure, sheer rage washed over me like a black wave, and I let out an ear-splitting roar. Before turning from the window, I could see the man start, his face as pale as milk. I ran on all fours from the second floor, down the stairs, and burst through the front entrance of the castle.
“Merciful heaven!” the man shrieked, dropping to his knees and throwing his arms over his head at the sight of me.
He was tall and thin with arms and legs that were ropy and well-muscled. His hair was a drab shade of brown, and what I could see of his face was very plain and trembling with terror.
“You dare to steal one of my roses?” I roared.
He cried out in terror. “For-forgive me. I d-did not mean any harm,” he said, sinking closer to the ground, as if he sought to sink directly through it, the rose still clutched in his hand. I could see a bright spot of blood on his thumb from where he had pricked himself with one of the thorns. He had dropped his knife and it laid useless on the ground, far too small to be any threat to me and my rapier-sharp claws.
“You did not mean any harm?” I asked, my voice lowering into a deep and menacing growl. “I offer you my hospitality, feed you and shelter you for the night, and you repay me by taking what I hold most dear?”
“I did not think anyone lived here. I did not think the rose would be missed,” he said, in a small and terrified voice.
“Then who fed you, built you a fire?” I asked, astounded by the stupidity of his statement.
“I am sorry. Please, I beg you, have mercy on me.”
“Mercy? Why should I have mercy on a thief? I should strike you dead where you cower,” I growled furiously.
He lowered his arms and looked up into my face. I could see an expression of abject terror in his eyes, and a shudder of revulsion passed over his features. I raised one of my arms, ready to strike him down, but he held the rose out and pleaded with me.
“I beg you, do not kill me. I have three daughters waiting for me at home. What will become of them if I do not return?” he asked, his voice pitiful.
“Your daughters are none of my concern!” I shouted unthinkingly. “Why did you take my rose?”
“I took it for my youngest daughter. Her sisters asked me for expensive gifts, but she asked only for my safe return. I wanted to bring her a book, but could find none,” he babbled. “She is such a good child, such a kind and generous child, and I could not bear to return without a gift for her. When I saw this rose, I knew that she would love it. She has always loved flowers.”
Slowly and in spite of my rage, my mind was beginning to work. This man had three daughters, one of whom he described as kind and generous and who loved roses. Surely it would be a waste to simply kill him. Perhaps there was another option. I was silent for so long that the man ceased to shake and sob and went into what appeared to be a state of shock. His eyes went dull, and I knew that he believed I was going to kill him.
“You have two choices,” I growled, speaking slowly. “Your first choice is to go home and, in a fortnight, return to me. You will be placed in my dungeon as my prisoner, where you will die. Your second choice is to send your youngest daughter to me in your place. I will not confine her to the dungeon, nor will I mistreat her in any manner. She will be well cared for and protected in my castle, but she must remain with me forever.”
The man began to shake and sob again. “Please, have mercy! I will not send my youngest to you! But if I die, how will my daughters survive?”
“Those are your choices,” I replied coldly. “I care not what difficulty they cause you.”
“Please, sir, I beg you…”
“Silence!” I roared. “Be gone before I change my mind and kill you after all!”
My words spurred the man to action. Without looking at me, he clambered up into his wagon, his hand clutched so tightly around the rose that it was white. The rose itself was a deep, deep crimson, the color of the blood that ran from the puncture wound in the man’s thumb. The horse was nearly screaming in fear. His eyes rolled back in his head, showing me their whites, and he reared and nearly toppled both the wagon and himself. The man managed to hold on and, as he applied the whip, the horse shot forward and sped out of the gate at breakneck speed.
I stood watching the man as he disappeared in a cloud of dust down the road. Then I closed the gates and walked back into the castle, finding my servants assembled in the great hall.
“I expect you heard every word of that exchange,” I growled. They stared at me with their blank eyes but did not move. “Then you know what needs to be done! Ready both the dungeon and one of the guest chambers! We shall be prepared to deal with whoever returns here in a fortnight’s time.”
To preview other chapters, read reviews, and purchase a copy of The Eye of the Beholder for Kindle, visit Amazon; or visit Goodreads for additional reviews.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Really, authors?
A year ago, I stumbled on Goodreads, and it quickly became one of my all-time favorite websites: a social media site where I can not only discuss books, but interact with authors and maybe even win some ARCs? Yes, please! Let's face it, Goodreads is like a dream come true for rabid bookworms like me. Thanks to Goodreads, I stumbled on some excellent reviewers, like Kat Kennedy, Stephanie Sinclair, and Wendy Darling. Though I've read many of the same books as these reviewers, I don't always have the same opinion as them. However, I love reading their reviews for one big reason: they make some outstanding points.
Recently, there has been a lot of buzz in the book world about authors laying the smackdown on reviewers. When I first heard about it, I couldn't really believe it was real. I mean, why would an author be crazy enough to attack someone who took the time to read their book? Fascinated, I surfed book blogs, Goodreads, and author blogs, reading things that frankly amazed the crap out of me.
As an aspiring author, I understand that sick feeling you get whenever someone takes your baby, reads it, and tells you what they think about it. I kid you not, I feel pretty sick to my stomach whenever I bring an excerpt to my writing group, or when I get an e-mail from a friend or family member with comments about one of my manuscripts. It's not easy to hear others criticize something into which you've poured so much of your heart and soul. This is why for YEARS I refused to let anyone read what I wrote. When I finally made the decision to start giving people my work, I accepted the fact that not everyone would like it, and that they might say things that would hurt my feeling. I dread this. I was an absolute wreck before I read my reviews from ABNA this year. I was convinced the reviewers hated my excerpt and had ripped it apart, and I had the tissues ready when I finally worked up the courage to read them.
So, yeah, I get it. Wouldn't it be awesome if every last word I wrote was a stroke of pure genius over which my every reader could not help but fawn? Yep, it would be. But that's not reality, folks. Reality is a world full of people with varied tastes, interests, and opinions. This means that some of them will love what you write and others will hate it. With a passion. That absolutely does NOT give you the right to rip them apart for expressing their opinion about your work, even if they're snarky and tear it to shreds and say means things about it. As long as they're not personally attacking you, they can say whatever they like about your work, and you need to just suck it up. If it bothers you, don't read the reviews. Just stay in your happy place, where you're sure everyone loves your book as much as you do. But you won't improve if you do that, and I really hope no author publishes with the thought, "I'm completely cool with mediocrity."
Years ago, I started writing a truly epic fanfic. I'm not gonna lie: I lapped up the positive feedback. Ego stroking FTW! But you know which review stuck out the most, which review I still think about to this day, even though it was written years ago? The one where I was told that my character was just too good to be true. Boy that stung, and my first reaction was to get defensive and to insist that the reviewer was wrong. I clung to my self-righteousness and left the work as it was.
But you know what? I was wrong. I see that now. Maybe my character is okay and maybe not, but that's really neither here nor there. The fact of the matter is, I could have thought about the comment and then gone back and read my fanfic to see if there was something to it. I could have found some flaws and decided how I would improve upon them later. In short, I could have used this feedback to help me improve my work.
I am now in the process of editing a manuscript that I will indie pub via Kindle Direct Publishing and possibly, later, Smashwords, if the book does well on Amazon. I am really excited at the thought of people reading this manuscript. It took me seven years to write it, and I'm now in something like the fifth round of revisions to it. It's a story that is near and dear to my heart, a manuscript that I have loved ever since I first started writing it. But it's flawed. I've changed it quite substantially, especially over the past month. This is because I've been reading tons of reviews of other books and thinking, "Could these criticisms apply to my manuscript?" If the answer is yes, I try to do something about it.
At the end of the day, I know that I will not be able to please everyone who reads my book, and that's okay. But changing my book in an attempt to avoid some of the pitfalls other authors have stumbled into does not degrade the integrity of my work. It does not make me a sellout. It makes my work better, stronger. It makes me challenge myself to try to rise above mediocrity, to move out of my comfort zone and into the arena. It's scary as hell. And I am grateful for it, because it will make me grow.
Once I publish, I'll set up a Goodreads author page. And I make this promise to anyone who reads and reviews my book: If you criticize my work, I will not flame you. I may cry, I may wallow in self-pity for a while, I may go through a period of feeling like my book is terrible, and I may think you're the meanest person in the universe. But I will pick myself up, dust myself off, and try to do better next time. And I will have you to thank for that.
And if you love it, I'll give you cupcakes.*
*The does not constitute an actual promise to give reviewers cupcakes.
Recently, there has been a lot of buzz in the book world about authors laying the smackdown on reviewers. When I first heard about it, I couldn't really believe it was real. I mean, why would an author be crazy enough to attack someone who took the time to read their book? Fascinated, I surfed book blogs, Goodreads, and author blogs, reading things that frankly amazed the crap out of me.
As an aspiring author, I understand that sick feeling you get whenever someone takes your baby, reads it, and tells you what they think about it. I kid you not, I feel pretty sick to my stomach whenever I bring an excerpt to my writing group, or when I get an e-mail from a friend or family member with comments about one of my manuscripts. It's not easy to hear others criticize something into which you've poured so much of your heart and soul. This is why for YEARS I refused to let anyone read what I wrote. When I finally made the decision to start giving people my work, I accepted the fact that not everyone would like it, and that they might say things that would hurt my feeling. I dread this. I was an absolute wreck before I read my reviews from ABNA this year. I was convinced the reviewers hated my excerpt and had ripped it apart, and I had the tissues ready when I finally worked up the courage to read them.
So, yeah, I get it. Wouldn't it be awesome if every last word I wrote was a stroke of pure genius over which my every reader could not help but fawn? Yep, it would be. But that's not reality, folks. Reality is a world full of people with varied tastes, interests, and opinions. This means that some of them will love what you write and others will hate it. With a passion. That absolutely does NOT give you the right to rip them apart for expressing their opinion about your work, even if they're snarky and tear it to shreds and say means things about it. As long as they're not personally attacking you, they can say whatever they like about your work, and you need to just suck it up. If it bothers you, don't read the reviews. Just stay in your happy place, where you're sure everyone loves your book as much as you do. But you won't improve if you do that, and I really hope no author publishes with the thought, "I'm completely cool with mediocrity."
Years ago, I started writing a truly epic fanfic. I'm not gonna lie: I lapped up the positive feedback. Ego stroking FTW! But you know which review stuck out the most, which review I still think about to this day, even though it was written years ago? The one where I was told that my character was just too good to be true. Boy that stung, and my first reaction was to get defensive and to insist that the reviewer was wrong. I clung to my self-righteousness and left the work as it was.
But you know what? I was wrong. I see that now. Maybe my character is okay and maybe not, but that's really neither here nor there. The fact of the matter is, I could have thought about the comment and then gone back and read my fanfic to see if there was something to it. I could have found some flaws and decided how I would improve upon them later. In short, I could have used this feedback to help me improve my work.
I am now in the process of editing a manuscript that I will indie pub via Kindle Direct Publishing and possibly, later, Smashwords, if the book does well on Amazon. I am really excited at the thought of people reading this manuscript. It took me seven years to write it, and I'm now in something like the fifth round of revisions to it. It's a story that is near and dear to my heart, a manuscript that I have loved ever since I first started writing it. But it's flawed. I've changed it quite substantially, especially over the past month. This is because I've been reading tons of reviews of other books and thinking, "Could these criticisms apply to my manuscript?" If the answer is yes, I try to do something about it.
At the end of the day, I know that I will not be able to please everyone who reads my book, and that's okay. But changing my book in an attempt to avoid some of the pitfalls other authors have stumbled into does not degrade the integrity of my work. It does not make me a sellout. It makes my work better, stronger. It makes me challenge myself to try to rise above mediocrity, to move out of my comfort zone and into the arena. It's scary as hell. And I am grateful for it, because it will make me grow.
Once I publish, I'll set up a Goodreads author page. And I make this promise to anyone who reads and reviews my book: If you criticize my work, I will not flame you. I may cry, I may wallow in self-pity for a while, I may go through a period of feeling like my book is terrible, and I may think you're the meanest person in the universe. But I will pick myself up, dust myself off, and try to do better next time. And I will have you to thank for that.
And if you love it, I'll give you cupcakes.*
*The does not constitute an actual promise to give reviewers cupcakes.
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