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Not Sure If Email Blasts Actually Work

11/2/2013

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I'd say be very careful with this one.
Of course, I want exposure for my books and for my business, but I'm leery about email blasts. Impersonal and annoying. I know it's a fairly popular form of marketing, but if it bothers me, I'm sure it bothers other people.  There's got to be a better way to get people to support you.
I think about how annoyed I get when my friends (who NEVER or almost never) communicate with me otherwise, tend to forward, forward and FORWARD all those random emails from to me and everyone else in their address books.  There's no personal touch, and something about that is cold, stale, and insincere.  And annoying.
I love my friends, but I hate those emails.  I think it's kind of the same thing with trying to email blast people about my books and business.  I think a lot of people feel the same way.  There's got to be something else that can be done to make people feel connected and not just collected.  *Thinking*
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Learning the Ropes in Publishing *Arrgggh!*

9/26/2013

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Well.  The Other Side of 30 2nd Edition has been out for 11 days and still no e-book.  *Sigh*  This is one of those growing pains and learning experiences that I just have to appreciate.
I thought that the e-book should have been the easiest part to get up and running, but unfortunately, I didn't know that my book designer worked in the opposite direction.  It's okay, though. I've gotten the final product, and it turned out really well, from what I can tell.  The only thing is that I've uploaded it twice and it's come back with errors both times!  Fricken Frack!  

And since I'm new to this side of things, that "true" self-publishing that some folks seem to be bent on bragging about, I'm still green and rough around the edges.  I don't have a clue what's taking so long to validate a file that the "validator" said was successful.  Geez Louise.

I'm almost afraid to go back to the website and check on the status. I'm supposed to get a "good to go" email when the e-proof is ready for review and approval, and so far, I haven't gotten that.  And two days of "The title has been rejected" with no freakin' discernible reason why is driving me a little nuts.
Never have been a patient person, and this is the worst feeling.  Waiting.  Waiting.  ARggggh!

But, I'm living and learning.  By the time I get around to publishing future projects, for myself and others, I'll know a lot more about what to do when and what not to do at all.  Winning!  Sort of.
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Work, work, and more work! Such is the life.

9/13/2013

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As the target date of 16 September approaches, I have a bundle of mixed emotions.  Again, I will have the opportunity to release a body of work in memory of my uncle Harvey, and in honor of all my family and friends who have supported me along the way.  But I'm also very nervous.  I know the work is good, but even after having been a writer all of my life, I still get a case of "Is it good enough?" swirling about in my head.  Not in a crippling fear sort of way, but in an always overthinking everything sort of way.  I tell myself that such is the life of a published author.

I've put in a lot of effort to making this revision of The Other Side of 30, 2nd Edition (TOST2), something that readers can enjoy as much as (hopefully more) than the last release.  I'm a good kind of tired, with lots more to be done, to make sure that the book is available for purchase on time.  Figuring out these links is exhausting, but I want to make finding and buying my book an easy task, so I gotta just work it out.
 
And right on the heels of the TOS2, is the Up from Here project, and then The Other Side of 40 (TOSF), my sort of sequel to TOST2.  All of this, I'm hoping to get accomplished by the end of the year.  Whew! Work, work, and more work!  But I'm liking this life.

I said I wanted to own my own publishing house, and that's what I've got. And everything that goes along with it.  Planning, budgeting, publicity, marketing, hiring editors, designers, publicists, and running everything by my attorney and accountant before making my decisions.  It's not what I thought it would be like, but it's nice to be in this kind of control.  Plus, once I'm good and off the ground with my own pet projects, I'll be a better informed and vastly more experienced publisher.  I can start helping other unknowns and upstarts to get their chances at sharing their work with the world.

I'm not in the "Awesome" phase, yet, but I think I'm on the right track. I no longer fear not being "good enough"  If someone doesn't like the work, I just tuck that away into the "needs improvement" file, and know that I just have to keep improving and growing.
I think that's important for anyone who would call him/herself a writer.  I think that writers who don't improve and grow are not being the best they can be.

As always, good luck, to all writers and artists to put out the best products possible.  We have to remember that no matter how hard the work is to get to quality, junk peddling is not an option. Love the craft.
Buy Now
The Other Side of 30 (2nd Edition)
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One Step Closer to Publication of New Release

6/21/2013

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Finally sent the completed proposed publishing agreements to the remaining contributors of the Up from Here project. 
I'm looking forward to turning out a great piece of work for a great cause, and I'm trying hard to stay motivated through the whole process.  It's nice to be one step closer.  
I know quite a few people who run their own publishing companies, so many others who publish their own books.  Some, I admire. Others, not so much.  I just want to get this right.  I have to admit that I get discouraged seeing how some people make it look so easy and so fast.
This project has been turning and churning in my head since 2009.  It was already like pulling teeth to get people to contribute, especially considering all of the very talented people I know who would have been great to have on board, and along the way, some who initially agreed to participate have bowed out.  Understandably so, since it's taking so long to get it off the ground, but still. I wish I would know more sooner so I could do more faster.  *Sigh*  Some contributors have stayed on board, but I can't help but wonder how long they'll stick with it.  I hope, I hope, I hope!
Geez. It really is a labor of love. So much time, energy and money invested in getting this right.  And then, more time.  And then, publicity!  God, help me.
But yeah. It's still nice to be one step closer.  I hope that readers will find it all worth the wait.  *Shoulder to the wheel.*
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Bad Reviews Can Be Good for You

3/18/2012

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Getting a bad review sucks for the ego, but it may be one of the best things that can happen to you as a writer.

It's okay to feel bad about a less-than-glowing review.  Sure.  Go ahead and complain about it. Take offense to it.  Write a vent blog, even.  But more than 15 minutes spent feeling bad, complaining, or being offended is not only a waste of energy, it's also bad form for any writer who would be taken seriously, and bad business for any writer who would call himself/herself a professional. 

Reviewers owe us nothing.  Yes, they are doing us tremendous favors by offering their opinions.  It would be great if everyone who read, browsed, or glanced at our work would absolutely love it.  It would be grand if everyone who says they love our work would write and post a review.  But since that's not going to happen, just take all reviews in stride.  Of course, the good ones are nice, but the more critical ones are probably going to be the ones that help you to improve your work and thicken the delicate skin you're in. 

Accepting a bad review is the first lesson in skin thickening.  Anticipate and accept criticism, no matter how harsh, unfair, stinging, biting, or mean-spirited it may feel at the time.  No whining, ranting, or excuse-making.  Just make the next work better.

Reviews, good, bad, or indifferent, are exposure; and exposure, if exploited well, leads to interest.  If you want people to be interested in your work, appreciate the reviews for what they are.  Opportunities to be read.

When you get a bad review, really read what it's saying.  READ it.  Several times, if necessary.  Don't jump to the conclusion that it's a personal attack.  Sometimes (rarely) it is a personal attack.  Sometimes, there's nothing to take away except this book was just not for this reader.  But most of the time, especially a review of more than couple of paragraphs, may well have several compliments  or suggestions for improvement laced within.  Read and consider what's being said and what's not being said to pull the best from your worst reviews.  If you only focus on the negative words, you'll never see the positive words, or the possibilities.

Don't hide your bad reviews.  Hell.  If nothing else, link it to your blog and draw attention to it.  Ask other readers if they agree or disagree and why.  Entice people into an unofficial reading assignment.  Start a dialogue, if possible.  But just get read, for goodness sake.

In a not-so-flattering review of my first book, The Other Side of 30, my coolest take away was that while the reviewer found the main character's actions to be pretty contemptible and desperate (understandable, considering the subject matter), she didn't cite any issues with writing.  Unfortunately, her disdain for the character seemed to have affected the review a bit more than I would have liked.  But then, who hasn't read or seen a character that they loved to hate? 

PREVIOUS POST:  If Writing is Talking...

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Know Who You Are and Then Be Who You Must

3/3/2012

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Lest there be some confusion, I am a writer first, but it is not my first priority at my current station in life.  I write because I love to write, but I have a day job, which is my highest priority.  I am a writer who happens to also be a soldier.  And my commitment to the U.S. Army trumps all else...for now.  After I retire, which I hope to do in a couple of short years, I can move up writing, publishing and other pursuits on my list of things.

Making a good go of being a writer, published author, and finally, a publisher hinges on knowing who I am, what I want to do, and what I need to do.  Right now, I am a soldier, who must be all that a soldier is, including leading, training, and taking care of other soldiers, as well as the mission at hand.  Other things, like writing, publishing, and even selling Mary Kay (long story) on the side, are secondary.

I'm so ambitious, but sometimes, the things I must do don't allow a lot of extra time to do what I want to do.  Leisure time is truly a commodity for most people.
Everyone's list is different, but mine goes like this:
1.  Soldier
2.  Writer
3.  Publisher
4.  Everything else


Reading that list may look a little strange.  One may expect a so-called publisher to have publishing at the top of her "This is Me" list, but it's important that your "This is Me" list is honest, brutally so, if necessary.  As time permits, then priorities may/will/should shift, but you have to know who you are first, before you can effectively be who you must.

This is something with which most of us have to make peace.  Of course, if you are already independently wealthy and have the luxury of writing or pursuing other business pursuits or hobbies full time, then the priority lesson may be lost on you.  But for the rest of us:  You're not going to always have time to fit in everything.  As much as a good creative rush may tell you otherwise, you cannot do everything all at once.  As of now, I have to squeeze in my reading and writing time on the weekends and days off, as well as any other stuff that I've put on my plate.  Even the best multi-taskers have their limits, and thank goodness, they (should) have day planners, calendars and to-do lists.  If you don't have a day planner, calendar, or at the very least, a to-do list, get one or all of the above ASAP.

If you're going to write, know who you are, know on what you should focus and when, and then be the person you must be in order to get to the places that you want to go.

Make a "The is Me" list and keep it close.  Lest there be any confusion.

PREVIOUS POST:  How to Lose a Customer in 10 Seconds or Less
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How to Lose a Customer in 10 Seconds or Less

2/15/2012

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I'm so freakin' annoyed. 

I just saw some of the cutest jewelry in a Facebook album posted by a young lady in one of my groups there, and when I asked for the link (in the comments) to where to find it a buy it, she told me to inbox her my order because she still doesn't have a website.  That should have been enough for me to just forget it, but I know what it's like to be an upstart, so I gave her an extra couple of minutes onto that initial 10 seconds. 

I wrote back to her that some of the pictures didn't have item numbers or prices listed, and so I had no idea how to describe my order, and she went on to tell me that she had no idea that the items would get such a great response, and that she would post prices by this weekend on the photos. 

This weekend?  Really?  That's 2 days away.  Why weren't you expecting a great response?  Why weren't you prepared?  Am I supposed to wait that long just because the stuff is cute?  That is a completely rhetorical question.

All of which brings me to a no-brainer that all business people, especially independently-published writers, should know.  Whatever you're selling, make it as easy as possible for someone to spend their money on you. 

As if the buying public weren't already impulsive and impatient enough, the world of e-commerce has made it too easy for potential customers to quickly lose interest or become distracted with other options.  And with the thousands upon thousands of books out there available at only a click away, why put yourself at an additional disadvantage?

If you're inviting someone to buy your book (or other product or service), they shouldn't have to work to find it.  Get a website for crying out loud.  They're free!  And if you provide a link, make sure it works.  If I can't get to your stuff within one or two clicks after clicking that link, then you've probably lost a sale.  Do better. 

Either you're ready to sell, or you're not.  If you're ready, be ready.  If you're not, don't make excuses about it, and then expect people to wait until you've got your shit together.

PREVIOUS POST:  Socially Inept Writers, Artists and Other People
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Got the Goods? Prove It!

1/9/2012

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Stop being shy about what you're selling.  Stop it!

Writing a book, creating a blog, and maintaining a website are all great beginnings, great building blocks for your platform.  Hooray for product and service awareness, sharing, and support. But the old saying that you can show 'em better than you can tell 'em is especially true nowadays.  And nowadays, with all of this great technology at our fingertips, we have no excuse  not to show, show, show, and go, go, go!

If we really know that we've got a product or service that's worth someone's time or money, we've got take it to them!  When we ask people to come to us, visit our pages, it's like a kind, yet timid invitation to them to stop by our stores, homes, or vendor stands, to sample our wares.  But we have to be willing to do more than that.  Get up, get out and greet them at the door.  Sometimes, you've got to walk down the sidewalk and around the corner. 


If you've got the goods, prove it.  Show 'em off a little bit.  Or a lot. 

Stop waiting on somebody to walk through your neighborhood, happen by your house, and look in your direction, as you're hoping they'll stop in.  All that, "Maybe they'll visit my website.  Maybe they'll read about me.  Maybe they'll buy my book.  Maybe they'll send a friend," stuff is for the birds.  The hell is that about? 

AFTER you've laid all the ground work (writing a book, building a site, and creating a blog) is NO time to get lazy or suddenly shy.  If all you do to promote your work is blast people with messages about where to find you, and you don't offer them any reason to look for you, then you're going to miss out...waiting.

Building is only the first part of getting folks to come.  Let's get out of our comfort zones of blogs and writing groups, where it's safe, and get out there and take it to them!


As always, this is just what I'm learning as I go.  Use what works for you, and brain dump the rest.

Take care, all.  Happy writing!


PREVIOUS POST:  Take Your Writing Seriously, So That Others Will, Too
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Take Your Writing Seriously, So That Others Will, Too.

1/7/2012

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Here is your main take-away from this post:

Serious writers should strive NOT to be junk peddlers. 

If you're going to make a business of your writing, do your best to make it worth someone's time and money.

Here are a few things to increase the chances of your writing being well-received.

1.  Read more books. 
One of my college professors told me that reading expands the vocabulary, improves the attention span, cures laziness, and staves off over all ignorance.  So, I guess that makes it a cure all.  But if nothing else, the more you read, the better you write.  No one wants to read any work that looks like it was written by someone who never read a book...ever.  Spend some time in a library and/or a bookstore and just read.

2.  Read articles and blogs. 
Find useful information and apply it to developing your craft and preparing yourself for publishing, including learning what to look for and what to avoid.
Here is one most excellent blog by the Passive Income Author, Skellie with tons of great insight.
Here is another one from Maria Murnane about the importance of editing.
One more, from Mallary Jean Tenore, speaking with bestselling author, Jennifer Weiner about social networking tools.

And Writer Beware and Preditors and Editors are excellent reference sites for authors looking for publishing options, editors, and agents.  Yes, I know "predators" is misspelled, but I'm sure they thought it was a really clever play on words at the time.  It's still worth a look.

Speaking of being aware, the publisher, PublishAmerica, has a bad reputation.  I do not recommend working with anyone who has so many bad reviews, complaints, and negative publicity; but by all means, do your research, and consider your sources before making any decisions.  Remember:  Be careful out there.  Form your own opinions.
Look around.  Read, read, read!

3.  Observe other writers and learn from them.
For this, you should be willing to read through some other up-and-coming authors' work, and not just authors whom you already admire.  Visit their websites and blogs.  Attend author events, workshops, and conferences, if possible.  If you can't attend a conference or workshop...you guessed it.  Read!  Learn what other authors do well, and decide what you want to emulate.  Learn what they don't do as well, and decide what you'd like to improve for your own writing platform and future works.

4.  Write openly, honestly, and without inhibition. 
Yes, this takes work.  Writing is personal, and it's hard enough to allow someone else to see your work without the added pressure of someone not "getting" it, and therefore not enjoying it.  Take your time to get to this point.  You'll be ready to share when you're ready to share.  But at some point, you'll need to put fear and inhibition in your back pocket and move.  And a lot of it will be painful and scary, but that's what good writing is, in my opinion.

5. Write for readers, not for other writers.
If you're developing a story, a character, or something else in draft form, or if you're writing just to vent or blow off steam about the challenges and lessons of the journey, then it's always a good idea to bounce your thoughts off of other writers.  For that, find a good writer's forum, like She Writes.  But once you're ready to push forward with a finished work, understand that your audience is different.  Most of your reading audience doesn't care about the journey.  They just want you to bring the story home.  In order for your readers to care about you and your work, and to want to support it, they need to feel connected to you and what you're offering.  Write about things that they care about, and they will care about you.

6.  Treat your writing like a business.
If you want exposure, and possibly to publish and distribute your work, create and build a presence, online and in real life, and that's more than just spamming people with BCC emails and regularly blasting ads for your book on their Facebook walls.  It's lazy, ill-mannered, annoying, and usually ineffective.

Remember:  Engage and connect.  While your Facebook page is a great place to socialize and network, you'll find that it's not the best place to sell books.  Think about it.  How many books have you bought from your Facebook friends?  How much actual support have you given to a business listed on Facebook, other than "Like" the page?  Exactly.  All the more reason to get out and about on the Web and broaden your cyber horizons.

7.  Create a website, or at least a blog, that's geared toward attracting readers.  Take an interest in what interests your readers.  Search for and find readers who are actually interested in what you write, i.e., your genre or subject matter. 
Don't assume that one person's audience will be drawn to your writing just because you write in the same genre.  Put in the work.  Research.  Pay attention.

8.  Compartmentalize.
If you have a personal website, Facebook page, or Twitter profile, consider creating and maintaining a second website or profile that is exclusively for your writing business.  And for the love of beans and gravy, please treat your website with care.  Check it and update it regularly, especially to catch and correct typos, and to make sure your links work.  No one will take you seriously as a writer, editor, publisher, etc., if you don't take the care to maintain your web presence.  There are tons of places that you can build free or inexpensive websites, such as Weebly.  And believe me when I say that they make it super user-friendly, and still help you put together an attractive, professional site.  If you want to invest in a professional to build your site, then okay; but just know that there are some free-of-charge options out there. 

9.  Keep it professional.
Whatever you do, don't treat your business website like an old MySpace page, with music and graphics bouncing all over the place.  It's distracting, especially if it's a song that I know, and too many moving parts and too much noise will make it look (and sound) amateurish.  It's all right to be an amateur, as long as you put a professional foot forward.  For an occasional sanity check, ask family and friends to look over it and give you feedback.  A fresh set of eyes will often catch things that we miss in our own work.  I prefer a silent website, but depending on your target audience, music and a few subtle graphics may work for you.  Just keep it professional.

Well, that's it for now.  As always, this is just what I'm learning as I go.  Use what works for you, and brain dump the rest.


Take care, all.  Happy Writing!

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    Writers Should Know This is a no frills, learning-as-I-go blog for new writers seeking insight on the writing and publishing journey, and for any readers who may be interested in what we do to get written, published and read.

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