Yearly Writers Conference…check. So, now what?

I look forward to this time of year, not only because I enjoy the arrival of fall (and wearing boots again J), but also because I look forward to a yearly writers conference not far from where I reside. The Southwest Washington Writers Conference is an easy drive and a great price for an all-day conference. In addition, all participants can appreciate the fact that money is donated to the Centralia College Scholarship Foundation to offer scholarships to students. It’s a win-win situation for all, in my book.

This year the conference had the addition of a master class for a half day before the actual event. The instructor we had the benefit of spending the afternoon with was New York Times bestselling author Hallie Ephron. I enjoy meeting authors who have been in the trenches and who are willing to share their experiences and expertise while they offer tips on the craft of writing from their perspective. I especially enjoy hearing from authors, like Hallie, who have been writing and publishing books for some time and who have experienced the change in times when it comes to the publishing world.

I’ll never assume to know it all when it comes to writing and I’m a total nerd when it comes to learning on a regular basis. I also thoroughly enjoy the inspiration I gain after attending a class or a workshop and this weekend was no exception. When it came to craft, I attended the master class and a workshop with Hallie while she shared tips on writing character-driven plots and character voice and point of view. The rest of the conference I focused on attending workshops related to marketing, my absolute favorite part of being an author. Um…not!

While I admit marketing isn’t my favorite part of being an author, it is an extremely important part, beyond writing the book in the first place. Marketing will forever be a WIP, especially when the online rules of engagement seem to change on a daily basis. During the conference, I enjoyed a workshop with one of my favorite speakers, Veronica Noize, where she discussed social media marketing. I’ve attended a couple of workshops over the past two years or so with Veronica and she is not only knowledgeable in her expertise, but also highly entertaining.

Beyond social media marketing, I sat in on a workshop on book launch tips offered by speculative fiction author Jill Williamson, as well as a workshop on email marketing tips offered by cozy mystery author Traci Hilton. And…now I have quite a few notes to review and websites to check out, forms to download, ideas to follow up on and some to-do’s to follow through with regarding my current WIP.

   

While I do enjoy attending conferences and workshops, and I leave feeling inspired, I’ll admit that I also feel a bit overwhelmed. There is so much to being an author beyond just writing the book and as much fun as it would be to only focus on writing, the book won’t promote itself. Attending workshops like these only confirm I still need to continue to do more when it comes to marketing. That fact can either put a sour taste in my mouth, or I can swallow the deed like a champ with a chaser of determination.

Case in point? Newsletters and email marketing. I’ve been working on the idea, I have a huge to-do list, and I’ve received so much advice I think it’s only paralyzed me when I think I’m finally ready to pull the trigger. However…I know that email marketing is the strongest and best way to keep in touch with readers and continue to gain sales. Should be a no-brainer, right? But it has been the one task that I keep putting off.

So, I’m taking responsibility for not yet having completed that task and I’m tossing it here on my blog so those who follow me can help keep me accountable. Go ahead…keep me on my toes and ask me every so often how I’m doing with that task. Tell me you’d like to join my list and receive regular newsletters from me, if I’d just get it up and running. J

Until next time…

Bi-yearly check in – Still loving what I do

I’m moving into the second half of my second year away from the day job while I continue to focus on writing and the business of being of an author. Another six months has passed and now I’m critically reviewing my calendar to determine what I’ve accomplished and what I can do to continue to move forward toward my goals.

First of all, the most important thing is that I did publish another novel the first half of this year. Priceof Betrayal, the fifth in the series, was published in May. Yay! On top of that, I republished the remainder of the series with new covers so that they all have the same vibe. It was a huge undertaking and took me away from writing for a bit, but in the end it had to be done and I’m happy with the results.

As for the remainder of the first half of this year…

I’ve continued to work on my young adult and my new series idea in between completing the fifth in the series while revamping the whole series look. While I had hoped the young adult would have been completed by now, I will have a final first draft ready soon. The new series is still a WIP and I’ll continue to work on it when inspiration peaks, while I work on the sixth book in the Jorja Matthews mystery series. I also have some other book ideas and, believe it or not, they aren’t mysteries.

I’ve continued to review and revise my business plan in order to try to stay on task. I’ll continue to use this plan, along with monthly and quarterly check-ins because I like to revisit what works or doesn’t work and I need some form of accountability. I especially need these tools to stay focused considering the number of writing projects I want to complete and the new book ideas I’d like to get started on. I’ll agree that there’s something to be said about focusing on one project at a time. Do it and get the job done. But I’d rather not put big ideas away for that long, so I’m working on time blocking. I can block out three two-hour sessions and work on a different project each session, with breaks in between, unless I want to work on one project all day. However I manage it, at least when I do work on a project, it’s the only one I work on at that time.

Getting ready to greet hospital staff

I mentioned before how Jozee and I were taking classes so that she and I could become a therapy dog team. Since then, Jozee and I completed our training and took the required exam. We are now a therapy dog team for our local hospital where Jozee can say hello to visitors as we wander the halls and where she specifically visits with the hospital staff as part of a care-for-the-caregivers program. It really has been a wonderful experience and we visit every other week. For those who wonder…Jozee is bathed and groomed before each visit and we follow strict healthcare guidelines whenever we’re at the hospital.

Speaking of Jozee, I started a new blog: Jaunts with Jozee. I need to add more posts when I have some time, as I’m only six in, but it’s a simple blog about Pacific Northwest parks we visit with Jozee and what we enjoy about each of them, along with photos to share.

In order to help me form better daily habits to stay on task, I also started morning pages and I'm making an attempt to form a better morning routine. I’m not 100% at either but then I’m not perfect. Changing your habits or forming new ones really is a difficult process and I’m learning quite a bit about why we do things the way we do (or don’t do them). We humans really are funny beings when it comes to what we feel comfortable with or what we do to avoid making changes, whether it’s for mind, body, business or soul, even if that change is good for us.

In the midst of everyday life and my jaunts with Jozee, my plan is to continue to form better habits when it comes to writing, the business side of being an author, health & exercise and a morning routine. Each week might be a mixture of enthusiasm and uncertainty laced with satisfaction and a tad of frustration, but in the end I’m doing what I love and I love what I do.

Productive writer = happy author

My blog has a new look! What do you think?

Giving my blog a facelift has been an item on my never-ending to-do list for quite some time, but I just kept putting it off. I finally put an afternoon aside and got to work, changing the tag line, adding tabs for readers and writers, and changing the whole look and feel of the blog. I personally like it and I hope you do too.

Booker has had a habit of sleeping on my desk since I got him -
and he takes up a lot more room now that he's 6 months!

Honestly, I’ve been down with a head cold for almost two weeks, but I’m happy to note that I’ve been quite productive. Not only did I keep up with my daily word count and give my blog a new look, I completed admin tasks necessary due to the merging of my paperback and eBook publishing distributors, promoted my latest book with an online book promotion, scheduled a book signing for next month, took part in an online webinar relating to author platform and also took part in an all-day online writer’s conference.

And now, with everything I’ve learned in a short-period of time, my head is swimming…I mean, seriously swimming and waterlogged with information. Due to that fact, I feel the need to organize, catalog, decipher, chart out, map out and make sense of all the tidbits of details circulating through my author-mind.

That tends to happen whenever I attend a writer’s conference like the one earlier last month or take part in an all-day online conference, as I did yesterday. The bulk of what I learned from the conference yesterday was mainly about marketing, and this is in addition to the author platform webinar, as well as a book launch webinar only a week before that.

I don’t believe I’m signed up for any additional webinars or conferences, so now is probably a good time to take a step back to evaluate what I’ve learned and figure out how I can utilize certain marketing steps that will benefit me the most. And just going through the notes I have now from the conferences, there’s plenty of information for me to create to-do lists that will last me through the end of this year. However, in order to stick with my business plan, much of what I’ve learned will be focused on after the first of the year.

There’s the acknowledgement that I should take a step back, along with the fact that I’ve had good momentum with my own writing, specifically number 5 of the mystery series, and I would like to keep it up without getting bogged down with too many to-do lists when it comes to marketing or platform building. I have to also consider time away due to upcoming holidays and other events, one of which is NaNoWriMo if I decide to join this year, not to mention “me” time for self-care so that I can hopefully avoid getting sick again. Besides that, at some point I have to figure out when to get on my editor’s schedule; if I reserve a spot too soon, I won’t be ready when my time comes up; if I wait too long, she won’t have any spots open when I’m ready for her services. It’s a dilemma that can be avoided with some planning, which is why my business plan is important. If I continue to follow it, the plan is meant to help me stay on task with a schedule so that I can set and meet deadlines.

So I’ll continue to work on my series, as I attempt to complete the current tasks on my business plan, while I also put together marketing to-do lists for the coming year based on what I’ve recently learned. Each will tick off a box for my creative self, my business side and the student in me and each will give me much to look forward to.

But right now, I’m going to take advantage of some “me” time and enjoy a nice quiet evening with my family and a few zombies (I’m a Walking Dead fan J).

Have a great week!

Quarterly check-in and business planning prep

Vol. 4 in the Jorja Matthews
mystery series - get your copy here

We’ve said goodbye to summer with a warm welcome offered to fall and while we are still being treated to some beautiful autumn days, we accept that the season, and soon our weather, will change. And with the move into a new season, I’ve been working on my own preparations for change.

Change is necessary in order to avoid becoming stagnant. I’m learning that, bit by stubborn bit, as I continue to learn more about the craft of writing and the business of marketing my books. What works, what doesn’t, what I enjoy, what I don’t…it all begins in unknown territory and has a huge learning curve. I take solace in the fact that I’m not alone. I’ve enjoyed the number of webinars I’ve taken part in and the conferences and events I’ve been able to attend this year where I’ve learned some great tips and tricks of the trade from other authors and business entrepreneurs.

Thankfully, the business of writing is somewhat forgiving. If something about the process doesn’t go quite as planned, you can move on and begin again with the next book or marketing plan and hope for better results while avoiding prior mistakes. What’s great about the business of writing is that there are so many authors out there who have gone through this process, have learned from it and are willing to share their experiences so that others can learn from them. What’s frustrating about the business of writing is that it’s constantly changing and it can be somewhat difficult to keep up when you consider what you learn today may be slightly obsolete tomorrow.

It can be a challenge but if it were easy, as the saying goes, everyone would do it.

Recently published nonfiction book is
now available on Amazon

I was reviewing my business plan, now that we’re moving into the last quarter of the year, and once I finalized my plan through the end of this year, I realized I actually enjoy this task. I first wrote about business plans in May, when I finally got around to drafting my first plan. All the authors I follow and the books I’ve read about the business of writing stress the need for a business plan, but it just seemed too daunting, and too serious. Problem is…I guess that’s the problem with writers (and anyone else who sells what they love to do); we don't enjoy treating our craft like a business. I finally had to relent to the task once I acknowledged it was necessary to take writing seriously by treating it like a business. The artist in me doesn’t like it, but the entrepreneur in me understands. And whether or not I’m able to reach all the goals I have mapped out in my business plan, at least I begin the quarter with a feeling of accomplishment once I have the plan complete.

The trick, for me, when it comes to what I want to complete in the coming quarter is not expecting too much of myself, while choosing the right tasks to keep the momentum going. This is another area with a big learning curve and since this is only the second quarter since I began using a business plan, I expect it won’t work out perfectly.

But that’s okay...perfection would mean no room for improvement, and would take away all the fun.

My plan for the remainder of the year involves writing, having some fun with marketing and taking steps necessary to work toward additional marketing and platform building to build on after the first of the year. Some items may be easy, while others are taking me out of my comfort zone.

I'll just need to keep this quote in mind:

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” 

~Neale Donald Walsch~

Until next time, read on and carry on. 

Bi-yearly check in – pat on the back or kick in the pants?

I’m staring at a blank page today, having some difficulty when it comes to what I want to say. That’s interesting, considering a check in doesn’t take much effort when I’m just looking back at what I’ve accomplished the first half of this year.

While it’s easy enough to go back through the past six months to take stock in what I’ve completed and make note of what projects I’m in the middle of, my focus is a bit…distracted. Funny enough, I don’t think I can put into words exactly what I’m distracted about.

I guess it’s just one of those days. It’s probably also the perfect time for me to do some free writing – might help me dig up what’s vying for my attention and figure out what I need to do about it.

But first, this post…

The first half of this year has gone fairly well, as I moved in to a new routine after finally deciding to give up the day job so that I could have more time to focus on my writing. I may have mentioned a change in circumstances and my schedule, but I have yet to really discuss what prompted the change or how it has been since I made the decision. It was not a decision I made lightly and has been quite a transition mixed with both uncertainty and excitement in what the future holds.

My distraction today may actually have something to do with my taking stock in what I’ve been able to accomplish these past six months. It means either giving myself a pat on the back for a job well done so far, or a kick in the pants for not being further along than I expected at this point. It means using the past six months as a gauge, and whether or not I’ll be happy with what the gauge represents.

 

When I look at the past six months, I see forward movement and that’s what matters most. I published my sixth book (4th in the series), took part in two events where I spoke about my books and my writing journey so far, attended a women’s business conference, took part in a number of online webinars relating to writing and the business of marketing, most recently which included a 12-day series for women entrepreneurs, and have continued to work on multiple book projects I plan to publish later this year and early next year.

Writing, researching, reading, learning – it all goes hand in hand and it’s what will help me continue to move forward. What I continue to learn, about myself and from others, gives me the ability to stay on task because I’m able to:

•        set clear goals,
•     ground myself daily,
•     commit to moving forward,
•     remain confident,
•     have clarity,
•     stay consistent,
•     manage my expectations,
•     be intentional,
•     inspire others, and
•     find balance between daily to-do lists and self care.

My favorite saying I heard most recently during the entrepreneur series was “where attention goes, energy flows.”

My attention has been focused on quite a few things, certainly, but each involve forward movement in my writing journey so for that, I’ll give myself a pat on the back.

The many moments in the month of May (so far)

A photo my son captured of Jozee 

while we were at the beach

Sometimes everything goes as planned, and sometimes they don't, but that's not always a bad thing.

I had planned to post on my blog over the weekend, but…it was Mother’s Day weekend so I took some time off to play. What I wanted for my Mother’s Day was at least one day at the beach, which did happen and turned out to be a great idea considering how perfect the weather was. If you are also from the PNW, you’ll understand my excitement about the fact that we actually had a nice day at the beach, and in the month of May!

While May is only half over, it has already provided me with a good feeling on how this next quarter will end. All I can say is, hooray! In addition to spending a lot of time on one of my writing projects, here’s what I’ve been up to:

I finally completed a business plan – why now, you say? I just kept putting it off, maybe because in the back of my mind I believed I didn’t really need it. But, writing is a business when you hope your efforts result in making a profit so, I finally forced myself to work one up. Right now I’m sticking with revising my business plan quarterly, so that I can focus on projects actually pending at this time, but I plan to work up to six-month plans once I move in to next year.

Session at Inspire:

Women's Business Conference

I attended a women’s conference the first week in May for business owners – again, thinking about writing beyond the craft and what I can do to focus on the business end of things so that what I’m accomplishing involves both my head and my heart.

The women’s conference was a nice day retreat for me since my days are usually spent by myself (unless you count my dogs and cats), I met some great women and business owners and from each session I learned some useful business sense tips.

I’ll enjoy attending more of these events if the business organization continues to offer them. 

I finally signed up to become a member of a local writer’s association. By “local” I mean Seattle, which is a horrible drive these days from my locale, so I won’t likely attend many of the monthly meetings, but I’ll be able to access the relevant meeting information online, as well as other member perks. I can’t honestly say why it’s taken me until now to do this…I enjoy attending conferences, and I attend them when I’m able (which takes actual physical effort), while the act of becoming a member of an association was such an easy task I could have completed a long time ago (um, can anyone say online registration?) but just kept putting it off. I can’t explain my delay, other than it must be that writer’s procrastination issue I hear so much about. 😊

I had some fun designing new business cards and bookmarks – time will tell whether I like the business cards more than my original design, but because my books now include a series and not just the first book (it’s been that long since I designed the first business card), I decided to make a change since the time to update them was long overdue.

I spent some time promoting my series the past two weeks, playing with the P.I. writing about a P.I. idea, then for Mother’s Day, and also for upcoming book events I have scheduled this month and next month. Speaking of which, for those who are local, I have the following author events coming up should you wish to attend where I’ll discuss my books and my writing and publishing process and sign books for those who have or will be purchasing them: 

The first event is this coming Saturday, May 19th from 1p to 3p at The Firs in Olympia (426 Lilly Rd NE)

The second event is scheduled for Wednesday, June 6th from 10:15a to 11:30a at the Olympia Center (222 Columbia St NW)

I'm looking forward to both events and in meeting new people, so if you’re in the area and can attend either they are both open to the public.

So, the month of May for me has been a productive one. I see the last half of the month following suit and I look forward to that!

Two weeks in & this writer is making headway!

Cutest beta reader, ever. :) 

These first two weeks in January have been telling for me as I moved into a new schedule and routine when it comes to my writing life. I have to say…I am so pleased with how it’s progressing so far!

First of all, the best news I can share is that I finally completed all the edits and the final tasks necessary to finally publish the fourth book in the series! I ordered some proof copies so I’m waiting for those…and then I’ll need to review it, while also have some beta readers give me feedback, and my hope is that any necessary changes can be made easily and the book will be ready and available by the end of this month. That’s the ideal plan anyway. Wish me luck!

Besides getting the fourth in the series completed, I have also been up to the following:

Writing stuff – after completing the final edits on the last novel, I researched more about style sheets and the em dash, both of which I’d honestly not been too familiar with until after receiving feedback from my editor. I also read articles with advice on must-have tools for writers, writing advice from established authors, and I decided to purchase another book on writing (The Artist’s Way) that keeps coming up as a recommendation in various articles I’ve read recently.

Author stuff – I spent time reviewing my stats for the past year and researching books comparable to my own, I researched a few indie authors who had success stories to share, and I reviewed tips about book promotion and author platform building. I also read up on some self-publishing tips for 2018 and what upcoming conferences I might be able to look forward to during the coming year.

Of course, it’s easy to get sidetracked when researching on the web but the most significant subjects of note that I found myself reading about was information with regard to 2017 death penalty cases and the recent horrible train derailment that occurred just north of where I live. This accident was completely awful, to the extreme, especially since deaths were a result and it apparently could have been prevented.

My bullet (or dot) journal: I’m finally getting the hang of it and while it will be a work in progress for a while still, I have been enjoying it and I especially appreciate the fact that all of my lists and notes about weekly tasks and everything in-between are all in one place, versus random pieces of paper in various places all over the house. It might also help that I no longer have a regular day planner handy to keep going back to since I did not give in the urge to buy a 2018 planner.

Organization – I spent time organizing my author marketing to-do’s, cleaned out my in-box and unsubscribed to a number of people/companies if they landed on the list of usual suspects when it came to those I usually deleted without reading, and spent time reading up on goal setting (I have a lot I want to accomplish this year) while mapping out my goals for the next 300+ days.

I’m happy to note that the past two weeks have been pretty productive, even given the fact that I have two new “housemates” – my son’s kittens who just can’t help themselves when it comes to being extremely cute and distracting while I’m trying to work. But I’ll forgive them for their demanding ways, because a kitten cuddle can result in only positive vibes when I am ready to get back to work. It’s a win-win, as far as I’m concerned.

I hope your New Year is in full-productive swing, as well. If not, we’re only just now two weeks in so there’s plenty of time to make up the lost time. 

Either way, enjoy the upcoming week!

What’s good about a drought? The growth we see afterwards.

You might not think September is synonymous with drought, or even growth, as the rain has already visited us and the trees outside are losing their leaves as I write this. But when it involves creativity, I will think of September as the end to my drought.

I recently attended a writers’ conference and while I may not have attended with any actual thought of what I wanted, the conference provided me with exactly what I needed. With a great lineup of speakers and a full day of learning, I was able to connect with like minds, find new inspiration, learn helpful tips and tricks relating to writing and marketing and most importantly, add a good amount of nourishment to my creative soul in order to fuel my passion for writing.

What did I learn throughout my day at the conference?

Here’s an overview:

• Useful approaches to great book cover designs – you really can’t deny that readers usually judge by the cover.
• Artistic Perseverance – remembering why I want to write and committing to that; consistently putting in the work while also reading, studying, and connecting with others; building my life around the necessity to write; and remembering that we’re not all perfect, it can take time and sometimes you have to surrender and move on to something else but to always remember my reason for writing and to never give up.
• Developing characters and crafting conflict – since my characters and I have had an on-again, off-again relationship for awhile, this class was well worth my time as it made me think about questions I should be asking while the characters navigate through the story and interact with each other. 
• Social media strategies – the presenter provided many useful tips and so many ideas about different tools to use that I have to find some time to check them all out, but I’m excited about utilizing many of them.  I feel like I’m starting over again, in a way, when it comes to my online presence and many of her ideas will really help me as I complete and publish my next book.
• Marketing strategies – this has always been the subject I dislike the most…selling yourself is not an easy thing to do for many.  But this presenter was excellent.  From creating a plan, to creating systems, investing in yourself, networking with others, creating newsletters, promotions and sales…and everything in between, she was excited about her work and she made me excited about it too.  She provided useful ways to tackle this difficult part of the business and even more surprising, she made me believe I can succeed, and possibly have fun at it, as well. 

With everything I learned from each presenter, what I really gained from the conference was this:  excitement. It is addicting. And I refuse to let that feeling go. 

The creative nourishment I gained at this conference has already caused me to lose sleep because I can’t wait to completely dig back the layers of noise in my head that have kept my characters muted for so long. I know this will sound weird, and if you’re not a writer you might not understand, but I feel awful about shutting out my characters for so long. 

The drought I’ve been in is over. 

Period. 

I’ve had a rough go for long enough, with a wild roller coaster ride of emotional ups and downs that has been difficult to maneuver through. The control freak in me has definitely felt out of control.  But it’s time for me to take back control of what I am passionate about, remember why I’m passionate about it, and make a conscious and constant effort to stick to the path I started a few years ago.

So long drought – hello creativity.

Have a great week!

R.I.P. Bloggers with Burnout

During each season of writing, writers live two lives; their own and whatever characters they’re writing about at the time.

Life, as we all know, is busy. And when you’re a writer, living your own life while writing about someone else’s, you tend to feel pulled in different directions pretty much all the time.  In addition, there is all that extra work involved with author branding, the business of publishing, and the time you spend marketing what you’ve been able to create. For writers who blog, or are constantly using some form of social media or other means of staying in contact with their readers, everyday life can be very hectic.

I’ve been working on my own book series for four years now…having published the first book in the series, No Mother of Mine, towards the end of 2012. During this time, I’ve almost religiously followed certain authors and bloggers, always looking for help, researching about writing, searching for tips about publishing, soaking up ideas relating to marketing, or just hoping for some extra inspiration and motivation to get me through the week.

But lately what I’ve noticed is that many of my favorite bloggers and authors have tapered off from regular posts, or only write about one thing (their latest book), or they’ve lost steam altogether.

I recently reviewed the list of all the blogs I’ve been following, and I came to the realization that about half of them haven’t posted very often this year, if at all, while others haven’t posted for over a year or more. This really surprised me. I had wondered at the lack of content from some of my favorites, or the lack of variety, but I just had no idea so many had actually dropped off from posting at all. 

My take on this is that some of the authors and bloggers who I had been following gave too much of themselves, at least professionally, if not personally. They were always quick to share their advice, offer a free class, provide helpful tips and tricks of the trade, or whatever it took to keep people like me coming back for more. 

And I will always appreciate them for it. 

But in providing so much to others, my thought is how long were they able to keep up that pace while they lived their own lives and put whatever energy they had left into the next book they hoped to get out there? 

Being a writer isn’t easy – and sometimes living your own life, while writing about your characters’ lives, can be overwhelming, which is definitely something to keep in mind when you’re trying to stay on task. But based on what I’ve discovered with regard to some of the bloggers I’ve been following, it would appear it’s what you do in the middle of those two lives…blogging, other social media, newsletters, offering seminars or online classes…that can actually increase the possibility of burnout.

 

Times change, people move on, and what we need or what others can offer doesn’t always remain the same. What writers have to figure out is when to give, when to hold back to allow some breathing room, and when to move on if necessary. No apologies needed. Regardless of the season they’re in, writers have to find that balance in order to avoid losing the passion that kept them going for so long.

It’s just another lesson learned from those who I have respected for the past few years. While some of my favorite bloggers are no longer with us, or possibly just on a very long break, I appreciate the fact that I’ve gained knowledge that will help me as I continue on my own journey as a writer.

Fool me once, shame on you…

Last week I posted about the fact that I’ve tasked myself with learning something new about writing, blogging or marketing every month. It’s the best way to sharpen my skills in the writing craft and provide rewarding experiences in my journey as an author. It will also prevent my growth as a writer from becoming stunted.

In addition to learning more about how to increase my knowledge when it comes to my passion as an author, I’m always trying to learn more relating to other aspects of my life…home, work, health, wellness, spirituality…what works for others doesn’t always work for me, but I enjoy learning how others relate and react to the same challenges I face. You never know when you might pick up some precious and useful gems of advice or unearth an “ah-ha” moment that clears up questions, limitations or reservations that may have been holding you back.

As much as I love to learn, something I’m a sucker for is a challenge. Hands down, if the challenge is structured, useful, positive and insightful for any particular area in my life, I’m a willing participant. With regard to writing, I take part in either NaNoWriMo or Camp NaNo usually every year because it is a useful tool in creating a book under pressure. I’ve also taken part in journaling challenges, photo challenges, a platform challenge, and I’m thinking about taking part in a decluttering challenge. Describing them as a “challenge” doesn’t mean I’m in competition with others; they are personal journeys but the journey or portions of the experience can also be shared with the host of the challenge or other participants, if you so choose. 

So the other day I thought I landed upon a useful challenge, to occur every day for about a month and a half, and I was led to believe I would be receiving e-mails relating to this challenge every day during the challenge. This challenge would possibility reveal to me useful insight with regard to my spiritual wellness. So I signed up.

Day one: I received an e-mail, a printable journal page for day one and the news that quite a few copies of the whole journal used in this challenge would be given away during the course of the challenge. The e-mail was cheery and optimistic, and left me with the promise of another printable journal page the following day along with a special story. I was looking forward to what the challenge had to offer.

Day two: I received another e-mail, another printable journal page but not for day two, for day twenty-seven. There was also no special story, only additional information on how to use the journal page provided, and that the journal for the complete challenge was available for purchase as a download if I wanted the complete journal today.

Day three:  I received an e-mail, but this time not with a printable journal page, or a special story.  Instead, I got the news that I would not be receiving any more e-mails for this challenge because the host just couldn’t afford to keep up with the cost of creating, hosting and delivering the challenge. However, I was informed that I could still purchase the complete journal, again only as a download (I prefer actual books) or I could just do the challenge myself with the quick reference guide that had been offered. The host ended with the promise of following up on my status periodically.

So how did I feel after receiving e-mail number three? A good guess would be disappointed, duped and a little dismayed at this marketing ploy.

If you have ever taken part in offering an item for free, you know the best way to do so is via e-mails or by offering a book in pdf or e-book formats because it cuts down on actual costs dramatically. And you do this in order to gain readers who will continue to follow you and who may also decide to purchase other items you have to offer for sale. You do not offer something for free to readers, have them begin to invest themselves emotionally into what they trust you will be providing to them, only to yank it away and ask them to buy a product from you instead. 

There is the saying, fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. My expectations were high when I signed up for this challenge because so far, the hosts for the challenges I've taken part in before have always followed through with what they promised. It’s possible I may run into this situation again since I’m always looking for ways to learn from others; however, even at the risk of being fooled a second time, I won’t let one bad experience sour my belief in others. 

While this last challenge was a letdown, it did teach me something. I thought I was going to learn something about myself personally but what I actually learned was how not to market myself professionally. 

And with that, I unexpectantly checked off another lesson learned about marketing for the month of February, so it was actually bonus.  J

Have a great week!

Focus…one simple word but not always an easy task

I’ve tasked myself with learning something new about writing, blogging or marketing every month.  Whether it’s with articles, on-line or in-person classes, books or video tutorials, I want to continue learning when it comes to writing, blogging about my writing journey, publishing and marketing my work.

The trick, of course, is figuring out how to write, while regularly learning more about writing so that I continue to polish my craft, how to market what I write, while also learning more about marketing, as I also continue to blog about writing, publishing and marketing, all while running a household and working a full-time job.

Yeah, it makes me tired just reading that paragraph too.

But it can be done.  We just have to focus on our goals and figure out what will get us to where it is we want to finally be. 

Ever heard the saying, “Do what you Love, Love what you do?” In a perfect world, we’d all be happy doing what we love.  Even if we’re not quite to that point, we can certainly strive for that result.  It just takes actual focus to get there.  Whether or not we love what we do, we do what we have to in order to pay the bills, keep the cars and house, put our kids through college, or go on nice vacations.  However, while focusing on what we have to do, we can also make every effort to reach certain goals so that eventually we can do what it is we love to do.  Sometimes, it takes doing both at the same time for awhile, before we can finally peel away the layers of what we have to do, until we can finally focus on what we love to do. 

But the key to this, in order to reach the goals we hope to achieve, is to remain focused.  It’s easy enough for me to say I want to be the next great writer, having sold enough books to live happily ever after, never having to work for anyone else and never having to worry about money again.  Projected in that way, it’s really not an easy dream to achieve.  In fact, it will remain just that…a dream. 

There is the saying, “Shoot for the moon.  Even if you miss you’ll land among the stars.”  It’s a great saying, really.  It’s never wrong to aim high.  To expect the most out of your adventures.  But will you be happy if you don’t make it to the moon and only land among the stars?  That’s what you have to be prepared for – only the lucky few make it to the moon.  

Keeping our focus is still the key even if the end result is only to land among the stars.  Saying, “I want…” and expecting to achieve whatever is in our dream of dreams is never enough, especially if we don’t do the work or make a focused plan to get there.  Those who achieve their goals make a plan and then narrow down that plan into bits and pieces that are relevant, easy to fit into their everyday life and which are stepping stones to help get to the next step, and then the next, until they are that much closer to landing among the stars, or if they are the lucky few, to landing on the bright and wonderful moon.

As easy as it is to say that focus is a necessary approach in order to reach our most desired goals, it is admittedly not always an easy task.  Life is distracting and sometimes we get off course.  Sometimes our goals are very broad, and it may be difficult to break up and identify the necessary tasks and stepping stones that will help us reach them.  Sometimes, we know what we want, but we just can’t quite figure out how to get there.  Whatever the obstacle, the only way to map a course to our destination is to make a solid plan, give ourselves tasks to help us reach each stepping stone towards the large goal, keep in mind that nothing ever happens overnight, and most importantly, continue to remain focused.

There’s a learning curve when it comes to staying focused and not losing our ground as we work towards our goals.  But those who figure out how to stay on task, by keeping their focus, or who figure out how to get back on track even if they get knocked off course at some point, will be those who land among the stars or, in their dream of dreams, possibly even make it to the moon. 

So stay on course and have a great week!

Starting off the New Year with numbers.

It’s been awhile since I reviewed my stats and what better time to start a habit…new, old, revised, or otherwise…than the first of the year?  My plan is to at least continue to check my stats quarterly, in order to keep track and to see if I can find any contributing factors for the reasons behind why my author rank or sales rank for each book may spike or plummet.  It’s not my plan to live or die by the stats, or let the numbers ruin my day if they are not as I would hope.  My plan is just to use them as a reference, especially when I want to compare them as I move on from one season (or one book) to the next.

For my sales rankings, I found that all books spiked recently, except 1313 Psycho Path (which did better near Halloween), but mostly when it came to the eBooks rather than the paperbacks.  “11:11 Anna’s Awakening” is the only book that spiked in sales for both paperbacks and eBooks; but it is also the most recently published book. 

The eBook version of “11:11” spiked a few weeks before Christmas:

While the paperback spiked just after Christmas/right before the New Year:

For the other books, the paperbacks weren’t the high sellers but the eBooks for Best Kept Secrets and Ties That Bind took off a week or so before Christmas:   

 

While No Mother of Mine spiked just after Christmas:

When the holidays aren’t upon us, it can be difficult to guess what may cause a spike in sales but as I continue to publish additional books, I do hope to see continuous upward movement and not just around the holidays or each time I attend an event or publish a new book. 

It’s great that Amazon will allow me to view my sales rank from a 2-week viewpoint, up to months, years and even the lifetime of a book.  I don’t know if there’s ever a cut off for the lifetime viewpoint of a book, but No Mother of Mine has been out since 2012 and I can still view the sales rank from 2012 until now:

While the sales rank for No Mother of Mine continues to jump up on fairly regular intervals, there is a continuous downward motion that I wish to change.  I’m hopeful that as I publish more books, and as I get back into some serious marketing and branding again later in the year, the sales rank for this book will run on a more even, horizontal level between spikes, which is what the sales rank for Best Kept Secrets and Ties That Bind have continued to do. 

What the sales ranks also show me is when I’ve been ‘quiet’ or just not quite out there as an author, which is a good indicator when there is little movement upward or when there is continuous downward movement for a long period of time.  See the obvious lack of spikes for Best Kept Secrets during 2015 from January through October in the chart below?

That’s what happens when an author goes off track for awhile.  There is no mystery as to the reason for the lower sales rank during this time…this is obviously the time period I was not writing much or putting myself out there while I was trying to deal with the unexpected death of my Dad.  But when it comes to staying on track creatively, it is definitely something I wish to avoid from happening again.

In the past when I reviewed my sales or author rank, I would notice an obvious jump after I took part in large book events or author signings.  I’m not able to hold a signing on a quarterly basis right now but it would be nice to be at or near that point sometime in my author life, or at least part of something that continuously helps build my author brand and gets my name out there. 

Now that I have reviewed my author and sales rankings to get an idea of where my numbers are the beginning of the New Year, I can get back to the numbers that are important right now, which includes:

4 - for the fourth volume of the Jorja Matthew mystery series which I plan to complete/publish the end of this year and…

1 - for the first young adult book I hope to continue working on as I’m able so that I have a final draft completed by the end of this year (I’m already at 30,000+ words so it has quite a head start). 

Don’t worry, for those who are waiting for the 4^th book in the Jorja Matthews series, it will take priority over any other book and will be published next, I promise.  J

Carry on, create and have a great week!

Making a list and checking it twice

I know…it’s not the holidays but lists to me are a part of life and lately, I need them more than ever to try to stay on track.  Even more than that, I need a running list so that on a monthly, quarterly and yearly basis, I don’t forget what it is I need to do as I continue to release new books.  There are so many little details that can easily be forgotten and even though I’ve released four books so far, all those little details can still be difficult to remember. 

I realized this a few weeks ago when I was checking on my stats on Amazon and discovered that my paperback and eBook for Ties That Bind had not been linked so that a reader would immediately see both options are available.  Instead, they would have to actually look the formats up separately to find them!  That’s not supposed to happen, they should always be linked together but what I forgot is that I have to actually request that they be linked together.  It doesn’t just automatically happen. 

And I know I have that little tidbit on a list somewhere…problem is, over the years I’ve made a number of lists and if I’m not looking at the right one, well then, I can make a mistake by forgetting important details like that.

So last weekend and the weekend before, I went through all the many folders I’ve compiled over the past three years relating to writing, marketing and promotion, publication, motivation and time management. 

I can’t believe all material I’ve compiled over the years!

I still have some organizing to do with my lists but eventually I will have a final detailed list of what I could or should be doing from beginning to end as I move on with each new project.  Eventually, I’d like to share all the lists I’ve made so that hopefully others can use them if it will benefit them with their own work.

I’ve been working on three different projects lately and some days it’s good to have the variety but other days, my head can feel like it’s swimming with too many characters and details.  If this were a regular season for me, that wouldn’t be a bad thing, but this is not a regular season due to the grief I’ve been trying to manage so I finally had to come to a decision to pick one project and stick with it.  I had already started the fourth book in the Jorja Matthews mystery series before I began the new young adult novel during Camp NaNo in April and before that, I had already completed a short story last year that just needs to be edited, revised with edits and gifted with a nice cover. 

Obviously, it makes sense to finish and publish the book that’s already complete so I’m going to manage my time around the short story first.  My short ghost story, 1313 Psycho Path, was around 13,000 words.  My latest short story, which at this time is simply titled 1111 (as in, eleven-eleven), is actually twice as long and not a ghost story, but about a woman trying to deal with a difficult marriage while also grieving the loss of her young son.  Or maybe 1313 is a novelette and my newest short is actually a novella… depends on who you ask, I suppose.  But as with all my stories, there is a twist in 1111 and the characters surprised me with an ending I hadn’t expected.  That’s always the fun part for me and it makes publishing my work for others to read even more fun.

So I will focus on finishing up the book that’s just itching to get out there.  Tomorrow is a new day and the beginning of a new month so for now, June will be focused on finishing up 1111, getting it published and then moving forward with the other novels.  That’s not to say I won’t cheat and add to my novels if inspiration (or characters) speaks to me, but that’s what’s so great about being an author…you don’t have to limit yourself if you really don’t want to. 

After all, “The only limits you have are the limits you believe.”  ~Wayne Dyer~ 

Have a great week! 

Recess is over…time to come back inside

The change in seasons is here and it’s a time of year that I enjoy – the weather is changing, it’s time to put away the garden and summer items and there will be more cozy days inside as we prepare for the upcoming holidays.  It’s the same feeling I get when I’m nearing the end of a long project and getting ready to start something new.  I get to clean up my desk and my notes and start working on new character and story ideas on brand new blank binders and paper. 

During the past two months while I worked to complete my latest projects, my break from social media took a longer stretch than I anticipated but sometimes, a break is what we need to re-energize and focus on the tasks at hand.  During my break, I continued to work on my books, took part in a class to learn something new about marketing and I even went on a much-needed vacation with the family. 

Disney California Adventure Park

First, the much-needed vacation – did we go someplace to relax by the beach while we read our most favorite books?  No, we went on a road trip down through California.  Yes, I did say “road trip”…it’s just something we like to do as a family.  This particular trip we’ve taken before but it was quite awhile ago so we were all excited to do it again.  We visited places such as Crescent City, The Redwoods, San Francisco and Alcatraz, Monterey Bay, Carmel-by-the-Sea and Marina del Rey before moving over to Anaheim where we hit Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, Knott’s Berry Farm and Universal Studios.  The coastal cities were beautiful, as was the weather, for the most part.  The lines at the parks weren’t too outrageous but the weather sure took a turn and gave us 100-degree weather three days in a row while we roamed the parks and zeroed in on rides that took us inside an air-conditioned building or man-made mountain.  From there we drove down to San Diego and visited the zoo.  Even with the warm day we had (although much cooler than to the north), the animals surprised us and were all pretty active and available for terrific photo opts.  The Koalas were another matter…they were all asleep, as they are pretty much most of the day, but they’re so cute even as they nap that I can’t be upset with them.

I also took part in a training course before I left for vacation and while the class focused on many sorts of business models, it was a great resource for writers.  The focus of the class was on how to be passionate, purposeful and prosperous, with tips on building a better foundation for your business, cultivating relationships, launching explosively and selling a product others will appreciate.  I haven’t had much time to review  or use what I’ve learned from that class, since I only returned from vacation last week and I’ve been pretty busy since then, but I look forward to using some of the tips I’ve learned as I move further along with my writing career.

And finally, I’ve been working on my books to complete them for publishing. 

So, where am I with the writing projects? 

The third book in the Jorja Matthews’ mystery series, Ties That Bind, has been shipped off to the editor for review.  This book took a bit longer to complete and with a new editor who is very busy, I also had to wait until she was available to review my book, so the publishing date will be later in the year than I had originally planned.  But I’ve also completed a second short story and the expectation is to have that story published by the end of October.  I will be sending out a notice soon when that book is finally available.    

A season has ended and a new one is about to begin, both outside and at my writing desk.  The creative-side of things is pretty much complete with both the novel and the short story and from here we’re going to be deep into the technical side of editing, formatting, publishing and marketing.  So what will I do now that these projects are close to completion?  I’ll be looking forward to a new season of writing…not only with the fourth book in the series, but also a whole new project, to include a new book, a new idea, new characters and even a stab at a completely different genre. 

It’s a new season, so it’s the perfect time to try something new!

Out with the old blog into the new? Not quite yet.

Lately I’ve been doing a little more research about how other authors have built their author brands and platforms or how they promote and market upcoming releases.  It would be so much easier if there was a one-size-fits-all marketing approach when it comes to selling books but what works for one doesn’t always work for another. 

What I focused on this past week was how other authors market themselves via their blogs, websites or Facebook pages.  I focused mainly on female authors who wrote mysteries, from suspenseful to police procedural to cozies.  I even accidentally researched some authors who wrote in the romantic suspense genre; not my favorite type of read but it was still interesting to see how they market their books.    

What I discovered was a huge range of techniques, some I liked and some I didn’t.  But that was the whole point in researching the other sites; not only to compare them to my own but also to see if there were some good ideas I could utilize or some techniques I’d like to avoid. 

A few techniques on some blogs and websites I found where I was immediately put off included the following:

• The use of black backgrounds – even if I like the author or their books, I would avoid their site like the plague because I just can’t stand trying to focus on words with a black background
• When the sites are SO busy I have a difficult time finding the basic information I need
• Any sites that look like they were typeset directly from a typewriter (i.e. they just look outdated) and with no graphic art or visual stimulation to keep me interested
• Offering outdated information even if a book was published in the current year
• When moving around the site proves difficult so that I’m not able to easily move from one page to another

A few techniques on some blogs and websites I found where I enjoyed my stay included the following:

• Good visual background that doesn’t slap my retinas and that had stimulating graphic art
• Information is easy to locate whether by tabs or gadgets and movement around the site is user friendly
• The attitude and personality of the author is evident and not cookie-cutter style
• The sites make it easy to connect with the author, whether via e-mail, their blog, or social media
•  The site is actually fun (these are few and far between)

My research also took me to the Facebook pages of authors who do use Facebook.  I’m actually surprised when I discover authors who still don’t use any sort of social media beyond their website or blog but then there are probably a few who wonder when I’m finally going to get into Twitter or Pinterest.  I’ll be honest and say that I have no interest in Twitter and can’t say that I’ll ever try it but I’ve thought more about using Pinterest only because I believe it would be a great way to visually share information with regard to the series, the characters and the setting.  It’s an idea but I just haven’t taken the time to really get involved with making the concept happen.

Anyway, with regard to social media, there are definitely different styles when it comes to authors who promote themselves.  Some share personal information about their days and their families, others are much more business-like and tend to only post about their books and then there are many who are the in-between.  A little dash of personal, along with a snippet of business, while mixing in a good assortment of this or that relating to everything in-between.  Those are the pages I enjoy – author pages that include a good mix of everything, not too much of one thing or another so that I don’t get bored.

So what’s all this research mean for me? 

I’ve wanted to make some changes to my blog but I have to actually make a decision on what I want to do and then set aside the time to do it.  My Facebook page will probably continue as is except that I’d like to try to post on a regular basis rather than erratically.  As I get closer to a publishing date for the third novel in my series, I’m hopeful that it will also mark the date when I’ll have made some necessary changes to this blog.  It’s the idea anyway and something to look forward to because I’ll enjoy promoting my new book on a blog with a new look.      

Until then, the old look will remain but I’ll continue to envision the new!

This little Piggy went to Market, this little Piggy stayed Home

Sometimes I wish marketing books were as simple as a trip to the market.  Unless you’re one of “those people” who enjoy sales (my husband is one of them, thankfully, because I am not), it really is difficult to market a product when you’re not used to working in sales and, for many authors who are introverts, it’s especially hard to market yourself.

Marketing yourself means talking about yourself.  Bringing attention to yourself.  Saying “look at me!” and then sharing solid reasons why others should keep looking.

It can be exhausting work for introverts when your brain doesn’t normally work that way. 

I’m one of “those authors” who would rather just write books, share thoughts via a blog or Facebook posts and let the creative juices just keep flowing without the mind games involved with what it really takes to market what I’ve created. 

I’m the little piggy that just wants to stay home.

Don’t get me wrong.  Once a book signing or book club meeting is scheduled and the day is here, I’m all for meeting people and talking about my work.  It’s great fun and I enjoy meeting others who actually enjoy hearing what I have to say.  It’s very humbling, uplifting and surreal all at the same time and an experience that will never get old.

It’s the process it takes in getting there that can be difficult.  Not because it’s hard…but because of the time it takes away from writing.  And that’s where my problem lies…marketing takes me away from writing so as a result, I tend to remove myself from what is limiting my time to write.

That’s obviously not a good thing when you actually have a product you need to market and sell.  With the amount of new books coming out every day, the “next big thing” is always trying to become known and readers are insatiable when it comes to finding new books and new authors to read.  As an author, you certainly don’t want readers to forget about you but it’s also difficult to write fast enough to satisfy most readers. 

Marketing right before the latest book comes out is easy.  You’re all excited to share the next book so you do what it takes to let everyone know that it’s available and then you also use that time to reach new readers.  The problem area for me is marketing between books.  I’m sharing myself here and on my Facebook page but the book events and marketing techniques taper down and I’m much more focused on what it’s going to take to finish the next book over what it’s going to take to continue selling the books I already have out there.    

That being said, I do believe in the opinion that the more books you have, the more those books will sell your previous work.  There’s a theme behind the advice most commonly provided by authors who have been at this a long time…just keep writing. 

The key is to finding a balance – the balance between when to go to market and when to stay home.  Finding that balance takes time and for me will include learning what works best as I switch between doing what I’m comfortable with and trying something new when I venture from my comfort zone.  I’ll always be that little piggy who would rather stay home but because I have the desire to share what I create with others, I will learn to make the most of those days when I venture out to market.

What about you?  Do you find it hard to split your time between creating and marketing?  Or does it come easy to you?  If so, do you have any tips to help others you’d like to share?