Absolutely.[ Actually the 14ths was my 2 months, but was too busy thinking about Baby Hugo to be reflective on this! Oh and see there really is a wine named One Last Kiss. Scott Harvey, great wine. I've already ordered for my next release date!] So here are a few thoughts on my 2 month anniversary:
1. When I was in the software industry everyone use to say they wanted to bag an elephant, meaning invent something world changing like Facebook, twitter. I use to say the guy who sells coat hangers makes more money than the guy who sells coats, and it's easier. Lets start by learning how to sell coat hangers... and that's true. I'm new. People don't know my work yet, so price does matter. If the work is good I'll sell a lot of coat hangers. It doesn't diminish the quality of the work to provide a "take a chance on me" kind of price.
2. Never loose your sense of humor while trying to learn the process: every author has an opinion. You'll find most who are very free with their thoughts of "what's right" are pretty bitter and heck, if they were right, would they be out there telling everyone what to do or off writing and conquering the world? Learn to sift everything you hear. Good advice is few and far between.
3. Am I going to be that success story where you end up in a book "this indie author made a million in 2 hours..." ha ha ha, don't know. Don't care. Determine your own objectives and measure of success. The race is only against yourself, never forget that. It's a marathon not a sprint. Last night I figured out if all 26 books were up and things stayed as they are what am I realistically looking at here. Then I dropped it into a savings calculator for Baby Hugo and figured out what it would be worth in 20 years. Yep, definitely worth it. Steady goes the race with Indie Authors.
4. If you've got 5-10-15 books to release, release them! Don't listen to the bitter and the wrong who tell you not to. The key to success if volume. That is true if you're work is good!
5. Too many Indies obsess about the covers. There are some great marketing minds out there. I regrettably am not one of them. However, these sexy hot covers are burning people out and disappointing readers since often the pages within don't make the story the cover conveys. I've been told a thousand times "Susan change your cover!" I definitely could use a better one, but I don't want a smut cover because that's what everyone thinks you need to see books. I write about messed up rich girls with perfect looking lives and naughty little souls and the mercurial men they hold captive. While I need to work on the art to better convey that, two people doing it on a cover or a hot set of boobs isn't right for what I write.
6. Be kind to yourself. Be kind to others. And when other Indie's need help, give it, in a nice and helpful way. I don't know if I would have gotten as far as fast as I have without the great help of Morgan Richter or Jerrie Brock in the beginning, or if I'd feel like I'm moving along in the right direction now if not for my great writer gal pal support group we cobbled together. And trust me: it's better to be in the boat with a supportive group than alone!
Be good to yourself. There will always be the rough days. There is no magic recipe on how to do this. We are part of a giant evolution that is only partially underway.
1. When I was in the software industry everyone use to say they wanted to bag an elephant, meaning invent something world changing like Facebook, twitter. I use to say the guy who sells coat hangers makes more money than the guy who sells coats, and it's easier. Lets start by learning how to sell coat hangers... and that's true. I'm new. People don't know my work yet, so price does matter. If the work is good I'll sell a lot of coat hangers. It doesn't diminish the quality of the work to provide a "take a chance on me" kind of price.
2. Never loose your sense of humor while trying to learn the process: every author has an opinion. You'll find most who are very free with their thoughts of "what's right" are pretty bitter and heck, if they were right, would they be out there telling everyone what to do or off writing and conquering the world? Learn to sift everything you hear. Good advice is few and far between.
3. Am I going to be that success story where you end up in a book "this indie author made a million in 2 hours..." ha ha ha, don't know. Don't care. Determine your own objectives and measure of success. The race is only against yourself, never forget that. It's a marathon not a sprint. Last night I figured out if all 26 books were up and things stayed as they are what am I realistically looking at here. Then I dropped it into a savings calculator for Baby Hugo and figured out what it would be worth in 20 years. Yep, definitely worth it. Steady goes the race with Indie Authors.
4. If you've got 5-10-15 books to release, release them! Don't listen to the bitter and the wrong who tell you not to. The key to success if volume. That is true if you're work is good!
5. Too many Indies obsess about the covers. There are some great marketing minds out there. I regrettably am not one of them. However, these sexy hot covers are burning people out and disappointing readers since often the pages within don't make the story the cover conveys. I've been told a thousand times "Susan change your cover!" I definitely could use a better one, but I don't want a smut cover because that's what everyone thinks you need to see books. I write about messed up rich girls with perfect looking lives and naughty little souls and the mercurial men they hold captive. While I need to work on the art to better convey that, two people doing it on a cover or a hot set of boobs isn't right for what I write.
6. Be kind to yourself. Be kind to others. And when other Indie's need help, give it, in a nice and helpful way. I don't know if I would have gotten as far as fast as I have without the great help of Morgan Richter or Jerrie Brock in the beginning, or if I'd feel like I'm moving along in the right direction now if not for my great writer gal pal support group we cobbled together. And trust me: it's better to be in the boat with a supportive group than alone!
Be good to yourself. There will always be the rough days. There is no magic recipe on how to do this. We are part of a giant evolution that is only partially underway.
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