Well, the last three months have been full of lessons. Some good, some bad, and some well that's just how it is. I'm almost to my 2 year anniversary mark as an indie author, you'd think there wasn't a lot left to learn. But there is, there is! The anthology thing. Definite learning curve. It has good points and bad points, but if you are an author who lives and survives by Kindle Unlimited, be cautious and think through if you want to do it. I'm in a holding pattern putting a book into KU because it was part of an anthology that hasn't been pulled from every distribution site. Secondly, Taking down time and not releasing for a while. An unhappy lesson, since Indies survive on release, release, release strategy. 6 months not releasing a title--though I did do 3 anthologies--you wouldn't think it would impact the momentum of my little business, but it did. After all, books-cars, no different. Everyone want to experience the next new shiny thing, and jeez, so much talent pops up out of no where, so why wouldn't they.
I hit release this morning and it's raining in Sacramento so I'm sitting inside by the fire and visiting my favorite family, the Parkers. I'm at that part in Comfortable Quiet where Alan flies home with Chrissie and Kaley, and Kaley says "I didn't do good listening." in a British accent, and it makes me think of the lovely British man and his daughter Shell-bell and I met at JFK in June 2015. The second the man replied, "And why were you not doing good listening," how charming they were made Shelly and I just smile and laugh and I knew, yep, I'm using this delightful moment for Alan. I wish I could find the man, just to tell him he made it into a book because he and his daughter were genuinely charming. Authors write charming characters, but you don't always meet them in real life, so it was a wonderful unexpected 2 hour layover in New York.
I've gotten around to writing a blurb for Ethan, my 4th Sand & Fog book, and a blurb is about the only outline I do for my story, so I'm feeling excited about getting on writing that one. Slowly finishing Jack in the edit process. And i'am rolling out bit by bit The Girl in the Mirror, Krystal's story. Trying to get my stamina back, to write more each day, and get back to finishing my fictional universe. Being ill so long; who knew it would steam roll the creative process?
It's not always easy to get the stories out, even when you know the story you want to tell and they are written start to finish in your head. I guess that's the most important thing I've learned in my 3 months downtime. Even clear on what I want to write, it's not always easy.
As ever I wish you all Peace.
PS- I still have my 99 cent sales going on:
The Half Shell Series
The Manny
Pistol Whipped
And the prices are changing soon, so don't miss out on the current preorder sale.
I hit release this morning and it's raining in Sacramento so I'm sitting inside by the fire and visiting my favorite family, the Parkers. I'm at that part in Comfortable Quiet where Alan flies home with Chrissie and Kaley, and Kaley says "I didn't do good listening." in a British accent, and it makes me think of the lovely British man and his daughter Shell-bell and I met at JFK in June 2015. The second the man replied, "And why were you not doing good listening," how charming they were made Shelly and I just smile and laugh and I knew, yep, I'm using this delightful moment for Alan. I wish I could find the man, just to tell him he made it into a book because he and his daughter were genuinely charming. Authors write charming characters, but you don't always meet them in real life, so it was a wonderful unexpected 2 hour layover in New York.
I've gotten around to writing a blurb for Ethan, my 4th Sand & Fog book, and a blurb is about the only outline I do for my story, so I'm feeling excited about getting on writing that one. Slowly finishing Jack in the edit process. And i'am rolling out bit by bit The Girl in the Mirror, Krystal's story. Trying to get my stamina back, to write more each day, and get back to finishing my fictional universe. Being ill so long; who knew it would steam roll the creative process?
It's not always easy to get the stories out, even when you know the story you want to tell and they are written start to finish in your head. I guess that's the most important thing I've learned in my 3 months downtime. Even clear on what I want to write, it's not always easy.
As ever I wish you all Peace.
PS- I still have my 99 cent sales going on:
The Half Shell Series
The Manny
Pistol Whipped
And the prices are changing soon, so don't miss out on the current preorder sale.
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