Hello everyone, I wanted to let you know that a tragic family loss almost 3 years ago derailed my blogging, well my everything. I will be posting the full story and events on my other blog in the near future. Thanks for continuing to visit and show me love.
My daughter started a business which I hope you check out over at Fabulously Single. If you or anyone you know is having a hard time after a break up or just want to find some tips on being fabulously single then head on over. And thank you all again.
Monday, June 8, 2015
Friday, May 25, 2012
KDP Select Day 37
I just put my only KDP Select title, Budget Travel Tips, up for free again, have to use up those days for sure. Talk among the blogosphere is that there are too many books out now for KDP to be a useful marketing tool. At least not the way it was at the start. And I have also read grumblings about strange things happening with sales figures, perhaps it's a glitch, who really knows.
You can read some of the stories and posts here, here and here.
I am stuck for the whole 90 day stretch though. At first I thought, screw it, I'm not going use my remaining free days but then decided against that. By no means am I being flooded with sales, but my sales have been bumped up when I compare them to my prior numbers.* I also put out another eBook which I'm sure helped things along as well.
*Joined KDP Select April 18th and used first free day on April 28th
Before KDP Select my sales for each month including all titles were (numbers do not include Nook sales or amazon free downloads):
November: 2
December: 0
January: 2
February: 2
March: 0
April (before KDP select): 1
After joining KDP on April 18th, sales through the rest of April: 3
May: 15
Minus one return and one purchase from me as a gift to a friend so 13.
And like I said, these are not high numbers, however the fact that so far this month I have sold 13 copies is making me hopeful. Especially when I look at the fact that all together for 6 months I sold a combined total of 10 books.
Obviously I hope this free day will lead to more sales. I posted links to my other available titles at the end of the free book, so we will see and of course I will keep you posted. I would also love it if someone would leave a review, if it's good yay! for me if it isn't then after a good cry (I'm sensitive yall:) I can use it as constructive criticism and work to improve my readers' experience.
Wish me luck as I wish you.
Have a lovely weekend everyone and happy writing!
You can read some of the stories and posts here, here and here.
I am stuck for the whole 90 day stretch though. At first I thought, screw it, I'm not going use my remaining free days but then decided against that. By no means am I being flooded with sales, but my sales have been bumped up when I compare them to my prior numbers.* I also put out another eBook which I'm sure helped things along as well.
*Joined KDP Select April 18th and used first free day on April 28th
Before KDP Select my sales for each month including all titles were (numbers do not include Nook sales or amazon free downloads):
November: 2
December: 0
January: 2
February: 2
March: 0
April (before KDP select): 1
After joining KDP on April 18th, sales through the rest of April: 3
May: 15
Minus one return and one purchase from me as a gift to a friend so 13.
And like I said, these are not high numbers, however the fact that so far this month I have sold 13 copies is making me hopeful. Especially when I look at the fact that all together for 6 months I sold a combined total of 10 books.
Obviously I hope this free day will lead to more sales. I posted links to my other available titles at the end of the free book, so we will see and of course I will keep you posted. I would also love it if someone would leave a review, if it's good yay! for me if it isn't then after a good cry (I'm sensitive yall:) I can use it as constructive criticism and work to improve my readers' experience.
Wish me luck as I wish you.
Have a lovely weekend everyone and happy writing!
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Free eBook For Mother's Day
Woke up in a good mood and feeling generous :)
http://brokesinglemombooks.blogspot.com/
Click for easy breezy directions to get one of my eBooks as a gift!
Happy Mother's Day!
http://brokesinglemombooks.blogspot.com/
Click for easy breezy directions to get one of my eBooks as a gift!
Happy Mother's Day!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Why I'm Still Pursuing Self Publishing Even With Low Sales Numbers
I was over at JA Konrath's blog and read a post by Romance Author Ann Voss Peterson. In it she describes the horrendously low "royalties" she was making as a writer for Harlequin Books, 6% and 2.4%. WTH!
Even with Amazon and Barnes and Noble's lowest royalty rate of 35% and 40% respectively you are way better off.
You can read the whole post here.
You may be asking why a post by a Romance Author should be inspiring me to continue with my journey of self publishing my non-fiction eBooks. The reason is this, the numbers.
Plain and simple I am a single mother with 3 children and 1 grandchild. I would like to be able to support my family in a comfortable lifestyle. I would like to work from home and be able to be there when my boys get home from school. I want to be able to take a few days or a few weeks and be able to visit and reconnect with my daughter who lives 4 hours away. Or with my best friend in California or my cousins in New York City.
And if I am able to make a living as a self published writer, those are things I can do.
I write non-fiction but low royalties are one of the main reasons so many writers (fiction and non-fiction alike) are moving into the realm of self publishing, and why you should too.
So because of scary low ball royalties of 2.4% I will continue to try and find a way that works for me to promote myself and my books.
Because I want a fuller life and the ability to be there for the "every day" things with my kids and grand daughter, I will keep writing and praying.
And because I believe that other single parents can be helped by my eBooks I will soldier on.
Happy writing!
Even with Amazon and Barnes and Noble's lowest royalty rate of 35% and 40% respectively you are way better off.
You can read the whole post here.
You may be asking why a post by a Romance Author should be inspiring me to continue with my journey of self publishing my non-fiction eBooks. The reason is this, the numbers.
Plain and simple I am a single mother with 3 children and 1 grandchild. I would like to be able to support my family in a comfortable lifestyle. I would like to work from home and be able to be there when my boys get home from school. I want to be able to take a few days or a few weeks and be able to visit and reconnect with my daughter who lives 4 hours away. Or with my best friend in California or my cousins in New York City.
And if I am able to make a living as a self published writer, those are things I can do.
I write non-fiction but low royalties are one of the main reasons so many writers (fiction and non-fiction alike) are moving into the realm of self publishing, and why you should too.
So because of scary low ball royalties of 2.4% I will continue to try and find a way that works for me to promote myself and my books.
Because I want a fuller life and the ability to be there for the "every day" things with my kids and grand daughter, I will keep writing and praying.
And because I believe that other single parents can be helped by my eBooks I will soldier on.
Happy writing!
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Amazon KDP Select Experiment - Non Fiction Travel Book Day 19
KDP Select
It's a little after midnight and so officially day 19 of my KDP Select Experiment. And as I mentioned before, my sales are not making me rich, but they are rising. Usually I sell about 1-3 eBooks per month on Amazon and about the same on Barnes and Noble.
Last month on Amazon I sold a total of 6 eBooks and had 200+ free downloads.
So far this month I have 8 total sales and one return for a net of 7 sales. And since it's only the 7th of the month I say I am ahead of the game in comparison to my sales the past few months.
There is so much information out there, advice about what days are good and bad days ( I did it on a Friday) to list your books for free and where and how you should advertise/promote your free days that it can make a girl crazy.
I submitted my last free day to 3 sites, freebies4mom.com and freebooksy.com, the name of the third escapes me at the moment. I checked on the 27th when my book was free and didn't see my eBook listed on either site. So I don't have any advice as far as getting traffic using listing sites except for all three were very easy to submit to.
I am sure they are flooded with entries though, so no hard feelings on my part. On the upside it makes me feel as if the posts I wrote on my blogs may have helped, which would mean that I can (prayerfully) expect a decent amount of downloads and subsequent sales for the remaining 4 free days I am allotted.
Ideas
Over the weekend I read the rest of Kindle Cash and reread Kate Harper's eArticle on selling Articles on for the Kindle. After doing a few keyword searches as suggested in Kindle Cash I have decided to write a few articles (or booklets if longer) about some of the topics I found that I am interested in writing about and that have high searches but low competition.
As always I will keep you posted.
Happy writing!
It's a little after midnight and so officially day 19 of my KDP Select Experiment. And as I mentioned before, my sales are not making me rich, but they are rising. Usually I sell about 1-3 eBooks per month on Amazon and about the same on Barnes and Noble.
Last month on Amazon I sold a total of 6 eBooks and had 200+ free downloads.
So far this month I have 8 total sales and one return for a net of 7 sales. And since it's only the 7th of the month I say I am ahead of the game in comparison to my sales the past few months.
There is so much information out there, advice about what days are good and bad days ( I did it on a Friday) to list your books for free and where and how you should advertise/promote your free days that it can make a girl crazy.
I submitted my last free day to 3 sites, freebies4mom.com and freebooksy.com, the name of the third escapes me at the moment. I checked on the 27th when my book was free and didn't see my eBook listed on either site. So I don't have any advice as far as getting traffic using listing sites except for all three were very easy to submit to.
I am sure they are flooded with entries though, so no hard feelings on my part. On the upside it makes me feel as if the posts I wrote on my blogs may have helped, which would mean that I can (prayerfully) expect a decent amount of downloads and subsequent sales for the remaining 4 free days I am allotted.
Ideas
Over the weekend I read the rest of Kindle Cash and reread Kate Harper's eArticle on selling Articles on for the Kindle. After doing a few keyword searches as suggested in Kindle Cash I have decided to write a few articles (or booklets if longer) about some of the topics I found that I am interested in writing about and that have high searches but low competition.
As always I will keep you posted.
Happy writing!
Friday, May 4, 2012
Amazon KDP Select Experiment - Non Fiction Travel Book Day 16
My feelings have been hurt people. Someone returned one of my eBooks. Cut to me curled up in a corner crying, whaaaaaaaaa!
Okay I'm back :)
I really was upset when I saw the return, and my mom, trying to make me feel better suggested that the person simply read it and asked for a refund because it's a short booklet. You gotta love moms, dontcha?
I am sensitive so I really was a little sad, but then I though, eh, not everyone is going to like my style of writing. After that I was fine.
And guess what? I am currently #5 out of the top 100 eBooks today for Non Fiction Family Travel. This made me smile even if, as you can see, you only need break the 40,000 barrier to get into the top 5. Hey, I'll take what I can get.
And I now know that it is due to just that 24 hours I posted my eBook for free. Since I have no reviews yet (sad face) the free downloads somehow brought my book up the ranks and the subsequent sales have kept it there. I wish I could say the same for my other eBooks.
So on Day 16 of my KDP Select experiment, I'm happy.
P.S. No sales over on Barnes and Noble so far this month.
Happy writing!
Okay I'm back :)
I really was upset when I saw the return, and my mom, trying to make me feel better suggested that the person simply read it and asked for a refund because it's a short booklet. You gotta love moms, dontcha?
I am sensitive so I really was a little sad, but then I though, eh, not everyone is going to like my style of writing. After that I was fine.
And guess what? I am currently #5 out of the top 100 eBooks today for Non Fiction Family Travel. This made me smile even if, as you can see, you only need break the 40,000 barrier to get into the top 5. Hey, I'll take what I can get.
And I now know that it is due to just that 24 hours I posted my eBook for free. Since I have no reviews yet (sad face) the free downloads somehow brought my book up the ranks and the subsequent sales have kept it there. I wish I could say the same for my other eBooks.
So on Day 16 of my KDP Select experiment, I'm happy.
P.S. No sales over on Barnes and Noble so far this month.
Happy writing!
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Amazon KDP Select Experiment - Non Fiction Travel Book - Day 15
Just wanted to let you all know that Since May 1st, I have had 4 sales! One of my $750 Budget Vacation book and three of my Budget Travel Mistakes booklet. I have to assume this is due to my free day last Friday. And I know those are hardly earth shattering sales, lol, but for me to see 4 sales within the first couple of days of the month is awesome since that (or less than that) is what I usually see at the end of the month for total sales across all three books.
And surprisingly the book I thought would sell the most, sells the least. I just assumed people would want to find a way to visit one of the most expensive cities (New York City) on a shoestring budget. Sigh! Ya just never know.
Anywho, Praying it isn't a fluke and that sales continue.
Happy days!
And surprisingly the book I thought would sell the most, sells the least. I just assumed people would want to find a way to visit one of the most expensive cities (New York City) on a shoestring budget. Sigh! Ya just never know.
Anywho, Praying it isn't a fluke and that sales continue.
Happy days!
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Amazon KDP Select Experiment - Non Fiction Travel Book-Day 14
Just an update. After my free day promotion I checked my downloads and was very excited to see that 240 people now have my book on their Kindles. :)
It never occurred to me to check the foreign downloads. I did that today and was happily surprised to see 29 more copies had been downloaded on that day.
I should really get into the habit of checking all sales/free downloads and not only at amazon.com.
Happy writing!
It never occurred to me to check the foreign downloads. I did that today and was happily surprised to see 29 more copies had been downloaded on that day.
I should really get into the habit of checking all sales/free downloads and not only at amazon.com.
Happy writing!
Monday, April 30, 2012
Amazon KDP Select Experiment - Non Fiction Travel Book Day 12
So, I was away for the weekend and unable to post. I was so itching to, I got 240 downloads on Friday, my free day :). Woo Hoo! I was ecstatic, after the free day was over I made 1 sale on the same book. I will continue to update as I go along on this journey.
I have to decide on when to list my book for free again as I have four more days allowed on the Select program.
Happy writing.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Amazon KDP Select Experiment - Non Fiction Travel Book Day 6
So It's day 6, as the post title says and I have 3 sales total over 3 e-Books (each book 1 sale) since I joined the KDP Select Program. The breakdown however is this, I gifted one e-Book to a friend who then turned around and purchased the other 2, though I told her not to. But thanks for the support B. :)
I always tell my family and friends not to buy my books. I've been helping them for years learn how to travel on a shoestring budget so there really is no need for them to. Also if they want a copy I will gladly gift it to them. I am trying to build a brand and a career on my books, so even though I love them for supporting me, I am trying to focus on finding an audience and eventually making enough sales to write full time.
So in my eyes I have zero sales since I joined the KDP Select program. Meanwhile on the other side of this coin, I've made 2 sales on Barnes and Noble. Go figure, lol.
My Budget Travel Tip e-Book will be free on April 27th, so I will post on that as soon as I can. Hoping for the best!
Happy writing!
I always tell my family and friends not to buy my books. I've been helping them for years learn how to travel on a shoestring budget so there really is no need for them to. Also if they want a copy I will gladly gift it to them. I am trying to build a brand and a career on my books, so even though I love them for supporting me, I am trying to focus on finding an audience and eventually making enough sales to write full time.
So in my eyes I have zero sales since I joined the KDP Select program. Meanwhile on the other side of this coin, I've made 2 sales on Barnes and Noble. Go figure, lol.
My Budget Travel Tip e-Book will be free on April 27th, so I will post on that as soon as I can. Hoping for the best!
Happy writing!
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Marketing My e-Books aka Arghhh!
I have to say that I love writing. I love sharing my ideas so that other single parents who are like me, the Working Poor, can find a way to take a nice vacation with their kids without going into debt.
I'm always happy to hear that because of one or a few of my ideas someone else's children had a blast somewhere new. It really is a great feeling! :)
And I want to help more people in the same boat while also earning a living for me and my kids, but how? How do I let those people know that my books exist? How can I transition from a few books being sold each month to what I need to earn as much as I do at my job? And FYI it isn't much, about $1,500 a month before taxes.
My problem is that I don't know what to do, there are so many blogs giving advice for e-Book marketing and I try and read up on ways to get the word out. And maybe it's just that I have yet to choose the right combination of marketing tips that are going to work for me, but I haven't seen any uptick in sales from the few things I have done so far.
I will keep trying through, because if I don't then who will?
Hope your marketing is going well for you :)
I'm always happy to hear that because of one or a few of my ideas someone else's children had a blast somewhere new. It really is a great feeling! :)
And I want to help more people in the same boat while also earning a living for me and my kids, but how? How do I let those people know that my books exist? How can I transition from a few books being sold each month to what I need to earn as much as I do at my job? And FYI it isn't much, about $1,500 a month before taxes.
My problem is that I don't know what to do, there are so many blogs giving advice for e-Book marketing and I try and read up on ways to get the word out. And maybe it's just that I have yet to choose the right combination of marketing tips that are going to work for me, but I haven't seen any uptick in sales from the few things I have done so far.
I will keep trying through, because if I don't then who will?
Hope your marketing is going well for you :)
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Amazon KDP Select Experiment - Non Fiction Travel Book - Week One
I find myself looking for ways to get my name and books out there, a lot of it seems out of my reach, Blog Tours and guest posts. I haven't really looked into what a Blog Tour entails yet but I have reached out to a few blog owners that target single parents and I'm still waiting. Hey you never know, maybe I will open my email tomorrow and get a positive response! :)
I just uploaded my new booklet "Budget Travel Tips: Six Mistakes to Avoid When Traveling With Friends and Family". I don't know how this will turn out since most of the people that have had good to great results using the KDP program are fiction writers. And as you know my books are non-fiction. I will keep you posted. And if anyone else would like to let us know about their results, please feel free to email me if you would like to guest post about it.
Happy Days!
I just uploaded my new booklet "Budget Travel Tips: Six Mistakes to Avoid When Traveling With Friends and Family". I don't know how this will turn out since most of the people that have had good to great results using the KDP program are fiction writers. And as you know my books are non-fiction. I will keep you posted. And if anyone else would like to let us know about their results, please feel free to email me if you would like to guest post about it.
Happy Days!
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Second Broke Single Mom Travel book done...Bam!
Finally done, yayyyy! Whoo Hoo!
I finally finished and uploaded my Traveltini on New York to both Kindle and Nook. It's live on Kindle already, has been for hours, but not on Nook, go figure. I went with the top cover here, the one with the NYC skyline which I do like, however I personally favor the sense of fun and whimsy of the second cover.
I made my decision based on two things, the fact that my sales were (still are actually even though I changed it) sluggish on my first eBook with a similar cartoon "fun" cover and also because when you scan the list of best selling eBooks in travel barely any have vector or cartoon covers. I'd love to know which cover you guys prefer? Email me at BrokeSingleMomBooks (at) Yahoo.com or leave it in the comment sections. Thanks:)
Friday, April 13, 2012
I need to start writing more. I can't sell eBooks if I don't write them
A couple of nights ago I lost sleep to make sure and polish then upload my first book back onto Kindle and Barnes and Noble. I was so happy and relieved to put that behind me and be able to concentrate on finishing up book #2. But I haven't even touched it. I realized that I have spent my past 2 lunch hours reading the success stories of other self published/indie authors instead of using that time to finish my own work and get started on book #3.
Now, I have always loved a good underdog comes out on top and rags to riches story, be it in novels or in real life. But when I am wrapped up in these stories shouting "you GO girl" and "yeah buddy" I am not helping myself further my writing career. I have to stop. It's like an addiction, especially with my pathetic sales. It gives me hope, you know?
Game face on, it's Friday and I plan to skip reading up on the wonderful successes of the fabulous ones that have gone before me and work on prayerfully becoming a success story myself. :)
If you would like to read up on some of these authors and find out what they have accomplished and sacrificed to get where they are now you can visit any or all of the following blogs.
Get some inspiration and then AIS people. Ass in seat and gets ta writing!
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/
http://selfpublishingsuccessstories.blogspot.com/
http://www.lindsayburoker.com/
Happy Writing
Now, I have always loved a good underdog comes out on top and rags to riches story, be it in novels or in real life. But when I am wrapped up in these stories shouting "you GO girl" and "yeah buddy" I am not helping myself further my writing career. I have to stop. It's like an addiction, especially with my pathetic sales. It gives me hope, you know?
Game face on, it's Friday and I plan to skip reading up on the wonderful successes of the fabulous ones that have gone before me and work on prayerfully becoming a success story myself. :)
If you would like to read up on some of these authors and find out what they have accomplished and sacrificed to get where they are now you can visit any or all of the following blogs.
Get some inspiration and then AIS people. Ass in seat and gets ta writing!
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/
http://selfpublishingsuccessstories.blogspot.com/
http://www.lindsayburoker.com/
Happy Writing
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Writing and revising the non-fiction e-book, no help from Amazon or Barnes and Noble
A few months ago I uploaded my ebook to Kindle and Nook. Then my computer crashed and I lost my original manuscript. Since then I read an article on previewing your ebooks and going over it with a fine tooth comb as it is always easier to find typos etc when you've have some time away from your work.
And that is exactly what I found. Except how could I fix these problems with my final draft gone? I emailed KDP and Barnes and Noble and got no help. I explained my situation and asked if it was possible to get what I uploaded sent back to me as an email attachment. I didn't think it would be a problem as big as these sites are. I was wrong, this is what I got back in return.
From KDP/Amazon
Hello Lyza,
I'm sorry, we are unable to provide the content file of your book. However, you can download the uploaded copy of your book in MOBI format by following these steps:
1. Visit https://kdp.amazon.com and log in.
2. Check the box at the left side of the book and then click on the "Actions" button at the top left.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the page to "Preview Your Book," under the box labeled "Enhanced Previewer box" Click on "Download Book Preview File"
4. Click on "Back to Bookshelf" to return to the previous page.
Also, please ensure you have Kindle previewer installed on your computer before trying to view your Kindle book. If you don't have one installed, click on "Download Previewer - Windows or Mac" found under "Download Book Preview File."
I hope this helps. Thanks for using Amazon KDP.
From Barnes and Noble
Hello,
There is no need for you to purchase a copy of your own eBook. To
download a current copy of the .epub file for yourself, log in your
PubIt! account. On the "my titles" tab, next to your eBook's title,
click "Actions" and then "Edit". This will load the "Edit/Add A Title"
page.
On the "Edit/Add A Title" page, scroll down to section 2, entitled
"Upload Your eBook". In the lower part of that section you should see a
box with the following:
"
Want to make changes?
There are two ways to edit your NOOKbook.
Option 1: Take a look through our _Formatting
Best Practices_ to learn more about how best
to format your source document, make some
changes, and then upload your fixed file and
reconvert.
Option 2: _Download the ePub file_ and make
changes to it. Note that knowledge of HTML
and ePub are necessary to tweak your ePub.
"
Click the link that says "_Download the ePub file_" next to Option 2,
and the system will offer you a copy of the .epub file. Please note,
this will give you a non-encrypted (non-DRM) copy of the ePub file. To
test the layout of your eBook, view the .epub file using either "NOOK
for PC" or "Adobe Digital Editions". Below are links to the installers
for each of these two reading applications:
Adobe Digital Editions:
http://www.adobe.com/products/digitaleditions/
NOOK for PC:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/nook-for-pc/379002322
For help reading your own .epub file on a NOOK reading device, please
contact Barnes & Noble Customer Service. Tell them that you're trying to
"side-load" an .epub file into your NOOK device. Here is a link to the
web-based Customer Service system:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/help/customer_service/morehelp.asp
You can also call 1-800-THE-BOOK (1-800-843-2665) to request help on
this topic.
Sincerely,
The PubIt! Team
Thanks for nothing. In case you got bored and didn't tread completely through each email response, they both basically gave me instructions on previewing my book, something I had already done, which is why I wanted to get my uploaded draft back in the first place so that I could edit and update.
I would have been more satisfied with a simple "No, sorry we can not help you" than with what I got. If I had emailed asking how to preview my own book I could understand, but I didn't.
Anyway, thank God, I found a rough draft of the final draft and went to town. Over the course of the day I have spent a total of almost 6 hours on this and just uploaded my latest revisions.
Had I not found it, I would be royally screwed as I would have had to retype the entire 52 pages from the preview option on either site.
Anyway, now I can get back to book #2 and outlining #3 with a lighter load, it was irking the hell outta me, let me tell you.
Good night everyone :)
And that is exactly what I found. Except how could I fix these problems with my final draft gone? I emailed KDP and Barnes and Noble and got no help. I explained my situation and asked if it was possible to get what I uploaded sent back to me as an email attachment. I didn't think it would be a problem as big as these sites are. I was wrong, this is what I got back in return.
From KDP/Amazon
Hello Lyza,
I'm sorry, we are unable to provide the content file of your book. However, you can download the uploaded copy of your book in MOBI format by following these steps:
1. Visit https://kdp.amazon.com and log in.
2. Check the box at the left side of the book and then click on the "Actions" button at the top left.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the page to "Preview Your Book," under the box labeled "Enhanced Previewer box" Click on "Download Book Preview File"
4. Click on "Back to Bookshelf" to return to the previous page.
Also, please ensure you have Kindle previewer installed on your computer before trying to view your Kindle book. If you don't have one installed, click on "Download Previewer - Windows or Mac" found under "Download Book Preview File."
I hope this helps. Thanks for using Amazon KDP.
From Barnes and Noble
Hello,
There is no need for you to purchase a copy of your own eBook. To
download a current copy of the .epub file for yourself, log in your
PubIt! account. On the "my titles" tab, next to your eBook's title,
click "Actions" and then "Edit". This will load the "Edit/Add A Title"
page.
On the "Edit/Add A Title" page, scroll down to section 2, entitled
"Upload Your eBook". In the lower part of that section you should see a
box with the following:
"
Want to make changes?
There are two ways to edit your NOOKbook.
Option 1: Take a look through our _Formatting
Best Practices_ to learn more about how best
to format your source document, make some
changes, and then upload your fixed file and
reconvert.
Option 2: _Download the ePub file_ and make
changes to it. Note that knowledge of HTML
and ePub are necessary to tweak your ePub.
"
Click the link that says "_Download the ePub file_" next to Option 2,
and the system will offer you a copy of the .epub file. Please note,
this will give you a non-encrypted (non-DRM) copy of the ePub file. To
test the layout of your eBook, view the .epub file using either "NOOK
for PC" or "Adobe Digital Editions". Below are links to the installers
for each of these two reading applications:
Adobe Digital Editions:
http://www.adobe.com/products/digitaleditions/
NOOK for PC:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/nook-for-pc/379002322
For help reading your own .epub file on a NOOK reading device, please
contact Barnes & Noble Customer Service. Tell them that you're trying to
"side-load" an .epub file into your NOOK device. Here is a link to the
web-based Customer Service system:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/help/customer_service/morehelp.asp
You can also call 1-800-THE-BOOK (1-800-843-2665) to request help on
this topic.
Sincerely,
The PubIt! Team
Thanks for nothing. In case you got bored and didn't tread completely through each email response, they both basically gave me instructions on previewing my book, something I had already done, which is why I wanted to get my uploaded draft back in the first place so that I could edit and update.
I would have been more satisfied with a simple "No, sorry we can not help you" than with what I got. If I had emailed asking how to preview my own book I could understand, but I didn't.
Anyway, thank God, I found a rough draft of the final draft and went to town. Over the course of the day I have spent a total of almost 6 hours on this and just uploaded my latest revisions.
Had I not found it, I would be royally screwed as I would have had to retype the entire 52 pages from the preview option on either site.
Anyway, now I can get back to book #2 and outlining #3 with a lighter load, it was irking the hell outta me, let me tell you.
Good night everyone :)
Thursday, April 5, 2012
E-book Authors Selling Big Numbers on Kindle
When I log on and see that I've only made another 2 sales in the past few days I get discouraged. No, I don't want to stop trying, but I am human and so it's daunting at times. Then I read about an e-book author list naming names and counting numbers.
So if you, like me, are looking for a little encouragement that it can be done, here is a list of e-book authors that have sold 50,000+ books as of March 2012.
The list was alphabetized on the Kindle Forum by Zelah Meyer . I'm here and Zelah is in England, thinking, thinking, got it...we should trade places ala Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet in The Holiday :) Let me know Zelah, anytime!
Susan Alison http://montyandrosie.blogspot.com/
Melody Anne 150,000
Dani Amore
Bella Andre
http://books.usatoday.com/happyeverafter/post/2011-11-02/interview-bella-andre-e-book-phenom-and-author-of-from-this-moment-on/560623/1
Jake Barton
Robert Bidinotto
J Carson Black
http://donnanewton.wordpress.com/2011/11/30/30-second-interview-with-j-carson-black/
Cheryl Bolen 145,000
Kathleen Brooks
Catherine Bybee
Sarra Cannon 62,400
Karen Cantwell 86,000
Ruth Cardello
Darcie Chan
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/how-i-became-a-best-selling-author-.html
Mel Comley
Shelly Crane
Martin Crosbie 66,700
Blake Crouch
Chris Culver
David Dalglish - around 175,000
http://greghamerton.com/2011/11/indie-fantasy-authors-to-watch-david-dalglish/
Susan Denning 60,000
Saffina Desforges
http://saffinadesforgesblog.com/2011/12/21/official-annoucement-publishing-deal-for-sugar-spice-by-saffina-desforges/
Mainak Dhar - almost 100,000
Mark Edwards & Louis Voss
Sandra Edwards 90,000
Ellen Fisher - over 100,000
Penelope Fletcher - over 50,000 (? how much over?)
Tina Folsom
http://books.usatoday.com/happyeverafter/post/2011-11-04/interview-e-book-rock-star-tina-folsom-author-of-zanes-redemption/561641/1
Marie Force - 200,000 in the last year
Barbara Freethy
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/author-barbara-freethy-sells-over-one-million-self-published-e-books-in-2011-132522313.html
Jenny Gardiner
Eliza Gayle 65,000
Debora Geary
Lee Goldberg
Allan Guthrie 63,000
Gemma Halliday
Liliana Hart 100,000
Michael Hicks approaching 100,000
Amanda Hocking
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/jan/12/amanda-hocking-self-publishing
Sheila Horgan - over 80,000
Hugh Howey - over 100,000
Nancy C. Johnson
Ty Johnston - over 60,000
Selena Kitt
J.A. Konrath
http://www.jakonrath.com/bio.htm
Eve Langlais - over 56,000
Stephen Leather
http://publishingebooks.blogspot.com/
Jason Letts / foreverjuly - almost 50,000
Victorine Lieske
http://www.ckvolnek.com/4/post/2011/8/meet-best-selling-author-victorine-lieske.html
John Locke
Terri Giuliano Long
http://www.novelpublicity.com/2012/01/thanks-to-you-how-book-bloggers-sparked-the-indie-publishing-revolution/
Carole Davis Luce - 100,000
CJ Lyons
http://romanceuniversity.org/2011/12/19/indie-pubbing-and-the-nyt-list-with-cj-lyons/
H.P. Mallory
www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hpmallory
KC May
Bob Mayer
http://www.bobmayer.org/
David McAfee
Stephanie McAfee
http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/new-in-paperback-stephanie-mcafees-diary-of-a-mad-fat-girl/2012/01/30/gIQA7sDLxQ_story.html
Courtney Milan
Rick Murcer
http://blog.writingspirit.com/top-10-ebook-articles/
Scott Nicholson
Anne Marie Novark - Over 75,000
Shayne Parkinson - over 50,000 (? how much over?)
Michael Prescott - 995,000!
Rose Pressey
T.R. Ragan 239,592
Terri Reid
http://jimthewriterb.wordpress.com/2011/08/22/terri-reid-sells-60000-ebooks-in-her-first-year/
Adam Rendon
http://www.therip.com/features/2011/09/08/local-author-sells-over-100000-copies-of-self-published-novel/
Lexi Revellian
Shadonna Richards
Imogen Rose
Nick Russell over 100,000
L.J. Sellers
Michele Scott - 100,000
Tori Scott 84,000
Christopher Smith 700,000
Andy Straka
Michael J Sullivan
http://www.ridanpublishing.com/michaelsullivan.html
Denise Grover Swank 60,000
Vicki Tyley 100,000
Heather Killough-Walden
Michael Wallace - over 80,000
Kerry Wilkinson
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/feb/08/self-published-author-amazon-ebook
Nicole Williams
Rachel Yu - over 60,000
I wonder how many sales they are making over on Barnes and Noble.
There is hope, happy writing.
So if you, like me, are looking for a little encouragement that it can be done, here is a list of e-book authors that have sold 50,000+ books as of March 2012.
The list was alphabetized on the Kindle Forum by Zelah Meyer . I'm here and Zelah is in England, thinking, thinking, got it...we should trade places ala Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet in The Holiday :) Let me know Zelah, anytime!
Susan Alison http://montyandrosie.blogspot.com/
Melody Anne 150,000
Dani Amore
Bella Andre
http://books.usatoday.com/happyeverafter/post/2011-11-02/interview-bella-andre-e-book-phenom-and-author-of-from-this-moment-on/560623/1
Jake Barton
Robert Bidinotto
J Carson Black
http://donnanewton.wordpress.com/2011/11/30/30-second-interview-with-j-carson-black/
Cheryl Bolen 145,000
Kathleen Brooks
Catherine Bybee
Sarra Cannon 62,400
Karen Cantwell 86,000
Ruth Cardello
Darcie Chan
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/how-i-became-a-best-selling-author-.html
Mel Comley
Shelly Crane
Martin Crosbie 66,700
Blake Crouch
Chris Culver
David Dalglish - around 175,000
http://greghamerton.com/2011/11/indie-fantasy-authors-to-watch-david-dalglish/
Susan Denning 60,000
Saffina Desforges
http://saffinadesforgesblog.com/2011/12/21/official-annoucement-publishing-deal-for-sugar-spice-by-saffina-desforges/
Mainak Dhar - almost 100,000
Mark Edwards & Louis Voss
Sandra Edwards 90,000
Ellen Fisher - over 100,000
Penelope Fletcher - over 50,000 (? how much over?)
Tina Folsom
http://books.usatoday.com/happyeverafter/post/2011-11-04/interview-e-book-rock-star-tina-folsom-author-of-zanes-redemption/561641/1
Marie Force - 200,000 in the last year
Barbara Freethy
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/author-barbara-freethy-sells-over-one-million-self-published-e-books-in-2011-132522313.html
Jenny Gardiner
Eliza Gayle 65,000
Debora Geary
Lee Goldberg
Allan Guthrie 63,000
Gemma Halliday
Liliana Hart 100,000
Michael Hicks approaching 100,000
Amanda Hocking
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/jan/12/amanda-hocking-self-publishing
Sheila Horgan - over 80,000
Hugh Howey - over 100,000
Nancy C. Johnson
Ty Johnston - over 60,000
Selena Kitt
J.A. Konrath
http://www.jakonrath.com/bio.htm
Eve Langlais - over 56,000
Stephen Leather
http://publishingebooks.blogspot.com/
Jason Letts / foreverjuly - almost 50,000
Victorine Lieske
http://www.ckvolnek.com/4/post/2011/8/meet-best-selling-author-victorine-lieske.html
John Locke
Terri Giuliano Long
http://www.novelpublicity.com/2012/01/thanks-to-you-how-book-bloggers-sparked-the-indie-publishing-revolution/
Carole Davis Luce - 100,000
CJ Lyons
http://romanceuniversity.org/2011/12/19/indie-pubbing-and-the-nyt-list-with-cj-lyons/
H.P. Mallory
www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hpmallory
KC May
Bob Mayer
http://www.bobmayer.org/
David McAfee
Stephanie McAfee
http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/new-in-paperback-stephanie-mcafees-diary-of-a-mad-fat-girl/2012/01/30/gIQA7sDLxQ_story.html
Courtney Milan
Rick Murcer
http://blog.writingspirit.com/top-10-ebook-articles/
Scott Nicholson
Anne Marie Novark - Over 75,000
Shayne Parkinson - over 50,000 (? how much over?)
Michael Prescott - 995,000!
Rose Pressey
T.R. Ragan 239,592
Terri Reid
http://jimthewriterb.wordpress.com/2011/08/22/terri-reid-sells-60000-ebooks-in-her-first-year/
Adam Rendon
http://www.therip.com/features/2011/09/08/local-author-sells-over-100000-copies-of-self-published-novel/
Lexi Revellian
Shadonna Richards
Imogen Rose
Nick Russell over 100,000
L.J. Sellers
Michele Scott - 100,000
Tori Scott 84,000
Christopher Smith 700,000
Andy Straka
Michael J Sullivan
http://www.ridanpublishing.com/michaelsullivan.html
Denise Grover Swank 60,000
Vicki Tyley 100,000
Heather Killough-Walden
Michael Wallace - over 80,000
Kerry Wilkinson
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/feb/08/self-published-author-amazon-ebook
Nicole Williams
Rachel Yu - over 60,000
I wonder how many sales they are making over on Barnes and Noble.
There is hope, happy writing.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Spreading the word aka Marketing my e-book
Why oh why is it so hard to market? For me at least. It has gotten to a point where I find myself zoning out at my desk or Starbucks and even while driving. Just trying to figure out ways to get my book in front of the people who can benefit from it, other single mothers who live on a tight budget but love to travel. Some might say that the easiest thing to do is to visit blogs that have single mothers as their target market as well. But how?
Not only is my target a very niche market but I prefer not to randomly visit blogs as a one off just to leave a comment with my blog or book as my signature. Yet I don't have time to visit the thousands of blogs that might be beneficial in getting my book into my target markets hands. I did email about a dozen site and blog owners a few months ago asking if any of them would be interested in a free copy of my book. Sadly, no responses. I mean WTF!:)
As I mentioned before I have to choose one form of marketing and dedicate time to it. Because seriously there are so many opinions about what works best that it can drive a girl mad.
I decided on using Yahoo Answers for a while and answering questions thoughtfully and closing with a signature link to my blog. I have seen a slight uptick in visits though no sales from it yet. Though I will keep at it since I can easily answer 5 or more questions in 10-15 minutes.
And I know that I have to add to that, just not sure what to choose yet. Maybe you have some ideas for a sista cuz I need help. Check out this very partial list of e-book marketing ideas you get on the web:
Bookmarks (for an e-book? really?)
Create Hype (okay, um how?)
Contests (This I want to do, perhaps a giveaway though instead of a contest)
Word of Mouth (The mecca o'marketing in my humble opinion)
Create a website for each book (no can dosville baby doll - I can barely keep up with my blog peeps)
Create a book trailer (this sounds fun and I have seen some cool ones)
Sign up at affiliate sites (I don't know, seems sketchy to me, but maybe it's just the word "affiliate")
Be active on forums (read above)
Write guest posts (I'd love too, anyone? people?)
Use coupons (?)
Business cards (?)
Use Twitter (read below)
Use Facebook (read below)
And these are just some, it's intimidating. I am not a social network person though a fellow newbie BIWer suggested Goodreads to me, thanks Laura . It seems insincere and not all organic to only put up a FB page to promote my book, so what am I to do? Make a page anyway and force myself to check it and update it daily?
For now I will keep on writing and editing and posting on Yahoo Answers. I'll keep you posted on they next move in my massive publicity campaign. :)
Not only is my target a very niche market but I prefer not to randomly visit blogs as a one off just to leave a comment with my blog or book as my signature. Yet I don't have time to visit the thousands of blogs that might be beneficial in getting my book into my target markets hands. I did email about a dozen site and blog owners a few months ago asking if any of them would be interested in a free copy of my book. Sadly, no responses. I mean WTF!:)
As I mentioned before I have to choose one form of marketing and dedicate time to it. Because seriously there are so many opinions about what works best that it can drive a girl mad.
I decided on using Yahoo Answers for a while and answering questions thoughtfully and closing with a signature link to my blog. I have seen a slight uptick in visits though no sales from it yet. Though I will keep at it since I can easily answer 5 or more questions in 10-15 minutes.
And I know that I have to add to that, just not sure what to choose yet. Maybe you have some ideas for a sista cuz I need help. Check out this very partial list of e-book marketing ideas you get on the web:
Bookmarks (for an e-book? really?)
Create Hype (okay, um how?)
Contests (This I want to do, perhaps a giveaway though instead of a contest)
Word of Mouth (The mecca o'marketing in my humble opinion)
Create a website for each book (no can dosville baby doll - I can barely keep up with my blog peeps)
Create a book trailer (this sounds fun and I have seen some cool ones)
Sign up at affiliate sites (I don't know, seems sketchy to me, but maybe it's just the word "affiliate")
Be active on forums (read above)
Write guest posts (I'd love too, anyone? people?)
Use coupons (?)
Business cards (?)
Use Twitter (read below)
Use Facebook (read below)
And these are just some, it's intimidating. I am not a social network person though a fellow newbie BIWer suggested Goodreads to me, thanks Laura . It seems insincere and not all organic to only put up a FB page to promote my book, so what am I to do? Make a page anyway and force myself to check it and update it daily?
For now I will keep on writing and editing and posting on Yahoo Answers. I'll keep you posted on they next move in my massive publicity campaign. :)
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Writing fiction is like hard and stuff
Last week I signed up for the writing challenge over at Book In a Week .
Why? I need the practice. When I was a teenager I wrote all the time. I was always jotting down poems and songs and even short stories. Fast forward to my 20s and I started about 4 novels, no I never finished any of them, but I did start. One even got into the 7th chapter, go Lyza, go Lyza!
Yet as I sat down in front of my laptop last week to start work on my short story, I froze.
Then I googled how to write a short story :) I am not ashamed here people. Everyone needs a hand up at times. And this time it's me. I stumbled upon Book in a Week and decided I liked the premise. You sign up, get approved and list your goal for the week. I started with a modest 15 pages, then you write and write, you don't worry about editing during this time you just put your words down every day for an entire week.
The people on that site are some of the nicest people you will ever meet online. A few reached out to me personally just to say hello and welcome me. For an introvert like me, it was nice to be taken into the fold on a site where it seems most of the people have been friendly for months or even years. You should check the site out.
We start on Monday and I am looking forward to it. I liken it to actors who take acting and improv classes to improve their craft. Never stop learning. And hey, if you meet some nice people along the way, all the better. :0)
Why? I need the practice. When I was a teenager I wrote all the time. I was always jotting down poems and songs and even short stories. Fast forward to my 20s and I started about 4 novels, no I never finished any of them, but I did start. One even got into the 7th chapter, go Lyza, go Lyza!
Yet as I sat down in front of my laptop last week to start work on my short story, I froze.
Then I googled how to write a short story :) I am not ashamed here people. Everyone needs a hand up at times. And this time it's me. I stumbled upon Book in a Week and decided I liked the premise. You sign up, get approved and list your goal for the week. I started with a modest 15 pages, then you write and write, you don't worry about editing during this time you just put your words down every day for an entire week.
The people on that site are some of the nicest people you will ever meet online. A few reached out to me personally just to say hello and welcome me. For an introvert like me, it was nice to be taken into the fold on a site where it seems most of the people have been friendly for months or even years. You should check the site out.
We start on Monday and I am looking forward to it. I liken it to actors who take acting and improv classes to improve their craft. Never stop learning. And hey, if you meet some nice people along the way, all the better. :0)
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Pen names for E-books
Obviously every writer's goal is to make money with their writing. And as I read articles, e-books and blogs it seems that getting more e-books out there is one of the key ways to gain exposure and make more sales which equals more money.
But what if you want to expand and write in different genres and categories?
There are some e-book authors doing quite well while crossing genres and using different pen names. I think I may do the same.
I do love writing non fiction budget travel books, but I have other things I long to work on. The biggest is to start and actually complete a contemporary romance novel. I say complete because over the years I have started and abandoned a few novels. Gotta work on that follow through :)
I think I am going to go with pen names for my next few projects. One is that I have been told that ethnic sounding names, like mine, do not sell as well. People assume they will not relate to your work. I pray that after I get a few reviews that I can overcome that with my books. No matter my name I am a single mom and I write for other single moms, it's as simple as that.
I do have other Traveltini's for my Broke Single Mom series that I want to put out in the next couple of months. I also have a couple of short stories I want to get started on, the issue is timing and organization.
With my Traveltini books its about research and compilation while my short stories should be pretty easy to get down on paper as they are both fictionalized versions of my dating life.
For now I will keep my very ethnic sounding last name on my non fiction titles and I will be brain storming pen names for my shorts.
Andif when I finish my novel I will decide if I use one of the names I am already using or if a new pen name is in order. :)
But what if you want to expand and write in different genres and categories?
There are some e-book authors doing quite well while crossing genres and using different pen names. I think I may do the same.
I do love writing non fiction budget travel books, but I have other things I long to work on. The biggest is to start and actually complete a contemporary romance novel. I say complete because over the years I have started and abandoned a few novels. Gotta work on that follow through :)
I think I am going to go with pen names for my next few projects. One is that I have been told that ethnic sounding names, like mine, do not sell as well. People assume they will not relate to your work. I pray that after I get a few reviews that I can overcome that with my books. No matter my name I am a single mom and I write for other single moms, it's as simple as that.
I do have other Traveltini's for my Broke Single Mom series that I want to put out in the next couple of months. I also have a couple of short stories I want to get started on, the issue is timing and organization.
With my Traveltini books its about research and compilation while my short stories should be pretty easy to get down on paper as they are both fictionalized versions of my dating life.
For now I will keep my very ethnic sounding last name on my non fiction titles and I will be brain storming pen names for my shorts.
And
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Writing and selling the non-fiction e-book
Some people say that writing non fiction is the way to go if you want to make money fast. I haven't the slightest if this is true. What I do know is what is true for me and that is that I haven't made enough money yet to even cover my costs.
So why am I continuing to write non fiction? Especially when so many writers are caking it (making money hand over fist) with fiction?
Because I genuinely enjoy writing about shoestring budget travel, time flies when I am writing and doing research and crunching numbers. And I believe that once I get my name and books "out there" and noticed I will be helping so many people that are just like me. Single parents that believe the only way to take their kids on a vacation is to either visit family out of town or set up camp and sleep in a tent.
In this day and age there is no reason that almost everyone shouldn't be able to take a week off and have a grand old time of it without going into credit card debt. My 5 day Chicago vacation was around $400, including Amtrak tickets, parking, food and hotel and we got blessed and stayed at the amazing Embassy Suites a few blocks from the Navy Pier. Meanwhile my sister went camping near Washington DC for 4 days and spend $400 just on the camp site. A nice camp site to be sure, with a lake, pool and cafe, but at the end of the day she was still roughing it.
I do want to write a novel, most writers do. But for right now I will write my next few non fiction books to add to my virtual shelf space and take it from there.
So if you have a passion for something, gardening, cooking or playing the piano and want to share your knowledge and write about it, then do. Don't let anyone tell you there isn't a market for it or that you are wasting your time.
Do what makes you happy and then market the heckaroni out of it! And if it works then yay for you! If it doesn't? Well at least you won't spend the next 20 or 30 years wondering "what if".
So why am I continuing to write non fiction? Especially when so many writers are caking it (making money hand over fist) with fiction?
Because I genuinely enjoy writing about shoestring budget travel, time flies when I am writing and doing research and crunching numbers. And I believe that once I get my name and books "out there" and noticed I will be helping so many people that are just like me. Single parents that believe the only way to take their kids on a vacation is to either visit family out of town or set up camp and sleep in a tent.
In this day and age there is no reason that almost everyone shouldn't be able to take a week off and have a grand old time of it without going into credit card debt. My 5 day Chicago vacation was around $400, including Amtrak tickets, parking, food and hotel and we got blessed and stayed at the amazing Embassy Suites a few blocks from the Navy Pier. Meanwhile my sister went camping near Washington DC for 4 days and spend $400 just on the camp site. A nice camp site to be sure, with a lake, pool and cafe, but at the end of the day she was still roughing it.
I do want to write a novel, most writers do. But for right now I will write my next few non fiction books to add to my virtual shelf space and take it from there.
So if you have a passion for something, gardening, cooking or playing the piano and want to share your knowledge and write about it, then do. Don't let anyone tell you there isn't a market for it or that you are wasting your time.
Do what makes you happy and then market the heckaroni out of it! And if it works then yay for you! If it doesn't? Well at least you won't spend the next 20 or 30 years wondering "what if".
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