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
Showing posts with label writing ebooks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing ebooks. Show all posts
Friday, April 13, 2012
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".
Friday, November 11, 2011
Working the Kinks out of posting my ebook on PubIt and Kindle
It's done. My book is now officially available for sale on both Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. After the upload I realized that there were a few mistakes that I needed to change and I found out that fixing them takes a while.
I uploaded the proper file to Barnes and Noble but not to Amazon, dag-na-bit! The result is that if anyone buys the Amazon copy today there will be two chapter 11 headings in the index and though there is a chapter 7 it got skewed in the conversion which makes it look like a mere continuation of Chapter 6. I have gone in and replaced that version with the correct file. But like I said, it takes a while...24 hours is what the Kindle site is saying.*
*Update; the correct version is now live and for sale replacing my flawed first try:) Kudos to Amazon's Kindle program, it was no where near 24 hours more like 5 hours.
But aside from this hiccup I have to tell you how wonderful it feels to have finished and posted my book for sale so soon after changing my business focus.
I've also decided to have this first book be part of a series, the "Broke Single Mom" series. And I am already researching and working on my next book.
I am new to all of this in the self publishing ebook world, but I am willing to learn and if you are thinking of testing the water, I say jump in! So we make mistakes, at least we're trying. and those can always be rectified :)
I uploaded the proper file to Barnes and Noble but not to Amazon, dag-na-bit! The result is that if anyone buys the Amazon copy today there will be two chapter 11 headings in the index and though there is a chapter 7 it got skewed in the conversion which makes it look like a mere continuation of Chapter 6. I have gone in and replaced that version with the correct file. But like I said, it takes a while...24 hours is what the Kindle site is saying.*
*Update; the correct version is now live and for sale replacing my flawed first try:) Kudos to Amazon's Kindle program, it was no where near 24 hours more like 5 hours.
But aside from this hiccup I have to tell you how wonderful it feels to have finished and posted my book for sale so soon after changing my business focus.
I've also decided to have this first book be part of a series, the "Broke Single Mom" series. And I am already researching and working on my next book.
I am new to all of this in the self publishing ebook world, but I am willing to learn and if you are thinking of testing the water, I say jump in! So we make mistakes, at least we're trying. and those can always be rectified :)
Monday, September 26, 2011
Ebook writing for the Kindle and the Nook - Starting Over
Okay so here is the sitch people. I have tried my hand at many businesses over the years because ever since I was 16 years old and pregnant with my daughter I have wanted a very Emma Harte type of existence. And while our lives do mirror each other when it comes to the tragedy and hardship part on so many levels its scary, they absolutely DO NOT on the success in business area, sadly for me.
The biggest difference is that well I am a real person while Ms. Emma Harte is fictional. But she has always been so real to me, such an inspiration. I have read that book over 20 times in the last 21 years and I own 3 different copies of it as well as the DVD. Yes I am a fan lol. If you have ever read it you know, and if you choose to read it then you will know.
Why would a 37 year old woman continue to strive for though never achieve any real success and yet still feel like this fictional character is someone to be looked up to? Partly because like all of us, I still view the heroine of "A Woman of Substance" through the eyes of a pregnant 16 years old that felt alone in this world when her daughters father died. Also because like almost everyone else as well, I want the American dream. I want to be able to work for and build a legacy for my children and grand children and I pray that I can have fun along the way.
But how can I when I have spent the past 9 years of my life on hold? I have changed from the person I once was and I hate it. Today I can say that I am so tired or being sick and tired of my life. My house is always in a shambles, I have gained 90 EFFING pounds - bleh, I have not dated since my last horrific relationship ended and my kids are crazy and disrespectful. I have no social life, I only see my friends when we vacation every year and though I love (most of) the people I work with I hate my job.
What do I think I need to start changing these things?
-God
-Church
-New business shift
-Ability to stop being passive/agressive and stand my ground with my children
-Actually riding the bike I was gifted by my mom
-Deciding that I am important again
Sooooo......
God and church - I will start reading my bible each night again. And I will try the church I visited a few times last year.
New Business Shift - I have tried for years to start an ebook publishing business. Well I took certain steps to do this but never really followed through. My old counselor says I am scared of success, how twisted is that? Anyway, now, instead of looking for people who have done the deed with AIS (ass in seat) and written books, so that I could publish and market for them, I have decided to "put up or shut up'. I have written my first non fiction book and I am in the process of editing it.
Passive/Agressiveness - I'm sure its from my upbringing but I have a difficult time calling someone out, now I do get to a point where I've bottled it up for so long that I let people have it and it can and has, gotten VERY ugly and scary. It's like I am a different person. This is unhealthy and I want to erase that out of the way that I handle my children and all of their young adult and teenage angst. All it does is stress me further and not solve the initial problem
Riding my bike - Simple, Get off my ass and get on my bike, ugh! But seriously I went from a size 3/4 to an 18 - how sad :(
I am Important - I am ! I just have to constantly remind myself that I am and that all of the hard work and sacrifice I am planning to under take is doable because I am important enough to work for, as are my children.
Until next time, I leave you with a quote that I likey :) "Setting a goal doesn't guarantee success; it just gives you a target. You still have to work your tail off to hit it. —Dave Ramsey
Here goes nothin'
The biggest difference is that well I am a real person while Ms. Emma Harte is fictional. But she has always been so real to me, such an inspiration. I have read that book over 20 times in the last 21 years and I own 3 different copies of it as well as the DVD. Yes I am a fan lol. If you have ever read it you know, and if you choose to read it then you will know.
Why would a 37 year old woman continue to strive for though never achieve any real success and yet still feel like this fictional character is someone to be looked up to? Partly because like all of us, I still view the heroine of "A Woman of Substance" through the eyes of a pregnant 16 years old that felt alone in this world when her daughters father died. Also because like almost everyone else as well, I want the American dream. I want to be able to work for and build a legacy for my children and grand children and I pray that I can have fun along the way.
But how can I when I have spent the past 9 years of my life on hold? I have changed from the person I once was and I hate it. Today I can say that I am so tired or being sick and tired of my life. My house is always in a shambles, I have gained 90 EFFING pounds - bleh, I have not dated since my last horrific relationship ended and my kids are crazy and disrespectful. I have no social life, I only see my friends when we vacation every year and though I love (most of) the people I work with I hate my job.
What do I think I need to start changing these things?
-God
-Church
-New business shift
-Ability to stop being passive/agressive and stand my ground with my children
-Actually riding the bike I was gifted by my mom
-Deciding that I am important again
Sooooo......
God and church - I will start reading my bible each night again. And I will try the church I visited a few times last year.
New Business Shift - I have tried for years to start an ebook publishing business. Well I took certain steps to do this but never really followed through. My old counselor says I am scared of success, how twisted is that? Anyway, now, instead of looking for people who have done the deed with AIS (ass in seat) and written books, so that I could publish and market for them, I have decided to "put up or shut up'. I have written my first non fiction book and I am in the process of editing it.
Passive/Agressiveness - I'm sure its from my upbringing but I have a difficult time calling someone out, now I do get to a point where I've bottled it up for so long that I let people have it and it can and has, gotten VERY ugly and scary. It's like I am a different person. This is unhealthy and I want to erase that out of the way that I handle my children and all of their young adult and teenage angst. All it does is stress me further and not solve the initial problem
Riding my bike - Simple, Get off my ass and get on my bike, ugh! But seriously I went from a size 3/4 to an 18 - how sad :(
I am Important - I am ! I just have to constantly remind myself that I am and that all of the hard work and sacrifice I am planning to under take is doable because I am important enough to work for, as are my children.
Until next time, I leave you with a quote that I likey :) "Setting a goal doesn't guarantee success; it just gives you a target. You still have to work your tail off to hit it. —Dave Ramsey
Here goes nothin'
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)