Good morning, Edie! This brave woman has gone the self-publishing route for two books! You must read this blog and learn why I would call her generous, as well brave and tenacious!
A huge thank you to Mary Marvella for inviting me to blog at my favorite Pink Fuzzy place today. And thank you to the other Pink Fuzzy ladies who are always so welcoming!
I’ve written about more than one character who has a heart so full it puffs up like a balloon. That’s how I’ve felt for months now, and I swear my heart is actually getting bigger. I’ve self-published two books and one short story, and I didn’t do it alone. It took a global village. I’ve named names before from my own personal Wall of Heroines and a couple of Heroes. But I’d like to add reviewers to my global village.
Karin Tabke (who’s high on my Wall of Heroines) recently blogged at Magical Musings about having to go off-line and ignore her emails, stop commenting on blogs, and practically disappearing from Facebook. Why? Because she has deadlines and just can’t do it all.
Her deadlines are contracted, and my deadlines are self-imposed. Though my book comes first, it’s important for me to have an online presence. There are thousands of indie authors uploading their books every day. I need to get the word out about my books. Even so, I still can’t do it all.
I took a few forays into Kindle boards and Kindle Nation, and it was confusing and a bit scary, like driving in a strange city at night and running into a round-about. I’ve guest blogged on friends’ sites (a SMOOCH to Mary for having me here so often). I like blogging, and that works better for me.
Another way to get the word out is to send review requests to reviewers. So a HUGE thank you to reviewers. So far I’ve gotten either really good or great reviews for CATTITUDE and my newest book DEAD PEOPLE. It’s gratifying and a big relief.
We writers do a scary thing. We put our stories out there, and this is all so subjective. Not everyone likes the same stories. And it’s scarier for indie writers. We don’t have an agent or an editor backing us. Sure, I get great comments from my CPs and beta readers, but having people who don’t know me say they love my books… That’s a pretty good feeling.
My husband and I have a decorated tree with sparkly lights, and it’s like having a bit of magic in our family room. Every time a writer sits at the keyboard and make up sentences, it’s another kind of magic. And every time someone says they appreciate what we do, that’s another kind of sparkly light.
Besides Karin Tabke, another name on my Wall of Heroines is Dale Mayer. Dale is a single mom who’s raising four children and actually supporting them by her writing income. We all know what a miracle that is. She’s in my GIAM group, and her recaps make me look like a slacker. But she’s always positive and always ready to help another member out.
Dale is one of six remaining finalists in the RT/Kensington Writing With The Stars Contest. This is the third round, and the voting is on the blurbs. Of course, I think the best one is Dale’s. The winner gets a publishing contract, and I hope you’ll check out the blurbs and vote.
Who’s on your Wall of Heroines / Heroes?
