Four more days of free YA contemporary romance.
Find Me Online
Showing posts with label elevated. Show all posts
Showing posts with label elevated. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Monday, November 30, 2015
SECOND CHANCE RANCH is #free!
Well, with the birth of another book, it's time to celebrate! Two weeks of par-tays, in fact.
This week, until Friday, December 4, you can get SECOND CHANCE RANCH for free.
 |
| Click the cover to download for FREE. |
Tomorrow, THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM releases! So be sure to get that too, while the first book is free.
 |
| Click the cover to buy. |
Next week, ELEVATED will be free!
 |
| Free next week, December 7! |
So gear up to gift these titles to your friends and family -- books make great gifts, even before Christmas. And gifting a FREE book is free for you and helps spread the word about the book. So even if you already have a copy, you can gift the book to someone who doesn't.
It's easy! Look on the right side below the price and buy buttons to find the GIVE AS A GIFT button. All you need from there is an email address, and viola! The free book gets delivered to your loved one.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
ELEVATED is a Winner!
The cover of ELEVATED was chosen as the winner from dozens of Indie-published titles, by giants in the Indie cover-creating world Damon Za, Fiona Jade, Covers by Ramona, and Dane Low.
You can see all the winners of the 2014 Indie Rev Award cover contest here.
.jpg) |
| The genius Erin at Erin Summerill Photography shot and designed the cover. |
Thursday, April 24, 2014
ELEVATED on sale!
Dude, so it's the last Thursday of April, which means that National Poetry Month is coming to a close. So I thought it would be fun and appropriate to put my verse novel on sale. So from now until the end of April, ELEVATED is on sale for only 99 cents!
I hope you'll consider getting a copy if you haven't yet, and helping to spread the word to anyone who likes YA romance.
.jpg)
About ELEVATED: The last person seventeen-year-old Eleanor Livingston wants to see on the elevator—let alone get stuck with—is her ex-boyfriend Travis, the guy she's been avoiding for five months.
Plagued with the belief that when she speaks the truth, bad things happen, Elly hasn’t told Trav anything. Not why she broke up with him and cut off all contact. Not what happened the day her father returned from his deployment to Afghanistan. And certainly not that she misses him and still thinks about him everyday.
But with nowhere to hide and Travis so close it hurts, Elly’s worried she won’t be able to contain her secrets for long. She’s terrified of finally revealing the truth, because she can’t bear to watch a tragedy befall the boy she still loves.
I hope you'll consider getting a copy if you haven't yet, and helping to spread the word to anyone who likes YA romance.
Plagued with the belief that when she speaks the truth, bad things happen, Elly hasn’t told Trav anything. Not why she broke up with him and cut off all contact. Not what happened the day her father returned from his deployment to Afghanistan. And certainly not that she misses him and still thinks about him everyday.
But with nowhere to hide and Travis so close it hurts, Elly’s worried she won’t be able to contain her secrets for long. She’s terrified of finally revealing the truth, because she can’t bear to watch a tragedy befall the boy she still loves.
Buy on Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
What Is Enough For Me
Okay, so I've been doing a lot of thinking and working, and working and thinking about publishing. I always seem to, and I always seem to find some new light or think of something in a new way. I guess I shouldn't be surprised by this anymore, but I still am!
So I have traditionally published a series with Simon & Schuster. I enjoyed the experience, and I like working with an agent to sell my books to bigger publishers. I am hoping for future sales in this market. In fact, I just turned in a novel last week that I hope is "the one!"
Additionally, I have begun a journey into self-publishing. I have enjoyed it too. There are things I can do with my self-published titles that I can't with my S&S titles. Marketing, playing with price, and buying ads are the biggest things I've noticed so far.
I've also been networking and hob-nobbing with some Indie authors. They are fun people, and very determined and hard-working. I've also noticed--and it's all coming from ME, not THEM--this need to constantly be selling my books.
I've felt this pressure since self-publishing. Not from other authors, but in general. I've realized that I don't like it.
Selling books is not why I write books. I have no grand illusions of making a million dollars. I don't write to make money. I don't want that to be the focus of my writing.
But I've struggled with this, because the amount of money you make nearly determines your success or worth in almost any field, publishing included.
This thought of writing because I love it, and publishing because, for me, it's a needed process that comes with writing has been re-iterated this past weekend. I want to share my work with readers--hopefully readers that will love the stories I write as much as I do.
To me, that is the purpose and goal of my writing. It's also why I publish. I've been having a hard time identifying what would be "enough" for me. More money? I already knew I wasn't writing for money. But what is it? What drives me to write and publish? What is enough?
I think I've identified at least one piece of this perplexing puzzle. The reader connection. See, I got a review from The Deseret News, which is one of the big newspapers in Salt Lake City. The reviewer loved ELEVATED. She connected to it. She got out of it what I got out of it. She read and loved what I wrote and loved.
She said, in part: "It is easy to flow from the first word to the last without ever putting down the book. Johnson shows outstanding talent in this form, and her words are beautiful, important and deeply felt." (You can read the whole review here.)
It was a magical moment. It's like the reader and the author experiencing, breathing, and existing in the same space for the time it takes to read the book.
And that, I realized, is enough for me.
What do you think would be enough for you?
So I have traditionally published a series with Simon & Schuster. I enjoyed the experience, and I like working with an agent to sell my books to bigger publishers. I am hoping for future sales in this market. In fact, I just turned in a novel last week that I hope is "the one!"
Additionally, I have begun a journey into self-publishing. I have enjoyed it too. There are things I can do with my self-published titles that I can't with my S&S titles. Marketing, playing with price, and buying ads are the biggest things I've noticed so far.
I've also been networking and hob-nobbing with some Indie authors. They are fun people, and very determined and hard-working. I've also noticed--and it's all coming from ME, not THEM--this need to constantly be selling my books.
I've felt this pressure since self-publishing. Not from other authors, but in general. I've realized that I don't like it.
Selling books is not why I write books. I have no grand illusions of making a million dollars. I don't write to make money. I don't want that to be the focus of my writing.
But I've struggled with this, because the amount of money you make nearly determines your success or worth in almost any field, publishing included.
This thought of writing because I love it, and publishing because, for me, it's a needed process that comes with writing has been re-iterated this past weekend. I want to share my work with readers--hopefully readers that will love the stories I write as much as I do.
To me, that is the purpose and goal of my writing. It's also why I publish. I've been having a hard time identifying what would be "enough" for me. More money? I already knew I wasn't writing for money. But what is it? What drives me to write and publish? What is enough?
I think I've identified at least one piece of this perplexing puzzle. The reader connection. See, I got a review from The Deseret News, which is one of the big newspapers in Salt Lake City. The reviewer loved ELEVATED. She connected to it. She got out of it what I got out of it. She read and loved what I wrote and loved.
She said, in part: "It is easy to flow from the first word to the last without ever putting down the book. Johnson shows outstanding talent in this form, and her words are beautiful, important and deeply felt." (You can read the whole review here.)
It was a magical moment. It's like the reader and the author experiencing, breathing, and existing in the same space for the time it takes to read the book.
And that, I realized, is enough for me.
What do you think would be enough for you?
Monday, March 10, 2014
Secrets of a Self-Publisher
Okay, I feel like Anne Burrell or something. You know her show on Food Network, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef? Or maybe I'm the only one who watches copious amounts of Food Network and HGTV...
Ahem.
So I recently self-published a book. It was a very interesting experience for me, already having gone through the traditional publishing process for numerous works. There are a plethora of differences between the two processes, and there are a multitude of similarities too.
I think the biggest difference is the speed. Traditional publishing seems to take a long time, but the author has to handle very few of the details. You don't have to make (or contract for) a cover; you don't have to pay for editing (in fact, you get paid to do the editing!); you don't have to choose a release date; you don't have to worry about formatting the ebooks, or figuring out how to put them up on the retail sites. You basically get to write and edit -- and the business stuff is left to the publisher.
This can be both good and bad. I, personally, had a pretty good experience. I know others who have had a less fun experience.
I also have had a good experience learning all of the above things about self-publishing. It is a steep learning curve, don't get me wrong, but I enjoy learning the technical aspects of formatting, and I already know quite a bit of HTML.
I think the secret to self-publishing is understanding that it's not easier, it's not better, it's not worse, and it's not exclusive.
Let me explain:
Self-publishing is not easy: It takes a lot of work to get a book into publishable state. Anyone who's ever written a book knows this. Self-publishers should spend as much time editing and proofreading their books as they do writing them. Things happen in formatting that might mess things up.
For example, I am terrible at design. I can't decorate my house. I don't see balance or white space, or understand composition in visual art. Any cover I make is sure to be a disaster. I understand and admit this weakness -- and I think sometimes self-publishers refuse to admit any weaknesses.
So I hired a professional to create my cover.
I personally believe that authors grow and improve through professional editing. I have worked with 3 different professional editors through Simon & Schuster, and I have worked with 2 editorial, professional agents. I worked with a new editor for ELEVATED. I have learned something new from every single professional agent or editor I've worked with.
Secret: If you're a self-publisher and you skip the "professional editing" stage, you're making a huge mistake.
And editing isn't the only thing you should do. After you do a content edit (or 2 or 3!), you need a copy editor. And after that, you need a proofreader. You cannot be the copy editor or proofreader. It is my opinion that you must hire these things out, or at least ask beta readers to do them for you.
This is the process of traditional publishing, and self-publishers should embrace the same level of quality in their work.
For ELEVATED, I hired a professional copyeditor, and I farmed out proofreading to betas. There were still mistakes, even after multiple readers. (I will never name a character Honesty again! Different story for a different day.)
Self-publishing is not better or worse than other methods of publishing: I know there's still a stigma out there about it, and I wish it would go away. I have read a lot of books in my life, self-published, small press published, and "Big 5" published. Some of them I absolutely loved. Some I couldn't finish. Some I finished, but I didn't like. Some of the most popular books out there I did not like, because reading is so subjective.
I recently listened to an editor speak, and she said that she doesn't want to read the "self-publishing slush pile" and that traditional publishing allows readers to be able to avoid that slush pile too.
I think she's totally wrong. ALL books go into a reader's slush pile. Most readers don't understand the difference between big or small publishers, or the many imprints at those publishers, or Indie publishers.
They see a book with a cover and back cover copy. ALL books should strive to have the best cover possible, and the most professional cover copy possible. If a book looks good, fits a genre a reader likes, and sounds interesting, a reader doesn't care where it's coming from.
Secret: ALL books are in one giant slush pile, hoping to be noticed above the one sitting on the shelf next to it. At least for readers.
So it's my opinion that self-publishing isn't better or worse than any other form of publishing. For me, I used self-publishing as a way to continue to further my craft, as well as achieve a sense of forward momentum in my career -- a drawback of the traditional market (again, in my opinion).
Self-publishing is not exclusive: Anyone can do it! The real question is whether you're ready or not. I'm of the opinion that everything that a traditional publisher does, a self-publisher should endeavor to replicate. That means hiring professionals to do things by being honest with yourself about your skill set.
After that, I think we should focus on buying, reading, and talking about books we think we'll like, both as authors and readers. Publishing is not as exclusive as it used to be, and I actually think that is a very good thing.
Secret: There are tools for readers to use to gauge whether they'll like a book or not, and the publisher is only one very small piece of that.
What do you think? Am I way off-base? Or somewhat rational?
Ahem.
So I recently self-published a book. It was a very interesting experience for me, already having gone through the traditional publishing process for numerous works. There are a plethora of differences between the two processes, and there are a multitude of similarities too.
I think the biggest difference is the speed. Traditional publishing seems to take a long time, but the author has to handle very few of the details. You don't have to make (or contract for) a cover; you don't have to pay for editing (in fact, you get paid to do the editing!); you don't have to choose a release date; you don't have to worry about formatting the ebooks, or figuring out how to put them up on the retail sites. You basically get to write and edit -- and the business stuff is left to the publisher.
This can be both good and bad. I, personally, had a pretty good experience. I know others who have had a less fun experience.
I also have had a good experience learning all of the above things about self-publishing. It is a steep learning curve, don't get me wrong, but I enjoy learning the technical aspects of formatting, and I already know quite a bit of HTML.
I think the secret to self-publishing is understanding that it's not easier, it's not better, it's not worse, and it's not exclusive.
Let me explain:
Self-publishing is not easy: It takes a lot of work to get a book into publishable state. Anyone who's ever written a book knows this. Self-publishers should spend as much time editing and proofreading their books as they do writing them. Things happen in formatting that might mess things up.
For example, I am terrible at design. I can't decorate my house. I don't see balance or white space, or understand composition in visual art. Any cover I make is sure to be a disaster. I understand and admit this weakness -- and I think sometimes self-publishers refuse to admit any weaknesses.
So I hired a professional to create my cover.
I personally believe that authors grow and improve through professional editing. I have worked with 3 different professional editors through Simon & Schuster, and I have worked with 2 editorial, professional agents. I worked with a new editor for ELEVATED. I have learned something new from every single professional agent or editor I've worked with.
Secret: If you're a self-publisher and you skip the "professional editing" stage, you're making a huge mistake.
And editing isn't the only thing you should do. After you do a content edit (or 2 or 3!), you need a copy editor. And after that, you need a proofreader. You cannot be the copy editor or proofreader. It is my opinion that you must hire these things out, or at least ask beta readers to do them for you.
This is the process of traditional publishing, and self-publishers should embrace the same level of quality in their work.
For ELEVATED, I hired a professional copyeditor, and I farmed out proofreading to betas. There were still mistakes, even after multiple readers. (I will never name a character Honesty again! Different story for a different day.)
Self-publishing is not better or worse than other methods of publishing: I know there's still a stigma out there about it, and I wish it would go away. I have read a lot of books in my life, self-published, small press published, and "Big 5" published. Some of them I absolutely loved. Some I couldn't finish. Some I finished, but I didn't like. Some of the most popular books out there I did not like, because reading is so subjective.
I recently listened to an editor speak, and she said that she doesn't want to read the "self-publishing slush pile" and that traditional publishing allows readers to be able to avoid that slush pile too.
I think she's totally wrong. ALL books go into a reader's slush pile. Most readers don't understand the difference between big or small publishers, or the many imprints at those publishers, or Indie publishers.
They see a book with a cover and back cover copy. ALL books should strive to have the best cover possible, and the most professional cover copy possible. If a book looks good, fits a genre a reader likes, and sounds interesting, a reader doesn't care where it's coming from.
Secret: ALL books are in one giant slush pile, hoping to be noticed above the one sitting on the shelf next to it. At least for readers.
So it's my opinion that self-publishing isn't better or worse than any other form of publishing. For me, I used self-publishing as a way to continue to further my craft, as well as achieve a sense of forward momentum in my career -- a drawback of the traditional market (again, in my opinion).
Self-publishing is not exclusive: Anyone can do it! The real question is whether you're ready or not. I'm of the opinion that everything that a traditional publisher does, a self-publisher should endeavor to replicate. That means hiring professionals to do things by being honest with yourself about your skill set.
After that, I think we should focus on buying, reading, and talking about books we think we'll like, both as authors and readers. Publishing is not as exclusive as it used to be, and I actually think that is a very good thing.
Secret: There are tools for readers to use to gauge whether they'll like a book or not, and the publisher is only one very small piece of that.
What do you think? Am I way off-base? Or somewhat rational?
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
ELEVATED release day!!
Throughout the years, I have visited your blogs. You've read mine. Or I've taught a class you attended, or attended a class you taught. Or maybe I've read your books and you've read mine. Maybe you've participated in the many blog tours, blitzes, or cover reveals I've organized. Maybe we're twitter or Facebook friends, or maybe we share a deep love of bacon.
Whatever our connection, I hope that today, I can solicit some support from you. See, my debut YA contemporary novel is releasing this very day, and I'd like to make a big splash in the huge pool of contemporary novels. ELEVATED also marks my entry into the Indie realm of publishing.
I hope you'll help me celebrate both of these landmarks by buying a copy of ELEVATED -- it's only $4.99, and would really make my day!
Celebrate by buying the book!
Celebrate by reviewing!
Celebrate by recommending ELEVATED to a friend -- it's easy! Just tweet or Facebook or link to this blog post.
Tweet: Buy ELEVATED, a new #YA #contemporary novel from @ElanaJ today to celebrate the release! http://amzn.to/1jnTY4F
Facebook: Buy ELEVATED, a new YA contemporary novel from Elana Johnson today to celebrate the release! http://amzn.to/1jnTY4F
You can find out more about ELEVATED -- and what people have to say about it -- on Goodreads. I, of course, think it's fabulous, but you can read the reviews -- and the author endorsements below -- and decide for yourself if it's worth your $5.
"ELEVATED will take you on an emotionally gripping journey through the highs and lows of first love."
~Carolee Dean, author of Take Me There and Forget Me Not
"Poignant, raw, and intense, ELEVATED is a novel that will grip your heart and linger in your mind long after you turn the last page."
~Stasia Ward Kehoe, author of Audition and The Sound of Letting Go
Thank you, and I hope you have a great day!
Whatever our connection, I hope that today, I can solicit some support from you. See, my debut YA contemporary novel is releasing this very day, and I'd like to make a big splash in the huge pool of contemporary novels. ELEVATED also marks my entry into the Indie realm of publishing. I hope you'll help me celebrate both of these landmarks by buying a copy of ELEVATED -- it's only $4.99, and would really make my day!
Celebrate by buying the book!
Celebrate by reviewing!
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
- Goodreads
- Your blog -- I can provide you with a media kit to make this easy, peasy. Just ask!
Celebrate by recommending ELEVATED to a friend -- it's easy! Just tweet or Facebook or link to this blog post.
Tweet: Buy ELEVATED, a new #YA #contemporary novel from @ElanaJ today to celebrate the release! http://amzn.to/1jnTY4F
Facebook: Buy ELEVATED, a new YA contemporary novel from Elana Johnson today to celebrate the release! http://amzn.to/1jnTY4F
You can find out more about ELEVATED -- and what people have to say about it -- on Goodreads. I, of course, think it's fabulous, but you can read the reviews -- and the author endorsements below -- and decide for yourself if it's worth your $5.
"ELEVATED will take you on an emotionally gripping journey through the highs and lows of first love."
~Carolee Dean, author of Take Me There and Forget Me Not
"Poignant, raw, and intense, ELEVATED is a novel that will grip your heart and linger in your mind long after you turn the last page."
~Stasia Ward Kehoe, author of Audition and The Sound of Letting Go
Thank you, and I hope you have a great day!
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Updated ELEVATED cover!
Okay, so a few weeks ago, I released the cover to my forthcoming novel, ELEVATED. It was a fabulous cover! But based on some feedback, my designer and I decided to do a little updating with the fonts, sizes, colors, and images.
Since this is a digital-release only, there are different things to think about than with a print title. I am new to navigating the Indie publishing waters, so everything has been a learning curve. Creating a cover has been one of the most rewarding and also one of the steepest curves.
The new cover for ELEVATED is below. I think it's close enough to the first one that it is still recognizable. What do you think?
.jpg)
I am so excited to unleash this book on the world! Less than a week now!!
Since this is a digital-release only, there are different things to think about than with a print title. I am new to navigating the Indie publishing waters, so everything has been a learning curve. Creating a cover has been one of the most rewarding and also one of the steepest curves.
The new cover for ELEVATED is below. I think it's close enough to the first one that it is still recognizable. What do you think?
I am so excited to unleash this book on the world! Less than a week now!!
Friday, January 24, 2014
ELEVATED cover reveal!
Okay, so most of you know I'm publishing my YA contemporary novel on February 18. And if you didn't know, now you do! It's called ELEVATED, and here's what it's about.
About ELEVATED: The last person seventeen-year-old Eleanor Livingston wants to see on the elevator—let alone get stuck with—is her ex-boyfriend Travis, the guy she's been avoiding for five months.
Plagued with the belief that when she speaks the truth, bad things happen, Elly hasn’t told Trav anything. Not why she broke up with him and cut off all contact. Not what happened the day her father returned from his deployment to Afghanistan. And certainly not that she misses him and still thinks about him everyday.
But with nowhere to hide and Travis so close it hurts, Elly’s worried she won’t be able to contain her secrets for long. She’s terrified of finally revealing the truth, because she can’t bear to watch a tragedy befall the boy she still loves.
I had a couple of fellow verse novelists read ELEVATED, and here's what they had to say.
"ELEVATED will take you on an emotionally gripping journey through the highs and lows of first love."
~Carolee Dean, author of Take Me There and Forget Me Not
"Poignant, raw, and intense, ELEVATED is a novel that will grip your heart and linger in your mind long after you turn the last page."
~Stasia Ward Kehoe, author of Audition and The Sound of Letting Go
And now here's the cover!!
I'm also doing a $15 PayPal cash giveaway, so help spread the word about ELEVATED's cover and enter to win!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
And tell me what you think of the cover!
About ELEVATED: The last person seventeen-year-old Eleanor Livingston wants to see on the elevator—let alone get stuck with—is her ex-boyfriend Travis, the guy she's been avoiding for five months.
Plagued with the belief that when she speaks the truth, bad things happen, Elly hasn’t told Trav anything. Not why she broke up with him and cut off all contact. Not what happened the day her father returned from his deployment to Afghanistan. And certainly not that she misses him and still thinks about him everyday.
But with nowhere to hide and Travis so close it hurts, Elly’s worried she won’t be able to contain her secrets for long. She’s terrified of finally revealing the truth, because she can’t bear to watch a tragedy befall the boy she still loves.
I had a couple of fellow verse novelists read ELEVATED, and here's what they had to say.
"ELEVATED will take you on an emotionally gripping journey through the highs and lows of first love."
~Carolee Dean, author of Take Me There and Forget Me Not
"Poignant, raw, and intense, ELEVATED is a novel that will grip your heart and linger in your mind long after you turn the last page."
~Stasia Ward Kehoe, author of Audition and The Sound of Letting Go
And now here's the cover!!
 |
| Photo and design by Erin Summerill Photography |
I'm also doing a $15 PayPal cash giveaway, so help spread the word about ELEVATED's cover and enter to win!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
And tell me what you think of the cover!
Friday, January 3, 2014
My 2014 Goals, Inspired by Ali Cross
Okay, so it's the beginning of a new year. A new calendar year. I've decided to write a few goals down (mostly because I read this post by my good friend Ali Cross, spent at least 30 minutes feeling like a loser, and then decided to make my own--much less impressive--list), and I also decided to share them with all of you. Lucky ducks!
(I actually do a lot of goal-setting in August, when the new school year begins. I live my life from August - July most of the time.)
But anyway, here are some of my publishing and life goals for 2014:
Life: Continue my physical wellness pursuits. I've lost 20 pounds, which is a direct result of my healthy eating and gym attendance. I'm going to continue doing that.
Publishing: Successfully finish edits on RIFT, a YA time travel I'm currently revising for my agent.
Life: Renew my teaching certificate. I kinda have to if I want to keep my job, so...
Publishing: Draft 2 new books. I have one started, but the second? I think I'm going to have to pull up my 30-ideas-in-30-days file and see what I've got in there...
Life: Master 10 recipes for my pressure cooker. I've made a few things now--pot roast and pulled pork--and I think I've got the pulled pork down. It was delicious. The pot roast... not so much. Needs some more work there.
Publishing: Edit/polish 4 already-written novels and prepare them for either submission or self-publishing. Don't be impressed. All 4 novels have been through quite a bit of revision already. Maybe one more round? Maybe two...
So those are the goals. I think they're pretty do-able. I also have a couple of marketing strategies. I've been sort of, I don't know, burned out (?) on marketing in the past several months. I'm honestly just not sure what works and what doesn't, and I'd rather spend my time writing. Thus--
Marketing Strategy #1: Write and publish more books.
That's it. I'm not worried about posting on Facebook or twitter or tumblr a certain amount of time or every day. I'm looking to be more spontaneous and authentic.
So I'm going to spend my time writing, polishing, and publishing more books. Right now, I only have one scheduled (ELEVATED, February 18), but I may put out another one in the fall.
Marketing Strategy #2: Post entire works and excerpts on Wattpad.
Possession is already there, and I'm going to be uploading part of both SURRENDER and ELEVATED, as well as a new fantasy.
Marketing Strategy #3: Use my established newsletter.
I checked, and yeah. Not a good year in 2013. I think I sent 4 newsletters--the last one in June. So I'm going to try to be better about doing the newsletter thing, but I'm not going to go crazy. I'm thinking quarterly is a good start. I've already done the redesign, and the first newsletter went out yesterday.
And that's it. I hope to have a couple of books out this year, maybe some news of a deal (fingers crossed!), and most of all, a renewed enthusiasm to be an author in 2014!
Did you post goals for 2014? I'd love to go visit your blog and see them, so link me up in the comments!
(I actually do a lot of goal-setting in August, when the new school year begins. I live my life from August - July most of the time.)
But anyway, here are some of my publishing and life goals for 2014:
Life: Continue my physical wellness pursuits. I've lost 20 pounds, which is a direct result of my healthy eating and gym attendance. I'm going to continue doing that.
Publishing: Successfully finish edits on RIFT, a YA time travel I'm currently revising for my agent.
Life: Renew my teaching certificate. I kinda have to if I want to keep my job, so...
Publishing: Draft 2 new books. I have one started, but the second? I think I'm going to have to pull up my 30-ideas-in-30-days file and see what I've got in there...
Life: Master 10 recipes for my pressure cooker. I've made a few things now--pot roast and pulled pork--and I think I've got the pulled pork down. It was delicious. The pot roast... not so much. Needs some more work there.
Publishing: Edit/polish 4 already-written novels and prepare them for either submission or self-publishing. Don't be impressed. All 4 novels have been through quite a bit of revision already. Maybe one more round? Maybe two...
So those are the goals. I think they're pretty do-able. I also have a couple of marketing strategies. I've been sort of, I don't know, burned out (?) on marketing in the past several months. I'm honestly just not sure what works and what doesn't, and I'd rather spend my time writing. Thus--
Marketing Strategy #1: Write and publish more books.
That's it. I'm not worried about posting on Facebook or twitter or tumblr a certain amount of time or every day. I'm looking to be more spontaneous and authentic.
So I'm going to spend my time writing, polishing, and publishing more books. Right now, I only have one scheduled (ELEVATED, February 18), but I may put out another one in the fall.
Marketing Strategy #2: Post entire works and excerpts on Wattpad.
Possession is already there, and I'm going to be uploading part of both SURRENDER and ELEVATED, as well as a new fantasy.
Marketing Strategy #3: Use my established newsletter.
I checked, and yeah. Not a good year in 2013. I think I sent 4 newsletters--the last one in June. So I'm going to try to be better about doing the newsletter thing, but I'm not going to go crazy. I'm thinking quarterly is a good start. I've already done the redesign, and the first newsletter went out yesterday.
And that's it. I hope to have a couple of books out this year, maybe some news of a deal (fingers crossed!), and most of all, a renewed enthusiasm to be an author in 2014!
Did you post goals for 2014? I'd love to go visit your blog and see them, so link me up in the comments!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)