Indie Recon
The
line-up this year was amazing. Three full days of speakers ranging from Susan
Kay Quinn to Peter Bowerman with topics like Marketing outside the box to the
nitty-gritty details about Goodreads. I have to applaud the group that puts
this together year after year. I can’t even begin to imagine the amount of work
it must take. That said, I didn’t really attend. I planned to, life kind of got
in the way. But that doesn’t mean I don’t get to play catch-up now. I read
three articles just this morning, in fact. That’s the beauty of this kind of conference:
We get to go back at our leisure and let it all sink in. You can head over here
Fae by Emily White
I’ve
only got one word to say: Cailen.
For
those of you who haven’t read Emily’s first book in the Auri Wars series,
Cailen is this super mysterious guy who you’re not quite sure about, but you
want to be. Oh, you want to be. And that wanting continues in book number two;
Fae. Thankfully, Emily doesn’t tease us. We get to know Cailen more, right
along with Ella, and to know him is to love him. And I do.
You
can find Fae here
And
you can staulk Emily here
Five Year Project
On
the last Friday of each month, we do a review, of our life, our goals. For me,
it’s to have the Newstead books be the next great American novel(s). Thank you,
Misha, for hosting this. You can join this yourself by signing up here. A five year goal is a good idea for anyone, and
looking at it monthly is even better, because it helps you stay on track.
So,
how is it going? Slow. I tend to be in that brick and mortar mentality, that if
it isn’t an instant best seller, than it will never be, and that is not true.
Indie publishing is a completely different ball game. Our books never go out of
print. There is nothing but time. But
it is daunting. There are literally millions of books out there, and more
coming every day. What’s to make mine stand out?
Whenever
I think like that, the inevitable anxiety builds up until it’s just not fun
anymore. It feels like work, and it was never meant to be work. So I don’t
think like that. I write for me. I enjoy it for me. And if someone else gets to
enjoy it, too, all the better.
I didn't get a chance to check in on IndieCon either. I was busy writing this week.
ReplyDeleteA best seller can happen anytime. My first book didn't hit that point until it had been out almost a year. So don't give up!
I'm with Alex.
ReplyDeleteThe point is to stay productive. (I'm learning this the hard way, getting out of the brick and mortar view myself.)
Your last paragraph hits home. Write for yourself and Enjoy the journey. Good Luck on your Goals.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right. My eighth published romance was the one to hit bestseller lists. And then it carried over to increased sales on my back list. Time is on our side.
ReplyDeleteEverything about this business makes the anxiety build up for me. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteJust keep writing. Keep writing. Keep writing.
ReplyDeleteI think marketing the answer to your "what makes mine stand out" question will be the foundation to your success.
ReplyDelete