The Indie Life ~ Time is Precious.

I am sitting here this morning wondering what I was going to tell you about the indie life. I'm having a BRAIN FART moment. My MIND IS EMPTY, but full of thoughts at the same time. None of these thoughts have nothing to do with writing. This is the gist of this blog. What happens when a writer can't write because their real life interferes with their work? And believe you me writing is hard work even if you self publish.

What do you do when the writing muses escapes you? When the desire to write is high but the inspiration or fire to put words on paper just isn't happening? I'm there and have been there for almost forever. This from a woman who penned six books inside of eighteen months and spent almost eighteen months post stroke trying to write one book.

The realization hit me the other day when I was to the point where I wanted to scream out of frustration of wanting to write...no check that, needing to write and not being able to. Right now, I need the escape factor that writing brings to my troubled mind. That's what writing is to me, a chance to escape my everyday life. While writing I can breakout of reality and dabble in different locales, be someone else, and have a scathing comeback right on the tip of my tongue to be directed at the person that deserves it. I can get lost in research and search for over used words. But I'm needed in reality and don't have the luxury of this escape.

So what did I realize? Sometimes, you just have to let some things slide to the back burner of life. When my mind and body have to be alert and present in the now, my writing just has to wait. Not that I have to like it, but it is what it is.

My daughter recently opened a photography business. When she had to pick a name for her company, she hesitated, and then she came up with the perfect name...Time is Precious Photography. Why is it perfect you might ask... a baby (wedding, friends and loved ones) is a baby a very short time. You can't go back and redo it. The only things you might have are pictures that jogs your memory in the future. Pictures document a life the way a diary can. Isn't that what reading and writing does? It captures moments and highlights in your character's life.

When we indie publish, we are saying we are breaking the mold. We are inventing a better mousetrap. We are blazing our own trails. We are controlling our own destinies as authors. Yep, all of that and more. When we don't write because real life interrupts us there has to be a pretty important reason for it. For me, it was having another tiny stroke, spending time with my grandchildren (they are growing so fast), and having a husband moved to hospice care for his final month or two. In my particular case...being in the time is precious mode is more important that committing words in my WIP. I make no excuses. It's a choice. So while real life takes up all of my should be writing time... I'm making every moment count.

Y'all keep writing and loving the Lord.

Wednesday Writerly Way ~ The Indie Two Step

Being an indie author is no easy task. It's the Indie Two Step. It's the latest rage and everybody is trying to learn this dance craze. Including you if you're reading this.

This dance has intricate twists and turns.  It has no particular moves because different steps work for different authors which makes it ever hard to teach to someone else. There is no magic formula in spite of all the blogs, articles and books.

So why do it?

Well that's what I'm telling you to ask yourself before you even attempt it. You have to be honest with yourself.

• How much time are you willing and able to invest in your project?
• How much money can you afford to invest in your project?
• Is your project good enough to withstand the market and shine?

These are the three questions you should contemplate before going indie. But situations change. There are always evolutionary changes within your life which affect your first answers.

I side stepped traditional publishing. I understood what was at stake by doing this. It's a bold new world. I am an innovator type person although an introvert. I've always made things happen. Because of real life situations made it possible for me to publish, market and sell my books in spite of having a terminally ill husband.

How much time was I willing and able to invest? Every waking moment when I was not
doing my duties of ministry, caregiver, and a living, breathing person. That averaged out to about 50 hours a week. But I was realistic, life would intrude on that 50 hours so I devoted 30 hours a week to my publishing, marketing, production, and selling efforts. That equated to a part time job. Now with a part time job you don't aim for the stars but a realistic high mountain peak.

How much money could I afford to invest? Almost none. That meant I had a whole lot of learning to do on how to put together a book in various formats, cover art, editing, the best way to market my book, and be realistic about the returns for my efforts. Currently meager effort = meager return on investment (ROI) but more on that in a minute. 

Is my book able to withstand the competition and shine? Possibly. I'm still working on the Indie Two Step moves. I started with good intentions. Don't we all?

But a funny thing happened on my way to success as an indie author. Life bumped me out of the running. My husband's cancer got worse. In fact he's on a downward spiral and he's looking forward to meeting his Maker. I had a stroke. So I'm treading water because my life as an indie author came to almost a screeching halt. My marketing efforts have dwindled down to nonexistent.

As a result, the new formatting of my books to Kindle have been derailed. Kindle once accounted for 85% of my sales. The second books in the areas espionage/suspense, southern suspense, horror/suspense, and six children's books in the Sweet Haven series sits idling on my hard drive while I await my brain recovering enough to set the next stage in action. Also books 2 &3 of my survival nonfiction series, and the full text of the "Author Business" sit in equal idle mode. Hard life blows for any writer.

Everyone knows to sell more books you have to have a bunch of them to get noticed? That's true with traditionally published authors too. The more books; the more exposure.

So how do you learn a dance when there are so many conflicting moves for the same dance? You don't. You do the best that you can and pray for a miracle!

Keep writing and loving the Lord.

Wednesday Writerly Way~ Formatting Your Manuscript for Publication

I'm on hiatus from my blog but The Indelibles Indie Life is one of my commitments. I take commitments very seriously so here I am posting again....SURPRISE!

By the way I'm still on hiatus. My real life intrusions have lessened some. I'm feeling better, sleeping better, and my heart isn't thumping out of my chest as much. Thanks for your patience.

 If you haven't indie published your manuscript before, you need to scrutinize formatting instructions carefully. The difference between paperback and e-books formatting is night and day. The difference in types of e-reader formats is also mind boggling.

In printed publishing, typesetters is not a do-it-yourself task. Or not one task to take on with a cavalier attitude. It's a critical function of book production. Yes, Amazon's CreateSpace has an interior format you can follow and other self-publishing companies which makes it seem easy BUT WAIT.

Is not as simple as it may appear. You think you can just copy and paste your text chapter by chapter into the space provided this is easy, but there are all kinds of tweaks involved to present a professional looking copy even with a template. You have to compare what you wrote to the "book" version. Things you may have to tweak...

• Font size
• Type of font
• Italics
• Bold
• Justified text. You don't want it to read like t      h       i      s at the end of the sentence.
• Headers and footers. I had a 2" drop of a header in one of my books that looked normal on the screen when I ordered the preview copy I noticed the drop.
• Chapter headings on a new page and spaced appropriately.

These are just a few things to look out for. It is always wise to order and pay for a preview copy before publishing. Then red pen the things you want to change in it.

Now e-formatting is a bug-a-boo at best. Even following the pages upon pages of instructions. Each e-reader has a different format, each need a creation of a metadata file for chapter headings so readers can search for individual chapters. It's a heck of a learning curve even with one e-reader format.

I cheat and use Smashwords, they do all that formatting stuff for me. I only have to learn one format, theirs. Well, I take that back. Since they have had problems with Amazon Kindle distribution, I publish with Amazon's Kindle myself so I learned two formats out of eight. I've honestly got better things to do with my time than learning all the formats...like writing, family, and living my life.

In indie publishing, you want your book to look as good as the mainstream publishers. Maybe even better, because of the typo they have. I've found multiple typos in mainstream published books because it's too expensive to change them all. Of course you can say the heck with all of that and hire someone to do the formatting for you. But as always, check their credentials. Your baby doesn't need a fly by night operation.

With Smashwords they have a list of formatters available for a price. I'd strongly recommend getting one of them if your manuscript has multiple pictures and graphics, or a cookbook. I learned from experience on this one. I self published Are You a Survivalist or a Prepper? and didn't utilize their services. Numerous kick outs by their meatgrinder which checks for errors in formatting and a month later, it was approved for distribution. That book only had six diagrams and photos in it.

Are you thinking of indie publishing? Have you indie published a book? What are your horror stories with formatting? Did you learn anything from this blog?

Keep writing and loving the Lord.

Tuesday Tumbling Term ~ Determination

It's time for the term of the week for indie authors. This week's word is DETERMINATION.

de·ter·mi·na·tion
noun
1. the act of coming to a decision or of fixing or settling a purpose.
2. ascertainment, as after observation or investigation: determination of a ship's latitude.
3. the information ascertained; solution.
4. the settlement of a dispute, question, etc., as by authoritative decision.
5. the decision or settlement arrived at or pronounced.

Why is this important for any author especially the indie one?

Determination is essential to growing a thick skin that you'll need to wear...

• against doubters
• against critics
• against yourself
• to travel the path of one less and more traveled
• to be published even if it takes years or decades ...time

 When you announce to your family, circle of friends, or the world, there will be those that will think of you as a fool. They might never say it to your face, but it's there. The longer it takes to write, edit, and publish, the more this thought will manifest within them. They actually do not know how difficult writing and publishing is, or maybe they do. They just doubt your ability to see it through to the end. It will take determination to see it through.


When you publish a book, there will be critics. There always are. Whether the critics praise or slam your baby is up to them. All's you can do is wear your thickened skin through it. That takes determination to ride the wave and see it through.
 While you are writing, you are constantly in a battle with yourself. Am I a good enough writer? Am I ever going to finish writing this book? Will my tweaks attract and agent or publisher? I'm only fooling myself at thought of being a writer?

The picture is fairly accurate, isn't it? Self doubt is the biggest killer of determination. Set your mind on the finish line. Many people think about writing a book. Some even start writing a book. Only a few will finish writing a book, let alone publish it. It takes determination to reach the finish line and see it through.

A few years ago, self publishing or indie publishing was a taboo subject for any serious author. I know because I was one of them. It takes a lot of know how, finesse, or outsourcing to make it in the indie world. Longevity becomes a key operating. You will not be successful overnight. Savvy marketing, niches, angles become selling tools you will use. It will take determination on your part to see it through.

That ties in nicely with my last point...time. Okay, maybe a few hundred people know you've written a book. How is that expanded to thousands and millions? It takes time. Even with the standard presses, they will seriously push your book for a limited time for about 5% of their author base. The rest is up to you. As an indie you gave to do all the pushing, not shoving, yourself. You will have to push against cracks in the doors of independent booksellers. You will have to push yourself to make everyone know who you are as a writer. You have to push yourself to advertise. It takes determination.

Do you have determination on your side?

Keep writing and loving the Lord.

Tuesday Tumbling Term ~ Write Right

Tuesday Tumbling Term as it pertains to the indie author is...WRITE. This week we are looking at reasons a writer writes.

write
verb (used with object)
1. to trace or form (characters, letters, words, etc.) on the surface of some material, as with a pen, pencil, or other instrument or means; inscribe: Write your name on the board.
2. to express or communicate in writing; give a written account of.
3. to fill in the blank spaces of (a printed form) with writing: to write a check.
4. to execute or produce by setting down words, figures, etc.: to write two copies of a letter.
5. to compose and produce in words or characters duly set down: to write a letter to a friend. 

Over the years I've heard tons of reasons why a writers write. They stem from a dream to be published or just for personal enjoyment. I should also add continuing to be published as in my case.

If your goal is to be published there is a much larger learning curve than personal enjoyment. The number one and two are editing and the right words to write. There are thousands of other steps and I'm not over simplifying them, but for most authors these are the biggies.

Editing is the biggest headache for those seeking publication. It's not the case of dotting every "i" and crossing every "t." There's a whole list of grammatical rules to follow, and break and know when to break them. If it wasn't for grammatical rules everyone would be a published author. Even an indie one. I spend two to three times as long editing a piece for publication than initially writing a piece. It's daunting at best.

I know authors that agonize over every word choice in the first draft. Every sentence means what they want. They can spend a full day on one sentence. By the end of the year they will have 365 sentences...that might be ten pages out of 100-600 page manuscript. This is truly an exaggeration because sometimes they nail it on the first go around. But still that's an accomplishment over not doing.

I also know writers that write just to get the idea down on the page. I'm one of these sort of.   I tend to write first. So what if it's not perfect. Nothing is perfect on the first attempt. There is so much room for self doubt and second or third guessing.

So what kind of writer are you?
Keep writing and loving the Lord.

Tuesday Tumbling Term ~ Knowledge

As an indie author, you need to know a lot. This leads me to the tumbling term for the indie author...Knowledge.

knowl·edge
noun
1. acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles, as from study or investigation; general erudition: knowledge of many things.
2. familiarity or conversance, as with a particular subject or branch of learning: A knowledge of accounting was necessary for the job.
3. acquaintance or familiarity gained by sight, experience, or report: a knowledge of human nature.
4. the fact or state of knowing; the perception of fact or truth; clear and certain mental apprehension.
5. awareness, as of a fact or circumstance: He had knowledge of her good fortune. 

A broad and general knowledge base is essential. I often talk about the hats I wear as an indie author, but the truth is, now traditionally published authors are facing the same thing. The online presence being a major change in the publishing industry. I can remember being an author and doing a few interviews, public speaking events, and some book signings but the rest of the time I could just write. That isn't the case anymore. Now both have got to do it all. It's a mad scramble for positioning with more and more indie authors thrown into the mix.


As an author, you have to know...

• how to write effectively
• how to reach and who your audience is
• how to breathe life into your characters
• weave a good story
• grammar and how to edit
• how to attract an audience (little fish in an ever growing pond)
• how to run a business
• basic accounting techniques
• how to write back cover blurbs
• how to maintain an online presence 
• computer literacy
• and the list goes on and on

But then again, you have to learn a bunch of stuff for any job, right. Even a grocery bagger has to learn what goes in the bottom of the bag and what goes on top, right? Maybe I should clarify that...to be a good grocery bagger.

Learning the steps and gaining the knowledge is half the battle.

So what is your knowledge base?

Keep writing and loving the Lord.

Tuesday Tumbling Term ~ Brain Fart

If you read yesterday's mailbox, you've guessed the theme of the week and today's words...brain farts.

I couldn't find a definition in my usual source   www.dictionary.com but didn't let that stop me. I went to ...www.Wikionary.com for the definition.

brain fart (plural brain farts)
 1.  (idiomatic, informal) A lapse in the thought process; an inability to think or remember something clearly.
   2.  (idiomatic, informal) Something ill-considered and said or done impulsively

Yes, that pretty well sums it up. So what does this mean to the indie author? Well, I'll tell you...

You can't afford them!

Or at least not many of them. As an indie author you have to have all your ducks in a row.You set a plan in motion planning it step by step. The writing, the voice, the editing, the formatting, the cover, the fonts used, the advertising, and the word count. This is your creation totally.

Sure you can outsource a lot of this labor for a cost, but the ultimate decision is yours. As much as I like to travel outside the box, there are some things that just are. While being traditionally published takes a lot of the heat in some of these areas away, going indie is an all or nothing proposition.

When you allow your brain to wander in too many directions at one time, you will have more and more brain fart moments. Sure you can make changes on a moments notice, but should you? This is where the voice of reason comes in.

To prevent brain farts...

• write a good story
• choose the voice that will entice the reader. How many milk-toast characters do you read?
• edit it well even if it takes months or years to do so
• choose a cover which says something to the audience you are trying to reach
• choose a font which is standard. Yes, you might like a certain font when writing, but can the reader read it?
• formatting is different for each site you want to upload to...learn them
• follow other authors' examples but don't be afraid to put your own personal twist on things
• Set your sight on one goal at a time and make them achievable
• write it down. Don't depend on your memory

 So what are your techniques for battling brain farts?
Keep writing and loving the Lord.

Tuesday Tumbling Term ~ Downside

It's time again for another term for the indie author. Today's term is DOWNSIDE. We've all heard the saying, "If there's an upside, there has to be a downside," or something close to that. Independent publishing or being an indie author is no exception.


down•side (ˈdaʊnˌsaɪd)
n.
1. the lower or underneath side.
2. a downward trend, esp. in stock prices.
3. a discouraging or negative aspect.

This week I have been talking about the down side of the roller coaster. If you've read my blog for any length of time, you've heard my reference to life being a roller coaster and I believe it!

On Monday Mailbox, I had an email from a reader of my books and my blog which basically said I was upbeat. My reply was that it isn't always so and it's true. Of life's roller coaster, I prefer the old wooden type with ups and downs, and slight twists. But often I get the modern metal variety with major loop-de-loops. Indie writing and publishing is no different.

As an author over the past year, and it's just a couple weeks shy of a year, I've suffered several major setbacks to my indie author career. It started out with so much promise, the upward trek of the roller coaster. It was clicking its way to the top with publications, marketing, and getting its way to the top. More manuscripts were being completed and I was on my way to being the multi genre/published author I wanted to be.

The little downside. My lack sales didn't daunt my enthusiasm. Nobody knew my new author names so I had to educate them to who I was and what I wrote. I could do that via social media, my blog, public appearances, and just getting the word out.

By year two, I was well on my way to publishing books two and three in multiple categories. I was becoming the prolific author I knew I could be. As you may have read, that's the way to garner notoriety and notice from readers. I had a 5-year plan so little dips didn't matter.

I rode out the first two years with all their little dips and and major climbs. In my mind, I was a success even with months of lack-lustered sales. I was focused on producing and getting the word out, "Hey, I'm an author. I'm the next greatest thing to sliced bread." Even though I was a small fish in an ever exploding pond of indie authors. I was coasting at the top of the roller coaster.

Then came the downside and into the loop-de-loop of my husband's illness and complications with my heart condition. Okay this wasn't so major in retrospect, but at the time it felt like a major drop off. Bad reviews due to formatting issues with Kindle started rolling in. I made an executive decision to pull my books off Kindle figuring a couple months and I'd rerelease them paying no attention to the major downside up ahead on the roller coaster. You know the one where you either raise your hands in the air, devil-may-care, and shout with joy and excitement... Or, grip the bar so tight that your knuckles are white, and scream at the top of your lungs in sheer terror.

A couple months of an 80% decrease in royalties in the hopes of getting more after the reformatted version. It seemed like a logical choice. A small price to pay for the probability of higher sales numbers and future readers. A small price to pay in the grand scheme of things to come. Hindsight is ALWAYS 20/20.

I had a stroke and my 5-year plan went out the window. I entered the spiraling world of writing after a stroke. Like any safe roller coaster, I'm assured I won't fall out and I just hang on until it's over. That's where I am now. In the loop-de-loop spiral unable to advertise the way I should and unable to get the books published that were almost completed before my stroke. I'm going around, and around, and around knowing it can't last forever. My forward strides in rehab prove that. Editing can seem like a nonstop loop-de-loop too.

So where are you on the writing roller coaster? On the high climbing side? The downside of editing? The downside of lackluster sales? The god awful spiral? Or coasting into the stop and ready to begin again?

Keep writing and loving the Lord.

Wednesday Writerly Way ~ Online is Easy

Marketing online is easy with social media, right? I mean there are tons of sites that you can promote your books as an author. Is there such a thing as being online too much? How do you know you are reaching your target audience?

I'm on MySpace, GoodReads, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, SheWrites, belong to a large number of writerly sites for authors and readers alike, and follow blogs when written. If I spent any number of hours on these sites I'd never get any writing done on any WIP. Besides there are tons of indie and traditional authors doing the same thing...get to know me, howdy, I wrote a book, buy my book blurbs in 140 characters or less, and websites and blogs. It's a disorganized mess out there with tons of competition. So what's my angle?

I've been accused a time or two of having Montezuma's Revenge of the mouth...talking too much. My blog isn't any different. While most blogging experts say to keep blogs short and sweet, I do just the opposite. My blogs are meaty chunks of succulent details that you can't help but sink your teeth into and come back for seconds. The only thing short about me is my stature, but then only if I'm not riled up because I can get ten feet tall and in your face if the circumstances warrant it. I've made full grown, good old boys cower in fear. My blog is my perfect platform for my condition and it works for me.

Those other places, I check in weekly unless there is an event going on. I get weekly digests of who said what and when that happened while I was away. I do spent quite a bit of time, several times a day, in emails. There may be a three week backlog in my answering you back.  I'm there but not there. They are my silent salesmen working 24/7 just like this blog does. My Amazon author space and Smashwords is updated automatically as I publish. My blogs and twitter comments are posted on several site usually within twenty-four hours of posting them...I'm all about double or triple duty uses with one effort. That's because I have a life too, don't we all?

Be it tenacity or pure mule headed stubbornness, however you cut it. We as indie authors face the same challenges without a Big 6 publisher holding our hand or offering support. We have our own support and hand holding network of friends and authors...like Indelibles and a host of other sites.

So how much of an online presence do you need? A lot, but if you can find options that allow double duty for the same action, grab it and run. I'm averaging 5,000 to 10,000 hits a month on this blog so for me its exposure. If everyone that stopped by bought even one of my books, I'd be rolling in money. I realize the more likely number from sales is 10% of that. I spend a lot of time doing the analytics thing. I analyze what is the best use for my money and time is money. Although the experts say that blogging doesn't relate to book sales I beg to differ...mine does. In each of my books there is a section in the about author that I add contact information. Yep, this website is listed. It works for me. I can see the numbers.

I did something really smart or very stupid during the Smashwords "Read an e-book" promotion. I set all my books for free except one. Over 100 books flew into people's e-reader formats. But Jo, that's money out of your pocket. Yes, it is. I advertised the sale everywhere listed above, but only 100 books were downloaded. That's good news and bad by my calculations. I really expected the number to be higher on the bad side of the scale considering it was five titles. Conversely, my sales to B&N and Apple accounted for 200 books paid for tipping the scales the other way. So I lost some money during the promotion but made twice as much in sales in other areas...go figure. It was a gambled risk that worked out. Sometimes an author just wants to see what happens and to get books into readers' hands.

Seeing how I advertised the sale everywhere along with quite a few other authors the numbers of downloads didn't sway the numbers too much. So the question I pose is why spend hours upon hours promoting a book online? Use your time and resources wisely. I know I do.

Keep writing and loving the Lord.

Wednesday Writerly Way ~ The Indie Life Roller Coaster

I've always lived the indie lifestyle so it shouldn't be any surprise that I became a hybrid author. The comparison between being an indie author and traditionally published one.

If you don't not look for challenges in this life...you are just coasting.

I've never had a life a person could coast through. Whether it has been jobs I've had, or family issues, or marriage. Nothing has ever been simple and straight forward. So now I'm approaching another birthday. Yes, I'm a Taurian which accounts for some of my bull headedness, but mostly it's survival and always breaking new ground. I've never stepped away from a challenge.

My daughters on my last birthday threw me a surprise birthday party because in in all my years on this Earth, I've never had one. My youngest gave me as gag gift, a cane. Not just any ordinary cane but a survival cane for an outrageous lady. It's bright purple which includes a hello beautiful mirror, granny hosiery (because we are always losing our knee-highs), dirty old man repellent, a get out of my way horn, and old lady crossing sign. It makes squeaking noise when you press down on cane handle. A good laugh was had by all and my grandchildren had fun playing with it.

I should have taken it as an omen of things to come, but I didn't. A month later when I had my stroke she was kicking herself for her gag gift.

Life is like that. It's a roller coaster of events...some up, some down with twist turns and loop-de-loops thrown in for extra excitement. Why should being a indie author be any different? It isn't.

I'm not a Joe Konrath nor expect to be. I'm me and I don't compare my success or lack of success to anyone except me. I rarely compare my works to any other author because no other author can write a story like me. Indie author stands for an independently published author, but I like to think of it as an individual author. Everyone is unique, although they might have similar qualities.

Of course as an indie author, we envy or try to emulate his success. The fact is most of us can't and won't without twenty plus years of readers following our work. Wait a minute, I've got the years in paying my dues and have multi-million words attempted or in print. Why couldn't I be a Joe Konrath? Why not me? I tout thousands in sales and he touted hundreds of thousands. Excuse me a moment while I flick this little green imp off my shoulder. Even old Joe says there is no formula to success.

Seven_Deadly_Sins__Envy_by_kenshinHimuraDeviant

Envy, jealousy, and comparison is wrong and rings the death bells sounding in the chapel. In comparing your book or the sales with another breeds the green eyed monster. Why decide to go it on your own if you are going to do it on your own? Yes, I follow a lot of writer blogs because I can always learn from someone else's trials and errors. What works for me might not necessarily work for you. The world is full of imitators and imposters for that very reason. Why be a copycat when you can be a maverick?

I've watched hundreds of copies of my books fly off the shelves last month. For me, this is a milestone because I haven't published anything new in almost a year and it's double of what I sold last year. It proves I have longevity and I am finding new readers. That's success to me. With as little advertising as I've done the past year, I'm honestly surprised. So I'm tackling new ground once again and working on a new book. With a goal of 75K words, at times, seems daunting but although I did write but 642 new words last month...it's taking a step forward to a goal.

Isn't that what the indie life is all about, reaching goals and measuring success by your standards as a individually published author?

Keep writing and loving the Lord.

Wednesday Writerly Way~ The Indie Author's Life

As you can see from the logo, I've joined another blog hop. This one in particular is different than any other I've joined. It's something I usually do anyhow on Wednesdays write about writing and being an indie author. Unlike the others, it runs indefinitely, but it is one blog the second Wednesday of each month. I use quite a lot of pictures in my blog because some people are visual learners. So y'all stopping by because of the hop...welcome.

Now on to my blog... this week I've been talking about editing. I often mention the many hats an indie author wears. This is a biggie. If you want to write books to publish, you have to do what the Big 6 do except you don't have the resources traditional publishers have, or do you?

1 section is how-tos on writing

Not many of us have the contacts or employees that the Big 6 publishers do nor the money to back us up. That's a fact. So we are at a disadvantage coming out of the gate. We research the various subjects, help feed other indie authors or traditionally published authors who publish books in the areas we lack in self-publishing like marketing, copyright clauses and other laws, formatting, and editing. We read blogs, articles, and books by the hundreds just to make it in the indie field.

Not all of us are like me with a degree in marketing, teach creative writing courses, and has been a published author for decades. I have a higher learning and knowledge curve than most. But even I, research new avenues for writing, editing, formatting, and marketing still. Learning is an never-ending process. I'll be the first one to admit that I don't know everything even though I sound like it at times. Compound this with a stroke I had last year, and it's a whole new ballgame. But, I'm not telling my readers anything new about the editing process or about editing your book.

Nothing is absolutely free

Yesterday, I mentioned you did not have to wear all the hats to be an indie author and it's true. But there are free options available to you. This is not the only one, but it is the one I use.

I've been a member of Compuserve's Books and Writers for a couple decades now. If the linky link does not open try http://www.compuserve.com. You will have to sign up to log on. After you get a user name and set the password, scroll down the left side to "Communities." It should be one of the first ones listed. I invite you to lurk the categories and there are a lot of them. Don't be surprised at some of the well known authors who frequent the site. They are all friendly and won't bite until they get to know you better. So don't be intimidated! When you feel comfortable, go into the "lobby" and say "hi." Expect a lot of responses. That's just the way we are.

There is a Writer's Workshop but it's under wraps to protect the copyrights of the authors. There are some rules so familiarize yourself with them. Ask Margaret Campbell for permission to join the group in a private message. She will give you the keys. But be aware critiques are given on a chapter by chapter basis and this process can take a while. We've got authors globally, so there is not a set time table. But hey, it's free. We've got some rather good grammar Nazis, content and continuity critiquers in the group, and many have been around for years. I tend to critique more than I upload because I love to read. At one time, the three crits for every one chapter upload, I had enough to upload thirty chapters of one book twice! There are both published and wanna-be published authors as critiquers, and both traditionally published and indie authors.

After your chapter goes through the wringer, make your corrections based on the critiques and reupload your corrected chapters. You may have the same critiquers or a group of new ones. As with everything, this is a matter of choice. Take the advice, change the text, or leave it. You are always in control of your own book.

I know there are probably hundreds of online groups that do the same thing and if you find one you like that is active, by all means stick with it. Editing is a mountain of a task by yourself and you may be limited by your knowledge. For me, I've forgotten much of what I knew about editing and over the past nine months, I'm finally remembering bits and pieces.

Robert Mankoff- The New Yorker

When you reach a point in editing that you want to give up because to look at your manuscript one more time will make you want to throw it in the trash...it's time to stash it away on your hard drive and work on something else. I used to do this quite often. It is exactly how I managed to write and publish five of the six books I published last year. It seemed that every time I read through my manuscript, I found even more things to change or tweak. Let me tell you, I can tweak a manuscript to death! I'd never publish anything if I didn't stop myself. Finally, I stop and send it to someone else's eyes.

Is twelve sets of eyes too many? Sometimes, it still isn't enough. I'll catch mistakes in my own work after it has gone to press. I recite to myself the "Serenity Prayer" and let it go. I may update a newly edited edition in years to come, but it won't be this year.

Keep writing and loving the Lord.

Tuesday Tumbling Term~ Opposites - Yin Yang

Tuesday term for the indie writer is Yin Yang.

yin yang
noun
(in Chinese philosophy and religion) two principles, one negative, dark, and feminine (yin)  and one positive, bright, and masculine (yang)  whose interaction influences the destinies of creatures and things.

I often talk about balance as a writer. You can't really appreciate good reviews unless you've had some bad. You can't work all the time without some play thrown in. They are not mutually exclusive or inclusive. While form a perfect circle you balance it all in the whole picture.

I've often hears it said that Dan Brown, author of The DaVinci Code, was a bad writer. In some ways he is. His characters never slow down or get tired. He refuses to let them. They'll run hither and yon for an entire three hundred pages.   Humanly impossible comes to mind.

I much prefer his earlier novels to his latter ones. And yes, I've read them all. The grammar is side-swept in the latter two than in his three previous novels in the publisher's rush to print. To my way of thinking, the editors just didn't do their jobs to the best of their abilities.

If you have a balance between good and bad reviews of say 25:5, I'd call that a success. You could learn something valuable from those negatives. Every reader will have a different take on your story. Not everyone will love it or hate it.  Realizing that the ones that hate it are just more vocal helps too. There has to be a balance between the black and the white.

As indie author we juggle a lot. Some balance issues as an indie author:

• Writing versus promotion- If you spend all your time promoting and not writing your next book, or vice versa, you are putting all your eggs in one basket. The success due to any successful author is volume to be easier to find. If you have one book in a ocean of thousands of other books its like finding a drop of water in the ocean. But if you spend all your time in writing and not getting out there to promote, who will care? You're just an unknown author who writes a bunch of books. There are tons of these type authors in traditional publishing, but times are changing.
• Work versus play- Without balance in this area, you will find yourself exhausted and unable to write. Too much play and you lack the will to write.
• Volume versus quality- So you write a bunch of books but the quality is lacking (weak plot, 2D characters, and poor grammar and spelling). They might sell a few copies. Readers who buy indie authors come in two main categories: 1) the cheap thrill reader, and 2) the perfectionist. The cheap thriller reader doesn't care about the poor quality of what is written the proverbial dime store novelist. They will read anything so long as it's free or almost free. The perfectionist holds the all authors to a higher standard. These are honestly the readers you want. They will buy your book no matter what the cost and heaven help you if you tick them off.
• Time versus no time- we all have excuses for not writing, but ultimately it's a choice we choose to make. Somethings we take as life and death issues are really not and some are. My husband stops breathing or is in pain that's life or death and MUST be dealt with. The pain due to my fibromyalgia and stroke need to be worked through and may momentarily stop my writing process, but it won't stop my writing. You may have spent five years writing your first book. Congrats, you did it! But the down side is readers have come to expect, thanks to traditional publishing, your next book in eighteen months or two years. That's a maximum of eighteen months to write the next one and edit it.

So do you have a Yin Yang in place? Do you know your balance?
Keep writing and loving the Lord.

Tuesday Tumbling Term ~ Challenge

Today's word is challenge. All writers face challenges while researching, writing, and publishing their books.

 chal·lenge
noun
1. a call or summons to engage in any contest, as of skill, strength, etc.
2. something that by its nature or character serves as a call to battle, contest, special effort, etc.: Space exploration offers a challenge to humankind.
3. a call to fight, as a battle, a duel, etc.
4. a demand to explain, justify, etc.: a challenge to the treasurer to itemize expenditures.
5. difficulty in a job or undertaking that is stimulating to one engaged in it.

 Many have taken up the gauntlet where it's been thrown to the ground. To play Don Quixote tilting at windmills seeing dragons where none are. Sometimes that's what it feels like to be a writer, a wanna-be knight.

As writers, we tilt with writing through self doubts. We break our lances on grammar and syntax trying to get it right. We push through the sulfur smelling stench of dragon's breath to find and agent or publisher who will ask for entire manuscripts, possibly accept them, and pay us. We write in speculation that someone out there will like what we wrote and the way we wrote it. All the time charging forward at the windmill.

A writer's life is not easy. It is full of pitfalls, rejections, and challenges. It's a call to battle, a contest of millions that have written words on paper. Sacrifices made gladly hoping for a fulfilled dream. You could insert any challenge into the spot. But this blog is for writers and wanna-be authors in this world including this one.

Being an indie author is a harder challenge, in my opinion. It's a choice to dabble in every aspect of publishing, as well as writing. To researching new ways to advertise your product in a way it stands out among the competition. To learn or outsource things you don't know like formatting, cover art, and editing. Knowing how to manage your time and money wisely.

I read recently to be an expert at anything you have to put 10,000 hours into it. Based on a 40-hour a week work week that's roughly 4.8 years. Hmm, interesting. I'm an expert in a dozen fields or more including writing which I've done for over thirty. Do I feel like an expert? Nope. I still find new challenges within writing to keep me learning so how can I be an expert?

What does it take to take up a challenge like writing? Patience, skill, talent, creativity, and sometimes, just dumb luck. Know the odds and ignore them.Tilt at windmills and slay dragons. Take the challenge to heart and soul, and let no one dissuaded you.

Keep writing and loving the Lord.

Tuesday Tumbling Term~ Statistical Analytics

Today's terms are are statistics and analytics.
sta·tis·tics
noun
1. ( used with a singular verb  ) the science that deals with the collection, classification, analysis, and interpretation of numerical facts or data, and that, by use of mathematical theories of probability, imposes order and regularity on aggregates of more or less disparate elements.
2. ( used with a plural verb  ) the numerical facts or data themselves.

an·a·lyt·ics
noun, ( used with a singular verb  ) Logic. the science of logical analysis.

As an indie author or traditional author, why should you care about the numbers. They are just number, right?

Correct, they are just numbers, but they say a lot when you are trying to measure your success or failure. It's all about accountability. Being able to show results and that means numbers. What was more successful than others and what not to do again. That's how I determined my blogging format for this year by looking at the numbers- which blogs had the most hits and misses.

Many sites offer analytics (the analysis of the numbers) to help the nonmathematician break down the numbers for you. Here on Blogspot is one of the best I've seen, but Facebook has it also. They break it down into numbers and graphs. Some of us are visually gifted, so the graphs gives us instant snapshots of what's happening.

Me, I'm used to looking at the numbers and gauging success or failure. I've got a sheepskin that tells all that I am. But the average writer does not have twenty math courses and some special knowledge of statistics. They spent their money more wisely on English courses to hone their craft.

I actually did both because being able to write correctly was important in business, but I was already a writer by then. I was even teaching English as a second language courses.

To be able to express the success, you have to understand the numbers. I'll use my Blogspot account as an example. For every given post, it gives me how many unique views I've had. For example, my most successful blog was November 28, 2012 with 811 hits. So platform building is a definite winner. The whole "Wednesday Writerly Way" series is succeeding. Next in the numbers is my "Sunday Stroke Survival" blogs. They are definite keepers. Least hits are the "Friday Fun," but it's still new. Once you can see the numbers, the decision is not hard on what's working and what's not.

Now expanding on the premise of statistical analytics, it's a platform growth chart. You can see where your audience is from. I've watched this blog grow from three hits  to over three hundred hits per day and climbing. These numbers are small in comparison to other authors, but not too shoddy for one blog out of millions that could be read. I'm happy about the numbers and looking forward to more growth. It's a far cry from 1,000+ hits per day, but I'm a wild card. I'm just another indie author trying to find a niche in the market. Take a look at the track record. This blog was started in December of 2010.

Without growth of new readers, this would be the death of this author. It is measurable over time. I find the more I talk about the craft behind writing and sales, the greater my sales become. By talking about my stroke and how I'm writing now, the larger my audience and readership grows both in this blog and generation of book sales.

An agent or publisher will want to know these number to exponentially promote your manuscript. That's why platforms are so important. It equals cash. So if you haven't checked your stats for your blog yet do so.

Hope this helps you understand the importance of statistical analytics.

Keep writing and loving the Lord.