Hi, everyone!
I was awfully busy this past month. Here are the highlights:
GUEST POSTS - For the release of Write with Fey: 10 Sparks to Guide You from Idea to Publication I've been on several sites for writers with guest posts.
The
Creative Penn - 5 Ways to Spice Up Your Amazon Book Pages
Elizabeth
S. Craig - 3 Things You're Probably Not Doing on Goodreads that You Should
Writer's Helping Writers - Boost Your Creativity Mindset Naturally
Live Write
Thrive - 10 Ways to Spark Your Story Ideas
Damyanti
Writes - Do Authors Need to Be on Social Media?
Literary
Rambles - 10 Things You Can Do on Your Author YouTube Channel
Positive
Writer - 6 Tricks to Help You Finish Your Work In Progress
Insecure
Writer's Support Group - 10 Great Places to Promote Your Book
Re:Fiction
- You Don't Need an Author Website...Yet
Sharing
with Writers - Using Litsy as an Author
And today's
post is on Spunk on a Stick's Tips - Pros and Cons to Having a Pen Name.
WRITING - I wrote a story of 78 pages this month! I hope to self-publish it sometime next year, but first I have to write and publish two other short stories that come before it. This will be a series of short stories/novellas that I am very excited about.
I also revised a full manuscript and have started to rework the sequel. These books and the short stories involve the same main character.
BOOK EVENT - I was at a two-day book event June 1st and 2nd. I sold half the books I brought! That surprised me. What surprised me more was how so many people came out to me during the author speed mingle (sort of like speed dating) and said something like, "Oh my God, Chrys!" or "I love your YouTube videos" or "I want to get your book." Last year, at the very same event, no one knew me. I even felt invisible to the other authors. And I sold one book...to M.J. Fifield, and in return I bought hers (twice the cost of mine because hers are so big it's awesome lol). If this year went like last year, I wasn't going to return, so I'm glad it was different. My mom went with me as a featured author, too, and she nearly sold out of all of her books for her 3 children's books!
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| My mom and I. Oh, and Sammy the Teddy Bear! |
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| All of the featured authors crammed together. |
BOOKBUB - I finally claimed my author profile on Bookbub. If you haven't done this yet, you can do it for free. And whenever you have a new release and you claim it when it comes out, Bookbub will send a new-release email out for your book at no cost to you. (Or so I hear.) And when you get 1,000 followers, you can do paid pre-order ads, which I also hear doesn't cost a ton. Well, I have 35 followers at the moment. HAHA
Follow me on Bookbub, and I'll follow you back!
NEW AUDIOBOOK - This month I also finished approving the audio chapters for Seismic Crimes. The narrator is Bill Nevitt, a different narrator than the one who did Hurricane Crimes. Bill is currently working on Tsunami Crimes.
SALE - On top of my new release (Write with Fey: 10 Sparks to Guide You from Idea to Publication) I also am having a 99 CENT SALE on the first 3 eBooks of the Disaster Crimes series. Sale ends on the 29th!
GIVEAWAY - Finally, last call to enter my giveaway, which closes on July 6th. Enter for your chance to win a personalize coffee mug, a Writing Sparks notebook, and a tote.
QUESTION: What have you done this month?
I'm so glad the event was a big success for both of you. There is a certain joy when you're out someplace like that and someone recognizes you. I remember being at a book festival a few years ago and hearing someone call out "It's Spunk on a Stick!" LOL I loved it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Diane! It was such a pleasant surprise that I was recognize or my books were. It was a lovely change from the previous year when I felt like a nobody and invisible.
DeleteSaw you over on The Creative Penn! Enjoyed the post.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to you - and your Mom! - on the great sales at the book event!
I'm glad you saw my post over on The Creative Penn. It was a dream come true to be there. :)
DeleteThank you!
You've been super-busy! All that activity makes most of the rest of us look like pathetic slackers. All I've done this month is write as much as I can, knowing my release date is coming up very soon.
ReplyDeleteAw. I hope I don't make anyone feel like a pathetic slacker. We all work at our own pace and have different schedules and goals that require more or less.
DeleteWriting as much as you can is awesome! I wish I could've written as much as I could. Well, technically I have. lol
My Chrys you have been busy, loved the picture of you and your mother.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
Thank you, Yvonne!
DeleteI'm glad to see yuor hard work is paying off. Looks like you and your mother are a big hit. Congratulations and keep up the great work.
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
It was my mom's first time at a signing as a featured author, and it was such a huge success for her. I was super proud and happy. :)
DeleteI thought I got a lot done this month. I was tired just reading your accomplishments. You're incredible. Glad you have a successful event. Must be neat to attend something like that with your mother.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty pooped now and glad I don't have much to do this week, except start client edits...
DeleteI think you and your mother's writers' booth (or whatever it's called) looks awesome, and congratulations to both of you for doing well in sales! I think it's great that you've done so much writing. And I think that what you experienced that first year is something that a lot of writers experience at first; it's nerve-wracking in a way because you're putting yourself and your work out there, but in the end it's worth it because it shows that you're trying and that you're doing what writers need to do.
ReplyDeleteThank you! That first year was a disappointment, but I know very well that some events can be hit or miss. Next year may be a miss for this same event that turned out good this year. You just never know.
DeleteWhat a great month you've had Chrys!! Congratulations on all of it :D Well, I accomplished something pretty epic as well. I published my short story collection Hearts Unbroken. Finally. LOL. Feels great.
ReplyDeleteThat is epic!!! Congratulations!!! I've seen it on Amazon and plan to but it. I just fear I won't be able to review it since I'm listed as an editor. But I could put something on Goodreads. :)
DeleteWow, you are sure busy indeed. That is awesome that the event went so well. Getting recognized sure isn't a bad thing, at least for that lol
ReplyDeleteI'd love to be recognized for those reasons and in that setting again and again. ;)
DeleteHow awesome that you went to the book conference with your mom and that you both had such a good experience. Glad your blog tour is going well.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Natalie! And thanks for being part of my tour. :)
DeleteImpressive busy. Love the photos. Congrats on the fun event! Followed you on BookBub but I don't think I have a profile since no book yet. I am member tho.
ReplyDeleteThank you for following me on BookBub! I followed you back. :)
DeleteHi Chrys - you really have been busy - but that's great ... all things lead on and you've been actively pursuing your writing career. Excellent to see you at the book fair and to read your news - congratulations ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteMy writing career is the only thing I can actively pursue. lol I'm not married and I have now kids. But, it's my passion, so I enjoy doing it. :)
DeleteSounds like a busy month. Congrats on the author event. That sounds like so much fun.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Liz!
DeleteWow, that's a lot of great news! Glad to hear of it, especially your success at the authors' event. It's a horrible feeling to be ignored at one of those conferences, so I'm glad your attendance generated some sales and excitement.
ReplyDeleteAs for me, my work on GhostWriters #4 got derailed by a novella call, but it has to be in by the end of this week, so I'll soon return to the novel. Also been submitting short stories and queries, and getting a great response so far. Still no agent, but the full and partial requests are encouraging.
I felt really horrible last year when not even a single fellow author came up to me to say hi. It was the first time this event had gone on, and they all seemed to know each other. Before the signing, I went around to all of the authors' tables to introduce myself...at one point another author came up to the author I was trying to talk to and they completely ignored my presence and started talking as though I hadn't been there trying to be friendly. It really bothered me. They stood around in groups, so I literally looked lost. Actually, it was a repeat of that this year among the authors even though I knew a few of them. Very disheartening.
DeleteYou are a writing demon. I swear. Good for you! And good luck with all of your stories and finding an agent. (I'm still trying to land one, too.)
Holy crap, you've had a busy month! =D
ReplyDeleteI did. And I am pooped. lol
DeleteCongrats! Selling books at an event is no easy task. You should be super proud of yourself:)
ReplyDeleteThan you, Mark! I am. :)
DeleteWow, you've got a lot going on Chrys! You amaze me with how you're able to handle it all. :)
ReplyDeleteI can't handle as much as you think I can. lol I work myself too much and deal with depression. But thank you, Loni! :)
DeleteWow, busy, busy! Congrats with everything! Great picture of you and your mom!
ReplyDeleteThank you!!
DeleteYou must be exhausted by now. I hope you're going to have a chance to kick back and relax this weekend. You deserve it!
ReplyDeleteElsie
I am exhausted. Unfortunately, I have a book I need to start editing this weekend for my publisher.
DeleteCongratulations with all your achievements, Chrys. You have worked so hard. You are awesome, girl. Remember to take good care of yourself.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Murees! I try, but I do admit to overworking myself. I need to work on that.
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