As we approach the end of 2018 and get ready to ring in the New Year, I’d like to start by saying thank you to those who have been my backbone and lifeline before, during, and after I became a published author. I have been SO busy (as evidenced by my hiatus) and things are well underway for my next TWO novels to be published. More on that soon, though.
For now, let’s get caught up!
NaNoWriMo was a great success for me. The foundation was laid for a novel to be published in 2020 (sorry – but, the slot for 2019 is already claimed), and while writing those chapters I also came up with a new idea that’s still in very early stages. I haven’t yet decided if it’ll blossom into a standalone novel or if it’ll be incorporated into an existing body of work as a subplot.
In the month since NaNoWriMo ended, I’ve returned to the initial novel that I was working on once Duality was completed. I’m also handling all of the promotional work for Duality, and that is something that I am so thankful to have the ability to do. I love being hands-on, I love the creative process, and – let’s be real here – I love maintaining creative control.
I have sole say as to what goes into my ads – from the wording to the pictures used. At the moment, I have five ads circulating via Twitter. Each of those ads features a quote from a character in the novel and a picture meant to provide a visual insight into said character – spoiler-free. Of course, a link to purchase the novel is available within each ad, and they are all routinely retweeted and circulated (thank you!) by several of my Twitter followers.
Lots of time went into the creation of those ads as well as into the scheduling of them. I happily did all of it and will do it again. Yes, there are services available to essentially do the same thing. No, I am in no way saying that you should do everything yourself and forego or ignore those services. For me personally, this was in my wheelhouse so it was natural for me to take care of it on my own. The next phase of advertising, however, is not and so I will be seeking outside assistance.
Oh, you thought I was done? Not at all! I am a self-published author. I don’t have a machine behind me taking care of everything while I “just sit back and write.” I am, at the moment, a one-woman show with full autonomy and control and the first and last word on how my business and brand, if you will, should be handled. Yes, the time will come when I can relinquish some of that control and have others behind me so that I CAN focus a bit more and “just sit back and write,” but until then…
Head over to my Twitter, if you haven’t already, and take a look at what I’ve put together. I’m already crafting what the ads will look/feel/be like for the next novel, too, because it really feeds my love of creativity and learning to put these together. Don’t forget that there are also the book trailers and the character profile for Duality that I created. I have a couple other character profiles on the backburner that are still in the development stages, but they will also be posted on social media once they’re finished.
Happy New Year! Thanks for coming along on this crazy ride. Tighten up that belt, though, because there’s more to come!
