Being an author

You want to be an author, fantastic. You're taking the serious steps of getting your book published this means you've stepped out of the "This is a hobby" to "This is a job" stage.

Wait, this is a job?

Yes, this is a job. Welcome to the hard road and dedication it will take to get you through this. Trust me, you'll need it.

Over the months you might spend your time trying to create the most wonderful one of a kind masterpieces. You might even be a closet writer like I was for a long time. People would ask, "What are you doing?" I'd freak-out shut down my word and say, "Nothing." Because at the time I was completely scared that my work sucked. But eventually, very slowly I might add, I began to share. Bit by bit. It's a process, and again, eventually you'll share.

Next comes the figuring out your path. I tried the agent thing first and I ended up with the wrong one the first time around. This happens. Sometimes no matter the research sometimes you just end up with the wrong agent. The good thing about this possibly painful realization is that you know now what you need and are looking for. Hopefully, you find it. I didn't search for an agent until after I published my second novel through Swoon Romance.

Yes, I went the Indie route, and you know what? I love it. I can honestly say I've grown and have learned more going this route than trying to do things myself. Or trying to find a place for my works in the world. Is it for everyone? Probably not. Some people are happy with self publishing and you know what? Good for you. I'm glad. It doesn't make this person any less of an author than me. If you think differently then ok, but let me ask you this, if a person is selling his or her books whether or not online or in stores does this not make them an author? Let me ask another question, did this person write a novella or a full length novel? Then wouldn't this make them an author if their work went from being an MS to being sold?


Point is don't judge people by what form of publishing route they take. Agent or unagented. Self-published, Indie, or Traditional. If their books are out there they are an author.

Happy writing.

Update

Hello Wonders!

Exciting news. I just returned from NYC, and I met a whole lot of wonderful fans, readers, and I was just so excited to be around all of you! YAY! I'm almost finished with my latest project which I am sooooooo excited about I actually am literally at the edge of my seat waiting to share.

Before I get too far ahead of myself ... I want to say my wonderful agent told me that she's pitching my other project Runaways so fingers crossed and YAY! So excited about that too. That's most of my updates. I am going to go write and finish up some work and I will post again later.

Happy reading

Oh for the ...

HA! I wrote this post. Thought it saved. Turned out only a sentence saved. Everything else was lost. UGH.

Okay restarting: I apologize for being away for so long. Here is the latest updates.

Rival Dreams is in Editorial YAY!

Runaways is Finished and with my Agent! (Double Yay!)

Current writing projects: Scandal Life, My Summer of Boys, and Things We Shouldn't Do.

Scandal Life- On pace to be finished in June

My Summer of Boys- On pace to be finished in September

Things We Shouldn't Do- On pace to be finished in December


This is my crazy writing schedule. Outline. It's wonderful. I never use to before but now it comes easier when I do.

That's all my writing updates. Now, let me talk about on the personal front. I'm excited about my trip to NYC this year. BEA and BookCon is going to be great! I hope to have Scandal Life finished before my trip, but it probably won't be so ... that's why I say June for that one. :)

Happy reading and writing!

Review/rate/star away

As an author, there are things we must and mustn't do. 

Do tell readers how much you like them.

Don't tell people who gave you a bad review how much they may suck.

While I am talking about reviews, what do you consider a bad review? Here is what I think a bad review is: 0-1 star, yeah, that's bad. 2-3 is average but not BAD. 4-5 is great!

So when I see on Goodreads lots of 3-4-5 star ratings and a few 1-2 that tells me the book is good or decent. Now, if it has a lot of 1-2 star ratings and very little 3-5 star ratings that tells me the book is not so hot.

This seems logic right? 

The problem with this though, is sometimes Authors tend to look at only the bad reviews and focus on this. Only this. And they really shouldn't. What? Yes, I mean what I said. Don't focus on the three or five bad reviews out of 200. Seriously, what does that matter? 

The only thing this tells you is that 195 or more people think your book is Amazing! 3 to 5 people don't. Wow. 

How about these odds, there are over a billion people in the world. There is one person out of a billion that doesn't care for your book. Wow, again, wow. 

So, let me ask you this, why are you focused on the negative review? 1 out of a billion. Odds don't seem so terrible now do they? That review isn't that scary now is it? 

Wanna See Me?

Hey Peeps ...

Wanna See Me?

I'm going to be at BookCon in NYC May 30th and 31st.

I'll be Signing at: 4:00pm to 4:45pm  May 30th Booth# 2579

If you miss my signing and still wanna see me I'll be there all day both days.