Can you help me? I need a little advice from someone on the other side of the reader/writer line.
As an indie author, I do everything myself, not just the writing. The writing is the easy part. Afterwards comes the editing, and it takes time and effort. I am sometimes able to have someone help me with the editing after I’ve been through a book several times myself. And there is a program I sometimes use which helps point out words I over use, or which tone down the emotion of the book.
Now let’s talk about book cover art. I can’t afford to pay someone to put together the cover art. And the few times I’ve tried, I didn’t like the results. So I use an online program, sometimes with AI assist, to create a book cover I feel portrays the story I’m telling inside.
After all the editing is as finished as it can be, and I have the cover art, there is the formatting so I can publish it through Amazon or Draft2Digital–which links all my books to retailers through Books2Read. All the keywords to come up with to help place it correctly for people to locate it. I’m not necessarily the best person to decide this. People who read the books and offer suggestions come up with categories and tropes I would never have dreamed existed in those pages.
And once I get to Amazon or Draft2Digital, I have to decide what price I want to ask for. What is my book worth? There are suggestions in the documentation for each site, which I use to gauge my list price. I don’t want to charge so much people are afraid to take a chance on the book. But at the same time, I don’t want to give it all away for free. I do have sales several times a year. During some of those, I do list a book or two for free, and generally I give away quite a few. While I’m happy when people want to read my books, it is disappointing when they only want them for nothing.
With my last book–Old Flame–I paid several people to help with the promotion and marketing aspects and got absolutely nothing in return. I did just as well by myself. Now with Sultonna Nadine’s new release, Lady Calloway, I am besieged by promoters and marketers wanting to help me get my book out to readers. For anywhere from $200 on up.
I’m not made of money. Never have been. And if throwing money at it worked, you would think Old Flame would have sold like hotcakes.
You might ask why I don’t hire some of this work out. And the answer would be the expense of it. For an editor to do a final editing for me would be over $1000 per book, minimum. Cover art? Anywhere from $150 on up to as much as I want to spend. Formatting? Several hundred dollars. And then there are the book trailers and all the social media posts to put together. Trailers start at around $200 and go up from there. By the time I paid for all that, I would have several thousand dollars invested with no guaranteed return.
So tell me, what am I doing wrong? I get great reviews, when I get them. Most are 5 star reviews. Everyone says the writing is excellent, the tropes are popular, the categories are popular as well. And I’ve reworked the keywords and categories on all the outlets to take advantage of them.
What am I missing? I’m not complaining about the work, except the editing… It’s doing all the work with nothing to show for it, while getting all kinds of emails and reviews with people who love it, but apparently love it only if it’s free.
Go take a look at my author pages and books. And then come back and give me your opinion. Why would you buy or not buy my books? What turns you away?
Normally I would say yes it is. But after the spring/summer we’ve had so far, I’m not ready to commit just yet. The last time I was sure summer was here we got a cold snap. The beans are up, though, the tomatoes and peppers are blossoming, and there are even a few tiny peppers checking the weather before bursting forth.
So what is happening in my writing world?
Sultonna Nadine’s new book is beginning to get some attention. LADY CALLOWAY--A Question of Heresy is a romantic fantasy with elements of a Victorian alternate reality, duty vs. love, moral dilemma, and strict church dominance. It is a multi-layered fantasy romance with our couple at the center of all the drama. Psychic abilities play into the story as well. I mean, this is Sultonna Nadine after all.
So if you haven’t checked it out yet, go on over and take a peek.
In the meantime, stay safe, stay healthy, and happy reading!
Ever have one of those weeks that just didn’t seem to go right? Where everything was kind of on the disappointing or depressing side? Yeah? That has been my week so far. And since a new week starts tomorrow, I guess it was all week.
I would say the most aggravating thing was an email I received from someone wanting to help me with promoting my work. Now I know I’m not the greatest at marketing and promotions. And in the past, I have hired people to help me with that–people who were recommended to me. They did help a bit, though not as much as I had hoped for.
A word of advice. If you want me to consider hiring you to help me with something, don’t write a completely disrespectful email to me, pointing out things I already know (because they’re in my bio), and getting things from my bio incorrect. (like the fact that I’ve never in my life run 3 miles 3-5 times a week) And don’t sneer at the fact that I’m doing the best I can with what I know to do.
Did I enter a book cover contest? I sure did, because I thought it would be fun and get my book a little visibility. Did I adjust my key words as suggested by a couple people I communicated with to bring it more in line for what readers may be searching for? You bet I did.
But am I going to quit using two pen names for my writing? No. Because those two names write different books. Mellie Miller writes the books in my series. Sultonna Nadine writes the stand alone books that take different paths. And each name has her own blog and page on Amazon and Goodreads.
I also cross reference them so people will know we are the same person writing two different types of books.
If you want to help–and you want me to consider using your expertise–don’t make fun of me. “I finally wrote a theocratic dystopia with telepathy. Then I discovered that my telepathy could not help me communicate my author name to Amazon.”
This does not in any way help me are encourage me to use your services. Neither does, “You run 3 to 5 miles three times a week. Run your author brand the same distance.” 😅 And yes, this person actually put the emoji in the email.
Which book are they talking about? My latest release as Sultonna Nadine–LADY CALLOWAY–A Question of Heresy. If you’re a fan of fantasy romance, romantic intrigue with a dystopian vibe, some religious conflict, moral conflict, and duty vs. love, check it out.
Anyway, done with my rant. If you’re looking for either of my pen names online, check out:
Yes, Lady Calloway–written under the pen name Sultonna Nadine— is about to enter Round 4 in the All Author Book Cover Contest! And you have made that possible. But now, can you help us out again? Round 4 starts tomorrow.
They say not to judge a book by its cover but I need you to do just that. If you liked the cover of my book, Lady Calloway, please vote for it for the Cover of the Month contest on AllAuthor.com!
I’m getting closer to clinch the “Cover of the Month” contest on AllAuthor! I’d need as much support from you guys. Please take a short moment to vote for my book cover!
Thank you ever so much for your support! It may seem like a small thing, but indie authors sometimes seem invisible.
Lady Calloway has made it to Round 2 in the Book Cover Contest at All Author. While we’re doing well, a few more votes would be fantastic!
Here’s the link for you to cast your support for Lady Calloway
In other news, I’ve been out of town for a week with a dodgy laptop, so I’m trying to catch up on all my correspondence. Not to worry-I haven’t forgotten you!
This month over at All Author, the book cover for Lady Calloway is entered into the book cover contest. Several people have told me they love the cover, so could you give it a little love?
Just click on the AllAuthor Contest here and it will take you right to the page! It would really help out in the conest.
And if you haven’t gone over to get your copy of the book yet, head on over to Amazon!
Liora had always trusted their priest to teach the truth.
But now her husband accuses her of heresy.
Her village is under religious purge.
And her husband has to choose between the church he serves and the woman he loves.
In seclusion at the seaside, Kerrick and Liora discuss the church doctrines and what will happen if the wardens or confessors hear of her heresy. After much deliberation, she accepts that he must be right, even though it still kind of feels wrong to her.
But during a walk along the beach one evening, a bigger problem presents itself. They begin to communicate by telepathy. While Liora finds it fascinating, it scares Kerrick to death. As an employee of the church, from a family of confessors, he knows this ability and others like it are forbidden to the average person. They can be allowed only to those the church deems fit to use them for the church.
As he puzzles over what to do, he is contacted via telepathy from an unexpected source and urged to take his wife to Wales as quickly as possible. The wardens have her village surrounded pending a purge for heresy. Since they know she was from this village, they are looking for the two of them, to see if she believes the heresy her priest taught. And if they find the two of them with these added mental abilities, it won’t just be Liora going to the confessors.
A tale of harsh religious rule, persecution by the church, forbidden talents, and a newlywed couple caught in the middle.
Come to London and Wales and meet Kerrick and Liora, Lord and Lady Calloway. Follow their journey, not only across England and Wales, but through the religious upheavals they face as they flee the church they once served.
LADY CALLOWAY—A Question of Heresy is available at Amazon. Links to other retailers are found at Books2Read.
Fantasy, alternate realities, romantic suspense, religious conflict, and a bit of folklore. Don’t miss it!
Yes, my alter ego, Sultonna Nadine, has been at it again! LADY CALLOWAY will be out on March 1, so if you are a fantasy lover, this is for you.
Set in an alternate timeline in turn of the century London, this fantasy has a strong romantic side as well as religious conflict and political intrigue. Liora Calloway, recently married to Kerrick, was raised believing women must not find pleasure in sex, even in marriage. They must give themselves to their husbands to keep them from seeking outside pleasure. But for the wives to enjoy the act was the same as prostitution. They also said women had no real sexual drive, so it wouldn’t be a problem. They were wrong and she was afraid she would be damned for her evil thoughts.
Kerrick worked for the church and thought his marriage would be fulfilling in every way. But no matter what he did, he couldn’t bring passion into his bedroom. And then he found he was married to a heretic. He was duty-bound to report her to the church, but his heart demanded he protect her from the church he served. Taking a holiday from work, he rushed Liora to the seaside cottage to reason with her over her beliefs.
Her heresy soon became a minor issue when they both began to develop mental abilities the church had forbidden. Not knowing what to do at this point, they receive a message from an unexpected quarter and set out for Wales in the middle of the night to escape a church determined to bring them back to London for questioning.
Can they escape the reach of the church? Are there others, like them, who have forbidden talents? And can their marriage survive the turmoil the face?
Today we’re going to do something different, but I believe it is something you will enjoy. Several years ago I became acquainted with a lady who was struggling to break into the film industry. She had written several stage plays, but wanted to move on up to film.
Her name?
Peachanda DuBose!
One of the first films of hers I saw was Maggie, and it is still my favorite of all her films. Dramatic, poignant, and deeply touching, this film won awards across the board. And this new film, But Still…, getting ready for production, will undoubtedly be a hit as well.
I’ve seen some of the preview content from But Still…, and I have to say, it is going to be stellar.
If you’re a fan of of drama and romance, help me support Peachanda with her project. But Still… is a poignant romantic drama exploring unexpected love, inner conflict, and the enduring connections that shape personal growth.
So what do you say? Can you help her out? Breaking into the business is not only difficult, but expensive, especially these days. It needn’t be much. Anything will help. You can check out the IMDB page here.
I can hardly wait to see this on the screen. As more information becomes available, I’ll keep you updated.
Welcome to Georgia, where Mother Nature can’t decide which season we should be in. Two weeks ago, it was summertime. I was out walking the dog in shorts and a tank top.
No seriously. I was.
Now the weather has turned colder, with a high today in the mid 40’s F and Monday night’s temperature is predicted to be around 12 F.
You read that correctly. 12 degrees Fahrenheit! With snow and freezing rain. My body can’t shift that fast. I can get accustomed to the cold. We lived in the North and in Wyoming for years. And I can get accustomed to the heat. We lived in the desert Southwest for a while. And freezing rain is total crap. I don’t mind a little snow once in a while. But freezing rain is a whole other story.
The good news is that it seems like a good time to catch up on a few things. Crocheting, knitting, and that TBR stack I’ve been chiseling away at. And let’s not forget the editing.
My alter ego, Sultonna Nadine, is still busy editing Lady Calloway. With any luck, she’ll be able to have it out to you by mid-summer. That is if she ever gets the cover art sorted…
At an rate, if you’re going to be affected by this winter storm, go stock up on some reading material. My Gambler’s Folly series can be good for heating up your evening, with some hunky shifters and feisty women. Or there’s Esperance, where a little Talent might just give your love life a little boost.
Take care out there with this crazy stuff headed in for the winter. Stay safe and warm.
