AN INDIE’S AUTHOR’S JOURNEY: Juggling Time

time

 

I’m delving into the world of indie publishing. Some authors go the quicker route and use a source like Kindle Direct to immediately get their books out there.

There’s nothing wrong going that route but I’ve decided to take a different path.

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Some writers think that once their book is published, the publishing journey is over. They sit back on their laurels and wait for royalties to roll in. 

I’m not that type of author. 

As a hybrid author, I have the opportunity to see possible royalties from any book published through a traditional publisher. But, as an indie author and actual owner of my own publishing house, I will only see money from my books based on my own efforts to market them. This also includes building a “brand” based on both an expanded collection of published works, and an ever-widening network of people who support my goals as much as I support theirs.

Last month I participated in INKTOBER, a drawing challenge where I sketched 30 drawings in 30 days based on the word prompt of the day. It was the second year I had participated and helped introduce more people to what I was all about. I started an Instagram account and now have another 226 followers added to my fan base.

This month I am participating in NANOWRIMO (National Novel Writing Month) where I have begun what will become book three in my LUNADAR trilogy. I’m juggling working full time during the day while trying to complete writing a 50,000-word novel at night.

Add to that, my lining up book signings, hosting giveaways, researching book contests and effective inexpensive book marketing…all the while preparing to also finalize book one in my historical fiction chapter book series so I can potentially roll THAT series out by next summer through my company, Story Catcher Publishing.

I’m also getting ready to promote my next traditionally published book, MY JOURNEY MY JOURNAL coming out later this month, all the while continuing to provide my followers with five blog posts every week for at least the next year.

And so the juggling of precious time continues.

How do YOU handle all your daily commitments and obligations filling YOUR plate? Share your tips in the comments below. You never know when you just might help a poor gal out!

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***WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!***
***WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!***

 

I’m happy to announce the winner of week six of my TWELVE WEEKS OF LUNADAR free giveaway! Amy Spisak has won the Kingdom’s Dawn audiobook. Thanks for signing up for my newsletter! Congratulations! Look for my email on how to get your prize…
I’m also happy to announce the latest winner of my LUNADAR Pay It Forward giveaway for educators and librarians who chose to read my novel and provide an honest review on Amazon. The wonderful Lisa Plemons, a librarian at Carpenters Middle School in Maryville Tn, has won an autographed copy of LUNADAR: Homeward Bound for her library inventory. I will be sending out her prize package soon…

 

Week Seven
***DON’T FORGET! It’s week seven of THE TWELVE WEEKS OF LUNADAR giveaway and this week you get a chance to win this ocean themed jewelry set shown above! Just click on the pile of presents to the right of this post and choose how you would like to enter the FREE giveaway. Winners will be announced every Monday in my INDIE AUTHOR’S JOURNEY post!

LUNADAR cover jpg
Ruler by day, a reluctant pirate by night, 18-year-old Princess Ariana fights for her subjects in the waterfall city of LUNADAR. In a kingdom surrounded by fairies and mermaids, and ravaged by deadly Drundles, only a chosen few are trusted to guard her daughter, Candra, as the secret heir to the throne.

But it only takes one ill-fated meeting for Ariana to suddenly be plunged into an escalating web of secrets found in her father’s journal, a deadly kidnapping, and an ever-weakening resolve to turn her back on the call of the merman’s song.

With Ariana’s world falling apart and the future of LUNADAR at stake, how will she bring her father’s murderer to justice and fulfill a deathbed promise to protect Lunadar’s legacy?

 

donna
International best selling, award-winning author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books, and the host of WRITERLY WISDOM, a resource series for writers. Donna is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Children’s Book Insider. She is a lover of dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection. Donna’s latest book, LUNADAR: Homeward Bound (a YA fantasy), is now available in ebook and print form from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, and other online retailers.

 

 

 

 

AN INDIE AUTHOR’S JOURNEY: Author Visits

Story Catcher Book Signing.jpg

 

I’m delving into the world of indie publishing. Some authors go the quicker route and use a source like Kindle Direct to immediately get their books out there.

There’s nothing wrong going that route but I’ve decided to take a different path.

 

***********************

 

It’s been a while since I’ve made my round of book signings. I had a book released last year which actually became an international bestseller. That same publishing company, Expert Insights Publishing, will be releasing another book next month and I’ve contributed again. But now, with LUNADAR released last week and MY JOURNEY, MY JOURNAL releasing next month, I’m really going to have my hands full trying to promote TWO BOOKS at once…lol.

In my mind, book promotions are done for two main reasons:

 

BOOK SALES

 

 

Yes, it’s great to have that tangible book in your hand with your name embossed on the front, but any author will tell you it would be nice if that book sold a bunch of copies and made them tons of money as well. But those sales won’t ever happen without the other reason book signings are done.

 

NAME PROMOTION

 

 

The more people who know who you are, the greater the chances they will become an avid reader of your work. In my case, I have a two-fold issue. First, I have to promote myself as Donna L Martin…author of LUNADAR: Homeward Bound and next month author of MY JOURNEY, MY JOURNAL. Secondly, I have to promote myself as editor and publisher of STORY CATCHER PUBLISHING.  Multiple hats call for multiple strategies to promote oneself.

Here are some of the promo items I’m bringing with me as I make my rounds in promoting all the different hats I wear:

 

Lunadar and Chicken Soup books.jpg

 

Plenty of current and prior books. I have to establish myself as a well-seasoned author with more than just one title to my name so new potential readers will realize I’m not just a one-hit wonder.

 

SCP business cards.jpg

 

Business cards to promote my publishing company. I have big dreams for the direction of my new company and the networking I do now will help me in the future.

 

Lunadar map.jpg

 

Book promo items like bookmarks, postcards, and a framed copy of my LUNADAR map. I have two upcoming book signings…one on October 26th at the Book Market in Sevierville, Tn and then on October 30th at McKay’s Bookstore in Knoxville, Tn. I’m dressing up in a costume based on a character from LUNADAR, and have pencils and other swag items to tie into my book.

I’ve also spent a total of $50 this past week on three book promotions vias email, Facebook, and Twitter that put my book in front of more than 600,000 young adult readers. I think that a great use of my marketing budget, don’t you?

Let the marketing fun begin!

 

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***WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!***

***WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!***

 

I’m happy to announce the winner of week four of my TWELVE WEEKS OF LUNADAR free giveaway! Another mystery follower who didn’t leave their name, ([email protected]) has won the $20 Wendy’s gift card. Thanks for following this blog! Congratulations! Look for my email on how to get your prize…

 
Week Five

 

***DON’T FORGET! It’s week five of THE TWELVE WEEKS OF LUNADAR giveaway and this week you get a chance to win a beautiful moon and stars necklace shown above! Just click on the pile of presents to the right of this post and choose how you would like to enter the FREE giveaway. Winners will be announced every Monday in my INDIE AUTHOR’S JOURNEY post, so enter the FREE giveaway and check next Monday to see if you’ve won!

***ALSO…it’s not too late to tell all your educator or school librarian friends about their chance to pick up a FREE copy of LUNADAR: Homeward Bound during my LUNADAR Pay It Forward FREE giveaway! I’m giving away THOUSANDS of ebook copies between now and Friday, November 2nd, in exchange for an honest review on Amazon. All they have to do is send me a Facebook message or email with their valid email address and I will send them their FREE copy, along with a copy of the LUNADAR map I sketched. Hurry and share the good news about this FREE ebook giveaway before time runs out!***

 

LUNADAR cover jpg

 

Ruler by day, a reluctant pirate by night, 18-year-old Princess Ariana fights for her subjects in the waterfall city of LUNADAR. In a kingdom surrounded by fairies and mermaids, and ravaged by deadly Drundles, only a chosen few are trusted to guard her daughter, Candra, as the secret heir to the throne.

But it only takes one ill-fated meeting for Ariana to suddenly be plunged into an escalating web of secrets found in her father’s journal, a deadly kidnapping, and an ever-weakening resolve to turn her back on the call of the merman’s song.

With Ariana’s world falling apart and the future of LUNADAR at stake, how will she bring her father’s murderer to justice and fulfill a deathbed promise to protect Lunadar’s legacy?

 

donna

 

International best selling, award-winning author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books, and the host of WRITERLY WISDOM, a resource series for writers. Donna is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Children’s Book Insider. She is a lover of dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection. Donna’s latest book, LUNADAR: Homeward Bound (a YA fantasy), is now available in ebook and print form from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, and other online retailers.