Ellie Lieberman's Blog: Dusty Shelves - Posts Tagged "challenges"
Here There Be Dragons!
An opportunity arose to be part of an anthology. An anthology for dragons. My work would be featured along with so many talented authors such as Raven Williams, author of the Elven-Jumper, Kindra Sowder, author of Follow the Ashes, and Barbara Lieberman, author of Message on the Wind and more. What an honor! All I had to say was yes, I was interested.
I spoke a lot with Barbara Lieberman, who agreed to be part of it before I had. Her work doesn’t really focus on the realm of fantasy. It’s a challenge for her because it takes her out of her comfort zone in one sense. She’s a phenomenal author, so whatever story she comes up with is sure to be brilliant. One of the things she mentioned, though, was that she didn’t have an idea for the story until she agreed.
I hemmed and hawed over whether or not I should agree. There were so many fears and elements to raise my anxiety. For as much as it is an honor to be featured alongside authors you adore and respect, it is also terrifying. What if my quality of writing doesn’t match up? (How could it ever match up)?
Then there’s the deadline. Not only do I not have any stories written about dragons, or anything outside of a vague possibility for a maybe-story, but I’d have to fit it into a specific deadline. I don’t work well with deadlines. Ask every teacher I’ve ever had. Or better yet ask my mother who bears the brunt of my “holy-I’m-going-to-fail-Batman” freak out. I tend to find deadlines of any sort constricting to my creativity. And then there’s the freak out of epic proportions because constricted creativity = writer’s block = nothing to turn in by the deadline.
Barb Lieberman, however, pushed me and told Raven Williams - Fantasy Author, who is the genius behind this anthology, that I was in fact interested and viola, I’m now aboard the dragon express. And I have to say, not only am I excited for this new adventure and challenge, but it turns out, like always, Barb Lieberman was right.
I was sitting in my doctor’s office, when a dragon flew into my head. I had some notebooks with me, but they were special notebooks designated for other stories, research, or other purposes (yes, I carry around a notebook of jokes, who doesn’t). I scrambled for the only thing on hand to type out notes, and as my mother put it, it was weird seeing me so engrossed in my phone. Funny what writing will do to you.
Suddenly, a vein was tapped. And the ideas and the story and the characters just started flowing. It is incredible. On top of this challenge, I have added writing at least a page a day through the month of August. So far, I am succeeding. Somehow, by taking these challenges and opportunities presented to me, I have a brand new story on my hands that is unfolding before my eyes.
Doors will open for you. The universe will drop hints. Opportunities will present themselves. And they will seem challenging. They may appear like mountain, an impossible feat. But challenge yourself to do it. Because you might just surprise yourself. And things like this are not ones you will want to pass up. Sometimes you need a push. So, if you’re reading this, consider it your push. Take the chance. Fly with the dragons!
I spoke a lot with Barbara Lieberman, who agreed to be part of it before I had. Her work doesn’t really focus on the realm of fantasy. It’s a challenge for her because it takes her out of her comfort zone in one sense. She’s a phenomenal author, so whatever story she comes up with is sure to be brilliant. One of the things she mentioned, though, was that she didn’t have an idea for the story until she agreed.
I hemmed and hawed over whether or not I should agree. There were so many fears and elements to raise my anxiety. For as much as it is an honor to be featured alongside authors you adore and respect, it is also terrifying. What if my quality of writing doesn’t match up? (How could it ever match up)?
Then there’s the deadline. Not only do I not have any stories written about dragons, or anything outside of a vague possibility for a maybe-story, but I’d have to fit it into a specific deadline. I don’t work well with deadlines. Ask every teacher I’ve ever had. Or better yet ask my mother who bears the brunt of my “holy-I’m-going-to-fail-Batman” freak out. I tend to find deadlines of any sort constricting to my creativity. And then there’s the freak out of epic proportions because constricted creativity = writer’s block = nothing to turn in by the deadline.
Barb Lieberman, however, pushed me and told Raven Williams - Fantasy Author, who is the genius behind this anthology, that I was in fact interested and viola, I’m now aboard the dragon express. And I have to say, not only am I excited for this new adventure and challenge, but it turns out, like always, Barb Lieberman was right.
I was sitting in my doctor’s office, when a dragon flew into my head. I had some notebooks with me, but they were special notebooks designated for other stories, research, or other purposes (yes, I carry around a notebook of jokes, who doesn’t). I scrambled for the only thing on hand to type out notes, and as my mother put it, it was weird seeing me so engrossed in my phone. Funny what writing will do to you.
Suddenly, a vein was tapped. And the ideas and the story and the characters just started flowing. It is incredible. On top of this challenge, I have added writing at least a page a day through the month of August. So far, I am succeeding. Somehow, by taking these challenges and opportunities presented to me, I have a brand new story on my hands that is unfolding before my eyes.
Doors will open for you. The universe will drop hints. Opportunities will present themselves. And they will seem challenging. They may appear like mountain, an impossible feat. But challenge yourself to do it. Because you might just surprise yourself. And things like this are not ones you will want to pass up. Sometimes you need a push. So, if you’re reading this, consider it your push. Take the chance. Fly with the dragons!
Hardest Part of Being An Author
Recently at Wondercon, someone asked what the hardest part of being an author was for me. It made me pause for a moment, because while there are some challenges, none really stuck out. As an indie author, the things I would find most challenging such as a deadlines are not a problem for me. As I have the ability to set my own and I detest the things because they tend to stunt my creativity, I simply fly by the seat of my pants. Books come when they come. Time is a constraint I only permit for my side job.
And, of course, as often happens with things such as wit and comeback, the answer hit me the moment they walked away. The hardest part of being an author is the promotion. I don’t require motivation to write, because if I didn’t write I’d cease to be and, quite frankly, that’s motivation enough. But, once you have the physical book in hand, once it’s up on Amazon, how does one start the process of getting it seen.
Someone once compared the world of publishing, being traditional and big houses or indie self and small presses, to a sea of books. Every day countless books are being published and it’s hard to break through the waves. Here’s what I’ve found thus far:
- Local events and craft shows:
Events give you the opportunity to speak to readers face to face and one-on-one. The benefits are the ability to become more personable in a way that modern day technology just can’t achieve. Who hasn’t heard the debate over ebook versus physical copies? There are many people who still appreciate, love, and prefer paperbacks. Plus, there is the excitement for them to meet an author and get it signed.
If you do craft shows, you also have the corner market on all those book-lovers. Recently, I helped out Barbara Lieberman at her Torrance Craftsman’s Guild and all the customers were shocked to discover her treasure trove of books. Another author, Evangeline Duran Fuentes, had the same experience. Even with other authors there is no competition because book lovers have the wonderful addiction. They’ll buy more than one. And with no two books being the same, it minimizes the competition even more.
Other benefits include minimum booth fees, great experiences, practice discussing your books, building a following, just to name a few.
- Book swag:
Book swag provides benefits in introducing people to your books and building interest. They may not pick up the book first, but be drawn to a necklace with a quote that speaks to them or a button because they like the image. Always include the information of the book, so they can find it and you for when they’re realize they can continue their love of that quote or find out more about that image.
It also allows the readers of the books to continue the story. If they loved your book, and your book swag relates back, it gives them the opportunity to bring the story to life. Barbara Lieberman has scented fabric “Mouse’s Apples” that are tied back to her The Treasure of Ravenwood. She sells seed packets of Arrowleaf Balsamwood that relates to her Message on the Wind and To Reap a Whirlwind.
- Collaborations:
I have recently joined not one, but two, anthologies. The beauty of the anthology is that it can feature a variety of authors from all different places. That means that while I’m promoting a work that includes their stories, they’re doing the same for me. I will be introduced to their following and their fan based.
The same goes for if you have an illustrator or cover artist or if you work with a local handmade business to help make some book swag. The same can be said for holding your own signings, release parties, or other events in local bookstore for instance. Collaborations are a great source of cross-promotions.
- Joining the 21st Century:
Just as in-person events are important and hold many benefits, so does the world of technology. With social media and other forms of technology, you are able to reach wider audiences, both out of state and out of country. It is a great place to build communities, such as Indie Authors and Book Blogs on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Indie-Author...). This will allow you to build necessary connections that could get you more seen or more help, whether you’re looking for an editor, illustrator, formator, PA, etc. With a wide variety of social media sites to choose from, you also have the opportunity to pick one or more that fit you or are more geared toward what you’re trying to promote.
That being said, they have to be updated. Yes, it can be time consuming, but with certain sites there’s the instant updates, such as Instagram, or posts that can be scheduled, such as Facebook or twitter. There are ways around that such as hiring a PA to assist in scheduling posts or programs like hootsuit that can schedule posts across Social Media.
Online Author events, such as Virtual FantasyCon on Facebook, is always a fun and wonderful way to meet other authors, see what they’re doing, and get your book in front of the eyes of readers.
Whether or not you are going to route of big publishing houses or you’re a self-published indie author, promotion is on you. It is a big challenge and it can be daunting as well as discouraging at time, but when you stick with it, it makes all the difference. What are some ways you would like to see book promoted or what are the methods you use as an author?
And, of course, as often happens with things such as wit and comeback, the answer hit me the moment they walked away. The hardest part of being an author is the promotion. I don’t require motivation to write, because if I didn’t write I’d cease to be and, quite frankly, that’s motivation enough. But, once you have the physical book in hand, once it’s up on Amazon, how does one start the process of getting it seen.
Someone once compared the world of publishing, being traditional and big houses or indie self and small presses, to a sea of books. Every day countless books are being published and it’s hard to break through the waves. Here’s what I’ve found thus far:
- Local events and craft shows:
Events give you the opportunity to speak to readers face to face and one-on-one. The benefits are the ability to become more personable in a way that modern day technology just can’t achieve. Who hasn’t heard the debate over ebook versus physical copies? There are many people who still appreciate, love, and prefer paperbacks. Plus, there is the excitement for them to meet an author and get it signed.
If you do craft shows, you also have the corner market on all those book-lovers. Recently, I helped out Barbara Lieberman at her Torrance Craftsman’s Guild and all the customers were shocked to discover her treasure trove of books. Another author, Evangeline Duran Fuentes, had the same experience. Even with other authors there is no competition because book lovers have the wonderful addiction. They’ll buy more than one. And with no two books being the same, it minimizes the competition even more.
Other benefits include minimum booth fees, great experiences, practice discussing your books, building a following, just to name a few.
- Book swag:
Book swag provides benefits in introducing people to your books and building interest. They may not pick up the book first, but be drawn to a necklace with a quote that speaks to them or a button because they like the image. Always include the information of the book, so they can find it and you for when they’re realize they can continue their love of that quote or find out more about that image.
It also allows the readers of the books to continue the story. If they loved your book, and your book swag relates back, it gives them the opportunity to bring the story to life. Barbara Lieberman has scented fabric “Mouse’s Apples” that are tied back to her The Treasure of Ravenwood. She sells seed packets of Arrowleaf Balsamwood that relates to her Message on the Wind and To Reap a Whirlwind.
- Collaborations:
I have recently joined not one, but two, anthologies. The beauty of the anthology is that it can feature a variety of authors from all different places. That means that while I’m promoting a work that includes their stories, they’re doing the same for me. I will be introduced to their following and their fan based.
The same goes for if you have an illustrator or cover artist or if you work with a local handmade business to help make some book swag. The same can be said for holding your own signings, release parties, or other events in local bookstore for instance. Collaborations are a great source of cross-promotions.
- Joining the 21st Century:
Just as in-person events are important and hold many benefits, so does the world of technology. With social media and other forms of technology, you are able to reach wider audiences, both out of state and out of country. It is a great place to build communities, such as Indie Authors and Book Blogs on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Indie-Author...). This will allow you to build necessary connections that could get you more seen or more help, whether you’re looking for an editor, illustrator, formator, PA, etc. With a wide variety of social media sites to choose from, you also have the opportunity to pick one or more that fit you or are more geared toward what you’re trying to promote.
That being said, they have to be updated. Yes, it can be time consuming, but with certain sites there’s the instant updates, such as Instagram, or posts that can be scheduled, such as Facebook or twitter. There are ways around that such as hiring a PA to assist in scheduling posts or programs like hootsuit that can schedule posts across Social Media.
Online Author events, such as Virtual FantasyCon on Facebook, is always a fun and wonderful way to meet other authors, see what they’re doing, and get your book in front of the eyes of readers.
Whether or not you are going to route of big publishing houses or you’re a self-published indie author, promotion is on you. It is a big challenge and it can be daunting as well as discouraging at time, but when you stick with it, it makes all the difference. What are some ways you would like to see book promoted or what are the methods you use as an author?
