Aisha Urooj's Blog - Posts Tagged "writer"
Life of an writer
This is going to be one of those writing update posts, so bear with me 😉
Eleanor’s Travels is now available as an audiobook on audible and iTunes 🥳 The narrator, Jojo Parks, did a wonderful job with the accents. This is her first time narrating an audiobook.
Jojo parks, 20-year-old voice actor and book-lover working from her home studio in New Jersey, has performed in plays and musicals since 7 years old. In addition to musicals, she also has experience with Shakespeare and straight plays, as well as podcasting.
She can do variety of accents, including British, Irish, French, Midwestern American, Southern American, Eastern European, Australian, and Scottish 🤩 Jojo has also been an NJACT Perry award nominee for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical.
I hope that you check out her talent!
www.backstage.com/vo/jojo-parks/
http://mybook.to/Eleanors-Travels
All of my books are now available on Google play books 🥳 I hope I can reach more readers worldwide!
My Dear Ellie and Divine Error both have a new price of only $0.99. If you like to check out my writing 🥰
My marketing attempts had me lose my book earnings for the previous two months (not that I made that much). Paid newsletters were a bust. It is tough being both a writer and marketer, but I am going through the steep learning curve.
Hopefully, I will emerge smarter, wiser and with profit 😆 I have one more paid newsletter for this Sunday. I hope it goes much better than the last two 🍀☘
Being an Indie author comes with challenges, especially when it comes to visibility. That is why I am always grateful when readers leave a review 😊🙏 I am usually seen floating in the clouds when someone likes my books 😂☁️
Thank you for following me on my writing journey. It has both ups and downs, but it is a wonderful and worthwhile experience.
It is currently tax season here, so I have been busy adulting. I will come back next week with a movie, art, animation, or book post for you. Stay tuned and stay safe! As always, this blog will be available as an podcast on anchor.fm/aisha-urooj
I hope that you have a great day today ⛱
Eleanor’s Travels is now available as an audiobook on audible and iTunes 🥳 The narrator, Jojo Parks, did a wonderful job with the accents. This is her first time narrating an audiobook.
Jojo parks, 20-year-old voice actor and book-lover working from her home studio in New Jersey, has performed in plays and musicals since 7 years old. In addition to musicals, she also has experience with Shakespeare and straight plays, as well as podcasting.
She can do variety of accents, including British, Irish, French, Midwestern American, Southern American, Eastern European, Australian, and Scottish 🤩 Jojo has also been an NJACT Perry award nominee for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical.
I hope that you check out her talent!
www.backstage.com/vo/jojo-parks/
http://mybook.to/Eleanors-Travels
All of my books are now available on Google play books 🥳 I hope I can reach more readers worldwide!
My Dear Ellie and Divine Error both have a new price of only $0.99. If you like to check out my writing 🥰
My marketing attempts had me lose my book earnings for the previous two months (not that I made that much). Paid newsletters were a bust. It is tough being both a writer and marketer, but I am going through the steep learning curve.
Hopefully, I will emerge smarter, wiser and with profit 😆 I have one more paid newsletter for this Sunday. I hope it goes much better than the last two 🍀☘
Being an Indie author comes with challenges, especially when it comes to visibility. That is why I am always grateful when readers leave a review 😊🙏 I am usually seen floating in the clouds when someone likes my books 😂☁️
Thank you for following me on my writing journey. It has both ups and downs, but it is a wonderful and worthwhile experience.
It is currently tax season here, so I have been busy adulting. I will come back next week with a movie, art, animation, or book post for you. Stay tuned and stay safe! As always, this blog will be available as an podcast on anchor.fm/aisha-urooj
I hope that you have a great day today ⛱
Writer's life: Marketing efforts (continued)
If you have been following my blog, you know that I share the good and, er, not-so-good aspects of being an Indie author. You might remember that my last marketing effort wasn’t successful.
But like any worthwhile endeavor, be it writing, business, or career, persistence is key. That, and quickly forgetting about past failures 😆 Optimism amnesia, it is!
So, was I successful in my latest effort?
Maybe 😬
Depends on what I look at.
I used paid newsletters (again), combined with a discounted book. If you didn’t know, on Amazon the royalty rate for a book below $1 is only 35% (or 33 cents). It is slightly better at other retailers (maybe 60 or 70 cents).
Why would I list a normally $4.99 book to less than $1? (What is this madness, you might say) I want to reach readers who will give my book a chance at the lower price point. The hope is that they will like my writing enough to give my other books a chance, too.
How did I do?
I will start with the good.
I got a shiny new #1 Bestseller banner on Amazon (that I will etch eternally in my mind, remembering it fondly during the harder days as a writer).
The other good: reaching international readers in Australia, New Zealand, UK 🥰
The not so good: The expensive pricetag 😭
I made back 18% of what I spend (so far). I remind myself that being an Indie author is a looooong commitment. The adage is: It is a marathon, not a sprint.
The sale is still ongoing for a few more days, if you like to grab a copy of Eleanor’s Travels for only $0.99: http://books2read.com/ELT
In other news, I am currently running along to release my latest fantasy romance book, Sleeping Beauty No More on July 17th, 2021.
Thank you for reading today’s blog. I hope that you have a great day! 😊
But like any worthwhile endeavor, be it writing, business, or career, persistence is key. That, and quickly forgetting about past failures 😆 Optimism amnesia, it is!
So, was I successful in my latest effort?
Maybe 😬
Depends on what I look at.
I used paid newsletters (again), combined with a discounted book. If you didn’t know, on Amazon the royalty rate for a book below $1 is only 35% (or 33 cents). It is slightly better at other retailers (maybe 60 or 70 cents).
Why would I list a normally $4.99 book to less than $1? (What is this madness, you might say) I want to reach readers who will give my book a chance at the lower price point. The hope is that they will like my writing enough to give my other books a chance, too.
How did I do?
I will start with the good.
I got a shiny new #1 Bestseller banner on Amazon (that I will etch eternally in my mind, remembering it fondly during the harder days as a writer).
The other good: reaching international readers in Australia, New Zealand, UK 🥰
The not so good: The expensive pricetag 😭
I made back 18% of what I spend (so far). I remind myself that being an Indie author is a looooong commitment. The adage is: It is a marathon, not a sprint.
The sale is still ongoing for a few more days, if you like to grab a copy of Eleanor’s Travels for only $0.99: http://books2read.com/ELT
In other news, I am currently running along to release my latest fantasy romance book, Sleeping Beauty No More on July 17th, 2021.
Thank you for reading today’s blog. I hope that you have a great day! 😊
Summer heat and writing
Hi everyone,
I hope that you are managing well in this heat (it has been quite warm up here in Toronto). I have been taking a break from writing after releasing my newest book, Sleeping Beauty no more, but I have been busy in other ways.
I am still learning about writing and marketing, so I signed up for a few online seminars. The latest one I attended was yesterday by a NYT best selling author. The author shared some interesting insights about how to write a bestseller, but one thing he said resonated a lot. He said that in order to shave off years from your learning curve, you must find yourself a mentor in your field. I think that is a great piece of advice in any career.
The other thing he said was about the role of setup and payoffs within the story. I feel that intuitively I have been including a lot of the things he said in his presentation, which was a relief. My main takeaway from his talk was about editing ruthlessly and giving the novel time to rest before looking at it again.
I wanted to do a blog post about an animated movie today, but my brain refuse to cooperate in this heat, lol. I also have been reading a lot, which I desperately needed after writing on a strict schedule for months. My mind needs to wander in new worlds. I finished the Red Queen series and enjoyed it a lot.
My mind is still ruminating over a new book idea. Namely, a ice queen retelling in an dystopian world. I haven’t written anything like that before, so I am still brainstorming. I think the term is world building? It will be more complex than the setups I had in my previous novels. I will take my time with this one, but like I mentioned in my previous post, I already made the cover and selected the title.
I sense a pattern in how I start a new project, and for me, it tends to be a certain theme I want to explore. For my first book, My Dear Ellie, it was friendship. For Divine Error, it was a career crisis . For the Stone Mermaid, it was forbidden love. And the newest one brewing in my mind, a dystopian world. We will see how it pans out. Usually, even I don’t know the final outcome.
The weather is forecasted to be cooler next week, so hopefully I will write the blog post as I planned. I hope that you are staying cool (or warm, depending on your part of the world).
Take care 😊
Update: I just received a notification that My book, Sleeping Beauty No More, is part of a new Books2Read Promo!
Find your next favorite book at https://books2read.com/rl/KoboAugustW...
Another Update: My book, Sleeping Beauty no more, is featured in the august edition of Bookish magazine 😊 Please check it out:
https://online.fliphtml5.com/cmebw/vodk/
I hope that you are managing well in this heat (it has been quite warm up here in Toronto). I have been taking a break from writing after releasing my newest book, Sleeping Beauty no more, but I have been busy in other ways.
I am still learning about writing and marketing, so I signed up for a few online seminars. The latest one I attended was yesterday by a NYT best selling author. The author shared some interesting insights about how to write a bestseller, but one thing he said resonated a lot. He said that in order to shave off years from your learning curve, you must find yourself a mentor in your field. I think that is a great piece of advice in any career.
The other thing he said was about the role of setup and payoffs within the story. I feel that intuitively I have been including a lot of the things he said in his presentation, which was a relief. My main takeaway from his talk was about editing ruthlessly and giving the novel time to rest before looking at it again.
I wanted to do a blog post about an animated movie today, but my brain refuse to cooperate in this heat, lol. I also have been reading a lot, which I desperately needed after writing on a strict schedule for months. My mind needs to wander in new worlds. I finished the Red Queen series and enjoyed it a lot.
My mind is still ruminating over a new book idea. Namely, a ice queen retelling in an dystopian world. I haven’t written anything like that before, so I am still brainstorming. I think the term is world building? It will be more complex than the setups I had in my previous novels. I will take my time with this one, but like I mentioned in my previous post, I already made the cover and selected the title.
I sense a pattern in how I start a new project, and for me, it tends to be a certain theme I want to explore. For my first book, My Dear Ellie, it was friendship. For Divine Error, it was a career crisis . For the Stone Mermaid, it was forbidden love. And the newest one brewing in my mind, a dystopian world. We will see how it pans out. Usually, even I don’t know the final outcome.
The weather is forecasted to be cooler next week, so hopefully I will write the blog post as I planned. I hope that you are staying cool (or warm, depending on your part of the world).
Take care 😊
Update: I just received a notification that My book, Sleeping Beauty No More, is part of a new Books2Read Promo!
Find your next favorite book at https://books2read.com/rl/KoboAugustW...
Another Update: My book, Sleeping Beauty no more, is featured in the august edition of Bookish magazine 😊 Please check it out:
https://online.fliphtml5.com/cmebw/vodk/
Swipe Right for Murder by Polly Harris
I think I realized something… these past few weeks I was suffering from marketing/writing/everything else burnout. I was just in denial of how much it was affecting me. I delayed the release of The Nine Muses until November, and now I am just doing things to get my creativity back (mainly, staring into space lol 🙃)
Another (perhaps) more productive method is reading, especially outside of my usual genre. I came across a facebook post by the author herself, marketing (like I do!) her book, Swipe Right for Murder. The book has one of those enticing premises that you want to start reading right away, and I did… finishing the book in a day and a half 😆
Here is what the book is about:
DATING IS TOUGH. ESPECIALLY IF THE GUY YOU LIKE MIGHT BE A SERIAL KILLER.
After a devastating heartbreak and a string of short-lived, failed relationships, college student Georgie Itoyama has now decided to approach dating in the same way that she approaches everything else: methodically, logically, and efficiently.
Georgie downloads countless dating apps, determined to find the love of her life as easily as she orders jeans online. And while her love-at-first-sight aspirations don’t exactly come true, she does find someone she likes. Quite a lot.
There’s only one problem. Girls are going missing at Georgie’s university, and all the signs are pointing to . . . him?
But that’s ridiculous. What are the chances that she’s dating an actual serial killer?
Then she matches with Nate. Mysterious, intelligent, and oddly fixated on solving the local disappearances. As Georgie’s relationships deepen with each of her guys, she unwittingly finds herself caught up in the mess that is murder, intrigue, and the nightmare of online dating.
I want to thank Polly for getting me out of the miserable slump I was in, and make me think about something other than my burnout. Also, I totally missed the murderer. I only caught on moments before the reveal (I blame it on a certain bias/statistic regarding serial killers). So, bravo 😅 You got me!
The characters were very likable with believable and genuine relationships and interactions. The only thing that could have been clearer was the layout of the cabin (the image of the layout was a jumbled mess in my head and that took away from some of the suspense). All in all, a sweet, entertaining book that I highly recommend to you all.
I hope that you are well. Remember to take good care of yourselves… I am trying to follow my own advice too 😋
A reminder (if you haven’t already): The Stone Mermaid 🧜♀️ is only $0.99 until this Monday. It will go back to $3.99 after that, so grab a copy now. Books2read.com/SM
Thank you for reading!
Another (perhaps) more productive method is reading, especially outside of my usual genre. I came across a facebook post by the author herself, marketing (like I do!) her book, Swipe Right for Murder. The book has one of those enticing premises that you want to start reading right away, and I did… finishing the book in a day and a half 😆
Here is what the book is about:
DATING IS TOUGH. ESPECIALLY IF THE GUY YOU LIKE MIGHT BE A SERIAL KILLER.
After a devastating heartbreak and a string of short-lived, failed relationships, college student Georgie Itoyama has now decided to approach dating in the same way that she approaches everything else: methodically, logically, and efficiently.
Georgie downloads countless dating apps, determined to find the love of her life as easily as she orders jeans online. And while her love-at-first-sight aspirations don’t exactly come true, she does find someone she likes. Quite a lot.
There’s only one problem. Girls are going missing at Georgie’s university, and all the signs are pointing to . . . him?
But that’s ridiculous. What are the chances that she’s dating an actual serial killer?
Then she matches with Nate. Mysterious, intelligent, and oddly fixated on solving the local disappearances. As Georgie’s relationships deepen with each of her guys, she unwittingly finds herself caught up in the mess that is murder, intrigue, and the nightmare of online dating.
I want to thank Polly for getting me out of the miserable slump I was in, and make me think about something other than my burnout. Also, I totally missed the murderer. I only caught on moments before the reveal (I blame it on a certain bias/statistic regarding serial killers). So, bravo 😅 You got me!
The characters were very likable with believable and genuine relationships and interactions. The only thing that could have been clearer was the layout of the cabin (the image of the layout was a jumbled mess in my head and that took away from some of the suspense). All in all, a sweet, entertaining book that I highly recommend to you all.
I hope that you are well. Remember to take good care of yourselves… I am trying to follow my own advice too 😋
A reminder (if you haven’t already): The Stone Mermaid 🧜♀️ is only $0.99 until this Monday. It will go back to $3.99 after that, so grab a copy now. Books2read.com/SM
Thank you for reading!
A little update
Hi everyone,
I hope you are doing well. I thought I would give you all an update on what I am up to. I am making progress in limiting time spent on social media, and trying to focus more on writing.
I might have made some headway in my marketing efforts, but it is a long, slow climb to where I want/hope to be. It’s good that I have your company, so I can share both my successes and upsets.
I am working on a few projects at the moment. I write depending on which ones I get inspiration for. I am listening to the Dune audiobook (which I received from a very kind person), and I keep getting random ideas for Queen of Frost and Ice. It makes sense, since that will be a dystopian novel, but still a bit random since it is not science fiction.
I am glad for the audiobook, as I would never be able to pronounce the names otherwise. I am a few chapters in, and it is a compelling story. I think I know how science fiction books make the readers aware of the newly created words and worlds… mainly through repetition 😆
I have the narrator’s voice stuck in my head:
Arraikas. Dune. Sand people.
I will tell you more about Dune as I go through it (It is 50 hours). I might write a proper review (depending on how much time I have between projects 😅)
The audiobook giveaway for Sleeping Beauty no more is going on until Oct 1st. Be sure to enter at this Twitter link: https://twitter.com/Aisha__Urooj/stat...
Thank you for reading! I hope you have a great day! 😊
I hope you are doing well. I thought I would give you all an update on what I am up to. I am making progress in limiting time spent on social media, and trying to focus more on writing.
I might have made some headway in my marketing efforts, but it is a long, slow climb to where I want/hope to be. It’s good that I have your company, so I can share both my successes and upsets.
I am working on a few projects at the moment. I write depending on which ones I get inspiration for. I am listening to the Dune audiobook (which I received from a very kind person), and I keep getting random ideas for Queen of Frost and Ice. It makes sense, since that will be a dystopian novel, but still a bit random since it is not science fiction.
I am glad for the audiobook, as I would never be able to pronounce the names otherwise. I am a few chapters in, and it is a compelling story. I think I know how science fiction books make the readers aware of the newly created words and worlds… mainly through repetition 😆
I have the narrator’s voice stuck in my head:
Arraikas. Dune. Sand people.
I will tell you more about Dune as I go through it (It is 50 hours). I might write a proper review (depending on how much time I have between projects 😅)
The audiobook giveaway for Sleeping Beauty no more is going on until Oct 1st. Be sure to enter at this Twitter link: https://twitter.com/Aisha__Urooj/stat...
Thank you for reading! I hope you have a great day! 😊
My Newsletter
Hi everyone,
This is an update on my writing life. I started a newsletter and it has been a learning curve. There was a mild panic moment when I deleted 16 subscribers by mistake 😆
Luckily, I recovered them by contacting support. Thank goodness!
If you like to join me and hear more about deals, giveaways, and upcoming writing projects, you can join me at http://www.subscribepage.com/AishaUrooj
I hope to see you there 😊
This is an update on my writing life. I started a newsletter and it has been a learning curve. There was a mild panic moment when I deleted 16 subscribers by mistake 😆
Luckily, I recovered them by contacting support. Thank goodness!
If you like to join me and hear more about deals, giveaways, and upcoming writing projects, you can join me at http://www.subscribepage.com/AishaUrooj
I hope to see you there 😊
New Year, New Goals
2021 was... something. I hope you made the most of a tough year (it was for me). This year, I hope is better and healthier for all of us. To start off 2022, I set a few writing goals for myself.
I will release 3 books this year. I am excited, nervous, both at the same time... but challenges are good. (Right? 😅)
Here is a brief summary of what I have planned:
Ellie’s Fate
This will be the final book of the trilogy about two best friends, Ellie and Cassie. I feel a bit emotional as My Dear Ellie was my debut novel. Release around June. Preorder is available here: Books2read.com/EF
Queen of Frost and Ice
A dystopian, snow queen retelling. I am excited about this one. It will be a cross between Snow queen and a dystopian novel like Hunger games, Divergent, Red Queen series etc. Release around September. Preorder is available here: Mybook.to/QoFI
Prequel to The Stone Mermaid
I have the title and cover ready, but I will reveal it closer to release date (suspense!).
Hint about the cover: 🐙🔱🧜♀️
This will be the prequel to my mermaid novel, focusing on the ancient war. More Ursula, Vladimir, Siren Queen, and Brutus!
Release date: sometime in 2022 😁
I will release 3 books this year. I am excited, nervous, both at the same time... but challenges are good. (Right? 😅)
Here is a brief summary of what I have planned:
Ellie’s Fate
This will be the final book of the trilogy about two best friends, Ellie and Cassie. I feel a bit emotional as My Dear Ellie was my debut novel. Release around June. Preorder is available here: Books2read.com/EF
Queen of Frost and Ice
A dystopian, snow queen retelling. I am excited about this one. It will be a cross between Snow queen and a dystopian novel like Hunger games, Divergent, Red Queen series etc. Release around September. Preorder is available here: Mybook.to/QoFI
Prequel to The Stone Mermaid
I have the title and cover ready, but I will reveal it closer to release date (suspense!).
Hint about the cover: 🐙🔱🧜♀️
This will be the prequel to my mermaid novel, focusing on the ancient war. More Ursula, Vladimir, Siren Queen, and Brutus!
Release date: sometime in 2022 😁
Blog Spotlight: Lost in Fiction
Check out this great blog by Louisa Klein. Today, she featured my fairytale retelling, Sleeping Beauty no more.
Be sure to like, comment, and share.
Thank you ❤
Here is the link:
https://lostinfiction.co.uk/2022/03/2...
Be sure to like, comment, and share.
Thank you ❤
Here is the link:
https://lostinfiction.co.uk/2022/03/2...
Writing Update
I am putting the finishing touches on my book, Ellie’s Fate, set to release next month. This is the final book in my Love and Friendship trilogy. The first book was my debut novel and the end of this series has made me quite emotional.
I hope those who are waiting to hear the conclusion of Ellie’s and Cassie’s story will find it worthwhile. I know I will miss writing about these two best friends.
Excuse me while I grab some tissues 🤧
An excerpt from Ellie's Fate:
My whole life shifted when Ellie died.
Eleanor James. Ellie. My best friend.
She was someone I knew better than even myself... or so I thought.
Ellie’s life was cut short. Ravaged by her addiction to drugs, and perhaps, also by her addiction to fame.
Her death felt like a waking nightmare. I wish it was something I could wake up from, but I couldn’t escape it.
Not even when I tried.
Lachesis, one of the three fates, said there was a way to save Ellie. Out of the three conditions she set, I am only one part of that puzzle.
For her tragic life to turn around, Ellie would need my support. But she would also need to feel her parent’s love, and be reunited with her true love.
I don’t even know who that person is.
Ellie has one last chance at life.
How could all of this be done in a single lifetime, when it wasn’t possible in a thousand?
Will I see her die again? Or will the fates align to give Ellie a future less grim than the ones I witnessed?
I don’t know all the secrets she kept from me.
I won’t remember much of our past lives.
Can I even save my best friend? Or is it too much to hope?
Audiobook Production and Omnibuses
Dear readers,
After my book release last month, I have barely written anything. To feel productive, I released a omnibus/collection of the love and friendship series
, as well as the first three books of the fantasy romance series. They are available now as ebook, hardcover, and paperback!
The audiobook for Ellie’s Fate is now available. Narrated by the talented Kathy Handrock, I hope that you give it a listen 😊
I want my writing motivation running back up again. I have at least 3 or 4 works in progress, but no stellar, ‘can’t wait to finish’ ideas. Muses, where are you?
Here’s to hoping that I have new book news the next time I write to you.
Take care in the meanwhile (:
After my book release last month, I have barely written anything. To feel productive, I released a omnibus/collection of the love and friendship series
, as well as the first three books of the fantasy romance series. They are available now as ebook, hardcover, and paperback! The audiobook for Ellie’s Fate is now available. Narrated by the talented Kathy Handrock, I hope that you give it a listen 😊
I want my writing motivation running back up again. I have at least 3 or 4 works in progress, but no stellar, ‘can’t wait to finish’ ideas. Muses, where are you?
Here’s to hoping that I have new book news the next time I write to you.
Take care in the meanwhile (:
