Amy Lynn McConahy's Blog, page 19
November 11, 2021
Pivoting
This past week has been rough. Beyond rough. Downright unpleasant. There were tears of frustration, feelings of failure, and numb disbelief. Making the Clean Fiction publication from scratch was crazy, making a debut issue 100 pages was ambitious, and completing a magazine of this scale mainly on my own was a massive undertaking. I had so much help along the way, but I will save my list of thank yous for another week. Right now I want to talk about the tough stuff.
I am a planner. I plan all the plans and then execute those plans to the best of my ability. I uploaded samples to Amazon months ago that would fit the magnitude of what I was trying to accomplish. This allowed me to predict pricing, formatting, and bunches of other little details in order to have the whole process to move forward as smoothly as possible. And everything did move smoothly and predictably until the time came to upload the final documents. I have done flow documents with my novel and full color documents with my children's books so a certain amount of tweaking was expected, but the amount of final formatting issues, pricing issues, and upload issues were not. To save you a long frustrating story, I will break what finally happened down to the facts. My anticipated easy reading flow document was not able to be achieved. The conversion went horribly wrong and was desperately ugly. My anticipated price of FREE was also taken off the table along with the flow document. B & N will not accept any other kind, and without their price of FREE Amazon will not price match. There were so many issues between me and the AI that only KDP Customer Service could fix my issues with their admin privilege. I have worked in the publishing world with real presses for over a decade, published multiple books on the platform, and in general know what I am doing, but this unfortunately was out of my control.
As of now the lovely Full Color Digital Edition is available for preorder at $2.99. I am working hard to get this price lowered, but for right now. This is as low as I could make it. The 8.5x11 paperback edition with premium color and white paper is available for $14.99 which gives me around $1/paperback to use in the creation of the Spring Edition 2021. This is a lot higher than I was quoted earlier this year with a similar document. I feel a bit like they were purposely leading me astray, but AI only does what AI is told to do.
So there you have it. It is not what I envisioned and not what I wanted, but I will take what I learned and apply it to the next edition with as much grace as I can muster. Honestly, I believe that the magazine that we have created is worth every penny of these prices, but I know that I made promises that I was unable to keep. And for that, I apologize, but what I will not apologize for is doing my best to meet those promises and deliver a beautiful, quality magazine full of great authors and businesses for you to enjoy. That I am certain, I have accomplished.
This Week's Community Activity:
Preorder your digital copy of Clean Fiction or order your paperback copy of Clean Fiction. Here is a secret: The paperback is ready and available for purchase NOW!!! That is right! I had it ready and published 10 days early!!! I can't wait until you get a look at how beautiful it is, and when you do, make sure you leave a review!
~Amy Lynn McConahy, Clean Fiction Publisher
CleanFictionMagazine.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/42649...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleanfiction
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Email: CleanFictionMagazine@gmail.com
Past Newsletters/Blogs: CleanFiction.Blogspot.com or Goodreads
I am a planner. I plan all the plans and then execute those plans to the best of my ability. I uploaded samples to Amazon months ago that would fit the magnitude of what I was trying to accomplish. This allowed me to predict pricing, formatting, and bunches of other little details in order to have the whole process to move forward as smoothly as possible. And everything did move smoothly and predictably until the time came to upload the final documents. I have done flow documents with my novel and full color documents with my children's books so a certain amount of tweaking was expected, but the amount of final formatting issues, pricing issues, and upload issues were not. To save you a long frustrating story, I will break what finally happened down to the facts. My anticipated easy reading flow document was not able to be achieved. The conversion went horribly wrong and was desperately ugly. My anticipated price of FREE was also taken off the table along with the flow document. B & N will not accept any other kind, and without their price of FREE Amazon will not price match. There were so many issues between me and the AI that only KDP Customer Service could fix my issues with their admin privilege. I have worked in the publishing world with real presses for over a decade, published multiple books on the platform, and in general know what I am doing, but this unfortunately was out of my control.
As of now the lovely Full Color Digital Edition is available for preorder at $2.99. I am working hard to get this price lowered, but for right now. This is as low as I could make it. The 8.5x11 paperback edition with premium color and white paper is available for $14.99 which gives me around $1/paperback to use in the creation of the Spring Edition 2021. This is a lot higher than I was quoted earlier this year with a similar document. I feel a bit like they were purposely leading me astray, but AI only does what AI is told to do.
So there you have it. It is not what I envisioned and not what I wanted, but I will take what I learned and apply it to the next edition with as much grace as I can muster. Honestly, I believe that the magazine that we have created is worth every penny of these prices, but I know that I made promises that I was unable to keep. And for that, I apologize, but what I will not apologize for is doing my best to meet those promises and deliver a beautiful, quality magazine full of great authors and businesses for you to enjoy. That I am certain, I have accomplished.
This Week's Community Activity:
Preorder your digital copy of Clean Fiction or order your paperback copy of Clean Fiction. Here is a secret: The paperback is ready and available for purchase NOW!!! That is right! I had it ready and published 10 days early!!! I can't wait until you get a look at how beautiful it is, and when you do, make sure you leave a review!
~Amy Lynn McConahy, Clean Fiction Publisher
CleanFictionMagazine.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/42649...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleanfiction
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Email: CleanFictionMagazine@gmail.com
Past Newsletters/Blogs: CleanFiction.Blogspot.com or Goodreads
November 4, 2021
The Blog/Newsletter Has Moved
Not only has this newsletter moved to a different day: Thursday, but it has also moved past editions onto the SunsetValleyCreations.com website. That means that previous blogs can be found on cleanfiction.blogspot.com or on Goodreads, but will no longer be accessible through CleanFictionMagazine.com
With that out of the way, I wanted to say how excited I am that things are moving forward to the finish. The paperback edition should be ready by the end of this week in order to be able to send paper editions to the several bookstores that are interested in carrying it. Once the paperback edition is done, I will be diving into the ebook edition to make the magazine scroll/swipe friendly. This will also mean two things: 1) There will be missing features in the ebook edition. 2) Various listings will not include the accompanying images. If you want the full "Clean Fiction" experience, you MUST purchase a paperback. If you want easy access to the written content, feel free to download the ebook. Once the ebook goes live on Amazon, it should price match Barnes & Noble at $0. I wish that the ebook and paperback editions could be the same, but the readability would not be there in the ebook.
I am working hard to make sure that everything is both the highest quality and on time. That is why I have been a bit spotty on social media. Do not fear! I am still here. Please, send up some prayers for my sanity as I sprint to the finish
This Week's Community Activity:
Check out the new event calendar at CleanFictionMagazine.com It will give you a sneak peak to up coming contests and NaNoWriMo holidays. Work on the Spring Edition 2022 has already begun. Feel free to submit your books and services via the website.
Amy Lynn McConahy,
Clean Fiction Publisher
CleanFictionMagazine.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/42649...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleanfiction
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Email: CleanFictionMagazine@gmail.com
Past Newsletters/Blogs: CleanFiction.Blogspot.com or Goodreads
With that out of the way, I wanted to say how excited I am that things are moving forward to the finish. The paperback edition should be ready by the end of this week in order to be able to send paper editions to the several bookstores that are interested in carrying it. Once the paperback edition is done, I will be diving into the ebook edition to make the magazine scroll/swipe friendly. This will also mean two things: 1) There will be missing features in the ebook edition. 2) Various listings will not include the accompanying images. If you want the full "Clean Fiction" experience, you MUST purchase a paperback. If you want easy access to the written content, feel free to download the ebook. Once the ebook goes live on Amazon, it should price match Barnes & Noble at $0. I wish that the ebook and paperback editions could be the same, but the readability would not be there in the ebook.
I am working hard to make sure that everything is both the highest quality and on time. That is why I have been a bit spotty on social media. Do not fear! I am still here. Please, send up some prayers for my sanity as I sprint to the finish
This Week's Community Activity:
Check out the new event calendar at CleanFictionMagazine.com It will give you a sneak peak to up coming contests and NaNoWriMo holidays. Work on the Spring Edition 2022 has already begun. Feel free to submit your books and services via the website.
Amy Lynn McConahy,
Clean Fiction Publisher
CleanFictionMagazine.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/42649...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleanfiction
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Email: CleanFictionMagazine@gmail.com
Past Newsletters/Blogs: CleanFiction.Blogspot.com or Goodreads
October 27, 2021
Levels of Clean
When I decided to call this magazine “Clean Fiction” I knew that I was opening a proverbial “can of worms”, but I wanted the title to be clear and easy to understand. What is the problem with calling it “Clean Fiction”? Everyone has their own definition of “clean” and that definition may or may not match up with mine or my reviewers. To alleviate this problem I have created a quirky rating system that should keep you informed while giving you a giggle. This rating system paired with descriptive yet spoiler free reviews should give you all the information that you need to decide if a book is for you or a bit too much. I would like to reiterate that this magazine is NOT intended for teens. I do not want to frighten the ultra-clean readers by this statement. There are several books listed just for you, but I also know how BIG the Young Adult market is right now and how easily the name of our magazine could be mistaken for something it is not. Not a day goes by without me seeing a post from a mom or dad asking for suggestions on social media for their middle schooler or teen. There are plenty of other publications that will readily help them. As of right now, “Clean Fiction” is set up as a “New Adult” genre space. This includes books that may be labeled/mislabeled/marketing labeled as "Young Adult" because "New Adult" is such an up-and-coming genre. I am fully prepared for the angst that might follow these misunderstandings, but those that I anger cannot say that they were not warned!
Our Community Activity for this week is:
SPREAD THE WORD
Share the existence of this magazine with your friends, family, and acquaintances! I cannot stress enough how important this is! Currently I am holding the jobs of Publisher, Layout Specialist, Marketing Maven, Social Media Manager, Reviewer, Writer, Blogger, and Illustrator... It is a bit of a lot. If you could help me out by spreading the word, I would really appreciate it!
Hoping all of you wonderful "Clean Fiction" readers out there have a great day!
Blog: https://www.wbblive.com/cleanfictionblog
or https://www.cleanfictionblog.blogspot...
Email: SunsetValleyCreations@gmail.com
Web: www.SunsetValleyCreations.com
Facebook: Sunset Valley Creations
Instagram: SunsetValleyCreations
Goodreads: Amy Lynn McConahy
YouTube: Sunset Valley Creations Channel
AllAuthor: https://allauthor.com/author/amylynnm...
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amy-l...
BingeBooks: https://bingebooks.com/author/amy-lyn...
Book Recommendations: https://bookshop.org/shop/sunsetvalle...
RedBubble: https://www.redbubble.com/people/sire...
Our Community Activity for this week is:
SPREAD THE WORD
Share the existence of this magazine with your friends, family, and acquaintances! I cannot stress enough how important this is! Currently I am holding the jobs of Publisher, Layout Specialist, Marketing Maven, Social Media Manager, Reviewer, Writer, Blogger, and Illustrator... It is a bit of a lot. If you could help me out by spreading the word, I would really appreciate it!
Hoping all of you wonderful "Clean Fiction" readers out there have a great day!
Blog: https://www.wbblive.com/cleanfictionblog
or https://www.cleanfictionblog.blogspot...
Email: SunsetValleyCreations@gmail.com
Web: www.SunsetValleyCreations.com
Facebook: Sunset Valley Creations
Instagram: SunsetValleyCreations
Goodreads: Amy Lynn McConahy
YouTube: Sunset Valley Creations Channel
AllAuthor: https://allauthor.com/author/amylynnm...
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amy-l...
BingeBooks: https://bingebooks.com/author/amy-lyn...
Book Recommendations: https://bookshop.org/shop/sunsetvalle...
RedBubble: https://www.redbubble.com/people/sire...
October 20, 2021
Winners Winners Chicken Dinners (Again!)
October 16th marked the end of voting for both the Fan Art Contest AND the Cover Art Contest! The Winners are listed on the certificates below. Below you will also find the places for the Fan Art Contest, but for the Cover Art Contest you will have to wait to see who placed where in Clean Fiction Magazine's Winter Edition coming out November 20th (Shameless Plug).
In third place, we have Caitlin Sakovits with her image of Angelique and Pegasus from the book series "The Fairy Tale Enchantress" by K.M. Shea. You can find Caitlin on social media under @CaityKitty13
In second place, we have Noelle Nichols with her image of Naruto and Kilo. Naruto is from the manga/anime series Naruto and Kilo is from her own book series.
NOW, the moment you have all been waiting for! Drum roll please! (brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr) The winner of the Winter 2021 "Clean Fiction" Fan Art Contest is... CRYSTAL PHAM with her image of Laura Ingalls from Little House On The Prairie, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Great Job Crystal!
Last, but not least! the winner of the Cover Art Contest is.....PAM HALTER!!! Her cover was designed by two people: Tzmet's Window was designed and drawn by Kim Sponaugle https://picturekitchenstudio.com/ The witch in the red dress was added by Sara Helwe Designs https://sara-helwe.com/ Congratulations Pam!!!
Our Community Activity for this week is:
SPREAD THE WORD
Share the existence of this magazine with your friends, family, and acquaintances! I cannot stress enough how important this is! Currently I am holding the jobs of Publisher, Layout Specialist, Marketing Maven, Social Media Manager, Reviewer, Writer, Blogger, and Illustrator... It is a bit of a lot. If you could help me out by spreading the word, I would really appreciate it!
Hoping all of you wonderful "Clean Fiction" readers out there have a great day!
Blog: https://www.wbblive.com/cleanfictionblog
or https://www.cleanfictionblog.blogspot...
Email: SunsetValleyCreations@gmail.com
Web: www.SunsetValleyCreations.com
Facebook: Sunset Valley Creations
Instagram: SunsetValleyCreations
Goodreads: Amy Lynn McConahy
YouTube: Sunset Valley Creations Channel
AllAuthor: https://allauthor.com/author/amylynnm...
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amy-l...
BingeBooks: https://bingebooks.com/author/amy-lyn...
Book Recommendations: https://bookshop.org/shop/sunsetvalle...
RedBubble: https://www.redbubble.com/people/sire...
In third place, we have Caitlin Sakovits with her image of Angelique and Pegasus from the book series "The Fairy Tale Enchantress" by K.M. Shea. You can find Caitlin on social media under @CaityKitty13
In second place, we have Noelle Nichols with her image of Naruto and Kilo. Naruto is from the manga/anime series Naruto and Kilo is from her own book series.
NOW, the moment you have all been waiting for! Drum roll please! (brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr) The winner of the Winter 2021 "Clean Fiction" Fan Art Contest is... CRYSTAL PHAM with her image of Laura Ingalls from Little House On The Prairie, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Great Job Crystal!
Last, but not least! the winner of the Cover Art Contest is.....PAM HALTER!!! Her cover was designed by two people: Tzmet's Window was designed and drawn by Kim Sponaugle https://picturekitchenstudio.com/ The witch in the red dress was added by Sara Helwe Designs https://sara-helwe.com/ Congratulations Pam!!!
Our Community Activity for this week is:
SPREAD THE WORD
Share the existence of this magazine with your friends, family, and acquaintances! I cannot stress enough how important this is! Currently I am holding the jobs of Publisher, Layout Specialist, Marketing Maven, Social Media Manager, Reviewer, Writer, Blogger, and Illustrator... It is a bit of a lot. If you could help me out by spreading the word, I would really appreciate it!
Hoping all of you wonderful "Clean Fiction" readers out there have a great day!
Blog: https://www.wbblive.com/cleanfictionblog
or https://www.cleanfictionblog.blogspot...
Email: SunsetValleyCreations@gmail.com
Web: www.SunsetValleyCreations.com
Facebook: Sunset Valley Creations
Instagram: SunsetValleyCreations
Goodreads: Amy Lynn McConahy
YouTube: Sunset Valley Creations Channel
AllAuthor: https://allauthor.com/author/amylynnm...
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amy-l...
BingeBooks: https://bingebooks.com/author/amy-lyn...
Book Recommendations: https://bookshop.org/shop/sunsetvalle...
RedBubble: https://www.redbubble.com/people/sire...
October 13, 2021
My First Rejection Letter
I wrote my first rejection letter today. "Who am I to write a rejection letter?"..at least that is how I felt. It is not that I haven't rejected books for review, I have, but this is the first time that the author knew that I was reading the book. Never before have I had to give a negative response to a fellow creative who was also a brother/sister in Christ. I was as gentle as I could have been. I can always find something good in a person's writing and this was no exception, but it still hurts a bit. Telling someone an uncomfortable truth is hard for me, and having to eliminate this particular book was disheartening. They are a fellow believer with dreams and drives similar to my own. I am confident that there was a purpose for this exercise of faith and I will keep moving forward as the Lord wills.
I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for all of the encouraging words I have been receiving from the Clean Fiction Community. It is in low times like this that I take heart in those words and they fuel me to continue to prevail. You are a blessing to me, and I hope to be a blessing to you.
Our Community Activities for this week are:
STILL MANY THINGS
- Vote for your favorite Book Fan Art in the FAN ART CONTEST (Ends October 16th).
- Vote for your favorite Cover Art in the COVER ART CONTEST (Ends October 16th).
- Submit your book's information to be included in a "The TBR Pile" listing (Deadline is October 22 for the November Edition).
- Share the above social square with your friends, neighbors, family, passers-by, telemarketers...you know...EVERYONE!
- Preorder an Ebook version of Clean Fiction Magazine's Winter Edition. (Yes, I know that it is still 0.99 on Amazon, but I can't change it until it goes live.)
- Prepare yourself for the awesomeness that is the Clean Fiction Paperback Edition coming November 20th (This will cost ONLY $9.99 for a FULL COLOR 100 Page 8.5x11 magazine! I KNOW! It is too much to handle right now, but one must endure).
Hoping all of you wonderful "Clean Fiction" readers out there have a great day!
Blog: https://www.wbblive.com/cleanfictionblog
or https://www.cleanfictionblog.blogspot...
Email: SunsetValleyCreations@gmail.com
Web: www.SunsetValleyCreations.com
Facebook: Sunset Valley Creations
Instagram: SunsetValleyCreations
Goodreads: Amy Lynn McConahy
YouTube: Sunset Valley Creations Channel
AllAuthor: https://allauthor.com/author/amylynnm...
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amy-l...
BingeBooks: https://bingebooks.com/author/amy-lyn...
Book Recommendations: https://bookshop.org/shop/sunsetvalle...
RedBubble: https://www.redbubble.com/people/sire...
I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for all of the encouraging words I have been receiving from the Clean Fiction Community. It is in low times like this that I take heart in those words and they fuel me to continue to prevail. You are a blessing to me, and I hope to be a blessing to you.
Our Community Activities for this week are:
STILL MANY THINGS
- Vote for your favorite Book Fan Art in the FAN ART CONTEST (Ends October 16th).
- Vote for your favorite Cover Art in the COVER ART CONTEST (Ends October 16th).
- Submit your book's information to be included in a "The TBR Pile" listing (Deadline is October 22 for the November Edition).
- Share the above social square with your friends, neighbors, family, passers-by, telemarketers...you know...EVERYONE!
- Preorder an Ebook version of Clean Fiction Magazine's Winter Edition. (Yes, I know that it is still 0.99 on Amazon, but I can't change it until it goes live.)
- Prepare yourself for the awesomeness that is the Clean Fiction Paperback Edition coming November 20th (This will cost ONLY $9.99 for a FULL COLOR 100 Page 8.5x11 magazine! I KNOW! It is too much to handle right now, but one must endure).
Hoping all of you wonderful "Clean Fiction" readers out there have a great day!
Blog: https://www.wbblive.com/cleanfictionblog
or https://www.cleanfictionblog.blogspot...
Email: SunsetValleyCreations@gmail.com
Web: www.SunsetValleyCreations.com
Facebook: Sunset Valley Creations
Instagram: SunsetValleyCreations
Goodreads: Amy Lynn McConahy
YouTube: Sunset Valley Creations Channel
AllAuthor: https://allauthor.com/author/amylynnm...
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amy-l...
BingeBooks: https://bingebooks.com/author/amy-lyn...
Book Recommendations: https://bookshop.org/shop/sunsetvalle...
RedBubble: https://www.redbubble.com/people/sire...
October 6, 2021
The End is in Sight
The end is in sight and it is going to be a race to the finish. Too bad I am terrible at running! Sports metaphors aside, I am going through the page layout process at warp speed at the moment. It seems that one thing after another is trying to get in my way only to move at the last moment as I continue my momentum forward. As long as the Lord keeps opening the doors, I will keep moving through them.
Our Community Activities for this week are:
ALL THE THINGS
- Vote for your favorite Book Fan Art in the FAN ART CONTEST.
- Submit your Book Cover for the COVER ART CONTEST.
- Submit your book's information to be included in a "The TBR Pile" listing.
- Preorder an Ebook version of Clean Fiction Magazine's Winter Edition. (Yes, I know that it is still 0.99 on Amazon, but I can't change it until it goes live.)
- Prepare yourself for the awesomeness that is the Clean Fiction Paperback Edition coming November 20th (This will cost ONLY $9.99 for a FULL COLOR 100 Page 8.5x11 magazine! I KNOW! It is too much to handle right now, but one must endure).
- Share this awesome information with your friends, neighbors, family, passers-by, telemarketers...you know...EVERYONE!
DON'T FORGET!
COVER ART CONTEST
Do you think that your book cover is the best? Let the public decide! The "Clean Fiction" Cover Art Contest will be a sprint not a jog. Starting October 1st, you have until October 9th to email me your cover at CleanFictionMagazine@gmail.com Please include your name, cover designer, and genre. This contest will not go live on the website until October 1st, but you can start sending those book covers NOW! Do I have to be a cover designer to enter? No. Can I be a cover designer to enter? Yes. Now GO! Email me your pretties! Voting will begin promptly on October 10th and run through October 16th. May the best book cover win!
Hoping all of you wonderful "Clean Fiction" readers out there have a great day!
Blog: https://www.wbblive.com/cleanfictionblog
or https://www.cleanfictionblog.blogspot...
Email: SunsetValleyCreations@gmail.com
Web: www.SunsetValleyCreations.com
Facebook: Sunset Valley Creations
Instagram: SunsetValleyCreations
Goodreads: Amy Lynn McConahy
YouTube: Sunset Valley Creations Channel
AllAuthor: https://allauthor.com/author/amylynnm...
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amy-l...
BingeBooks: https://bingebooks.com/author/amy-lyn...
Book Recommendations: https://bookshop.org/shop/sunsetvalle...
RedBubble: https://www.redbubble.com/people/sire...
Our Community Activities for this week are:
ALL THE THINGS
- Vote for your favorite Book Fan Art in the FAN ART CONTEST.
- Submit your Book Cover for the COVER ART CONTEST.
- Submit your book's information to be included in a "The TBR Pile" listing.
- Preorder an Ebook version of Clean Fiction Magazine's Winter Edition. (Yes, I know that it is still 0.99 on Amazon, but I can't change it until it goes live.)
- Prepare yourself for the awesomeness that is the Clean Fiction Paperback Edition coming November 20th (This will cost ONLY $9.99 for a FULL COLOR 100 Page 8.5x11 magazine! I KNOW! It is too much to handle right now, but one must endure).
- Share this awesome information with your friends, neighbors, family, passers-by, telemarketers...you know...EVERYONE!
DON'T FORGET!
COVER ART CONTEST
Do you think that your book cover is the best? Let the public decide! The "Clean Fiction" Cover Art Contest will be a sprint not a jog. Starting October 1st, you have until October 9th to email me your cover at CleanFictionMagazine@gmail.com Please include your name, cover designer, and genre. This contest will not go live on the website until October 1st, but you can start sending those book covers NOW! Do I have to be a cover designer to enter? No. Can I be a cover designer to enter? Yes. Now GO! Email me your pretties! Voting will begin promptly on October 10th and run through October 16th. May the best book cover win!
Hoping all of you wonderful "Clean Fiction" readers out there have a great day!
Blog: https://www.wbblive.com/cleanfictionblog
or https://www.cleanfictionblog.blogspot...
Email: SunsetValleyCreations@gmail.com
Web: www.SunsetValleyCreations.com
Facebook: Sunset Valley Creations
Instagram: SunsetValleyCreations
Goodreads: Amy Lynn McConahy
YouTube: Sunset Valley Creations Channel
AllAuthor: https://allauthor.com/author/amylynnm...
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amy-l...
BingeBooks: https://bingebooks.com/author/amy-lyn...
Book Recommendations: https://bookshop.org/shop/sunsetvalle...
RedBubble: https://www.redbubble.com/people/sire...
September 29, 2021
The TBR Pile
As we are drawing closer to the submission deadline for the November 20th Winter Edition (September 30th), I thought that all of you might be wondering what I was doing with submissions that are still “To Be Read”. Though this list of books “To Be Read” only exists in the digital space, I have decided to call it a “Pile” anyway. Every time I look at “The TBR Pile” for “Clean Fiction” I get excited. So many interesting books in so many genres just waiting for me to open them! I was saddened by the fact that I could not possibly read them all and review them before deadline because I am really exited to share these books with readers! Then the thought crossed my mind...Why wait? Part of me was still slightly apprehensive to place books in the magazine that I had not yet read, but I decided that it was not enough of an impediment to keep me from doing it.
So, what am I doing with “The TBR Pile”? I will be trusting those who submitted their books and sharing ALL of them in listings that will be scattered throughout the magazine. There will be a warning at the beginning of the publication to read these books at your own risk, but honestly after reading all of the book blurbs I do not think that readers will have any problems. Some of these books were so well reviewed that I even gave them small features. As I said before, I cannot wait to share all of these great books/authors with you!
Our Community Activity for this week is:
LAST CALL
This is a LAST CALL for book submissions that will appear in the November 20th Winter Edition of Clean Fiction Magazine. Visit CleanFictionMagazine.com and click the "Submissions" link. This is also a LAST CALL for Fan Art Contest submissions. Visit the website and click the "Contest" link for more information.
DON'T FORGET!
COVER ART CONTEST
Do you think that your book cover is the best? Let the public decide! The "Clean Fiction" Cover Art Contest will be a sprint not a jog. Starting October 1st, you have until October 9th to email me your cover at CleanFictionMagazine@gmail.com Please include your name, cover designer, and genre. This contest will not go live on the website until October 1st, but you can start sending those book covers NOW! Do I have to be a cover designer to enter? No. Can I be a cover designer to enter? Yes. Now GO! Email me your pretties! Voting will begin promptly on October 10th and run through October 16th. May the best book cover win!
Hoping all of you wonderful "Clean Fiction" readers out there have a great day!
Blog: https://www.wbblive.com/cleanfictionblog
or https://www.cleanfictionblog.blogspot...
Email: SunsetValleyCreations@gmail.com
Web: www.SunsetValleyCreations.com
Facebook: Sunset Valley Creations
Instagram: SunsetValleyCreations
Goodreads: Amy Lynn McConahy
YouTube: Sunset Valley Creations Channel
AllAuthor: https://allauthor.com/author/amylynnm...
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amy-l...
BingeBooks: https://bingebooks.com/author/amy-lyn...
Book Recommendations: https://bookshop.org/shop/sunsetvalle...
RedBubble: https://www.redbubble.com/people/sire...
So, what am I doing with “The TBR Pile”? I will be trusting those who submitted their books and sharing ALL of them in listings that will be scattered throughout the magazine. There will be a warning at the beginning of the publication to read these books at your own risk, but honestly after reading all of the book blurbs I do not think that readers will have any problems. Some of these books were so well reviewed that I even gave them small features. As I said before, I cannot wait to share all of these great books/authors with you!
Our Community Activity for this week is:
LAST CALL
This is a LAST CALL for book submissions that will appear in the November 20th Winter Edition of Clean Fiction Magazine. Visit CleanFictionMagazine.com and click the "Submissions" link. This is also a LAST CALL for Fan Art Contest submissions. Visit the website and click the "Contest" link for more information.
DON'T FORGET!
COVER ART CONTEST
Do you think that your book cover is the best? Let the public decide! The "Clean Fiction" Cover Art Contest will be a sprint not a jog. Starting October 1st, you have until October 9th to email me your cover at CleanFictionMagazine@gmail.com Please include your name, cover designer, and genre. This contest will not go live on the website until October 1st, but you can start sending those book covers NOW! Do I have to be a cover designer to enter? No. Can I be a cover designer to enter? Yes. Now GO! Email me your pretties! Voting will begin promptly on October 10th and run through October 16th. May the best book cover win!
Hoping all of you wonderful "Clean Fiction" readers out there have a great day!
Blog: https://www.wbblive.com/cleanfictionblog
or https://www.cleanfictionblog.blogspot...
Email: SunsetValleyCreations@gmail.com
Web: www.SunsetValleyCreations.com
Facebook: Sunset Valley Creations
Instagram: SunsetValleyCreations
Goodreads: Amy Lynn McConahy
YouTube: Sunset Valley Creations Channel
AllAuthor: https://allauthor.com/author/amylynnm...
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amy-l...
BingeBooks: https://bingebooks.com/author/amy-lyn...
Book Recommendations: https://bookshop.org/shop/sunsetvalle...
RedBubble: https://www.redbubble.com/people/sire...
September 22, 2021
Full Go Mode
This week's blog is going to be brief due to the fact that I am in "Full Go Mode" right now. You might be thinking to yourself: "But Amy, the publication date is not until November! It is only September!" Let me give you some insight.
Layout takes a lot of time. A LOT OF TIME.
The plan right now is to have a printed full color "pretty" version and an easy reading Ebook version. Both of these have COMPLETELY SEPARATE types of layouts. I am currently organizing a page at a time so that my Visual/Kinesthetic Brain can print out all the pages in black and white to lay them all out on the floor of my house. Excessive? Maybe. But your brain works how it works right? Flow and reading experience is very important to me. I want you to comfortably turn pages while drinking your tea/coffee this Fall. Once the "pretty" version is laid out and finalized. ONLY THEN can I put together the easy reading version. My Super Planner tendencies are panicking (only slightly). I am also waffling over whether I should divide the types of books into sections or mix it up. I am leaning toward hyper organization, but that is not everyone's cup of tea. What do you think? Organized or "Surprise me"?
Our Community Activity for this week is:
UPCOMING COVER ART CONTEST
Do you think that your book cover is the best? Let the public decide! The "Clean Fiction" Cover Art Contest will be a sprint not a jog. Starting October 1st, you have until October 9th to email me your cover at CleanFictionMagazine@gmail.com Please include your name, cover designer, and genre. This contest will not go live on the website until October 1st, but you can start sending those book covers NOW! Do I have to be a cover designer to enter? No. Can I be a cover designer to enter? Yes. Now GO! Email me your pretties! Voting will begin promptly on October 10th and run through October 16th. May the best book cover win!
DON'T FORGET!
Fan Art Contest
So far we only have ONE entry for this contest. If we do not get more before next week, the contest will be cancelled. I am not sure what the problem is with this one, but I am asking as a last ditch effort for you to send in an art piece for judging. If we receive no other entries, I will place the ONE piece of Fan Art in the magazine and give her the $25 Amazon Gift Card WITHOUT having a time for voting (what is the point right?).
Submissions Open Through September 30, 2021 at CleanFictionMagazine.com
Hoping all of you wonderful "Clean Fiction" readers out there have a great day!
Layout takes a lot of time. A LOT OF TIME.
The plan right now is to have a printed full color "pretty" version and an easy reading Ebook version. Both of these have COMPLETELY SEPARATE types of layouts. I am currently organizing a page at a time so that my Visual/Kinesthetic Brain can print out all the pages in black and white to lay them all out on the floor of my house. Excessive? Maybe. But your brain works how it works right? Flow and reading experience is very important to me. I want you to comfortably turn pages while drinking your tea/coffee this Fall. Once the "pretty" version is laid out and finalized. ONLY THEN can I put together the easy reading version. My Super Planner tendencies are panicking (only slightly). I am also waffling over whether I should divide the types of books into sections or mix it up. I am leaning toward hyper organization, but that is not everyone's cup of tea. What do you think? Organized or "Surprise me"?
Our Community Activity for this week is:
UPCOMING COVER ART CONTEST
Do you think that your book cover is the best? Let the public decide! The "Clean Fiction" Cover Art Contest will be a sprint not a jog. Starting October 1st, you have until October 9th to email me your cover at CleanFictionMagazine@gmail.com Please include your name, cover designer, and genre. This contest will not go live on the website until October 1st, but you can start sending those book covers NOW! Do I have to be a cover designer to enter? No. Can I be a cover designer to enter? Yes. Now GO! Email me your pretties! Voting will begin promptly on October 10th and run through October 16th. May the best book cover win!
DON'T FORGET!
Fan Art Contest
So far we only have ONE entry for this contest. If we do not get more before next week, the contest will be cancelled. I am not sure what the problem is with this one, but I am asking as a last ditch effort for you to send in an art piece for judging. If we receive no other entries, I will place the ONE piece of Fan Art in the magazine and give her the $25 Amazon Gift Card WITHOUT having a time for voting (what is the point right?).
Submissions Open Through September 30, 2021 at CleanFictionMagazine.com
Hoping all of you wonderful "Clean Fiction" readers out there have a great day!
September 15, 2021
Creativity Crying Out
Is it strange that we as human beings are all unanimously attracted to a certain type of story? I was watching a Korean Drama recently in which the male lead takes from another the taint of ultimate evil then allows himself to be killed along with the embodiment of that evil in order to save the world from its destruction. Then he was able to resurrect. Does this story line sound at all familiar? Amidst a show that focuses mainly on Korean folklore one can find a kernel of truth.
We love stories like this and you can find pieces of truth in almost all types of popular media. Finding peace after a life spent in destruction. A person going great lengths to save another. Someone from nowhere that is given the ability to slay a great evil. These are all common themes that some may call tropes, but I would give them another name, truth. Some may say that there is no evidence of a unified belief. If that is so, why do these small pieces of truth permeate the stories and folklore that are found across our world. Not all stories contain truth, but if an isolated tribe in Africa can create a story of belief in an “All Being” that created everything would that not lend itself to possible evidence in a shared human experience.
Unfortunately the word “truth” has almost lost its meaning in the western world. That’s his truth. Her truth. Not MY truth. The reality is that truth is not solely a word, but a Being. He is calling to us using the creative imagination that He placed within us. Our very souls cry out for something more even if you have no belief in Christ. Like a voice crying in the wilderness of disillusionment and rejection, believers and nonbelievers alike cry out for truth, Real Truth. It is as if our own creativity is crying out for our Creator, over and over and over again, sometimes heard and sometimes ignored. If you infer from this that I fancy myself a voice crying in the wilderness, you would be mistaken.
I am not a “crier”. I’m a LISTENER, and I hear you.
Our Community Activity for this week is:
COLUMN AUTHORS
Do you know of a columnist/blogger that might be a good fit for "Clean Fiction"? Tell them to email me at CleanFictionMagazine@gmail.com I want to feature silly and uplifting content that is book themed in the upcoming edition. Help your favorite columnist/blogger to make a name for themselves in the clean community and bring new readers to their websites and blogs.
DON'T FORGET!
Book Fan Art Contest
We had an alarming lack of submissions for the Fan Art Contest and I wanted to reiterate that Character Artists are WELCOME to submit Character Art to this contest. This could not just win you an Amazon Gift Card, but also advertising for your business.
Book Fans can also submit any art they want from their favorite book as well.
Submissions Now Open Through September 31, 2021 at CleanFictionMagazine.com
On October 1, 2021, voting for the best fan art will begin! All of the photos sent will appear on the "Vote" page and anyone who is interested can vote on the winner. The winner will receive a $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD and will have their fan art printed in the Winter Edition 2021 of Clean Fiction Magazine. The TOP 6 (the winner is included in the 6) will also be printed in the Winter Edition along with the characters name and the book where the character comes from. If you win and do not want your real name printed, that is perfectly fine. Good luck and have fun! May the BEST Book Fan Art Win!
Hoping all of you wonderful "Clean Fiction" readers out there have a great day!
We love stories like this and you can find pieces of truth in almost all types of popular media. Finding peace after a life spent in destruction. A person going great lengths to save another. Someone from nowhere that is given the ability to slay a great evil. These are all common themes that some may call tropes, but I would give them another name, truth. Some may say that there is no evidence of a unified belief. If that is so, why do these small pieces of truth permeate the stories and folklore that are found across our world. Not all stories contain truth, but if an isolated tribe in Africa can create a story of belief in an “All Being” that created everything would that not lend itself to possible evidence in a shared human experience.
Unfortunately the word “truth” has almost lost its meaning in the western world. That’s his truth. Her truth. Not MY truth. The reality is that truth is not solely a word, but a Being. He is calling to us using the creative imagination that He placed within us. Our very souls cry out for something more even if you have no belief in Christ. Like a voice crying in the wilderness of disillusionment and rejection, believers and nonbelievers alike cry out for truth, Real Truth. It is as if our own creativity is crying out for our Creator, over and over and over again, sometimes heard and sometimes ignored. If you infer from this that I fancy myself a voice crying in the wilderness, you would be mistaken.
I am not a “crier”. I’m a LISTENER, and I hear you.
Our Community Activity for this week is:
COLUMN AUTHORS
Do you know of a columnist/blogger that might be a good fit for "Clean Fiction"? Tell them to email me at CleanFictionMagazine@gmail.com I want to feature silly and uplifting content that is book themed in the upcoming edition. Help your favorite columnist/blogger to make a name for themselves in the clean community and bring new readers to their websites and blogs.
DON'T FORGET!
Book Fan Art Contest
We had an alarming lack of submissions for the Fan Art Contest and I wanted to reiterate that Character Artists are WELCOME to submit Character Art to this contest. This could not just win you an Amazon Gift Card, but also advertising for your business.
Book Fans can also submit any art they want from their favorite book as well.
Submissions Now Open Through September 31, 2021 at CleanFictionMagazine.com
On October 1, 2021, voting for the best fan art will begin! All of the photos sent will appear on the "Vote" page and anyone who is interested can vote on the winner. The winner will receive a $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD and will have their fan art printed in the Winter Edition 2021 of Clean Fiction Magazine. The TOP 6 (the winner is included in the 6) will also be printed in the Winter Edition along with the characters name and the book where the character comes from. If you win and do not want your real name printed, that is perfectly fine. Good luck and have fun! May the BEST Book Fan Art Win!
Hoping all of you wonderful "Clean Fiction" readers out there have a great day!
September 8, 2021
Alone, All Together
I have been very busy networking lately. Currently, I am reading a book from a Christian Fantasy writer based in India! The further I dive into the world of clean fiction and the writers who produce it, the more I realize how many of us there really are. Is it strange that in connecting with all of these people from all over I do not feel a sense of "other"? I was checking out my listings of each person who was contributing (I must have ALL the lists!) and realized that many of the people I was talking to were from states that were far away and/or different countries all together. After the initial thought of, "Oh boy! I am going to have to pay attention to time zones!" came another thought... I hadn't noticed they were from somewhere far away.
One nice thing about the internet is that it can connect you with other likeminded individuals/groups. I live in a nowhere backwater that the rest of the country LITERALLY uses for market testing because if it will sell here it will sell anywhere. The locals have had little to no interest in anything that I have tried to produce over the years, but my family runs a local penny saver that has somehow risen above local scrutiny and has almost reached its 50th year of success. Why? CLEAN CONTENT. Where do you think I got the idea for this magazine? Many writers WANT to write clean content. Many readers WANT to read clean content. People WANT to be uplifted and distracted from the mess that daily life brings. So, though I may be alone in my local area the internet has allowed me to gather and collect content from likeminded individuals and (at least attempt) to put that content in front of those who would enjoy it.
Honestly, I think we might all be surprised how many of those individuals there really are.
Our Community Activity for this week is:
CALLING ALL CARTOONISTS
Do you know of a webtoon designer or cartoon artist that might be a good fit for "Clean Fiction"? Tell them to email me at CleanFictionMagazine@gmail.com I want to feature silly and uplifting cartoons/shorts in the upcoming edition. Help your favorite cartoonist/webtoon designer to make a name for themselves in the clean community and bring new readers to their websites and webtoons.
DON'T FORGET!
Fan Art Contest
We had an alarming lack of submissions for the Fan Art Contest and I wanted to reiterate that Character Artists are WELCOME to submit Character Art to this contest. This could not just win you an Amazon Gift Card, but also advertising for your business.
Book Fans can also submit any art they want from their favorite book as well.
Submissions Now Open Through September 31, 2021 at CleanFictionMagazine.com
On October 1, 2021, voting for the best fan art will begin! All of the photos sent will appear on the "Vote" page and anyone who is interested can vote on the winner. The winner will receive a $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD and will have their fan art printed in the Winter Edition 2021 of Clean Fiction Magazine. The TOP 6 (the winner is included in the 6) will also be printed in the Winter Edition along with the characters name and the book where the character comes from. If you win and do not want your real name printed, that is perfectly fine. Good luck and have fun! May the BEST Book Fan Art Win!
Hoping all of you wonderful "Clean Fiction" readers out there have a great day!
Blog: https://www.wbblive.com/cleanfictionblog
or https://www.cleanfictionblog.blogspot...
Email: SunsetValleyCreations@gmail.com
Web: www.SunsetValleyCreations.com
Facebook: Sunset Valley Creations
Instagram: SunsetValleyCreations
Goodreads: Amy Lynn McConahy
YouTube: Sunset Valley Creations Channel
AllAuthor: https://allauthor.com/author/amylynnm...
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amy-l...
BingeBooks: https://bingebooks.com/author/amy-lyn...
Book Recommendations: https://bookshop.org/shop/sunsetvalle...
RedBubble: https://www.redbubble.com/people/sire...
One nice thing about the internet is that it can connect you with other likeminded individuals/groups. I live in a nowhere backwater that the rest of the country LITERALLY uses for market testing because if it will sell here it will sell anywhere. The locals have had little to no interest in anything that I have tried to produce over the years, but my family runs a local penny saver that has somehow risen above local scrutiny and has almost reached its 50th year of success. Why? CLEAN CONTENT. Where do you think I got the idea for this magazine? Many writers WANT to write clean content. Many readers WANT to read clean content. People WANT to be uplifted and distracted from the mess that daily life brings. So, though I may be alone in my local area the internet has allowed me to gather and collect content from likeminded individuals and (at least attempt) to put that content in front of those who would enjoy it.
Honestly, I think we might all be surprised how many of those individuals there really are.
Our Community Activity for this week is:
CALLING ALL CARTOONISTS
Do you know of a webtoon designer or cartoon artist that might be a good fit for "Clean Fiction"? Tell them to email me at CleanFictionMagazine@gmail.com I want to feature silly and uplifting cartoons/shorts in the upcoming edition. Help your favorite cartoonist/webtoon designer to make a name for themselves in the clean community and bring new readers to their websites and webtoons.
DON'T FORGET!
Fan Art Contest
We had an alarming lack of submissions for the Fan Art Contest and I wanted to reiterate that Character Artists are WELCOME to submit Character Art to this contest. This could not just win you an Amazon Gift Card, but also advertising for your business.
Book Fans can also submit any art they want from their favorite book as well.
Submissions Now Open Through September 31, 2021 at CleanFictionMagazine.com
On October 1, 2021, voting for the best fan art will begin! All of the photos sent will appear on the "Vote" page and anyone who is interested can vote on the winner. The winner will receive a $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD and will have their fan art printed in the Winter Edition 2021 of Clean Fiction Magazine. The TOP 6 (the winner is included in the 6) will also be printed in the Winter Edition along with the characters name and the book where the character comes from. If you win and do not want your real name printed, that is perfectly fine. Good luck and have fun! May the BEST Book Fan Art Win!
Hoping all of you wonderful "Clean Fiction" readers out there have a great day!
Blog: https://www.wbblive.com/cleanfictionblog
or https://www.cleanfictionblog.blogspot...
Email: SunsetValleyCreations@gmail.com
Web: www.SunsetValleyCreations.com
Facebook: Sunset Valley Creations
Instagram: SunsetValleyCreations
Goodreads: Amy Lynn McConahy
YouTube: Sunset Valley Creations Channel
AllAuthor: https://allauthor.com/author/amylynnm...
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amy-l...
BingeBooks: https://bingebooks.com/author/amy-lyn...
Book Recommendations: https://bookshop.org/shop/sunsetvalle...
RedBubble: https://www.redbubble.com/people/sire...
