Ila Golden's Blog, page 20
December 20, 2019
Valuing Patience
I think the one virtue I value more than any other is patience. The lack of patience some of the people I encounter seem to have can really get to me some times....
Don't get me wrong, there are times when a lack of patience is justifiable. Sometimes they have been waiting long enough for their mood to have gone sour. Sometimes they might be having a bad day or be tired and stressed from work. I don't mind a little impatience if it can be justified. That's not the impatience that gets under my skin.
The impatience I can't stand is the unjustified kind. The kind which comes when the impatient person can see you're working your socks off to get things done, but it's still not fast enough for them. The kind of impatience I can't stand is that every other second reminding you their still waiting impatience, even though you haven't forgotten, you're just still sorting the other million things that have to be sorted before you can get to them. And they can see that. That stresses me out. Because I'm a patient person. I'm a genuine, upbeat, can-do kind of person. But I'm still just one person working my socks off. I'm just trying to do my job too.
And patience is a wonderful, wonderful virtue.
Don't get me wrong, there are times when a lack of patience is justifiable. Sometimes they have been waiting long enough for their mood to have gone sour. Sometimes they might be having a bad day or be tired and stressed from work. I don't mind a little impatience if it can be justified. That's not the impatience that gets under my skin.
The impatience I can't stand is the unjustified kind. The kind which comes when the impatient person can see you're working your socks off to get things done, but it's still not fast enough for them. The kind of impatience I can't stand is that every other second reminding you their still waiting impatience, even though you haven't forgotten, you're just still sorting the other million things that have to be sorted before you can get to them. And they can see that. That stresses me out. Because I'm a patient person. I'm a genuine, upbeat, can-do kind of person. But I'm still just one person working my socks off. I'm just trying to do my job too.
And patience is a wonderful, wonderful virtue.
December 19, 2019
More than just an Indie Author
With the start of my free book promotion for Hyena Boy, I've spent a lot of today thinking about the different roles I have to play as an independent author. When you publish through POD sites like Lulu and KDP there are no guarantees. These sites are platforms, vehicles for getting your work out there. They offer services to aid in your journey from unknown author to author who sells books, but there's no lower limit on how few books you can sell, if any. If you want to make sure you are a success then you can't just wear the hat of an author, you have to be your own publicist, you have to create and market your own brand. You're the one responsible for making sure those tools at your disposal are utilised in the right way, and that means understanding how they benefit you.
An unknown author with an unheard of book sells no copies with hope alone. You have to tell people you exist, that your book or books exist. You have to make them notice you. That means taking risks and chances, or spending money you may never earn back. But all you need is that first wave of momentum to start people talking about your book. To start people looking for your book. To start people reading your book and reviewing your book and talking about your book and looking for your book and finding your book and reading your book and reviewing your book.
Once the cycle starts... once the momentum is going, and keeps going, you know you've finally figured it out. But until it does you keep trying everything. You have to start that cycle in order to sell your books. The cycle won't start by itself. You have to know when to take chances. And keep taking chances, until finally you win.
So maybe this time the momentum has started, but that doesn't mean I've won yet. I will keep going until I get it right. I will keep going, because I'm determined to get it right. I will keep going.
An unknown author with an unheard of book sells no copies with hope alone. You have to tell people you exist, that your book or books exist. You have to make them notice you. That means taking risks and chances, or spending money you may never earn back. But all you need is that first wave of momentum to start people talking about your book. To start people looking for your book. To start people reading your book and reviewing your book and talking about your book and looking for your book and finding your book and reading your book and reviewing your book.
Once the cycle starts... once the momentum is going, and keeps going, you know you've finally figured it out. But until it does you keep trying everything. You have to start that cycle in order to sell your books. The cycle won't start by itself. You have to know when to take chances. And keep taking chances, until finally you win.
So maybe this time the momentum has started, but that doesn't mean I've won yet. I will keep going until I get it right. I will keep going, because I'm determined to get it right. I will keep going.
December 18, 2019
Adoregerbils
I don't live alone. I live with two adorable gerbil sisters, Mew and Celibi.
I first met them during a unseasonable March snow almost two years ago. They were in a tank with all their other sisters then. As I watched them all sleep and huddle together against the cold, this sweet little face woke up and began grooming one of her sisters.
I came back to watch them again the next day. Knowing gerbils would eventually be mine, but not fully ready for them yet. I watched them all huddled together, and that same sweet face began grooming her sister again.
Two days later I returned. The sweet faced one was still there, but now only one sister remained. The sister she'd been grooming so much. It was enough to make me fall in love. Right away I could tell them apart. The sweet faced one a pale grey, almost white but not quite. The sister pure white, except a little darker fur on her nose, that made her look more rodent-like.
Mew and Celibi. My furbabies met in the snow. My snowbabies covered in fur.
They came home, and their personalities soon began to shine. Celibi sweet faced and shy, Mew confident and attention seeking. Such defined personalities for such tiny creatures.
They make me smile and happy each day. Because of them I do not live alone. My adorable gerbils. My adoregerbils.
I first met them during a unseasonable March snow almost two years ago. They were in a tank with all their other sisters then. As I watched them all sleep and huddle together against the cold, this sweet little face woke up and began grooming one of her sisters.
I came back to watch them again the next day. Knowing gerbils would eventually be mine, but not fully ready for them yet. I watched them all huddled together, and that same sweet face began grooming her sister again.
Two days later I returned. The sweet faced one was still there, but now only one sister remained. The sister she'd been grooming so much. It was enough to make me fall in love. Right away I could tell them apart. The sweet faced one a pale grey, almost white but not quite. The sister pure white, except a little darker fur on her nose, that made her look more rodent-like.
Mew and Celibi. My furbabies met in the snow. My snowbabies covered in fur.
They came home, and their personalities soon began to shine. Celibi sweet faced and shy, Mew confident and attention seeking. Such defined personalities for such tiny creatures.
They make me smile and happy each day. Because of them I do not live alone. My adorable gerbils. My adoregerbils.
December 16, 2019
Anxiety of an Indie Author
Waking up at 5 in the morning to check my KDP sales and page read only to have my heart sink from the lack of change since the last time. Its hard being unknown and unnoticed, so I try to go back to sleep, thinking about all the things I could do to get a little more notice. It's Hyena Boy's re-release day after all.
More anxiety. I made changes for the second edition. I went through it carefully, but was it careful enough? Have I left some huge mistake that'll make it look horribly unprofessional? It's been hard enough worrying over The Colours I See, and that only released 17 days ago, why'd I put myself through this again so soon.
I know why. They're both part of The Neva Aton Collection. I want to make sure both books are easily connected. I had to get them both onto KDP for that, so why not spruce up Hyena Boy in the process, make it a proper 2nd Edition.
Still anxious. Still dark out. Too early to get up yet. Put phone back down. Try to sleep a little longer. Try to think of all the ways I can get my books noticed.
6am. Awake again...
More anxiety. I made changes for the second edition. I went through it carefully, but was it careful enough? Have I left some huge mistake that'll make it look horribly unprofessional? It's been hard enough worrying over The Colours I See, and that only released 17 days ago, why'd I put myself through this again so soon.
I know why. They're both part of The Neva Aton Collection. I want to make sure both books are easily connected. I had to get them both onto KDP for that, so why not spruce up Hyena Boy in the process, make it a proper 2nd Edition.
Still anxious. Still dark out. Too early to get up yet. Put phone back down. Try to sleep a little longer. Try to think of all the ways I can get my books noticed.
6am. Awake again...
Hello Goodreads here I am
So I've just officially claimed myself on goodreads. That probably sounds a little weird, I know, and it's something I should have done a long time ago since there's only one Ila Golden, and I'm her.
But I am hoping to use this as a way of connecting with readers. Back in my forum/fanfiction days, the thing I enjoyed most was getting to talk to people about my stories, finding out what they were thinking about the plot and mysteries unfolding, as well as sharing in their general love and enjoyment of my work. Finding an audience is one of the hardest challenges that face Indie Authors in general, and I'm not going to pretend its been any harder for me than it has been for anyone else. I will admit, however, that I'm not always doing as much as I could to get myself noticed. So I guess that's why I'm doing this now, as a way to try and get myself a little more notice.
Fingers crossed it works.
~ Ila ~
But I am hoping to use this as a way of connecting with readers. Back in my forum/fanfiction days, the thing I enjoyed most was getting to talk to people about my stories, finding out what they were thinking about the plot and mysteries unfolding, as well as sharing in their general love and enjoyment of my work. Finding an audience is one of the hardest challenges that face Indie Authors in general, and I'm not going to pretend its been any harder for me than it has been for anyone else. I will admit, however, that I'm not always doing as much as I could to get myself noticed. So I guess that's why I'm doing this now, as a way to try and get myself a little more notice.
Fingers crossed it works.
~ Ila ~
