Really Rashida's Blog, page 13

Money Making Monday: The Ebook Hustle

Last week I told you guys that I would be sharing a weekly series called Money Making Mondays. This idea was inspired by an online community of women writers of color I started called The Powder Room. (Like the sound of that? Join us!) Today is the first post. Sorry it's so late, today was my niece's birthday and I just got settled after a very rowdy party at Chuck E. Cheese's. Happy birthday LoLo!

[image error] My niece turned 9 today!
Now down to the business of the day. I wanna share a few tips on making money with ebooks. If you want to get in the self-publishing business and start making money right away I suggest you release an ebook. If you already have an ebook or two on the market already, great! My tips will be useful to you, too. They are all simple but if utilized the right way they will make you some paper. 
People DO judge a book by its cover. Make sure that you invest in your cover. Along with a catchy title this is what will pull your readers in. They won't even read they synopsis if they aren't attracted by the cover and title. Be active and promote your work in Facebook groups for readers. This is the #1 way that I sell ebooks. I am an active participant in groups. I don't just come in and plaster my ads on the wall. I make sure that I introduce myself and join in on the conversations that are going on. By the time you do go in and do a round of promo the group members will be more likely to buy from you. because folks by from people they like.Marketing makes all the difference. Make sure that you put together a marketing plan. This will make you stand out among the rest of the competition. Investing that time and money into marketing will convert to sales. I love doing book tours. This gives me the opportunity to interact with my readers and show them my personality. I also give back so they can win some cool contests that I put on. Check out my last tour. It was a blast! I'll be doing another in the summer of this year. Also, market daily if you can. On average a person has to see an ad seven times before they are programmed with the image. Think about how the radio plays the same songs over and over. Or how commercials are played on TV. Mimic that.Utilize hasthtags on Twitter & Instagram. Doing this brings so much more attention to my posts from those that aren't already following me! I get so many new followers when I use the proper hashtags on my posts. Don't skip on editing! Please hire an editor ladies and gentlemen. The readers deserve it. That's all I'm gonna say about that. The rest should be common sense. Gotta story to tell or some advice to share? Leave a comment below and give your two cents. Make sure you never miss a post! CLICK HERE and I'll send my posts straight to your inbox. 
For Rashida's books, podcasts, and more look around the site or click HERE. 

The Trust Factor

I give a man a hard time. I don't mean to it's just that I'm hard on myself. I've had some hard times in relationships. I believe it's because I try too hard. The games that I played has destroyed my ability to trust because I don't trust myself.

Someone asked why did I think I was single and I said that it was because I'm thirsty. The guy just laughed but I was dead serious. At 31 and I'm single and childless. This depresses me to no end. I feel like my life is empty at times. I'm alone and I have nothing. Like I don't deserve anything good because God doesn't trust me with a life.

People in my life don't understand the logic. To them, I'm this beautiful and talented woman who is still young enough to live a very full life. I should be traveling the world and doing great things with my life. And I agree with them but still there is this little bit of doubt deep down that tells me that I just don't deserve it.

Why don't I trust myself to be great? I can't give myself the ability to love myself because I wasn't blessed with the love of my very own family. This is a scary thing and my career is suffering for it.

I just hope that one day I find the trust in my heart to take care of the one life that God does entrust me with. My own.

A Love Hate Thing

*RE-RELEASE ALERT*
amzn.to/1y8aniP
Tracey believes that being with Andre is her key to living happily ever after. Five years and one handsome son later, she’s still chasing that dream. Her days aren’t filled with love and affection. Andre beats her relentlessly and she has reached her breaking point.When a plot to kill Andre goes wrong Tracey is desperate for help to finish what she started. She never thought that help would come from Erick Chambers because after their secret affair ended he vowed to never speak to her again. As fate would have it, her hatred for Andre is no match for her long lost love. Erick promises to end Andre’s terror permanently but catching evil is harder than it looks. As the clock ticks Andre is nowhere to be found and the rekindled relationship is put to the test.

Money Making Mondays

Women always send me messages asking for  help on writing and publishing. I've never been comfortable with that. Here I am, still working on building my brand and others already see me as an expert!
After much prayer and the opinions of a close friend, I decided that now is the time to open my heart and give the advice you all ask me for.
I've started a group on Facebook called The Powder Room. Here I will share all of the things that I am doing to make the transition to full-time author. Each Monday I will post a special blog post here to teach you guys a different subject on getting money in the publishing industry.
Topics will include:

-Ebooks
-Paperbacks
-Blogging
-Marketing.

Join The Powder Room on Facebook so you don't miss out. If you've ever wanted to write a book now is the time! I'm gonna show you how!


Gotta story to tell or some advice to share? Leave a comment below and give your two cents. Make sure you never miss a post! CLICK HERE and I'll send my posts straight to your inbox. For Rashida's books, podcasts, and more look around the site or click HERE.

No Sister Of Mine 2

The Cooper Family Saga Continues...Honey is doing her best to keep the Cooper legacy from going under but her family’s dysfunction is becoming too much to bear... Dana has a health scare that delays her trip to prison. While she’s fighting for her life the bloody secret dripping from the Cooper mansion walls is revealed. 

Barbie’s sister is released and her homecoming is far from welcomed. When new evidence shows that she wasn’t involved with her son’s murder the case turns on Barbie in a way she never expects. 

Now that Vanna has put everything on the line Henn is forced to face the truth of his alternative affair. The betrayal he feels is mixed with his undying attachment to her so he makes a love blinded mistake that could destroy them both. Available via Amazon NOW! Read FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

http://amzn.to/1uUmVdl

Mobile Post: 5 Books In...

Just wanna say thanks to God and all of you for your love and support.

My 5th book just went live. I'm so thankful!

Goodnight sweet world...

Follow Me On Wattpad!

Join Me On Wattpad! The biggest free reading site in the world... 
 I've been thinking about joining Wattpad for quite some time now. I didn't really know what I could offer to the Wattpad community at first but now I'm ready to jump in and share some great new content.
For starters, I've uploaded the first chapter of the latest installment of my No Sister Of Mine series. Also, I'm going to be releasing the first part on the site for free serially. That means each week I'll release a chapter until you get to the end of the book. If you've ever wanted a chance to read one of my books for free here's your chance! To get all the goodies FOLLOW ME ON WATTPAD and start reading! Get the app for free on iOS and Android.

Gotta story to tell or some advice to share? Leave a comment below and give your two cents. Make sure you never miss a post! CLICK HERE and I'll send my posts straight to your inbox. 

For Rashida's books, podcasts, and more look around the site or click HERE. 

Side Chick 101

Love & Hip Hop has made the side chick famous. Joseline Hernandez and, the worst of them all, Amina Buddafly have captured the hearts of women everywhere with their alternative love affairs. They both got rings in the end but are they good examples of what a side chick should be?

I have had my fair share of experience with side chicks. I've been one, been the victim of one, have a few friends that partake, and so on. I think I can shed a little light on the situation. This post isn't about judgment and should be taken lightly. I truly wanna help my side chicks out there get their shit together.

Here are my five tips for being a good side chick:

5. Be a Homey Lover Friend - This type of relationship isn't about being all serious. Leave that to the main chick. The main reason men keep side chicks is because they want a little refuge from the stress at home. Being a good friend with benefits (emphasis on the word friend) will keep you on each others good sides.

4. The Main Chick Is Not The Enemy - Matter fact, (just what I said. Lol.) she isn't your concern at all. Don't be a Messy Mary starting drama with his girl. Unless you wanna get cut off.

3. Is He The Side N!gg@? - A lot of women choose to be the side chick with hopes of moving up to main chick status. Not all though. If he's playing the side role too make it clear and set boundaries.

2. Practice Safe Sex - You should be doing this anyway if you're not in a committed relationship. Even more so if you're a side chick. Nobody wants nasty diseases or unplanned pregnancies.

1. DON'T MARRY HIM! - Being promoted from the side to the main might seem like a dream come true but remember, the side position is now vacant. Are you willing to deal with your replacement?

Got some advice or a story to share? Leave a comment below. Don't forget to subscribe to my blog and get posts sent straight to your inbox.

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @reallyrashida

Mobile Post: Transparency

I'm lying in the bed of a man that I'm obsessed with. It's one of those things that has lasted for many years and is now a complicated mess. I keep our relationship close to my heart because I don't like the judgement of my choice. I'm so freaking miserable punching a time clock! I hate working for somebody else. I've decided to quit bullshitting and take a natural hair class so that I can finally live my dream of braiding hair and selling books for a living. I'm homeless. Right now I spend my nights at my mom's and my guy friend's places. So, it's not like I'm not on the street but still I'm in limbo. I am still battling depression. I really hate having to admit that. I wish I had it all together but I don't. I'm still a work in progress. Every day is a battle just like a recovering drug addict. I just relapsed. Now, I'm watching gospel shows on BET to get back right inside. I'm not really sure why I'm telling you this. I just feel the need to be transparent. My journey and brand is all about triumph over tragedy. The art of the bound back. I'm about to show you with God's help and ambition you can turn your thoughts into things. Hope you have a blessed Sunday.

"Wifey" Author Kiki Swinson Is Looking For Talent!