Allison B. Levine's Blog, page 7

I Do it for the Love Not the Fame

I'm going to start this post by quoting one of my all time favorite quotes said by a friend of mine…

"J.D. Salinger died poor and alone in the woods. Stephanie Meyer goes home every night and f*cks a bag of money."

So this asks the question–Fan Fiction or just Fiction?

It seems these days there is an abundance of literary works that are causing a cult phenomenon.  Twimoms, Harry Potteries (I made that up) and now the Hunger Games craze.

It's everywhere and believe me when I sat down and wrote my book was I wasn't thinking "Man I hope this is the next greatest American Novel" no I was thinking I need to make a soundtrack for the movie, before I even blew off the dust to give to my editor.

There are so many amazing literary works out there and it gets faded into the background by these epically fanatical books. I'm guilty of it too!  So at what point are people going to be over this for good?

That's my fear, when I was writing my book (before I even knew what Twilight was–because I was in my 30′s) I was hoping that people will still like vampires when I was done.  And then I found out about Twilight *insert profanities here* I felt doomed for sure.

How can you top that when I don't even know how it got to the top?  I thought the first movie was beautiful. I read all the books devoured them like everyone else.  Then I was over it. I liked it I will 100% admit that; was I a TWIHARD? Absolutely not.

But it got me thinking that this is a good gig. Having thousands of teenagers and their mom's foaming at the mouth all over your story.  Forum upon forum of people pinning your imaginary characters against each other in awkward situations such as an arm wrestling competition or what would happen if they were on Dancing with the Stars.

Not to mention the hate mail! Wow to have that giant U-Haul of hate thrown in your face over something you wrote just out of sheer jealousy that you go home and have relations with a big fat check every night.

NO, No it's not about that. It's about the love of writing and the passion for the written word.  The pleasure I get when that THE END happens knowing that my story is birthed into the ether.  I don't care if I sell one book never to sell another again I know that one person out there has joined me in reading my creation. Unless they hate it with a fiery passion of a thousand suns, that would suck…

So really in today's world of Team Edward's and Harmonie's where would you like to fall?  Dying alone in the woods with one of the most prestigious literary marvels of the 20th Century or well that whole money thing…

 Picture credit to: http://rlv.zcache.com/no_paparazzi_postcard-p239033194329563041z7knw_210.jpg

Tagged: alone in the woods, bag of money, cult phenomenon, games craze, harry potteries, j d salinger, literature, paparazzi, question fan, stephanie meyer, team edward, twihard, twilight, twimoms, writing

Will Work for Reviews

http://www.floridataxattorney-blog.com/will_work_for_food1.jpg
Wow so I just wrote this whole post and it disappeared so let's see how good my memory is…
Ever since I hit that "publish" button I've been waiting with my fingers crossed for a review.

Reviews can make or break you plain and simple.

There's the review from your friends (always 5 stars)

The review from your virtual friend who as a favor to you said they will read the book and review it. (4-5 stars)

Someone who knows someone and that someone knows you. (3 stars)

The person that takes the Oxford comma very seriously. (2 stars)

The people who hate you just for the simple fact that you wrote a book and they didn't.         (1 star)

I wish that reviews weren't such an integral part relating to sales and reader popularity but it is, it is very important.  You have to willingly wait to see if people tell you if you suck or not.

During my fledgling stage of publishing (1 and 1/2 months ago) I sent out many requests to websites that I thought may be interested in my type of genre.  I can say that as of now I've not heard a peep.  And at first I was like HEY! But now I totally get it.

People that offer to read your baby and review it for you are busiest people in the world!  They are so generous and so giving that they are probably bogged down with hundreds of books and they have to read every free moment of their lives! I know for me that's like two whole hours a day, can't be easy.

I know for myself I had requested to read a book and review it a few months ago and I just got caught up.  So many things were going on at the time, I offered to read other books I was way too ambitious.  It's not that I was disinterested in the book, not at all I just lost track of time.  Here I was a walking, talking, hypocrite and I felt guilty. I promised this author (who I have a good rapport with) what every author wants and it took me almost three months to get it together–what an a-hole.

So this is not a complaint because I've not really gotten too many reviews yet, this is me paying homage to the hard-working men and woman who offer this service to us authors.  You are a godsend; to give up your spare time to read and review books is such a blessing.  I know that you mainly do it for the enjoyment of reading and the adventures you take but you don't have talk about it, or give any praise.  For that I'm eternally grateful.

I had much more praise and thanks but my mind is failing me right now. I'm so mad my post was wiped out–it was really good, if I say so myself.

But I just wanted to put it out there how grateful I am for all that you do. Thank you for taking our .mobi stories and inviting them into your world and offering a personal reaction to it as well as offering feedback to be a better writer if needed. It definitely does not go unnoticed or unappreciated!

 

Tagged: .mobi, fledgling stage, free moment, good rapport, hypocrite, literature, oxford comma, reveiws, simple fact, Thanks, virtual, virtual friend, writer, writing

Novelist or Author? Faker or Real Deal?

I have a confession to make. Sometimes I feel like a total fraud.

I mean who doesn't right?

Oh you don't?

*drops head in shame*

I'll tell you why. I wrote a book and so far mostly by people who know me like it a lot.  Since I started this journey I've befriended many amazing writers/authors/bloggers etc. who have an educated background in this sort of thing.

I was always an artist, painter, stick figure drawer, pretty good graphic designer.  I'm not educated in prose, irony, literature; my English isn't even that good; I was raised in New Jersey so sometimes I'm hard to understand eh, fagetaboutit.  As far as writing goes I can't spell too well, I'm a coma whore and my grammar has left some people questioning my ability to write completely.  But my professor in my Freshman year English class told me my imagination and storytelling is epic, grammar and spelling–tragic. And I guess that's what an editor is for right?

So you can see how sometimes I feel like a fraud?  I don't believe being picked up by a publisher is validation on whether I'm a good writer or not, it's what the public says, I base my success on how many people thoroughly enjoyed my book.

I had a friend at one of my jobs tell me (in a nice way) he was pleasantly surprised how much he enjoyed my book and how well it was done first time out of the gate.

*SQUEE*

But most people who know me are like "Are you sure you wrote that?" If you knew me personally you would understand.  I'm a friendly, mostly soft-spoken shy person and some of the imagery in my book is a little darker than people would ever expect from me.

Storytelling and Imagination–EPIC.

So I wrote one complete novel, a couple short stories (not published), a novella (in the process of being published), and my soon to be completed novel sequel to A Demon Love Story (will eventually be published) so can I classify myself as a Novelist or an Author?

What makes one an author or a novelist? Does it take one completed work to be able to classify yourself as either? I often wonder. Probably why I'm way too modest when people say "Wow this is so cool you're an author" "Who me, nooo" (my response).

Hopefully soon I'll wake up with pride in my heart and confidence in my swagger I'll finally be like "Damn right I'm an Author", well maybe I'll say it more politely.

Are Amazon Ratings Important?

I discovered today that I rank #279,272 Paid in Kindle Store.

In paper back I'm over a million I'm not going to boast about that one.  It's strange it seems I get more action on Kindle which is fine because it is the dawning of the age of ebooks I'm all for it.  Even though I still love the feel of a book in my hands and the beat up condition it is in when I finish it. Seems like I earned that book you know?

I was also reading a forum about how well book sales are doing in a beginning time frame.

My book has been unleashed since January 29, 2011 and to date I've sold maybe 35 copies both paperback and kindle and I was like man that's rad for the first two months I thought it would take forever.

Yeah well these people were like oh I sold 1,000 in a week and equally discouraging numerical unintentional bragging.

I don't feel like a failure, feeling sorry for myself is no longer part of my m.o. I'm not going to wallow, but I am going to ask what the f#$k are they doing that I'm not?

I think I may know but I could be wrong.  They are spending a significant amount of time on blogs, goodreads, book blogs forums, etc. I am not.  I'm just now starting to get a rapport going with some goodreads people. I really wish I had more time to devote to marketing I really don't. I work full-time plus, and I work a 2nd job sometimes. I'm trying to work on my sequel but read e-books of fellow indie writers both to review and to enjoy.

I've never been very good at balancing things. Or time management.

*Sigh* I know this will be a long hard road to the top, but can't I just skip the road blocks and the tolls and reach the top really quickly and reap the benefits?

*Cue Hilarious Laughter* *And comments of "Who the hell are you?"*

I know nothing is easy especially this, but I'll tell you one thing, I don't think I've ever enjoyed anything more!

Multi-tasking is the Devil

I find I am mentally incapable of multi-tasking.

Especially when tv is involved. I don't know how to do it. As a kid I would sit down in front of the tv I would zone out and was unable to hear or see anything around me.

As I write this right now I'm attempting to watch a movie and write this and I'm having some difficulty.

My point to this rant is that I haven't written anything in like three weeks and besides my recent family misfortune this goes back further than that I have been extremely distracted…by laziness.

Yes laziness is my heroin its like once I sit on the couch that's all I want to do…always. I just hope that with spring on the horizon I will shed my uniform of sweats with matching sweatshirt and go put to the outside of Panera Bread and write my heart out!

This movie is taking up my brain function ooh something shiny…

Freshly Pressed Envy

This picture has meaning. This was me six months old rocking out with the old 8-track player on my grandpa's lap.  What you don't see is my brother on the side of me totally envious of my awesomeness.

I see Freshly Pressed every time I log onto wordpress.com. And I have to say I'm so jealous.

How do these people get on there?  How do they have 1,000′s of viewers/followers and how are they more interesting than me?

Well I don't know about that I like to think I'm intersting, but I don't have a theme, or a nitche, or any comprehension of public affairs.

I just have to say for the record, I live a very simple life.  I don't have cable, I didn't have internet until a week ago when I got my first 'smartphone' ever.

I don't trust that thing at all, but that's a whole other post.

I started this blog to tell of the journey to and through my first self-publishing experience.  And I was ripping through it full steam ahead then real life stomped in (i. e. my dad's heart attack) and I find myself completely derailed.

I can't even remember what I was doing, where I was going who I was talking to. I dropped off the grid.  I didn't mean to, I just got caught up.  I'm finding it hard to get going again.  But I will, I know I will again I'm just a little lost right now.

Oh I would like to ask advice on something…

A friend of mine is taking her son to a ComicCon in June and I said maybe I'll tag along and solicit my book I really think that ComicConers (?) will really dig it.  Is that allowed? Someone graciously suggested I just pass out flyers or bookmarks (which I have) to people just waiting in line.

What are you thoughts on this? Yes, No, find someone to post bail?

I am looking to do a book trailer, first before the virtual tour.  I think the virtual tour is going to take up a lot of time I need to figure out time management before I commit to that.

Wow I went on a tangent I started talking about how do I get on Freshly Pressed and word vomitted all over the place. Well it's Friday. Viva La Weekend.

Oh and don't forget it's also #shamelessplugfriday!!!

<3 Attack

I've been M.I.A the past week because I had a brush with my immortality.

Well not really my immortality but the immortality of my childhood.  I lost my mother approximately 23 years ago (this year) my father remarried two years later, he's a mater for life; I begrudged him that at the time but now I understand it as an adult and now that I know him.

Wednesday night (a week ago today) I received a phone call from my step-sister' I couldn't answer it I just thought it was a follow-up to a Facebook post I wrote to her.  Then my sister-in-law called right after and I answered the phone with "why is everyone calling me" she then proceeded to tell me that my father is having a heart attack.

My world came crumbling down, I lost it–I mean tears, hyperventilating, non-communicable speech the whole nine. How in the world did my father have a heart attack, he's my Daddy?  He's fun, and hysterical and the friendliest guy in the world. Hand to god he would make friends with his worst enemy, no lie. Although he doesn't have one as far as I know.  I'm only 36 years old and he is only 70, how can I be an orphan? That was one of the dumbest things I've ever thought but I'm not afraid to admit it, I thought it.

Quickly as possible I packed and tied up loose ends with the assistance of my very best friend Jenn with her calming voice and life knowledge of this sort of thing.  As grateful as I was it didn't stop the demons at night eating away at my REM sleep and I was an insomniac mess.  Seven a.m. I was on my ten-hour drive to Charlotte, NC to get back in the car for another four and a half to Knoxville, TN.  Thursday around 11:30 pm I finally got to see my father (who miraculously survived an emergency triple bypass–even the surgeon was shocked which can't be a good sign) and he was barely conscious.  All he could do is look his glossy eyes at me but I didn't think he noticed that I was there.

The next two days were critical. He was on a ventilator and about 1,000 medicines and there were beeps and alarms and everything else scary you can think of and all of a sudden I was 5 years old and my daddy was really sick.

All I did was cry and try to come to terms with if he died. I wasn't handling this well at all considering my favorite grandma just died after a four-year long battle with many ups and downs just two short months ago–I think I was still raw from that!

During my visits with my dad he was mostly in and out of a morphine coma and I got a look and a hand squeeze and I was sort of content that he knew I was there–not completely. His kidneys were in failure and his lungs were full of fluid.  They had him on antibiotics hoping that he didn't get a bad infection.  The nurse had told my brother and I that he could be in this state for weeks. I didn't have much hope.

The last day I was there he was asleep–the.whole.day.  I had to say goodbye to his unconsciously precious sleeping face I felt terrible, lost and undone.

The next day–GOOD NEWS he was more awake and his vitals were getting better. They were even talking about removing the ventilator and all his tubes.  His kidneys were functioning better and his lungs started clearing.  I was happy but sad that I wasn't there to see this–I am the QUEEN of bad timing.

Yesterday–best news ever! He's off all the breathing tubes and chest tubes and other tubes, fully awake, remembering slightly and…TALKING!! I called to talk to my dad crying like a baby and of course I felt bad because I know that my dad is also a crier and the last thing I wanted was him to be over emotional.  And again I'm kicking myself in the ass for missing this. I am about 15 hours away from him so it's not like I can just get there whenever I want its excruciating and expensive two things I cannot tolerate. I will if I have to like I did last week but my car is not liking me right now for doing this trip twice within two months.

Today–Not great, he has a fever and some numbness in his body–I had a feeling he wasn't out of the woods yet as much as I wanted him to be, this will be a longggggggg difficult time of ups and downs.

Seeing my father in that vulnerable state was shocking and disconcerting for me. I always remember my father with so much life in him, so full of jokes (both funny and vulgar), talking to anyone who will listen. Just the support of people who were calling the hospital and coming to visit him, and the outpouring of love on Facebook from people, family, friends that couldn't be there made my heart swell with pride that my father is loved.  He is the most loved man I know–and I can't imagine a world without him, not now.

It will long and difficult recovery that is painfully evident–very emotional for us and frustrating for him, but hopefully the rehab and everything will finally give him the tools to live a longer healthy life.  Thus far he's done just about everything to cause those heart attacks although I didn't want to believe it until it actually happened.

Dad–if Ruth ever finds this and reads this to you–I love you, more than you can ever know and all I want is for you to get better so I can see you happy, healthy and back to normal.

Book Tour?

 

I'm contemplating a virtual book tour.

I would like to reach out to my seasoned or slightly more experienced authors out there to answer a few of my questions.

1. How effective is a virtual book tour?

2. How much does a virtual book tour generally cost?

3. Do you think I should just look up this information myself?

Yeah probably but I like to hear if from the horse's mouth so to speak.  I feel like researching online while effective it's very impersonal. I'd like to do a Q & A with some of my fellow authors whom I've developed a virtual friendship with!

4. What is the best media to do a virtual tour? I. E. You tube, Facebook, Online fan sites?

5. Damn I just forgot my question.

6. How does one make a book trailer, is it borderline cheesy or is it totes awesome? I've seen a bit of both, to be honest.

7. How long does a virtual blog tour last and is it a full-time job thing or can it be a nighttime activity (for the full-time jobbers like myself)?

8. Have you noticed that I love to number things yet?

9. Those who read my book I need to solidify my genre.  I think it's Paranormal Romance or is my book Urban Fantasy…discuss.

and…

10. What is the very first step one must take to start this vitual book tour?

I am seriously researching the means to a virtual book tour with Julia (editor, publicist, cover designer and friend–she wrote a book too you know) So I would like to pump up both of our books out to the masses and people say a book tour is the way to go. Man I would love a real honest to goodness book tour but who the heck can afford that on a self-publishers salary.  And if you can I need your secrets!!

Thanks everyone for the anticipated participation.

 

 

Not Enough Time!!!

I feel overwhelmed. I so badly want to be part of everything the wonderful Indie Writers community has to offer, but alas I'm hindered.

I don't have internet at home. I won't go into details but I'm slightly financially challenged.

So the only time I have to interact is the small window of lunch time during the week. Boo!

I just wanted to put it out there, that I'm participating as much as I can, I'm not intentionally ignoring anyone or anything I just can't keep up with it all.

But I just want to say thank you for all the support, the reviews (keep em' coming) the reading of my book and just the interaction. I got a fun group of ladies on Facebook who I feel I've known forever!

So that's my case, I've plead it. Oh and if you'd like to check out the real honest to goodness soundtrack to ADLS I added a new page. I think it's awesome, hopefully you do too.

Have a wonderful week people and thanks for listening!!

Today is…

#shamelessplugfriday

 

DO IT!