Tara Ellis's Blog: Making Progress, page 13

What NOT to do as a New Indie Author...

Things have calmed down enough in my life at the moment (knock on some wood) that I'm able to sit here in one of my favorite spots, drinking some coffee, and staring at my computer screen again. It's a great thing. :)

I was browsing through some article headlines that were all geared towards Indie authors and it brought me back to the first months of my journey. I was clueless. I didn't even know what Indie author meant. (self published or small press books)

I made a WHOLE bunch of mistakes...but that's okay, because I learned from them. In a time when this is still basically a new frontier (even more so two years ago), it's okay to make those mistakes, so long as you take something away from the experience.

I searched the internet at the time, trying to figure things out and not really quite sure how to do it. There's a ton of advice out 'there', some good and some very bad. It's a unique experience for each author, based on the genre of book and their situation in life, really. How much time and how much money and how much creativity do you have to contribute to your venture? What's most important to you?

Anyways, sitting here this morning, reading some of those article headlines, I thought to myself how I wished I had found a comprehensive, what NOT to do list, way back when. And then it dawned on me, that by following one of the good bits of advice I had gotten, I created this blog, which gives me the platform to reach out to other (perhaps new) Indie authors and make my own list!

So here it is, in no particular order. Please keep in mind that this is strictly my personal opinion, based on my own experiences and hardships. I am sure there will be lots of people who don't agree with me, perhaps because they had a different experience. That's fine, and it's the great thing about having so much info, because it gives you the option of browsing and finding what best suites you. If anyone can be saved a little time, money, or heartache by this list, then it's worth the time to write it!

1. Don't edit your own work. Sure, the first and second hard edit, that's all you. But the final check? PLEASE, if you have the resources for it, do NOT skimp on this. I'm sure you've heard it before, but it's true. If you absolutely don't know someone good at editing and willing to do it for you, or can't afford to pay someone and have to do it yourself, set the manuscript aside for a couple of months. Brush up on your grammar (there's a ton of resources on-line) and come back to it with a fresh eye.

2. Don't design your own book cover. Oh man...I cringe at this. I thought I had done quite well. (snicker) To be fair to myself, by comparison, they weren't horrible...but they were bad. A professionally designed cover is what will sell your book. If it has a bad cover, no one will even consider it! Trust me on this. Please.

3. Don't use a publishing platform where you have to pay. There are so many free ones out there now (KDP is the ebook subsidiary of Amazon and Create space the print on demand branch).  I am not that tech savvy, but I'm stubborn. It took time (which I was fortunate to have) and I was able to figure out how to do all of the formatting. Really, if you have a decent knowledge of how to use Word, or it's equivalent word processor, than you'll be okay.

4. Don't use Booktango. Just don't. I did, and it wasted nearly a year of my books life. Horrible accounting process (with no way to track your sales), took forever to get my book on other sites and they have an absolutely non-existent customer service. I still don't think they paid me what I was owed.

5. Don't pay to advertise free books. You don't need to. There are plenty of sites that will do it for free, and it works just as well. I have gone both ways, tracking everything, and it makes little difference. Sure, you might get a few more downloads, but anymore, the giveaways just don't give you a big enough bounce in sales to make up for it. You are giving it away for FREE. WHY would you PAY to give your book away? Think about that before making your own decision.

6. Look long and hard at the failure/success of other advertisers before deciding to pay to advertise your own book. Then, you will likely chose NOT to pay to advertise. (to do this, simply click on the link for other books advertised on their site. If their Amazon book rank is in the hundreds of thousands, then the add is obviously not working for them!)  In my experience, there is very little chance of actually making money off of this. If your philosophy is "That's okay, I don't mind if I loose money, so long it leads to some sales and reviews. It's worth it for the reviews." You aren't going to get reviews. At least, not enough that you should ever base paying money on it. For example, during my most successful giveaway of my book Bloodline, it had nearly 1,200 downloads. I was VERY excited, thinking that surely, this would lead to at least a few dozen reviews. WRONG. I would hazard that there weren't more than two out of that. TWO. Think about those numbers, and then compare it to paid advertising. Your best bet is to solicit book reviewers/bloggers. (again, NOT paid) I have NEVER paid for a review. Ever.

7. Don't ever comment on a negative review. Even if they are totally wrong, obnoxious and deserving of a smack down. It will only make you look bad and create a platform that invites more negativity. It's not worth it.

8. Don't isolate yourself. I am referring to both social media AND real life. I have made more money off of 'real' book sales, than I have ebooks. Having a nice, professional looking book in hand is great marketing. GET OUT THERE and sell yourself!!!

9. Don't isolate your family. If they have an interest, involve them. (if appropriate) My books are all kid-friendly, so my kids were my beta readers (and my daughter is on the cover of my third book, Descent. My son is the guy peeking out from behind the tree in The Secret of Camp Whispering Pines). Your writing is a big part of you. Include the people you love.

10. Don't do it for the money. Because odds are, you are setting yourself up for failure. I have both short and long term goals. I'm not expecting any short-term monetary success (although it would be nice), but I'm hoping that if I stick with my game plan, in ten years I might have enough monthly for a small retirement. This plan includes around 30 titles, and audiobooks. For now, I'm lucky if I make 100/mo between ALL of my sales (ebook, paperback and audio), with six books and 2 audiobooks out there. I spend a heck of a lot of time on social media, plugging myself. So yes, I am loosing money still, but that's okay. Why? Because when I'm feeling like a failure, I simply go back and read some of the amazing and encouraging reviews I have gotten from complete strangers that entered the world I created and LOVED it. THAT is why I write. What an absolutely amazing feeling!!!

11. NEVER GIVE UP! Believe in yourself and your dream. Take any negative reviews and LEARN from them. If people are telling you that your editing sucks...it probably sucks. That happened with my first book to a small extent, and I did a total re-write and it was absolutely worth it. Don't turn away from something that doesn't work....keep pushing on until you find something that does.



(I will follow this up with a What to DO list!)

How Quickly Things Can Change...

My last post was a light-hearted tale about a cute mouse and my apparent face-off with him. How I wish that were my greatest challenge still!

The past two weeks have been nothing short of disastrous, as well as scary and overwhelming.

On Feb 25th I headed to Missoula, MT (10 hr drive) to help my mom recover from major back surgery. She had a difficult time coming out of the anesthesia, so after a gripping ten hours, she seemed to be okay and I took her home two days later. We spent the next week in a daily routine of basic survival, as well as short walks and LOTS of home-improvement shows. :)

Mom was doing amazingly well, but my MS was starting to rear its ugly head and I had this overwhelming sense of urgency to get back home. After I was assured that the proper in-home care was in place by Friday afternoon, (March 6th) I finalized my plans to head back home the following morning.

About an hour later, I received that phone call that ALL parents dread. My son, Brandon, had been injured at track practice and was in the ER. Based on what I was being told, I suspected it was a major injury to his right ankle. He is a sophomore at Western Washington University and has a partial scholarship for track. They were just starting their outdoor season, and he had big plans (realistic) to go far in discus, shot put and the hammer throw. This was a season-ending injury, as he broke his fibula and ruptured the main stabilizing tendon of his ankle. He had emergency reconstructive surgery Friday night (8 pins in the bone, open reduction and tendon repair), while I waited by tensely several states away. (It would make no sense to leave that night. I wouldn't get home until four in the morning, long after the surgery, and there are three passes to get over.)

My son got back home on Saturday afternoon, just a few hours before I arrived. It's an incredibly painful injury, and a week later, he is still laid up on the couch. He's a major athlete and normally works out nearly every day, so this is a tough one for him.

By Monday we were starting to fall into a routine of medication and brain-numbing activities while he tried to keep himself from going crazy. I had thought we over the worst of things. Then Tuesday morning happened.

My fifteen-year-old daughter, Megan, woke up feeling quite sick. She threw up, felt better, but then took a turn for the worse. About eight hours later, after non-stop vomiting and inability to keep anything in, I took her to the ER for fluids. They treated her for a stomach flu and sent us home. She went to her dads since we were all afraid of Brandon catching it, too...which would be horrible.

After the pain meds wore off (her lower back was hurting), she was right back to where she had been earlier in the day. In addition to the nausea, back pain and general malaise, she had this overwhelming sense of dread. The only other time I had seen her this way was four years earlier when her appendix ruptured. I took her seriously. Back to the hospital she went, but to the bigger one this time, where they have pediatricians.

Thankfully, they ran a full abdominal blood panel, otherwise they would have never thought to look at her pancreas: she's just way too young. She had acute appendicitis, with her lipase over 500 (should be under 50) The docs were shocked. The pediatrician called in said that in his 45 years, he had never seen it in someone so young. After a thankfully normal ultra sound, she was admitted to the hospital.

I spent the next couple of days sleeping at the hospital and going back and forth to make sure that Brandon was okay, medicated and fed. I also had to change his bandages daily, and just try and give him some company. Talk about a horrible feeling. BOTH of my kids were either seriously hurt or sick and I wanted nothing more than to take away their pain.

Thank God Megan made an amazing recovery. There had been talk of transferring her to children's hospital in Seattle if she didn't, because they really didn't know how to deal with a pediatric pancreatitis case. (they consulted with a specialist)

SO...today marks one week since Brandon was discharged from the hospital and Megan is home and doing well. My son is facing several more painful weeks and a difficult few months of healing and rehab, but I know he will come back stronger than ever. That's just who he is.

Megan will be seen at Children's soon, to try and determine what caused the pancreatitis. Hopefully we can get answers so that we can prevent it from happening again.

I love my kids...I'm extremely blessed. I don't need these traumatic incidents to remind me of this, but man-oh-man, does it make me appreciate the 'boring' days!! I hope to get back out into my fifth-wheel soon and start recording again. If I happen to see any mouse droppings...I don't think that I'll complain. ;)

An Exciting Day!

Today is an exciting day for me! 

Although I typically focus (pun intended) on landscape photography, I do occasionally take portraits. Last year, I had the opportunity to do a 'back of the book' photo for a New York Times Bestselling author! 

Her newest book, Thoughtful, just came out today and I'm excited to say that the picture I took, along with my name is inside the back cover! There is a good chance this book will be an international bestseller. So I want to thank author S.C. Stephens for giving me the opportunity to work with her, and my friend that made it happen!

It is already sitting at #30 over-all on Amazon, and still climbing! :)
Amazon link to Thoughtful

Yesterday, I was finally able to capture an image of some trumpeter swans that have been hanging out in a flooded field near my home. Skagit Valley can be a breath taking place! 

The Bane of My Existence...

I've always loved that saying. Ever since I was a young girl and read Anne of Green Gables. I've had several 'banes'(or constant annoyances) over the course of my life, but at present it involves a fifth-wheel, a microphone and a little mouse who has it in for me.

Let me explain. A few months back I decided, at the urging of other authors, to have my YA trilogy made into audiobooks. Although I have never enjoyed being read to, I understand why others do, and are therefore making the audiobooks quite popular.

After spending sometime on ACX (the equivelant of a self-publishing platform for audio), and having several people audition for Bloodline, I went ahead and recorded myself reading the same script. I then had some random people compare and it was determined that I was just as good. (I have done a bit of theater so it comes naturally) After more research, I purchased a good, quality microphone with a built-in mixer, downloaded free audio software and got to it.

My next big hurdle was where to record. I needed my own sound room. This simply wasn't possible anywhere in my house. BUT...we have a big fifth-wheel with a 'bunk house', or separate room in the back for kids with a bunk bed. What I've ended up doing is draping 4" thick foam pads from the top bunk to make a foam wall on the lower bunk and then lined the inner walls with more foam. It's actually quite cozy and works surprisingly well, with a few drawbacks.

We have railroad tracks about a mile from our house. That may not seem too close, but we are in the middle of a valley and with my ever-so-sensitive mic, it picks it up a town away on either side, so I end up having to pause for a good ten minutes every time one goes by. On Thursday nights, (I have to record late at night, otherwise there is too much neighborhood noise) they are especially active and I can have three in one hour. SO, that was the first bane of my existence.

This brings my to my current situation: a little mouse. In between recording my last book (The Mystery of Hollow Inn) and my current one (The Secret of Camp Whispering Pines) a little mouse found his way inside. How do I know? Well, because the one and ONLY place he chose to leave a few precious gifts behind, was all around the base of my microphone. Not kidding.

I was appalled and immediately cleaned and washed everything associated with the space, and my husband diligently sprayed foam sealant in every crevice he could find. To no avail. Three more times I have discovered small packages of...mouse happiness, on my microphone stand.

That is...until a couple of days ago. This little micky mouse has taken things to a whole new level. While I am recording, I have to turn all of the lights off, to prevent the noise associated with the electronics (noisy to my sensitive recordings). So to offset the darkness, I light a couple of candles. I am a bit of a candle addict and I take them very seriously, so my candles are nice ones.

Well...I was pleased to find NO mouse turds in my recording space, but when I went to light my candle, I discovered the candle itself had scratch and bite marks all around the top of it, as well a nice whole dug into the center. The little villain destroyed my candle. Not only that, but he then deposited his sign of appreciation right in the middle of it, next to wick, and pee'd around the base of it. (which I discovered after I picked it up to light it. Have you ever smelled mouse pee? It is not pleasant.)

I wish I were making this up, but it really is the bane of my existence right now. I have decided to laugh about it, and imagine the little twerp out there rubbing his tiny paws together, wondering how best to get to me next. A mouse trap, you say? Now, that wouldn't be very sporting, would it? :)

A Month of Reflection - and Bloodline is FREE

February has ended up being a bit of a non-productive month for me, as far as my writing goes, but my body has been clearly telling me (yelling at me) to take a break. Even if it's just for two or three weeks.

I have basically been writing or narrating for going on 2 1/2 years now. Don't get me wrong...I LOVE it. That's why I do it. Sometimes though, I think a little reprieve can improve the thought process and is much needed.

I have still been working on narrating The Secret of Camp Whispering Pines. After getting part way through however, I determined that the recording quality wasn't quite to my standard due to background noise caused by the on-going bad weather we were having. So...I started over. I took the last week off from that, too, though. With our dog passing and some other things happening at the same time, the MS (multiple sclerosis) started acting up. Nothing too bad, but enough for me to take notice.

I've spent a lot of time just thinking about which project I want to work on next. I have several options. I've got an older, nearly completed adult thriller manuscript that I could rewrite and finish. I could write the next book in my MG series (The Beach House Mystery). I have a story idea for a serial (ten novelettes that would work like a season installment of a tv series), that I am quite excited about. Then...I am still being pulled back to the world created in The Forgotten Origins Trilogy. I also need to complete the audiobooks for Heritage and Descent.

I believe that I will first go ahead and do the Beach House Mystery, since it will be the easiest one and then see how I feel about the rest, but I plan on getting them all done this year!

I just finished The Atlantis Gene, by author A.G. Riddle. A GREAT read! Be sure to check my review.

I've made Bloodline free for the next three days, in an attempt (again) to spur some interest in the trilogy. Sales have once again dropped off to nearly nothing. So...if you haven't gotten your copy yet, follow the links!


Amazon link

I Believe in the Rainbow Bridge

It took me a day before I was able to write this post. Yesterday, we had to say goodbye to our good friend, Scooter. He was with us for about ten years and was a loyal friend and companion to us all.




It was a difficult decision to make, but he was suffering and the vet agreed that it wouldn't make sense to just prolong his suffering. As my husband and I were sitting with him, he asked me what I thought about dogs and if they went to heaven. My response, is without hesitation. 
I believe that anyone (animal or otherwise) that has such a gentle, caring and loving nature MUST have a soul and will therefore absolutely continue on after death. Anyone who has had the pleasure of having a dog as a part of their life, knows of the unconditional love they share. They experience joy, sorrow, envy and anger. The LOVE. 
Scooter loved us and our other dogs, and we, in turn, loved him. He will be greatly missed but I know, without a doubt, that we will see him again.

His favorite thing to do was to go down in the slough!
Rest in peace Scooter, we love you.

FREE Books this Weekend!

I'm going to pre-empt this entry with the announcement that I have made TWO of my books FREE this weekend!

First: Heritage; Book #2 in the Forgotten Origins Trilogy  LINK to Amazon

This is the second book in my young adult, sci-fi trilogy. Don't worry, you don't have to be a teen to enjoy this story! You don't even have to be a girl. (some of my biggest fans are adult men!) It's even a clean read, so if you DO want your younger teen to read this....don't stress about it. There isn't anything in there you wouldn't want them to read!




Second: The Mystery of Hollow Inn   LINK to AmazonThis is the first book in the Samantha Wolf Mysteries series. (I just released the 2nd book) unlike the trilogy, these books stand on their own. (also available as an audiobook!)


WHY have I made these free? Honestly, it's because sales are stalling again. Even though I just released a new book last week (The Secret of Camp Whispering Pines) I haven't sold more than two copies of all of my books combined in the past week. This is in spite of having ALL positive reviews, winning a couple of awards and sacrificing myself to the social media gods. Yes...such is the life of an indie author. :)
I don't really mean for that to sound like a complaint, though. I realize that this road is not an easy one. I know that in the scope of things, I am still a very new author and it takes patience, perseverance and commitment. I am thankful for the two sales I had this week, because that's more than I had in a whole month not that long ago! 
So, I am making these two free this weekend for the very simple reason of marketing. There are TOO many ebooks out there for them to be seen on good luck alone. Even good covers and lots of social media platforms will only take you so far. There's just too much for a reader to chose from. There's a lot of GOOD stuff for them to chose from. So, I am giving a sampling. Hopefully, there will be a few people that will take the offer, eventually read it and perhaps like it enough to read more, or share it with a friend. 
At this point, it still isn't about sales, but about exposure. Are people reading my books? 
I was thinking quite a bit about this yesterday. Every  once in awhile, when I begin to feel a bit defeated, I have to stop and analyze things. WHY do I write? My answer: Because I have to. Because it's a part of who I am and I couldn't stop, even if I wanted to. I share the stories, because I want to entertain people, to give them that escapism that meant so much to me growing up. If my answer ever changes to: "Because I want to make money", then it's time to stop publishing.
So, that is what helped me decide to go ahead and make these free this weekend. I just want people to read my stories and hopefully enjoy them. If, I am ever what's considered a 'success' someday, so be it. But for now...I just want to entertain!! :)

LIVE author chat/interview TODAY!

I am still trying to grasp all of the ropes holding the web of social media together, and my latest attempt is a LIVE chat!

Join me TODAY (one hour from now) at 1:00 PST, 4:00 EST HERE
to get in on the discussion. Now is the time to ask any questions, get to know me or the characters of The Forgotten Origins Trilogy better....and maybe get some exclusive, new info!!

You can also follow on #Yalitchat, or on twitter... HERE


Hopefully I'm getting this right! ;)

Whispering Pines is OUT!

The Secret of Camp Whispering Pines surprise me while writing it...it evoked unexpected emotions of my childhood, and for that reason...this is a special book for me. Quite a bit of the storyline was garnered from my own childhood (as far as the atmosphere at camp and friendships). It's where my lifelong friendship with my best friend was cemented (Lisa Hansen), and SO many memories created.

If YOU have been to summer camp, than you know what I'm talking about! The smells, sights, excitement and roller coaster of emotions. I went from homesick to dreading to go home. I think that a good summer camp is something every child needs to experience. Not just a couple of days either, but one or two weeks. With swimming, hiking, horseback riding, singing, etc.

I tried to capture that in Whispering Pines, and I really think that I succeeded, without realizing it. So join Sam and Ally on yet another wild, fun and exciting story as they unravel secrets, make some cool friends and learn a bit about themselves.

Amazon link for The Secret of Camp Whispering Pines

Yes, I'm a Photographer, Too!

Now that I am in between books (but not for long) I have decided to focus a bit more on my photography for a couple of weeks. Actually, it is pretty much demanding that I do it, whether I want to or not!

I have devoted SO much of my time and mental energy into writing for the past two years, but my photography is really what's funding everything. And I'm not even trying that much. I keep finding myself, when out peddling my books, getting an art show instead.

This is what happened last week, when I went to one of our newest local merchants at the Woolley Market. They are located in Sedro Woolley, Wa and are SUCH a cool store. They focus on local, organic goods and the atmosphere is amazing. They are working on a co-op section, which I have been keeping an eye on as a possible point-of-sale for my books and cards. Well...I went in to speak with them about it, and when they saw my photography book, it opened up a conversation about showing my artwork in their new gallery area! They didn't have anyone lined up for February and asked if I was interested. My work has been up at United General for going on four months now so it is time to move on (as much as I have enjoyed having it there!).

This is a great opportunity for me to try and improve my merchandise and marketing. It also gives me a chance to spend more time planning for future marketing. Woolley Market has a country theme, with lots of rich woods, which is perfect for my landscape photography. I am going with that theme for my marketing, and I'm having fun with it! I am currently making a really cool, wooden sign, which I will share as soon as it's completed.

Today, I finishing my final edits for Whispering Pines and will have the ebook out by tomorrow! I am also going for a walk in this glorious sunshine (and maybe get some pics) and then working on preparing my photographs for my new venue at Woolley Market. What are your plans? Do you have a to-do list to make sure you are moving forward in whatever your dreams may be?

I'll leave you with my bestselling photograph, one I have shared before! This was taken at Flathead Lake in Montana. Gorgeous country!!!