Terry Odell's Blog, page 266
November 26, 2011
Free Book Offer Ends Soon
A reminder that I'm giving away downloads of FINDING SARAH to anyone who asks for one. Email me at bookstore (at) terryodell (dot) com with Thanksgiving in the subject line. I'll give you either a Kindle gift or a Smashwords coupon. Be sure to tell me which version you want in your email. Expires Monday, so don't wait.I've hit 400 followers via Google Friend Connect. If you want to win some books, you have to tell me. Check the Deals & Steals tab for the details. I'm still hoping for 500 by the end of the year ... that will be a BIG BUNCH OF BOOKS, so tell your friends to follow this blog.
Next giveaway will be when I get 20 more newsletter signups. You can do it at my website.
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November 25, 2011
Friday Field Trip: Iron Man Arizona
What I'm reading: Fatal Judgment, by Irene Hannon.
First, a reminder that I'm giving away downloads of FINDING SARAH to anyone who asks for one. Email me at bookstore (at) terryodell (dot) com with Thanksgiving in the subject line. I'll give you either a Kindle gift or a Smashwords coupon. Be sure to tell me which you want. Expires Monday, so don't wait.
I know a lot of you read my post about my daughter's first Iron Man Triathlon, and know that we drove down to Arizona to watch her amazing effort. Here are some pictures of the event. For anyone who doesn't know what an Iron Man is, it's a 2.4 mile swim followed by a 112 mile bike ride, finished up with a 26.2 mile run. Nicole spent the year training and it paid off. She finished strong, with a smile on her face, and was very close to her projected time. You can read her race reports to see what it was like from her side at her blog, Banana Death.
These athletes are either nuts or way too dedicated--or both. We saw athletes who were running with prosthetic legs--one man even carried a spare. And a tandem bike, which was used by a blind competitor.
The first event was the swim, which began right around sunrise. Imagine over 2500 people in the water waiting for the start.
This was the leg of the race where it was virtually impossible to pick out individual competitors.
We found a spot near the point where the swimmers exited the water. Nicole had predicted about 1.5 hours for her to complete the swim, which is her weakest event. She was very close to that time.
And if you want to know what it's like to watch the swim portion of an Iron Man, I tried a short video with my cell phone.
Next came the bike ride.
The bike course was 3 circuits. We found a spot near the turnaround so we could see Nicole when she came down, then when she headed out again. She predicted 2 hours per circuit, and again, was very close to her time.
We had the "Swim, Bike, Run, Cake" sign which made her smile as she rode by.
After the bike, the athletes had to transition for the run. Here's Nicole after dismounting her bike, checking her time.
The transition area was huge to accommodate all the athletes.
Volunteers took care of the bikes, and more volunteers handed them their gear bags.
We found a spot on the run course so we could again cheer her on. Her prediction was about 1.5 hours per lap, and again, she was very much on target. (And if you're wondering what we did in between Nicole sightings, we cheered for everyone, especially those wearing the Team In Training purple.)
And she finished. Strong, happy, and with a huge smile on her face!
Some final observations: We were positioned at the start of the finish chute for the end of the race. We watched "Elvis" finish (although he didn't do the entire race in costume). One athlete stopped right before the finish to propose to his girlfriend. (She said yes). Another did cartwheels--guess the arms weren't as tired as the legs. And the athletes who got the biggest ovations were the ones who looked like they'd come this far but might not make the final yards to the finish line. The spectators were fantastic, encouraging them to hang in just a little longer.
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
First, a reminder that I'm giving away downloads of FINDING SARAH to anyone who asks for one. Email me at bookstore (at) terryodell (dot) com with Thanksgiving in the subject line. I'll give you either a Kindle gift or a Smashwords coupon. Be sure to tell me which you want. Expires Monday, so don't wait.
I know a lot of you read my post about my daughter's first Iron Man Triathlon, and know that we drove down to Arizona to watch her amazing effort. Here are some pictures of the event. For anyone who doesn't know what an Iron Man is, it's a 2.4 mile swim followed by a 112 mile bike ride, finished up with a 26.2 mile run. Nicole spent the year training and it paid off. She finished strong, with a smile on her face, and was very close to her projected time. You can read her race reports to see what it was like from her side at her blog, Banana Death.
These athletes are either nuts or way too dedicated--or both. We saw athletes who were running with prosthetic legs--one man even carried a spare. And a tandem bike, which was used by a blind competitor.
The first event was the swim, which began right around sunrise. Imagine over 2500 people in the water waiting for the start.
This was the leg of the race where it was virtually impossible to pick out individual competitors.
We found a spot near the point where the swimmers exited the water. Nicole had predicted about 1.5 hours for her to complete the swim, which is her weakest event. She was very close to that time.
And if you want to know what it's like to watch the swim portion of an Iron Man, I tried a short video with my cell phone.
Next came the bike ride.
The bike course was 3 circuits. We found a spot near the turnaround so we could see Nicole when she came down, then when she headed out again. She predicted 2 hours per circuit, and again, was very close to her time.
We had the "Swim, Bike, Run, Cake" sign which made her smile as she rode by.
After the bike, the athletes had to transition for the run. Here's Nicole after dismounting her bike, checking her time.
The transition area was huge to accommodate all the athletes.
Volunteers took care of the bikes, and more volunteers handed them their gear bags.
We found a spot on the run course so we could again cheer her on. Her prediction was about 1.5 hours per lap, and again, she was very much on target. (And if you're wondering what we did in between Nicole sightings, we cheered for everyone, especially those wearing the Team In Training purple.)
And she finished. Strong, happy, and with a huge smile on her face!
Some final observations: We were positioned at the start of the finish chute for the end of the race. We watched "Elvis" finish (although he didn't do the entire race in costume). One athlete stopped right before the finish to propose to his girlfriend. (She said yes). Another did cartwheels--guess the arms weren't as tired as the legs. And the athletes who got the biggest ovations were the ones who looked like they'd come this far but might not make the final yards to the finish line. The spectators were fantastic, encouraging them to hang in just a little longer.
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
November 24, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving - and a Free Book
It's Thanksgiving, and I'm sharing (again) one of our own family traditions. For those who celebrate the holiday, may yours be a safe and happy one.
Among so many other things, I'm thankful for my readers, and for the holiday weekend, I'll give anyone who asks either a Smashwords coupon OR a Kindle gift of FINDING SARAH, Book #1 in my Pine Hills Police series. Email me at bookstore @ terryodell .com (remove spaces). Offer ends Monday, Nov. 28.
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
Among so many other things, I'm thankful for my readers, and for the holiday weekend, I'll give anyone who asks either a Smashwords coupon OR a Kindle gift of FINDING SARAH, Book #1 in my Pine Hills Police series. Email me at bookstore @ terryodell .com (remove spaces). Offer ends Monday, Nov. 28.
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
November 23, 2011
Giveaway #2 Winner
My random number generator selected Elizabeth Main as the winner of my second giveaway. Congratulations. Next giveaway will be at 400 followers--almost there and/or 20 new newsletter subscribers. (To subscribe, go to my website and fill out the form)
What's Cooking Wednesday - Curried Fruit Bread Stuffing
Thanks to Katherine Grey for taking care of Terry's Place while I was on the road yesterday.
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I thought I'd share the stuffing recipe my family insists on. I first made it on a whim, because it was supposed to be used for stuffing a duck (or was it a goose?). At any rate, it works fine for turkey and became our tradition.
Curried Fruit Bread Stuffing
1 c finely chopped celery
1 c finely chopped onion
½ c butter
2 t curry powder
1 large pkg herb seasoned stuffing mix (cubes)
⅔ c raisins, plumped in hot water
1 can diced peaches, reserve syrup
Salt to taste
Saute celery & onion in butter until tender. Stir in curry. Toss w/ stuffing mix. Add raisins & peaches. Sprinkle w/ ¼ c syrup and toss. Season w/ salt.
Add more liquid as needed. Broth, cooking juices, etc.
From here, it's up to you. I've made this for decades, long before anyone considered actually cooking stuffing inside a turkey as a potential health hazard. Since there's no egg or meat or anything like that in the recipe, and I don't normally cook huge birds, there hasn't been a problem. However, nowadays, it's recommended that you bake stuffing (which then becomes called "dressing") outside the turkey. If you do, I suggest that you add some of the turkey drippings to the dressing before you bake it. Or when you reheat it. As with all my recipes, feel free to do what works for you.
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I thought I'd share the stuffing recipe my family insists on. I first made it on a whim, because it was supposed to be used for stuffing a duck (or was it a goose?). At any rate, it works fine for turkey and became our tradition.
Curried Fruit Bread Stuffing
1 c finely chopped celery
1 c finely chopped onion
½ c butter
2 t curry powder
1 large pkg herb seasoned stuffing mix (cubes)
⅔ c raisins, plumped in hot water
1 can diced peaches, reserve syrup
Salt to taste
Saute celery & onion in butter until tender. Stir in curry. Toss w/ stuffing mix. Add raisins & peaches. Sprinkle w/ ¼ c syrup and toss. Season w/ salt.
Add more liquid as needed. Broth, cooking juices, etc.
From here, it's up to you. I've made this for decades, long before anyone considered actually cooking stuffing inside a turkey as a potential health hazard. Since there's no egg or meat or anything like that in the recipe, and I don't normally cook huge birds, there hasn't been a problem. However, nowadays, it's recommended that you bake stuffing (which then becomes called "dressing") outside the turkey. If you do, I suggest that you add some of the turkey drippings to the dressing before you bake it. Or when you reheat it. As with all my recipes, feel free to do what works for you.
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
November 22, 2011
More Napkins, Please
Today my guest is author Katherine Grey. Katherine writes historical romance set primary in the Regency period. Her debut novel was released in August, 2011. In today's blog post she tells us how she learned where her story ideas come from.
Have you ever wondered where writers get their ideas? Or as a writer been asked, "Where do you get your ideas for your books?"
The first time I was asked that I floundered around for an answer like a fish caught on dry land. I didn't know what to say, my mind jumping from one thing to another and discarding them all for fear of sounding like a person who needed some serious mental health care. Maybe, because at the time, I wasn't really sure where my ideas came from. They were just there, some fully formed, some not so much.
A few weeks after that embarrassing incident, I was in a local restaurant having dinner with a few family members. A loud voice suddenly said, "What do you think I'm an idiot?" I looked behind me and saw a man and a woman sitting two tables away. He looked angry and had his hand wrapped around the woman's wrist where it lay on the table. She was just staring at him, not saying a word. I turned back around and my sister asked in a low voice, "Do you think we should get the manager?
It was then that I realized where I get my story ideas from. Sometimes, it's a snippet of an overheard conversation, a news story, a song, or a line from a movie or television program, or even from a conversation with friends or family members. Of course, I always get their okay to use something from a private conversation first. After that day, I've never had to think twice about answering the "Where do you get your ideas" question. I simply say, "everywhere."
And in case you were wondering about what happened with the couple behind us… They were running lines from a play. According to the manager, they come in all the time to work on their lines while getting something to eat, often giving a few free passes to staff members to come see the latest play they're in.
Katherine's novel IMPETUOUS can be purchased at The Wild Rose Press, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.
You can find Katherine on her blog and Facebook.
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
Have you ever wondered where writers get their ideas? Or as a writer been asked, "Where do you get your ideas for your books?"
The first time I was asked that I floundered around for an answer like a fish caught on dry land. I didn't know what to say, my mind jumping from one thing to another and discarding them all for fear of sounding like a person who needed some serious mental health care. Maybe, because at the time, I wasn't really sure where my ideas came from. They were just there, some fully formed, some not so much.
A few weeks after that embarrassing incident, I was in a local restaurant having dinner with a few family members. A loud voice suddenly said, "What do you think I'm an idiot?" I looked behind me and saw a man and a woman sitting two tables away. He looked angry and had his hand wrapped around the woman's wrist where it lay on the table. She was just staring at him, not saying a word. I turned back around and my sister asked in a low voice, "Do you think we should get the manager?
It was then that I realized where I get my story ideas from. Sometimes, it's a snippet of an overheard conversation, a news story, a song, or a line from a movie or television program, or even from a conversation with friends or family members. Of course, I always get their okay to use something from a private conversation first. After that day, I've never had to think twice about answering the "Where do you get your ideas" question. I simply say, "everywhere."
And in case you were wondering about what happened with the couple behind us… They were running lines from a play. According to the manager, they come in all the time to work on their lines while getting something to eat, often giving a few free passes to staff members to come see the latest play they're in.
Katherine's novel IMPETUOUS can be purchased at The Wild Rose Press, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.
You can find Katherine on her blog and Facebook.
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
November 21, 2011
My Writer's Knowledge Base Interview
Tomorrow's the deadline to enter Giveaway #2. Don't miss out. Details in the Deals and Steals tab.
As I type this, I haven't left for Arizona yet. As you read this, I'm on my way home. Since Nicole hasn't run the Iron Man in "real time", I can't give you any results or trip highlights, so I thought I'd run part of an interview I gave to Elizabeth Spann Craig for the Writer's Knowledge Base newsletter in September.
ESC: You do a little genre-blending with your books. How would you categorize them and what are the pros and cons of genre blending?
TO: I like to think of my books as "Mysteries with Relationships" although the publishing industry calls them Romantic Suspense. I think with the explosion of the indie market, it's easier to blend genres. Readers like a wider variety of genres and subject matter than the NY print publishers are willing to risk money on. I have one 'straight' mystery that was rejected by publishers because they said it was a blend of police procedural and cozy. I'm seriously considering publishing that one myself, because I think readers won't mind the crossover.
ESC: You're not a plotter, but you're writing complex mysteries. Can you tell us a little about how far you plan ahead in a story or what your writing process is?
TO: I don't normally know what's going to happen more than a few scenes ahead of time, although I have a very (VERY) broad, general idea of the framework for the story. If I can write without needing to know specifics, I plow ahead. For example, in When Danger Calls, I knew Ryan had a disc that held some Very Important Secrets. I didn't know exactly what they were, or how they were encrypted until I learned more about Frankie's talents – because it made good "writing" sense for her to be the one to decipher the code. In Danger in Deer Ridge, I knew my heroine had taken something from her husband, but I was probably 2/3 of the way through the book before I knew exactly what it was. And if I don't know, then I certainly can't be dropping brazen hints to my readers.
TO: Thanks for saying I'm successful at it! Part of it, I think, comes from NOT plotting too far in advance. I fear that if I know too much, I'll be working so hard at not giving things away that the writing will become forced. Also, being "trained" in the romance genre, I follow the GMC (Goal, Motivation, Conflict) format. My characters want something. I refuse to give it to them. And I try to find characters whose basic goals don't match at the beginning of the book. In Where Danger Hides, Dalton wants to get back in the field. But in order to do that, he has to find Miri's mysteriously disappearing people. He thinks it's "busy work" but knows he has to at least go through the motions if he's going to reach his goal. And then, of course, things escalate. In When Danger Calls, Frankie starts out dealing with normal problems: an aging mother, a tight budget. If you'd have asked her then if she thought she could deal with mercenaries or terrorists, she'd have thought you were crazy. As a matter of fact, I think that's my basic tension- creating premise. Start with characters who have very simple goals, and then see what it takes to push them farther than they'd ever dream they could go. I prefer not to give them the skill sets they need to solve the problem. That would be too easy. They have to dig deep and discover what they really can do. And you need to have tension on every page, in every paragraph. Your character has to want something (or NOT want something). I did a series of blog posts about this subject recently:Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
For the rest of the interview, click here
And tomorrow, while I'm on the road again, my guest, Katherine Grey will be here. Please drop by and make her feel welcome. She's got great stuff to share.
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
As I type this, I haven't left for Arizona yet. As you read this, I'm on my way home. Since Nicole hasn't run the Iron Man in "real time", I can't give you any results or trip highlights, so I thought I'd run part of an interview I gave to Elizabeth Spann Craig for the Writer's Knowledge Base newsletter in September.
ESC: You do a little genre-blending with your books. How would you categorize them and what are the pros and cons of genre blending?
TO: I like to think of my books as "Mysteries with Relationships" although the publishing industry calls them Romantic Suspense. I think with the explosion of the indie market, it's easier to blend genres. Readers like a wider variety of genres and subject matter than the NY print publishers are willing to risk money on. I have one 'straight' mystery that was rejected by publishers because they said it was a blend of police procedural and cozy. I'm seriously considering publishing that one myself, because I think readers won't mind the crossover.
ESC: You're not a plotter, but you're writing complex mysteries. Can you tell us a little about how far you plan ahead in a story or what your writing process is?
TO: I don't normally know what's going to happen more than a few scenes ahead of time, although I have a very (VERY) broad, general idea of the framework for the story. If I can write without needing to know specifics, I plow ahead. For example, in When Danger Calls, I knew Ryan had a disc that held some Very Important Secrets. I didn't know exactly what they were, or how they were encrypted until I learned more about Frankie's talents – because it made good "writing" sense for her to be the one to decipher the code. In Danger in Deer Ridge, I knew my heroine had taken something from her husband, but I was probably 2/3 of the way through the book before I knew exactly what it was. And if I don't know, then I certainly can't be dropping brazen hints to my readers.
TO: Thanks for saying I'm successful at it! Part of it, I think, comes from NOT plotting too far in advance. I fear that if I know too much, I'll be working so hard at not giving things away that the writing will become forced. Also, being "trained" in the romance genre, I follow the GMC (Goal, Motivation, Conflict) format. My characters want something. I refuse to give it to them. And I try to find characters whose basic goals don't match at the beginning of the book. In Where Danger Hides, Dalton wants to get back in the field. But in order to do that, he has to find Miri's mysteriously disappearing people. He thinks it's "busy work" but knows he has to at least go through the motions if he's going to reach his goal. And then, of course, things escalate. In When Danger Calls, Frankie starts out dealing with normal problems: an aging mother, a tight budget. If you'd have asked her then if she thought she could deal with mercenaries or terrorists, she'd have thought you were crazy. As a matter of fact, I think that's my basic tension- creating premise. Start with characters who have very simple goals, and then see what it takes to push them farther than they'd ever dream they could go. I prefer not to give them the skill sets they need to solve the problem. That would be too easy. They have to dig deep and discover what they really can do. And you need to have tension on every page, in every paragraph. Your character has to want something (or NOT want something). I did a series of blog posts about this subject recently:Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
For the rest of the interview, click here
And tomorrow, while I'm on the road again, my guest, Katherine Grey will be here. Please drop by and make her feel welcome. She's got great stuff to share.
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
November 20, 2011
Today's the Day!
Iron Man Arizona starts at 7 AM this morning (in Arizona). Her sister hopes the sign will help keep Nicole motivated. Or maybe we should have made one that says, "Will swim, bike & run for cake." But that would need to be much bigger. Hope you will be keeping her in your thoughts today.
November 18, 2011
Friday Field Trip - Potpourri
We're on the road today for Iron Man Arizona (see yesterday's post for why). I hope I'll have some new pictures for next weekend, but for now, more from my hard drive. (A lot of these were taken with my old camera, and I wasn't saving them as very large images, so apologies if they don't open larger. I'm learning!)
Remember, I'll be drawing a name for Giveaway #2 when I get back, so be sure to enter. Can't win if you don't! I only need a few more followers. And 20 new newsletter signups will kick off yet another giveaway.
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.[image error]
Remember, I'll be drawing a name for Giveaway #2 when I get back, so be sure to enter. Can't win if you don't! I only need a few more followers. And 20 new newsletter signups will kick off yet another giveaway.
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.[image error]
November 17, 2011
It's a Marathon, not a Sprint
Tomorrow, daughter #1, Hubster and I are heading out for Tempe, Arizona, where daughter #2 (by 2 minutes) will be competing in her first official Iron Man triathlon.
She's been training for triathlons for a couple of years now. She started by joining Team in Training to help raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She thought she'd give it that year, but went on for another year, this time as a coach. That grew into her setting up her own business, NEO Endurance Sports as a coach for endurance athletes. (And yes, there's a writing tie-in, so please keep reading)
During that time, she ran her first full marathon. That's over 26 miles , for those who might not be familiar with the distance. And, the first marathon runner died at the end. Not something a mom likes hearing when her child says she's going to run that distance.
Nicole finished the race, and said she'd probably never do it again—she just wanted to prove she could. You can imagine my surprise last year when she said she'd signed up for the Arizona Iron Man. She's going to run a full marathon AFTER she swims over 2 miles and bikes 112 miles.
How did she prepare for this? Slowly. Gradually increasing distances, doing more workouts (even if it means getting up 2 hours early—she has a full time job and husband as well), and totally changing her eating habits. This was the child who existed on bread and potatoes, with the occasional ear of corn. Her idea of a green vegetable was canned green beans. Now she's making and eating things like kale, and adding veggies to every meal. According to her records, since January 1st, she's spent 200 hours on my bike logging 3115 miles, 108 hours have been spent running 568 miles, and 293,451 yards were swum over 125 hours.
As writers, especially those of us stepping into the world of indie publishing, it behooves us to remember that we're entering a marathon. We see authors like J.A. Konrath, Bob Mayer, or Barry Eisler who are bringing in huge sums of money. But these authors started in traditional publishing and came in with their established brands and followings.
The rest of us have to understand that things build over time. More books out there means more sales. We have to do our training and change our routines, because we must deal with things like paying for editing, cover artists, and spending time doing marketing and promotion—things traditional publishers do for their authors.
Maybe you're thinking of putting your first book out as an indie author. And you think you'll rake in the royalties the way you've seen others do. Think again. Just as you wouldn't enter an Iron Man without putting in the sweat and tears of training, you probably aren't going to hit the best seller lists and buy a new home with the royalties of your first book.
The sprint mentality has you checking your sales figures hourly to see if you're making progress. Hard as it may be, you're better off checking once a day--better yet, once a week. (I'm not there yet!)
I mentioned in an earlier post that I lowered the price of What's in a Name? to 99 cents. I'm not a known commodity, and many readers who are willing to try someone new for 99 cents won't do it for $2.99. Sales are increasing at a slow but steady pace.
I'm seeing some evidence of this with my Pine Hills Police books. Although FINDING SARAH, HIDDEN FIRE, and the stories in FINDING FIRE were all published traditionally, sales of those books are slower than for my others. I haven't spent the same amount of energy promoting them. But growth is slow, and sales for all my books are creeping up across the board. They're just not doing it at a sprinter's pace.
I'll be back on Tuesday, but please don't forget the blog. I still need followers and "likes" and hope that when I return, I'll be giving away a bunch of books from my overflow shelves. And there's always the newsletter signup, as well as sharing recipes and pictures that will get you into the drawings.
And if you have a moment to give Nicole a virtual cheer on Sunday, that would be great! She'll be wearing Number 374. She estimates she can do the course in 13 hours (gasp!) And if you're really dedicated, you can follow the action at IronmanLive.com. Everyone starts at 7 AM, so she thinks she'll finish around 8 pm. I'm so proud of her, even if I can't bear the thought of anyone actually doing an Iron Man. And, to help keep her motivated, she'll be running for her local Team in Training "hero", 3 1/2 year-old Emmy with leukemia, as well as several other family members who have had or do have cancer. Think about them for her, as well.)
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
She's been training for triathlons for a couple of years now. She started by joining Team in Training to help raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She thought she'd give it that year, but went on for another year, this time as a coach. That grew into her setting up her own business, NEO Endurance Sports as a coach for endurance athletes. (And yes, there's a writing tie-in, so please keep reading)During that time, she ran her first full marathon. That's over 26 miles , for those who might not be familiar with the distance. And, the first marathon runner died at the end. Not something a mom likes hearing when her child says she's going to run that distance.
Nicole finished the race, and said she'd probably never do it again—she just wanted to prove she could. You can imagine my surprise last year when she said she'd signed up for the Arizona Iron Man. She's going to run a full marathon AFTER she swims over 2 miles and bikes 112 miles.
How did she prepare for this? Slowly. Gradually increasing distances, doing more workouts (even if it means getting up 2 hours early—she has a full time job and husband as well), and totally changing her eating habits. This was the child who existed on bread and potatoes, with the occasional ear of corn. Her idea of a green vegetable was canned green beans. Now she's making and eating things like kale, and adding veggies to every meal. According to her records, since January 1st, she's spent 200 hours on my bike logging 3115 miles, 108 hours have been spent running 568 miles, and 293,451 yards were swum over 125 hours.
As writers, especially those of us stepping into the world of indie publishing, it behooves us to remember that we're entering a marathon. We see authors like J.A. Konrath, Bob Mayer, or Barry Eisler who are bringing in huge sums of money. But these authors started in traditional publishing and came in with their established brands and followings.
The rest of us have to understand that things build over time. More books out there means more sales. We have to do our training and change our routines, because we must deal with things like paying for editing, cover artists, and spending time doing marketing and promotion—things traditional publishers do for their authors.
Maybe you're thinking of putting your first book out as an indie author. And you think you'll rake in the royalties the way you've seen others do. Think again. Just as you wouldn't enter an Iron Man without putting in the sweat and tears of training, you probably aren't going to hit the best seller lists and buy a new home with the royalties of your first book.
The sprint mentality has you checking your sales figures hourly to see if you're making progress. Hard as it may be, you're better off checking once a day--better yet, once a week. (I'm not there yet!)
I mentioned in an earlier post that I lowered the price of What's in a Name? to 99 cents. I'm not a known commodity, and many readers who are willing to try someone new for 99 cents won't do it for $2.99. Sales are increasing at a slow but steady pace.
I'm seeing some evidence of this with my Pine Hills Police books. Although FINDING SARAH, HIDDEN FIRE, and the stories in FINDING FIRE were all published traditionally, sales of those books are slower than for my others. I haven't spent the same amount of energy promoting them. But growth is slow, and sales for all my books are creeping up across the board. They're just not doing it at a sprinter's pace.
I'll be back on Tuesday, but please don't forget the blog. I still need followers and "likes" and hope that when I return, I'll be giving away a bunch of books from my overflow shelves. And there's always the newsletter signup, as well as sharing recipes and pictures that will get you into the drawings.
And if you have a moment to give Nicole a virtual cheer on Sunday, that would be great! She'll be wearing Number 374. She estimates she can do the course in 13 hours (gasp!) And if you're really dedicated, you can follow the action at IronmanLive.com. Everyone starts at 7 AM, so she thinks she'll finish around 8 pm. I'm so proud of her, even if I can't bear the thought of anyone actually doing an Iron Man. And, to help keep her motivated, she'll be running for her local Team in Training "hero", 3 1/2 year-old Emmy with leukemia, as well as several other family members who have had or do have cancer. Think about them for her, as well.)
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
