Pre-Orders and Wattpad

I am about a month behind in everything except for my writing.  With my books, I am right on schedule, so that’s good news.  But I’ve been definitely struggling with trying to catch up with other areas.  If you sent an email or message and I haven’t replied, please send it again.  I’m not ignoring anyone.  It’s just with moving and having to fix up the new house, I’ve had a hard time keeping up with everything.  I seriously need more hours in the day. :P

Since I am having trouble juggling everything, I have decided to go back to pre-orders.

I don’t feel comfortable doing a pre-order on Amazon.  I know there are good reasons to, but I’ve heard of stories where authors messed something up with the pre-order and got banned from being able to do any more of them for a year.

The sad truth is, I’m not super organized, and I am prone to making mistakes.  I’ve had to go back and update things, shift things around so they are easier to understand, and after uploading a manuscript, I’ll catch something and have to go back and fix it.  And if you’ve ever watched my videos, you know I’m not eloquent at all.  I’m the type of person who trips and bumps into things.  Graceful is just not my way.

So I feel safer by just using Smashwords to do the pre-orders.  At Smashwords, if I goof up, I won’t get banned from being able to do more. It’s pretty much built in to be mistake-proof.   So the pre-orders will only be on iBooks, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble.  I think Smashwords will only let you put the book in your library.

Anyway, I really want to simplify my life as much as possible, and pre-orders will help me do that.   I’ll try to have some fun with them along the way.  It’d be nice to get creative.  But mostly, if I can get everything set up for the book before it’s due out, then I can focus on letting everyone know the book is available.  Otherwise, it takes me a couple of days to do everything.  That’s a couple of days I could work on emails, answering comments, checking out Facebook, and buzzing around other parts of the Internet.

So I’ll try to get things up soon with the pre-order stuff to keep you informed on what I’m doing.  What I also want to do is make it fun.  I want it to be entertaining instead of the “reserve your copy now” general message.

I’m on Wattpad.

Click here to go to my Wattpad page!

Okay, I’ve been on Wattpad for a couple months.  I started it because Smashwords was running a promotion for contemporary romances, and I was asked to join in on it.  I figured, “Why not?” I’d been tinkering with the idea anyway.

I was able to keep posting over there while in the process of moving, but it hasn’t been until now that I sat down to get the “follow me on wattpad” symbol off their site (with the help of my cover artist).  I have an Apple computer, and it doesn’t let me right click an image like the Windows computer used to.   My tech know-how isn’t my strong point.

I chose to put up the Across the Stars series for the promotion via Smashwords.  Right now I’m posting Catching Kent.  What I’d like to do is actually get a first draft up at some point. I’m still working up the courage to do this.  After going through some stolen books, it’s hard to do it, but I have had a few people help me find and remove stolen books in the past.  So I try to keep reminding myself you guys are looking out for me.  I’m not alone in this. :)

I can’t post anything that will go to my publisher.  Wagon Trail Bride and the rest of the Pioneer Series is off limits.  But I was thinking of posting The Convenient Mail Order Bride once I have enough written in the story.

If you are on Wattpad, I hope you’ll stop by and say hi.  Or let me know in a comment, and I’ll see if I can follow you.  I’m still learning the ins and outs of Wattpad.  On one occasion I had deleted a chapter in one of the stories and didn’t realize it until someone pointed it out.  I was able to get it back, but I still can’t figure out how I deleted it.  See what I mean about making mistakes? :D