Angel’s Comments (group member since May 23, 2017)

Angel’s comments from the Navigating Indieworld Discussing All Things Indie group.

Hey, you did something that I wouldn't do a live podcast/or video so good for you. Aislinn, your voice didn't sound horrible at all. Tara's voice sounded great.

What makes my book(s) and writing stand out is my "unique insight into mankind," which is not me saying that. It was what a big five trad publisher said to me about my writing once upon a time, when I was a teenager just getting into the writing/publishing world. So far I've been able to maintain that unique quality and skill. And even though he told me they weren't looking for such an invaluable quality and skill because they didn't know how to market it. Luckily I've been able to. That's the best complimentary rejection I've ever gotten and that has been how I've described my writing skills all this time. Because before that I couldn't sum it up into words. It's probably why I can write any genre and have along with other creative endeavors and inventions.

Hi, Pat! My novel Weeping Wellmystery/thriller involving an Irish Catholic family, so the spiritual is there, but that's just the beginning. But it's also multiracial, multicultural, romance, international crime mystery, action, a bit of humor, intrigue, supernatural, coming of age set in 1989-2007 involving locations such Mississippi, mostly the UK, Chicago and Japan. It has several plot twists and turns and subplots. It is part of a series, (sequel will be out soon) but it's written as a standalone. Pm me if this interests you.

Aislinn wrote: "Going from selling 3-7 (sometimes more) books per day to nothing - in the space of 24 hours - is a pretty unexpected and upsetting drop. I don't think it's just a case of the normal swings and roun..."

Per day? Well, I definitely haven't reached that height yet. But there have been a lot of indies saying the same thing. One indie author said she was selling over 70 copies a day and was wondering after a few months what had happened. But at one point when I put out my first book I was selling several copies per day the first few months and then immediately for 22 months crickets nothing, until I put out the next book and all of a sudden sales picked back up not for the second book, but the first. I have sales that pick up on and stay on a rhythm and then plummet within the next 1-3 hours like ground zero and then a 1-2 years later pick back up. If you think its the keywords or something then do a check list and find out what you did differently.

Groovy wrote: "Angel, if you haven't already, tell everyone here how many books you have in draft mode. I think it's in the hundreds?

Aislinn, I think my keywords are the culprit, too.

And if I want to get any ..."

Yes, it is in the hundreds. But that number has since gotten closer to a thousand (approx. 792). I wish I had superpowers to get them to publication faster. Yes, I do write lots. Took 26 years to get to that amount above though and I'm still coming up with more concepts for stories and other creative endeavors, so that number will increase very soon. My mind has always stayed on overdrive even in my sleep, a blessing and a miserable curse at the same time. As I've gotten older, my depression no longer hinders me, or interrupts my writing, it only adds to it and helps me produce more. I don't have writer's block anymore and hadn't for a very longtime. I guess that wisdom with age stuff is the real sh* stuff. Once again, I wish I had superpowers....

Aislinn wrote: "Ugh, my sales have completely tanked. I don't know what's caused it. Was it when I changed the keywords? Who even knows. Ughhhhh."

So have mine. I didn't have many to begin with like 0-6. Mostly 0. But that's happening to a lot of indie authors. It's just basic economics. Hate it, but what can be done about, really. That just tells me it's time to crank out another book. So that's what I'm doing.

Alex wrote: "Angel wrote: "Here are a few more I've added. Still dragging the rest of them up. Stay tuned! I have more.

More Free Author Promotion Sites:


http://thelittlebookbloggeronline.wee...
http:/..."

You welcome! I have no choice, but to use free promotion sites for the same reasons. I have hundreds more I've used of all free promo sites so keep visiting this thread for more. A lot of them have a great following and they review indie books. I use a lot of bloggers from all over the world, they've been my most reliable reviewers and promoters.

Here are a few more I've added. Still dragging the rest of them up. Stay tuned! I have more.

More Free Author Promotion Sites:


http://thelittlebookbloggeronline.wee...
http://diamantelavendar.com/
https://aconitecafe.com/
https://andrewmferrell.com/mtam/

Groovy wrote: "I hope things pick up for you, Aislinn. But like y'all, I need to get back to writing. I've been so busy promoting and trying to keep up on the forum, I haven't had the time."

I've been doing the same, but luckily or maybe unluckily I'm a multi-tasker which means sooner or later my brain is going to blow a fuse from all the activity. The tension mounts.

Ruth wrote: "I havent picked up a book today or touched my manuscript for book 2. Instead, I watched Titanic and reruns of Monk (I know, right?), ate a huge Easter lunch and just let my brain rest. sometimes it..."

Ok, you watched Monk reruns, too? I thought I was the only one. I always try to write everyday, but today so far its been a know go. I'm getting frustrated with my manuscript. There's too many writing projects I have to do and so little time to do them. But I'm not going to let the day pass without writing something, it's not possible. Or my head will explode with all the concepts floating around in my head on a daily basis.

Hi, Alexis! I pmed you in response to your request for a blurb for my short story.

I also have a blog post about how to write blurbs, if you want to post it on the site.

Indieworld Group

J. wrote: "Fuck normal (it's okay to swear right, since Alexis did???) Anyhoo. I love non-normal! It's what makes us awesome and better writers, eh?"

Here, here! J. That's right.

Amy wrote: "I have a tiny amount of face to face friends. I don't do the normal stuff of going on girls holidays and going out drinking. I'd actually hate to win the work holidays people strive for. People thi..."

I don't do that stuff either, Amy. I'm not a social butterfly type. You're not weird, you're being you. That's special. There are those out there who aren't comfortable with themselves so they call others who are: weird. I've been called everything but my name and none of it is who I really am. When I'm called "weird" I say thank you. That means I'm nothing like the rest of you." That's what I say to that. Take that "normies."

Alex wrote: "I don't even know how to be normal, what is normal anyway, so I wouldn't worry about it, Amy."

Normalcy is a fantasy.

Amy wrote: "Great name. I stopped trying to fit in when a work colleague asked if I'd ever tried to be normal. She meant it seriously and I'd never been so insulted."

Like being normal is something special. I like the unique, the weird that's family to me. I never belonged with the "normies" (I call them). I like variety, oddity, not blandness. See that's why I have no friends. They say the most toxic things. Toxicity don't need that in my life. It's easy to pretend to be normal. I've done it a million, zillion times. I'd like to see the "normies" try to pretend to be more like us weirdos, now that would be entertaining. LMAO!

Amy wrote: "The only thing about writing what I'd read is that I'm a weirdo and the risk is there aren't that many weirdos like me out there. That said I do have positive feedback that is not in review form fr..."

I'm a weirdo too, Amy. But I'm not afraid to use it. I find your weirdness refreshing. Trust me there are a lot of creative weirdos out there just waiting to come out of the closet. They need weirdos like you and me to let them know its ok to let their freak flag fly. I've always embraced the darkness inside me, my super weirdness and my dark, sadistic, masochistic, intellectual prowess. I know there are people out there who don't understand me because of it. But just as I said before I don't write for them, I write for myself and my fellow weirdos, my dark intellectuals (I call them).

Marie Silk wrote: "I went the blog review route last year. To say it was a tedious process would be an understatement. I ended up researching about 100 blogs. Of those 100, my book fit the submission criteria of abou..."

People irk me sometimes. I love historical fiction, along with a lot of other genres. I have a eclectic array I enjoy. I can find a place on my bookshelf for pretty much every genre. As far as doing blog reviews I avoided doing that because I feel like it's pointless because my reviews are posted on Goodreads and Amazon and whenever I've just done a review on Goodreads, people can easily see it. So no need to blog the reviews of books I've read or reviews on my own books. I never understood why people go through that hassle.

Groovy wrote: "That's some friend--LOL!

I, too, tried to write what I thought others would like, and didn't feel good about it at all. Now, when I get a chance, I'm going to go back and change my earlier books."

Write the book you want to see in bookstores and that you like. That's what I do. Because most people are hard to please. There are people out there who do want books out there like mine, like yours, like all of ours. But we have to first write what we like and love and then there will be others out there, the ones who actually embrace true individuality who will read and review it. That's what being human, being creative, an indie is all about individuality. Embracing that is being true to oneself.

Alex wrote: "I'll have to vote against Eddie Redmayne, it needs a more toned physique because he's supposed to be studly, lmao."

Well then, Lol! What about Idris Elba?