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The GRRRR!!!!!! thread
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."
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?
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.
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?"LOL
Mod
conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected.
I am sure that no one here fits that description.
Scratches purple coloured head...nope nothing standard here.
I know I'm not normal--at all! I don't try to fit in, I'm weird and quirky, but very stand-back-in-the-shadows, and quiet kind of person. Like others on here, being on forums can be intimidating, but it's a necessity. But I've met so many beautiful people here that I would have missed out on knowing if I didn't step out of the shadows, so I'm glad I did.I don't have girlfriends, and I have only one best friend. I don't need to be in social gatherings, I'm fine by myself. Get the picture?
Angel, I still feel Prince's loss. He would be afraid of me if we had ever met--LOL!
Ugh. Just further rubbish with Dad's will. The solicitor probably has the money from the sale of the house now but it'll sit there making them richer because they haven't done half the work they needed to. He's been dead for 8 months. Get it done already.
And it's only now coming to light that we should delay further by sticking an advert in a paper asking for any creditors to come forward. They have two months to do so. No money would be disbursed in that time and the solicitor has the money. How do they sleep at night?
Amy wrote: "And it's only now coming to light that we should delay further by sticking an advert in a paper asking for any creditors to come forward. They have two months to do so. No money would be disbursed ..."It's actually standard procedure. People who are owed money deserve to be heard as well and a chance to collect as well. Now don't stone me lol. The days will fly, you'll see.
My point is Dad has been dead for 8 months. The solicitor now has the money from his estate. Why couldn't this notice have been put in the relevant newspapers months ago? Answer of course is that the firm of solicitors wants to hold on to the money for as long as they can and earn as much money off it. Unless of course they are under an obligation to pass the interest on to the beneficiaries. New things come to light every three weeks. I would like to move on but I can't because of the lack of efficient communication and basic competence. I only found out the house had sold from an email from someone half way round the world. I had to email the solicitor to ask as I'd heard new people had moved in. I have no idea how long this will drag on for and it's making me ill. I will have to take a step back from everything now. I have too many things going on.
Soooo the "worst" has finally happened again. (I know it's not really the worst, but it feels like it!) My last no-sale day was 21st of Feb, but it looks like today (US time) is going to be another. Unless I sell a book in a timezone that's still the 13th in the next, like, 3 hours before it switches into the 14th. I sure had a good run, but man it hurts even more now!Good news is I've already got a sale for "tomorrow" (aka today, my time. Working on US time is confusing!)
Anyway, whatever. I'm going to eat my feelings for a bit and then get back to writing.
Thanks, Alex, I really appreciate the support. I'm trying not to let it get to me. (But you know what depression is like, everything gets to you! Ugh)
Yeah, I hope so. :)I haven't done any writing today - which comes with its own form of guilt. But I just watched stuff with my mum and stepdad instead. I have to write now, though. Gotta get something down before the day is done.
Yeah, same. I always need to be doing something writing related.
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 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 its good to step off the merry-go-round once in a while to recharge.
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.
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.
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.
Not sure if it helps but this had been my slowest sales month since July. Bleh. My ranks always take a dive about 3-4 weeks after a promo. I did get an email from Amazon about a new release from you though :).
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 notable sales, I need to start promoting on other sites. I haven't had the time!!!!
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.
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....
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 roundabouts. I think I've screwed something up somewhere.
Marie Silk wrote: "Not sure if it helps but this had been my slowest sales month since July. Bleh. My ranks always take a dive about 3-4 weeks after a promo. I did get an email from Amazon about a new release from yo..."Oh I didn't see this Marie. That's cool about the new release email. Maybe I should release something else this week and see what happens...
I'm just going to lie to myself and say people don't buy books on Easter weekend. ;)
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.
Yeah, I'm also hoping it'll pick up after this weekend is over.
I've just had the worst two months sales on my other business in 16 years. Could be connected I suppose.
I had a really good run of selling btwn 3-6 books a day plus btwn 1k-2500k read pages a day. I was very happy with those results. Then for 4 straight days...nothing. I mean nothing. No read pages, no purchases. I seriously couldn't figure out the drop and to be honest, I still can't. Usually even if I don't have sales, I'll have KU pages, but not this time. Then in the last few days, it picked up again. I put out a few tweets through Ask David, posted some stuff on my FB page, promoted on a free site that I don't normally use and even got myself a paid promotion which will actually run today so we'll see how those do.
My results: On Thursday I had 4 sales and 900 read pages. Yesterday, 8 sales and over 1k. So it's picking back up.
I guess my point behind my long winded story is that sometimes you need to up the marketing factor and even change that up. I picked a promotion I've never done before. I feel like if we just sit back and hope that our success continues on its own, it won't.
I have a writer friend who is pretty successful and she says that she runs one promotion a month. Sometimes they're paid and sometimes free or very inexpensive. She also sets a goal for herself. If she sells a specific number or earns a certain amount, then everything else is gravy and she's satisfied no matter what.
Don't know if any of this helps.
So, I'm going to update my promotions because they can be expensive and I find myself stabbing in the dark with them when I try them out. Granted, I'm a romance writer so what works for me (and doesn't) might not work for everyone.Bookdaily ad (not any of the big, expensive ones): total bust!
Bargain booksy: Running today, so far, doing well.
eBookHounds: Bust. Not total, but not making my money back either.
AskDavid: Totally awesome!
I postponed my book. Yes, again. I haven't been able to concentrate to write because my mind is filled with like 6382819 worries about 647281911 things. Luckily, the bloggers I contacted were nice about postponing and I promised everyone who marked my book as to-read on Goodreads a free ARC. The rest of my pre orders were from friends who won't mind the wait, I hope.The world is insane and I'm losing my mind a bit more every day lol. I wish I could care less. I HAVE to get this first book out man. It's like a hurdle that I need to jump but every time someting happens that ruin it. Okay, anyways. That's my GRRRR. On the upside, I got contacted to write a really interesting article for a law journal so my day did not suck as bad as it could have.
I'm sorry you're having so much trouble getting your book out. The world is an f-ed up place right now. I feel you on that one!
I'm so sorry, Alexis! I know the world is shit right now, but try to see your writing as an escape. If I can help in any way, please let me know.
It'll work out, Alexis, and if you need any more reviewers, I can work off a PDF!
How are you doing, Alexis? Are you beginning to straighten it all out? I'm sorry you have to go through such a hard time. I'm sending you support the best way I can. Hang in there:)
Groovy wrote: "How are you doing, Alexis? Are you beginning to straighten it all out? I'm sorry you have to go through such a hard time. I'm sending you support the best way I can. Hang in there:)"
I'm a mess. But I'm starting to see th light at the end of the tunnel. :)
Alexis, I went through the same thing with my first book and much worse with my second I had to change the deadline for publication, well..... I lost count after forty times plus other things put a bloody wrench in it, but after all that turmoil and chaos I finally, finally, finally...... persevered. You will too just as long as you don't give up.
That's exactly what I'm sending your way (your picture above) I wish I could do it in person. Keep heading toward that light:) Talk to you later...
Angel wrote: "Alexis, I went through the same thing with my first book and much worse with my second I had to change the deadline for publication, well..... I lost count after forty times plus other things put a..."Oh, Angel.
Thank you <3
Alexis!!!!! Hang in there. If you need help, just ask.
I have two promos running at the moment (granted, one is to get Amazon followers, but still) and yet I'm going to have another no sale day today, it seems. The two promos I'm currently running aren't netting any results that I can see. (One is because it's for Amazon followers, which you can't see, but the other is meant to be for newsletter subbers.) My preorder for this novella next week isn't going well (even though I specifically put aside what I was working on and released it to help sales.) And I had a $0.99 sale last week that netted me no more sales than usual. None of the people that opened my newsletter bought my book after I sent it out the other day, so it's a waste for me to try to get subscribers, obviously. Plus, I paid for a similar service to NetGalley, where you pay to upload your book and get it in front of reviewers, and almost no one has requested it.I'd like to think it's just the time of year and whatever else, but I think it's time I admitted to myself that it's me. :( I'm so upset. No matter what I try, nothing seems to work.
I think you're one of the most talented writers I know. I couldn't even type to you at first, I was like no, this girl is too good let me not even disturb her precious time lol. Seriously, I think you write some of the best opening chapters I've ever read and all your books contain engaging, fun, original plots. So, in my opinion it's definitely not you. Have you tried offering ARC's on Goodreads? I looked at the reviews under a book that I think is similar to mine and wrote a couple of the reviewers (all who have lots of friends lol) a short message asking the, if they wanted an ARC of VENI. 5 out of 5 said yes. So yeah, if you haven't tried that yet, that's a tactic that I'd recommend.
Alex wrote: "I love that gif and all the moments when Sheldon hugs Penny, they're so hilarious and touching."I believe that's the moment that Penny gives her sickness to Sheldon for the Valentines Day trip they were taking to the Large Hadron Collider. Yeah I'm a serious Big Bang geek :D.
Mod
Aislinn, I'm sorry about your rough sales week :( I'm not sure which site you submitted your book to for reviews, but maybe it helps to know my book has been stagnating in the Readers Favorite pool for about a year now. No one has requested it in all this time! I hope things pick up for you and you see how awesomely talented you are.
Thanks ladies! I really appreciate the kind words. I think I might have to get off the internet today. My head isn't in a good place.
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Usually it's a lil flat until they get all the wedding and graduations out of the way. I am running a few promo's for Mother's day- You could look for a blog and say what a great gift to get mom- books!
Thanks Carole. When I'm feeling a bit mentally better I'll look into things I can change. Again. You'd think running a few promos at once would work, but alas.
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Navigating Indieworld Discussing All Things Indie
Books mentioned in this topic
Amy Robsart: A Life and Its End (other topics)Iridessian Haunts (other topics)
Normalcy is a fantasy.