The GRRRR!!!!!! thread Showing 351-400 of 1,404

[Carole]

Sorry to hear about the dementia, Alex. She's lucky to have you.

[R.L.]

I'm sorry Alex. Praying that everything works out for her and the meds work. Def don't want her to have clots etc. Try to distress a little. Still sending prayers.

[Amy]

Let's hope she evens out with a less serious cause.

[Aislinn]

Alex, Amy, and everyone dealing with stuff right now - I hope it all works out! Sending good thoughts your way.

Today isn't a good day for me. The big one-day sale I was having today to introduce my books into the world of KU is an utter flop. I had placement in both Bargain Booksy and Bookzio newsletters, but the sales aren't even close to a Bargain Booksy I had in February. I was expecting so much better and my hopes are dashed. Again.

I can't keep setting myself up for all this disappointment. Everything I try is a failure. I just...I'm running out of time and energy for this. And running out of things to try. I just want to give up and say my dream will never come true. It would be easier on my emotions having one big grieving process, than going through this misery by getting my hopes up again and again.

I know some of you are in a similar place, so I don't want to moan and make it about me. But I know that some of you can commiserate/empathise.

[Amy]

Oh I understand that. People who buy my book are curious colleagues and people on here for which I'm grateful. (Not even my family-I think they're waiting for free copies of a paperback.) I've done a few cheap promo things and a few free things-it's never led to sales.

[Amy]

I've found it's always better to know than be left with uncertainty. I've got that with my husband's job at the moment.

[Amy]

I hate uncertainty. I like to know what I'm doing in 6 months time. I like to plan. I'm not good with wishy washy answers from the medical profession.

[Carole]

Aislinn wrote: "Alex, Amy, and everyone dealing with stuff right now - I hope it all works out! Sending good thoughts your way.

Today isn't a good day for me. The big one-day sale I was having today to introduce ..."

Aislinn, it's a roller coaster ride. I have been in business all my life- I was a teacher for about an hour and then my husband asked me to help him with our business. To this day the ride has been unpredictable- We lose accounts, there are costly accidents, people make errors pissingoff clients- I live my whole life on the edge of the cliff- everyday!! I have a friend who is a speech therapist- she could never reconcile to our working lifestyle- She told me she needed the steady feeling of always knowing what was coming in- the solid knowledge of what would happen today, tomorrow and any day in the future- Now- she lives in constant fear as she approaches her senior years- that she will be replaced - All I am saying is that being an indie is like being in business for yourself- Don't measure on one day or one week- You measure by years- Are you sales better this year than last year- That's how we run our business- I would have gone crazy otherwise.
The other thing is there are tons of external factors affecting any kind of sales- Elections, tax season, holidays- YOu have to figure out the ebb and flow of the best times to push and when to sit back. Most importantly- it takes time to build a following- the ony overnight success are made up ones- People have to plug constantly, everywhere they can before they get noticed- and the reality is- right now Amazon has figured out a way to slow book sales (at least for me ) with this book bin thing.
Take a deep breath, don't panic and understand this is a work in progress. Set reasonable and realistic goals. In the movie Parenthood- there was a pivotal scene- The mother is overwhelmed and the grandmother says she had two choices for life- one was marrying some guy and playing it safe- her life would be like a merry-go-round. The other was marrying the daredevil and life was like the roller coaster- MOre highs and lows- but so exciting. Give me a roller coaster any day!!! AND I'm afraid of heights!!!!

[Carole]

Take a deep breath Alex. It will get sorted out, I know it will.

[Amy]

My version of events:

I've had a solo business for 16 years, a bit before then I'd always worked for other people. The first three years of my business saw me spend money on stock and hardly sell any to anyone. We have strict consultation and selling rules to adhere to. So it's not easy to start with. I went from never seeing more than three people a week for the first three years of my business to having one person who brought me all of her colleagues. I grew to 12 people a week. At it's height for a couple of years I saw about 30 slimmers a week, was constantly having to refill the shelves with products twice a week and made a good living.

Then the recession happened. Over the following years I have slipped down from 35 people a week to 6. I now make a loss from week to week whilst trying to keep a box of every product on the shelves. It's not possible to do financially as the product range has doubled in the last 16 years-there are too few people to buy a vast range of products, I pay out more than the slimmers pay me each week. I watch colleagues go off on their top sales people holidays each year and wonder how they managed to retain their clients while I lost all of mine-we sell the same product after all. And I was at their level before the recession. What is universal is the unreliability of people. They book in, then cancel at the last minute after I've already paid for their products to be delivered. They come in but half the time haven't done what they should and rarely need to buy a full week. Due to this experience in the last 16 years I am unfortunately used to disappointment.

I see my writing career as a sort of mirror image of running that weight loss business. There will often be no logic for lack of sales. I can do everything right and still not sell a book. It's just reality. Accepting that does not make it any less disappointing. This year however I came to the conclusion that I would rather be a penniless author than a penniless weight loss consultant. I would rather write and never sell a copy than keep a box of bloody chilli soup on the shelves because one person said they wanted it then quit on me two weeks later. (I hate chilli soup)

Sorry-long post, Don't give up.

[Amy]

Alex, does the hospital have a phlebotomy clinic? Can't they order the blood tests and take the blood at the hospital with your mum going back there instead of a surgery? I needed tests done last year and despite the surgery requesting it, I had to go to the hospital to have the blood drawn.

[Carole]

Amy wrote: "My version of events:

I've had a solo business for 16 years, a bit before then I'd always worked for other people. The first three years of my business saw me spend money on stock and hardly sell ..."

I totally hear you, Amy. We lost some huge accounts recently. A former employee took them- faithless creeps. Between frivolous lawsuits, not being able to raise prices, competing with other companies and the rest of the crap- it's a wonder anyone can be in business.
I have learned that nothing comes easy and just because success does come- it can be fickle as well as contrary.

[Amy]

All very true. Competition has grown here too. When I started I was one of about 150 active consultants. There are now over 3500 in the country. It has been very good to me, the weight loss plans are the reason why I haven't died of a weight related illness I'm sure. And we've had some nice holidays. But right now I am so tired. Everything feels like a struggle.

I really should not have stayed up until midnight seeing what ProWriting Aid could tell me about my second book. Turns out it's in good shape, albeit short. Hmmm, bit like me. Not in bad shape, short.

[Carole]

hahaha. You're cute Amy. ;)

[Amy]

Alex wrote: "The surgery booked mum in for tomorrow, so at least the blood test that has to be done urgently will be sorted."

Good, that's progress. I hate that health is set aside sometimes because of red tape.

Why do they need to know where she went before if it was so long ago? Frankly if she hasn't been seen by a doctor for 20 years anything that's in her notes from back then is almost irrelevant. Too much time has gone by. If it was relevant she'd have needed to see a doctor more regularly to manage the thing in her notes. #NotADoctor

[R.L.]

I'm so glad they took her Alex. I just read everyone's posts and I think it's just one of those days/weeks for everyone. Spent the day fighting the bank, book sales are nil, but I have to keep my head up although the water I feel I'm in is eyeball deep lol. We will get there guys, we just have to hold onto each other and keep pushing forward. Xoxo to you all

[Carole]

Amen to that RL

[R.L.]

Amen

[Sandy]

Well...I just had to fire my cover artist and am looking for a new one. Certainly fits the "grrrr" because this is delaying the release of my book.

[Carole]

Grrrr!!! I just found a big mistake in Oh Susannah!! Grrrr. Had to spend the afternoon scrambling to fix it.

[R.L.]

I'm watching Escaping Polygamy so grrrrr that these poor 12 yr old girls have to endure marrying their 42 year old uncles *threw up in my mouth a little*

[Amy]

I can't do this interacting with people thing. I've done two messages and now I'm having anxiety issues just because.

[Amy]

Thanks Alex. I've done enough new stuff for today. How's your mum?

[Amy]

That's a bit of progress then. That's good. Hope the appointments don't take too long to come through.

[J.]

Glad to hear that Alex! You're all in my thoughts!!

[Nat]

So, I posted on another blog a political picture, with no opinion really, just the pic. I tend to not be political on any author type platforms, but this pic was fairly humorous.

And I got attacked for it.

I was, in fact, called a fascist when I asked the arguer not to argue on my feed. (seriously... talk about judgement without any basis.) He said it was ridiculous that I would expect that I was the only opinion allowed on my feed. (which isn't what I said, but it is what I expect.) And that I'm 'just like all the others' whatever that means.

But it really bothered me. I totally wanted to argue and defend myself. Instead I blocked the poster.

[Amy]

Just like all the other what? Dolphins? Sounds like this person has acted out a number of times to a number of people with similar results. Good that you blocked him.

[Nat]

Thanks all. Yeah, I was totally emotionally reactive. I wanted to lash out, but decided on the blocking. I don't need those kind of people in my life!

[Amy]

Damn, adding in physical descriptions etc to my second novel. Due to the stresses of the storyline, according to my notes, I appear to have quite a few men going "prematurely grey" lol

[Carole]

hahah

[Amy]

Obviously you're feeling crap. How's she doing?

[Amy]

Well that's something. You just need to kick back for a bit now and make sure you're ok.

[Amy]

Even when I get a holiday it's never actually a holiday with two kids. Doesn't matter how old they are there's always the responsibility.

[Amy]

Wouldn't bank on it. One of them is 17 and we're embarking on all the stress of A Levels and hopefully uni in 2018. Whole different level of stress.

[Nat]

Kids and writing and life and a job and a.... too much! I admire all of you. I've got it pretty cushy and my only failings are due to my lack of gumption.

Good luck to the kids on A Levels and I hope you feel better soon, Alex.

[Amy]

Still looking on Fiverr.com for a ruined city/sci-fi/erotica cover designer, I'm getting there. I appear to have broken their website though...bugger!

[Amy]

Spent another three hours looking at cover designers. Thought I had it sussed. I vaguely know what I want, ruined sci-fi city at the bottom (even found a free stock image), a couple of blokes either side by side in silhouette or facing each other without their faces being totally visible and fully clothed above the city. (Might have to buy the blokes from Shutterstock) Space background (had one-looks a terrible colour clash with the city). I have no ability to put it together. Trying to find someone on fiverr.com who is highly rated, but without a zillion jobs in their queue who will revise later to add the blurb for the paperback...from now on all my sodding books will be plain black covers with white writing on. #HadEnough.

[Amy]

Lol. Famous. #NotHoldingBreath

[Theodore]

Is anyone else out there experiencing problems with the colors on the covers of books printed by CreateSpace? The last several printings I have ordered of one of my children's storybooks, which happens to have a bright blue cover, have been very disappointing. Not only have the colors been off (dark blue, purplish, etc.), but the color is inconsistent from one order to the next...and from one print shop to another (DE, SC, PA). I currently am communicating with them regarding the problem, which has only occurred with this one book/color.

I'm at a total loss to understand why this is occurring. If all the covers came back off-color, then it might provide a clue, given they're developed from the same template. But there is no consistency from one order to another, and that's what is so frustrating.

Anyone having similar problems? Or has anyone had them in the past?

[Carole]

I guess it's where they print the books. I have had a variety of colors come through. The same with Ingram.

[Theodore]

Theodore wrote: "Is anyone else out there experiencing problems with the colors on the covers of books printed by CreateSpace? The last several printings I have ordered of one of my children's storybooks, which hap..."

And the answer is:

https://graphicdesign.stackexchange.c...

It apparently has to do with the printing process and to what they convert the RGB color covers. Greens and blues are the worst, and the book in question uses a blue cover. So far, CS has yet to produce consistent orders among its plants in DE, PA, and SC. Every order's covers are a different color. I'm not sure there is a "cure" for the problem except to change the cover.

[Theodore]

Carole wrote: "I guess it's where they print the books. I have had a variety of colors come through. The same with Ingram."

We use RGB when we create our covers. They use a subtractive process when they print. The vibrance is lost in the conversion. Look at the color chart in the URL I provided above. The bright blue turns dark and dull...and that's exactly what's happening to my book. Even worse, they can NOT maintain consistency from plant-to-plant, much less job-to-job. Very poor quality control

Ted

[Erica]

I have been having trouble with this for a while. As far as I understand, it is the nature of POD and variance allowance. I used CMYK on the background of my last book and it has been a little more consistant. However, I still struggle with my interior images since they are scanned hand drawn images and my version of Photoshop does not allow me to convert to CMYK.

[Theodore]

Erica wrote: "I have been having trouble with this for a while. As far as I understand, it is the nature of POD and variance allowance. I used CMYK on the background of my last book and it has been a little more..."

And that is the problem! If we could produce our images and book covers in CMYK, it would eliminate 95% or more of the issues we are having, for sure. The other 5% results from out-of-calibration printers, which for the most part would not be a show-stopper.

I guess we could have a commercial house produce our covers, but then, the costs would far outweigh the benefits for the most part. The lesson, perhaps, is to stay away from the blue end of the spectrum, where the problem is the greatest. Again, look here to see what happens:

https://graphicdesign.stackexchange.c...

[Erica]

I have had trouble with reds too. My bright red tricyle is sometimes a dull brownish red tricyle. I feel it is more of a vibrancy issue. CMYK seems to be closer to a true representation of the finished print product than RGB. You are right that a commercial house seems to be the only way around the issue. I did have better luck with Ingram Spark's premium color print option, but it raises the cost of the book so much I don't know that it is worth it, especially in paperback.

[Theodore]

Erica wrote: "I have had trouble with reds too. My bright red tricyle is sometimes a dull brownish red tricyle. I feel it is more of a vibrancy issue. CMYK seems to be closer to a true representation of the fini..."

Interestingly, two of my children's books have light blue and yellow covers...close to cyan and, well, yellow (for sure!). They turn out beautifully every time, regardless of where in the CS network they are printed. Now I know why! The key, I guess, is this: if you're going to use a block color for a book cover, stick with cyan, magenta, or yellow! LOL

[Amy]

I am so grateful I don't need anything other than text in my books.

However I would just like to pull my hair out over the time I have just spent trying to organise page numbers. Again. It's a simple thing I always manage to get wrong. In the end I restarted with a clean KDP template. When am I going to retain these instructions without having relearn everything? I am so sick of my memory post stroke.

[Amy]

Thanks. Will do. I got there in the end. I don't know what I did. I was very good I hardly swore...

[Theodore]

As long as we're complaining today, I ran an ENT Book Of The Day promotion for my second book of short stories a month ago. At that time, I dropped the price of the Kindle edition to 99 cents. At the same time, I did the same for Book 1.

Book 2 outsold Book 1 by a wide margin, but together, 300 books were sold.

To this date, not ONE review has been posted on Amazon.com on either book. I mean, come on...each story can be read in about 5-7 minutes, tops. And Amazon does go out and ask you what you thought of your purchase...I know, because I get those e-mails all the time (and I do go back and rate the books I've purchased).

What do you have to do to get reviews these days???

Sorta reminds me of the boy whose mother used to tie a bone around his neck just to get the dog to play with him. (;>)

[Amy]

Well, as I have sold less than 30 books since I published a year ago I obviously cannot offer anything other than a well done on the 300 and I have no clue about the reviews. I'm just grateful for the ones I've got. To date I have not managed to get one blogger/reviewer on board and the reviews I have are from people here and a colleague. So dunno.