Robin Puelma's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing"

Publishing. There is SO MUCH to do after writing your book. Who knew the hardest part started after pouring your soul into three hundred pages of fiction? Because I didn't. No amount of tweets or blog posts could have prepared me for the anger and frustration and pain that would follow the writing process. (Createspace and your monstrous formatting; Amazon and your multiple glitches; Weebly and your--well, Weebly's actually been a dream.)

But.
But! (There's always a but.) It's worth it. YOU made it worth it.

I can't tell you how much your support means to me. The promoting; the Instagramming; the blogging; the love; the hugs; everything. WOWEEEE. This must be what a baby shower feels like because I am overwhelmed by the joy you've poured out on me :D

So, the next phase of this journey -- the after the publishing part? Still figuring it out. Figuring out how to get readers. How to blog content. How to stay engaged. It's never been a strong suit of mine--social media. Engaging. But, I'm trying. Just know, the struggle is real. And your patience and grace through this time is much appreciated. Hopefully, with book two (yes; already thinking of the next one to self publish!), I'll be a bit more professional about it. Until then, with this book, I'm just blubbering my way through it. #sorrynotsorry.

:D

xoxo

Not gonna lie. This after publishing part is hard. Especially for someone who barely understands the power of social media. Balancing the desire to find followers, gain clicks, and remain genuine all at the same time seems as unfamiliar to me as the Japanese language. All. Kinds. Of. Confusing. But people do it. And successfully, I might add. What's challenging is to not compare. Because really, when you're starting out, you seek out the successful ones. The ones who have thousands of followers. The ones who have sold thousands of books. The ones who have done it. Are doing it.

But they had to start somewhere too, right?

Had to start with a question mark on the page, just like me.

So it's the balancing act. Of looking up to the doers--the bosses--the hard workers; of catching a glimpse of their success; and then finding a way that's right for me. A way that's right for you.

Join me?

When I decided to self publish, I bemoaned the fact that my book wouldn't be displayed on actual shelves in actual bookstores. That was always a dream of mine. Big time. So you can imagine my excitement when I discovered there was such a thing called The Consignment Program.

Oh. My. GOODNESS.

This is truly the best gift bookstores could ever give to self-published authors. A chance to sell their books in an actual bookstore. For so long, only those on the traditional publishing path could find themselves there. And for so long, with every rejection letter I received, I lost hope that I would ever see my book tangibly in stores.

Somehow, however, someone decided to give local, self-published authors, a chance. The same chance traditional published authors have. Because now-a-days, both have become such popular pathways for writers to take.

So. The Consignment Program. What is is it, per say? While each bookstore's program slightly varies, each pretty much does this: displays your book on a local author's wall; includes your book in an email blast; offers online sales of your book; and even allows you to partake in an author signing. Yes, payment is required to set up each program. However, you do receive a share of the sales. And if your books sell out, they'll ask you to restock.

WIN. WIN. WINWINWINWINWINWINWINW. Am I right?

If you're looking to self-publish, here's a (small) list of independent bookstores who offer consignment programs:

Vroman's Bookstore

Flintridge Bookstore and Coffee House

Book Soup

Diesel, a bookstore

Shhhh. I've got a secret. I'm getting my next book ready to self publish.

And I'm giddy about it.

This one? The Naming of Colton Black. I don't want to say too much, except that this book I truly wrote for myself. I poured my heart (my anxiety ridden heart) into this book and especially into its main character, Breslin. So, to say I love this story, is an understatement.

I've started formatting the book; giving it one final edit; and? The most exciting part--WAITING ON SHELLEY TO COMPLETE THE COVER DESIGN! Yes, the same amazing artist who created the cover for The Missing Crimoire is at this moment, designing the cover for The Naming of Colton Black. And let me tell you. It's looking AMAZING.

But that's jumping ahead. I'm still enjoying the excitement around The Missing Crimoire. Don't want to overshadow that story yet! I only wanted to give you a little taste for what's to come...soon.

​Keep you posted.

xoxo

You all have been AH-MAAAZING. Buying paperbacks on Amazon. Buying Kindle copies. Buying ALL THE COPIES AT VROMANS. And the list goes on and on. The retweets; the GoodReads entrances; the amazon reviews; the key surveys. It all makes my heart SO happy. And motivates me beyond motivation to keep. On. Writing. Keep on figuring out this social media nonsense. (Like SnapChat. Um. This was the hardest to start, but I think one of the most fun to use. Who knew?? RobinPuelma if you wanna follow the craziness.)

This self publishing journey is definitely that. A journey. I've been up; I've been down. I've cried. I've freaked out. But I'm beyond loving every second of it. It's mostly been so special to feel the love (cheesy, yes.) and see strangers mark my book as "to-read" on GR. At this point, I'm just thrilled other people are reading my words. It's up to you if you like it or not -- you may not. But you're reading it. And that's two thumbs up.

This week I've added an email updates form. That is, if you're interested in learning more about my writing process; my up coming books; my writing life; you name it. A bit of a behind-the-scenes right to your inbox, kind of thing. If that's your jam, I'd love it if you signed up on the main page. We'll get to know each other. And I'd really like that.

Until next time.
​xxoo

I'm not going to lie, readers. Trying to balance the business of writing with the art of it is TOUGH.. And what I'm finding the hardest is making time for both.

Any of you do this? Start the morning out with social media; marketing; promoting; coming up with post ideas; etc. And by mid morning/early afternoon, when it's time to switch over to writing, I hear this tiny voice inside my head saying, "Pssst, you stop working on this, no one's gonna know about your book." So, instead of ignoring it and moving on, I give in. I spend more time on social media; more time on research; more time on marketing. And before I know it, I've spent the majority of my day promoting one book but not writing the next.

Problem.

Because writing the next is just as important as promoting the first. If I want to make this author thing work, I have to--surprise--produce.

This is exactly the reason I bought myself a writing calendar. To help outline my day/week/month and keep me focused and diligent on all tasks.

Yes. This isn't rocket science. And yes, I'm sure you've all figured this out. I'm just looking to rant a bit. And mostly to ask you to keep me accountable on my daily grind. Ask me if I'm balancing my time between writing and promoting. ASK. ME.

I'll be forever grateful. And maybe even make you cookies.

xoxo

Yesssss. New things are coming. What are they, you ask?

They're a seeeecret.

But not for too much longer! You'll start to see some revamping happening in the next couple of weeks. We're talking new looks; new features; new "branding." Interested? Keep checking back for updates. Or stay up-to-date with me on SnapChat (RobinPuelma), Twitter (@robinpuelma), and Instagram (/robinpuelma).

Oh. The fun is about to begin.

​xxoo

http://www.robinpuelma.com

Guys--the new writing brand is live! Check out the new look on http://www.instagram.com/author_robin... and http://www.facebook.com/authorrobinpu.... I ADORE feedback. And I ADORE you.

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We've all seen this on Amazon. We've all probably clicked on the next book/DVD/product too. Because it's easy and it's personalized. Am I right? My favorite are book recommendations. Especially since I'm not always able to peruse the latest bookstore. (Terrible, right?) So, I let Amazon do it for me.

I'm calling these recommendations book siblings.

And my book siblings?

Harry Potter and Percy Jackson.

Now. Don't get me wrong. I am by no way comparing my writing to Rowling or Riordan. But when comparing likenesses of books to my own, I find similarities for sure. Youthful boys, living in not so perfect situations, discover they've got a magical past. And future. Magical worlds interspersed with reality. Unique creatures. Spells of sorts. To name a few.

I wrote THE MISSING CRIMOIRE in college and was truly influenced by Harry Potter. I dreamed of creating my own series of magical books kids would adore to read. So I set out to write Luke's story. True, it's sprinkled with more similarities than I'd include today, but it's a tribute of sorts to my author hero. A nod to her genius.

So, what are your book's siblings? I'd love to hear!

So it's no surprise I'm sure if I tell you I'm an introvert. Love me some good long down time. Lots of quiet space. Tons of no-large-groups-of-people. All Introverts, can I hear a huzzah?

Which means attending events like the LA Book Fest could be a bit overwhelming.

My way to get through it? A game plan. If I were to go, I needed a support system. Husband was free. Check. If I were to go, I needed a project. Photos for Instagram. Check. If I were to go, I needed a goal. Connect with SOMEONE.

So Husband and I arrive to throngs of people. I'm quick to wonder why we're here, but then I remember my check list, grip Husband's arm, and head off to the children's booths. Along the way, I stop at spots where we take quirky and bookish Instagram photos (many of which you'll be seeing this week!). At this point, I'm mastering my list like a pro. We saunter past booth after booth. I lust after authors behind tables with sharpies in hands (and made mental notes for next year. MY booth. With MY sharpie in hand. Boom. More on that later.) Finally, we near the end of the kid's section. When I spot an author I follow on Instagram. Husband suggests I connect.

BLANK STARE.

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