Reverb 10: Days 12 - 13

December 12 – Body Integration.

This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present? (Author: Patrick Reynolds)

It was actually while my grandmother was in the hospital. We were alone, no doctors, the other family and friends were gone for this period. I just sat with her, held her hand, and sang to her. I just allowed myself to be in the moment with her and she was in and out, but I know she heard me. It was a peaceful feeling. Hopefully, I can get that back without death being present in the room.

December 13 – Action.

When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step? (Author: Scott Belsky)

My next step is to do better about manuscript submissions. I let that slack off this year but I need to get back on that. As much as I like where I've gone and what I've done self-publishing, I have a bigger audience in mind for my work and I'll need help getting my work out there. So, more traditional publishers it is.

Some FYIs

1.) I have a blog post brewing about white authors writing about black characters...and why white authors who write about black characters get a larger market share than black authors writing black characters; and why black authors who write about white characters would probably have to self-publish it before a "mainstream" publisher puts out the story. Yeah, it'll be long and involved and probably won't be up for a couple more days.

2.) I have books in Kindle Format now, including the just-released "I'll Be Your Somebody". Check them out and for those who have a Kindle, please tell me how they look!

3.) I have Twitter. I think this platform will get me into even more trouble than I really need to be in, but I've been told it's a good marketing tool. We'll see.

4.) Been editing like crazy. If you're interested in my services, hit me up at sjfediting@gmail.com.

5.) I have a release coming out in August. Hint: You've read it before. :)

Scaling Back and Moving Forward

Hi everyone, I took down most of the excerpts to Gym Story and Vietnam Story since I won't be posting anymore updates on either story anymore, but I kept up the first few for refresher. I'm about to start pubbing Gym Story, and since I plan on pubbing Vietnam Story, I figured that was the best thing for me to do. Nevertheless, for you folks in SC, more importantly, Richland County--you can check out my book soon! This is a big deal to have your book stocked in a library, and I'm humbled and hug my hometown and city *squeezes Columbia and Blythewood*. The books aren't available yet, but soon. So exciting!

Sav

Mosaic Books

http://www.mosaicbooks.com/newsletter.htm

I'm a featured book. Spread the word around :).

On the Radio

I did my first radio interview for Being Plumville. Heh.

WGCV 620AM Where Knowledge Is Power

http://wgcv.net/

Columbia, SC

They don't have a live feed, but the host, Kaela Harmon (also one of my best friends, so yeah, I had an in ;) ) is going to get the audio to me at some point. She said I sounded good so here's hoping!

In which Sav needs to learn to be a little more shameless

Hello, everyone!

So, Being Plumville has been out for a week (two weeks, if you pay attention to the listings on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com . . . which I don't . . . because until you could throw in my name or title in the search box and get something back, it's not "out", as it was.) and some people have told me they have received their books, going to get their books, have read their books, etc. To you, I say thank you. I also have a request. If you purchased the books through Amazon or Barnes and Noble, could you please spare a moment and write an honest review? If you got the book and it let you down, that's a very valid review to tell other readers. If you got the book and it exceeded your expectations, that's even better. If you got the book and it met your expectations, then let potential readers know that, too. As a reader, I know I am swayed by reviews I read and word of mouth. I know word-of-mouth is still among the most powerful ways to get the buzz going, so anyway you can do that--be it online or to your friends, coworkers, etc, that would be amazing.

(Listen to your own advice, Sav).

*sigh*

Yeah . . . I'm working on it. The lovely ladies at RICH have been most helpful in . . . helping me! *big hugs to them*

And thanks so much to you! I stole the IP map from Jo . . . because I thought it was so cool to see where people are from. I've pulled Thailand, Japan, and Southern Africa so far, which is amazing *waves to you all*. I think I know who the people from Europe are, so *waves to you, too*. And to all the rest in the US of A, especially the West Coast, thanks for visiting! Feel free to say hello!

Also, on the left sidebar I put up a link to show where you can "Browse Before You Buy"; it's the prologue and first chapter of the novel.

I hope everyone is enjoying her Sunday (or Monday if you're on the other side of the world!)

*hugs*

Sav

Overwhelmed (in less than a good way)

Yes. My book is out in the universe thanks to iUniverse.

Now I feel at a lost, stumped, and downright mentally exhausted. All I keep hearing now from my family is "what's the plan?"

I know I need a marketing plan. I really do; I'm not so naive not to know that. However, I couldn't even begin to know where to start. Outside of my (apparently hit-or-miss) web site, my blog and my google group, as well as telling all of my friends via e-mail, facebook, IM, and the various other messageboards I'm on, I pretty much was relying on word-of-mouth to help me along. I am not a planner. I am a writer. I understood when I first decided to thumb my nose at NY establishment that I would have to bear the brunt of everything, but as someone who works, is working on way too many other novels, and is just so god-awfully shy, I'm feeling daunted, quite frankly. I do not think of my writing as a hobby at all, but I'd like one minute for me to catch my breath before I go hawking my book to people who don't know me, probably don't care to know me, and, in light of the present racial culture out there, would probably think my novel is the Black Plague, Small Pox, and the Bird Flu all rolled into one. Added to that, I've only gotten two reviews on my book (outside of people who know me personally telling me what they think of it.) That review on B&N is looking awfully lonely, and Amazon has nothing up. Be careful what you wish for, Sav. I know, I know, but I have no idea how many books I've sold outside what iUniverse is telling me, which is a grand total of one actual book and seven e-books. I KNOW I've sold more than that because my friend just texted and said she got a book, as well as two people from TST telling me they just purchased it. I sent it off to Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards, so hopefully I'll get good news from that, and in general, I feel very lost, flopping around; a grounded bird. Yes, I've been busy at work, but the inspiration to write other things is gone. I have VS and GS and TF (poor, poor, neglected TB) but nothing is flowing. I need time to unwind, but I need a marketing plan.

Did I mention I don't have one? I thought I should again.

I have a new appreciation for professional writers now. I just do. Much props.