As 2008 comes to a close, each of us here at LLBR decided to take a moment to reflect on what this year has meant to us as both authors and reviewers…
LK:
I’m not really a believer in resolutions. The word resolution to me is like the phrase, “I’ll try.” When someone says, “I’ll try,” what they really mean is “don’t hold your breath.” It’s like a built in excuse for failure. With “I’ll try”, if I succeed, then I’m the hero, if I fail, well, I never promised anything. A resolution tends to work the same way. If I make a resolution, the first failure “breaks” the resolution, so I’m off the hook. While this is the time of year to reflect on what has happened during the course of the year and make resolutions for the new year, I tend to set goals. I like goals because you can set interim goals that help you achieve the long term goal. And goals don’t break. If I fail at an attempt, the goal doesn’t go away. I pick myself up, dust off, and take another run at it.
At the start of 2008, I had definite plans in place. I created a list of goals to accomplish and was ready to tackle them. Well, as is the way in life, things did not go exactly according to plan. Looking back, I have still accomplished the majority of the goals that I set and I feel content with my accomplishments for the year.
2008 saw the distribution of Misfit McCabe, which was a very proud accomplishment for me. To actually hold a bound copy of my work for the first time was fantastic and seeing it on Amazon.com and other online stores was even better. One of my major goals for 2008 was to develop marketing materials for Misfit McCabe and to start the marketing effort. So, I have bookmarks, handout cards, wrap sheets, book review blurbs, give-away copies, in other words, the standard marketing fare. I wasn’t satisfied with my efforts on that score because I wanted something that would really help promote the book itself by giving it more visibility. With the limited budget of all POD authors, I was trying to think of someway to get my book seen by a larger audience of my target readership. The light bulb finally went on in October and I was hard at work ironing out all of the details for Where in the World is Misfit McCabe?
I love those Eureka! moments as an author. As soon as I had the idea, I knew it was the one for me. The Lulu Book Review kindly offered to help me bring visibility of this marketing concept to a wider group of people, you can check out what it entails by checking out the WITW is MMC? tab. This also opened a few more avenues as far as marketing materials. I have posters which have become a part of my marketing scheme for sending to schools and will be soon going to local bookstores and libraries with them.
One of the unexpected and exciting things to happen during 2008 was to start reviewing books for the Lulu Book Review. I enjoy reading other authors work and reviewing it gives me the opportunity to help encourage other POD authors with their writing quest as well as helping to bring visibility to those works. I also get to read things that I may not otherwise have run across. And it keeps me writing.
Another unexpected happening in 2008 was an invitation to participate in the Pearson Prize Book Award contest for 2009 put on by the Learning for a Cause organization. To me it is an honor to have Misfit McCabe invited to participate in the contest, especially since invitiations are issued based on students requests. The winners for this contest are selected by a focus group of 100 high school students, which means that my work will be read by all of the members of the selection group. For me, as an author, it doesn’t get better than that.
One of my goals for 2008 is currently in progress and while I will not meet the original target I set for myself for completion, I will extend this one into the early months of 2009, which is to write the sequel to Misfit McCabe. What is really nice is that I do have a readership which is clamoring for the sequel (ok, so it’s a small clamor, but clamor none the less), so that is spurring me on to completion.
As far as 2009 is concerned, right now, I am not making any new goals until I finish the ones I have, except I do know that I will be starting another writing project once the sequel has been completed. Since I have several waiting in the wings, I just don’t know which one that will be as yet. It’ll depend on which one grabs my attention when I am ready to move on it.
Dan:
Every year since I can remember, my New Year resolution was “this year, I’m going to get published. Someone is going to pay for something I write.” Last year it finally happened when I began writing for Bluegrass Dog magazine as a freelance author. 2008 has seen another 6 articles submitted, published, and purchased. Meanwhile, the two books that have been figuratively gathering dust on my hard drive have both been brought to life as print on demand books. Briefs for the Reading Room became a great stocking stuffer and has seen some reasonably decent early interest. Thomas Granger has also sold a few copies and is getting some good buzz.
At work, I have been writing away as well and three informative brochures and half a dozen newsletter articles have been printed. Although at first blush this isn’t being paid to be a writer, in a more important way my writing has become a large part of my career. I am being asked to proof-read most of the copy that goes out to customers and I have become the go to source for information.
To end the year, I’ve also been selected as the third reviewer for the Lulu Book Review. Although it’s not the path to riches, it is a great chance for me to give back to other writers who, like me, just want someone to take the time to read what they have written and offer an informed opinion. I appreciate all the opportunities God has given me this year to define myself as an author, and I anticipate that 2009 will see a considerable growth in sales, output, and satisfaction. For each of you, make 2009 your year to grow as a person and as a writer!
Shannon:
I started 2008 off by querying traditional publishers with a book I called “30 and Counting.” By June, the book was published on Lulu with a new title, Stealing Wishes. With Lulu, the book has already been in print for almost 7 months; my financial investment was mainly spent on marketing, and I’ve already sold more copies than I could have ever imagined.
Somewhere in between getting rejection letters from agents and giving serious thought to publishing the book myself, I decided I wanted to reach out to other authors like me who deserved a bit of time in the spotlight. But how could I help? I started by creating The Lulu Book Review. Despite needing time to devote to the production of my own book and having two more half-written books on the back burner that were wanting some attention, I pushed forward with the review blog and the attention it has received has been phenomenal. The blog brought in 912 visitors in March, its first month, and has never averaged less than 2,000 hits per month since July. I also used the blog to document my own POD experience by creating a POD Diary which many have sought out as a valuable resource.
At times, I selfishly wanted to abandon this project, but the authors out there would not let me. Their drive and determination to succeed kept me motivated. Their success stories gave this blog soul. One author went on to create his own review blog to also help make a difference in the POD community. Another recently emailed me to share the good news of a traditional publishing contract she landed. There’s no way I could give up now!
In August, a prayer was answered and LK Gardner-Griffie, another Lulu author, teamed up with me as a reviewer. Her fresh new opinion has given new light to the blog, and her own publishing success story has brought much depth to the blog’s positive philosophy. The blog continues to grow with the addition of another reviewer, Dan Marvin, in January. Dan is also a Lulu author, and I look forward to reading his reviews and about his own success in the coming months.
For 2009, I’m anxious to continue reaching out to new Lulu authors, reading their books, offering reviews, and learning of their successes. With LK and Dan, I hope to continue this blog’s growth and outreach. As an author, I anxiously await the outcome of the 2009 Lambda Literary Awards in which my book is a nominee in the fiction category. And although it may sound cliche or predictable, I’m already at work on another novel.
Happy New Year to all! See you next year!
