INSECURE WRITER'S SUPPORT GROUP

JANUARY

Happy New Year! As a member of the Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG), it was suggested this month that we introduce ourselves and share our goals for the new year. If you didn't know IWSG is about an amazing community that shares on the first Wednesday every month. If you are a writer (in any form) I suggest that you definitely check out the group!

Here we go... Hi! My name is Kristy and I am a writer and blogger. I live in Maryland where we can experience all four seasons of weather in one week! Born and raised, my blood runs orange and purple as a Baltimore Orioles and Ravens fan (so excited we are in the Playoffs!) This is one of four blogs that I write, operate, and create in. As a self-published author, I love helping other authors and blogs by sharing and promoting. I know just how hard it is marketing yourself and it is one of the attributes that I love most about this community - how we can come together to help support one another.

GOALS

In the past I have tried to spread out and help as many blogs as I could manage. Within the last year I learned what I didn't want to continue to do for 2015. For a while I was promoting Erotica and such, I don't mind as long as the excerpts are appropriate. I think you can still show your work in a flattering way without including explicit sex scenes for an excerpt, just like any good seduction - tempt them to the prize and then let them be rewarded (by reading the book). That's just my personal opinion though and applies to the teasers too. How do you feel about this topic?

INSECURE WRITERS SUPPORT GROUP

This month marks the anniversary of a wonderful group - Insecure Writer's Support Group. If you are a writer, whether new or old, you have to join the group! The posts are great tools in learning and cultivating skills as well as gaining the much needed support (as we might need help picking ourselves back up a time or two). Make sure you click on the link and definitely check it out! A huge THANK YOU to +Alex J. Cavanaugh for founding this amazing community.

Writer's Cramp

When I first self-published my title I was ecstatic! Of course I had the dream of releasing my beloved story out into the world and the world embracing my writing as much as I adored creating it. However, that dream has been replaced with a lot of hard work and efforts in promoting and working on my writings skills. I was a new fish in a huge evolving pond.

Choosing to self-publish was an easy choice for me. I didn't want anyone butchering my work and as I researched this crazy world of self-publishing it seemed full of glitter and just what I was looking for - cut those middle men (and women) out, I could do this myself! Let's just say I've learned a lot since then.

First, after publishing my book, I quickly learned that I needed to expand my social networking channels. I joined Twitter and Google+ and eventually even made my book its own page on Facebook (there are tons of social media outlets). Since first publishing way back (insert snickering) in 2012, I have worked very hard at gaining followers, likes, and other such annotations.

When researching other avenues to pursue potential readers, I ran across a great tidbit about the blogging universe. I was new to blogging so I did a lot of research and decided to start my own blog. Hence, What Shall We Blog About Today? was born. I immersed myself in the realm and started to learn how to connect with other authors, writers, bloggers, reviewers and readers. It's been a very slow process for me, while others seem to hit the ground running, if you know what I mean.

Now, with managing four blogs and continuing to write, edit and try to pull together book covers, it's all consuming. I do believe though that blogging has helped me, not only to connect with others, also it has helped me with my writing style. Some tools that I love now and couldn't continue blogging without - would be the schedule option under post settings and the labels (blogger). Especially when you are participating in blog tours and such, make sure to open the schedule and create the post for your selected day. I also have a calendar through my hotmail account that I keep all my scheduled posts on to keep me on track.

INSECURE WRITERS SUPPORT GROUP

On my other site I posted on a writers perspective for this months Insecure Writer's Support Group submission (you can check it out here). I thought I would change it up on here and give a blogger's perspective, after all we're writers too - right?

What Shall We Blog About Today? Didn't start off as just a book blog. It was my first initiation into the blogging universe. Not wanting to clutter the blog (like my mind clutter) I branched out creating various blogs with specific themes. This blog took over as my "book blog" with different tours and blasts that I sign-up with. Wait Watch Wonder became my blog for sharing about my love and interests in movies, gaming and different shows. Faith Warrior was a more personal blog sharing my life experiences, opinions and beliefs on today's topics and whatever drives me on that particular day to share. And Going off Dreams was specifically for my writing journey as a self-published author and to keep anyone interested in joining in the journey to stay informed and what have you.

Do you have different blogs with specific generalized themes or do you have one general blog?

I feel sometimes that I am too busy promoting others that sometimes I lose the focus on promoting myself. Wouldn't it be wonderful is there was a host out there that would give the bloggers that sign-up to help them earn their money, to give them more incentives? For instance; after singing up and helping them for six months to a year, then they can have a blast or a tour free? I guess it's just my naive mentality. 

What are your thoughts on this?

Links

Insecure Writer's Support Group

It's a Blog Hop - Check it out!

IWSG: Procrastination Station

It's actually something I've been known to do since I can remember. When I was taking my psych classes I learned that it was possibly because I felt that I performed better under pressure. However, I think more times than not, it's more likely that I can be lazy. I hate even mentioning the word lazy because it's a four letter word! But, in today's society don't you think we do earn some laziness? Everything is so hustle and bustle that we hardly take time for ourselves. As long as we don't get stuck in the lazy mode - right?

How I felt after finishing rough first draft...

Right now, when trying to come up with the words to form the post for the Insecure Writers Support Group, I tried to think of the right words to express where I am in my writing journey right now. At first I thought I just lacked motivation. I don't know if that pinpoints it enough, I have motivation, I want to write. Then my mind wondered a little bit more and I thought maybe it's fear. Fear, because I thought I would have done better with my first book. Fear, because I've made so many mistakes along the way and I don't want to flub up the second book. Fear might be getting a little closer, but it wasn't the write word to best describe what I've been experiencing. Then I thought, what about plateauing?

Waiting to hear back from beta readers...

A couple of months ago I finally finished the first rough draft of the manuscript for the second book in the Going off Dreams series. I loved it and directly sent it out to my beta readers. For the most part I think that they liked it, the harshest of my critics (yes, my mother) she had some good points that I need to implement when I go through for the hacking of the first edits. This is where I have stalled. My writing juices didn't cease though, I started writing another book (an offshoot of the series Arduinna: Guardians of the Forest). After writing a darker scene (more so than I was use to writing), I felt like I needed to take a step back and breath a little... and I haven't written since then or picked back up on editing the second book (For All in the Hope).

What I feel like doing instead of editing...

So, I figured all of this rolled up into a word would best be described as procrastination. I'm procrastinating because I"m not motivated to hack through a manuscript that I loved. I always seem to get a little lost too and I'm not the best with grammar, so I am constantly worrying about sentence formation and proper written grammar. I definitely want to pay before publishing and have the manuscript edited, I just have to save the money (not an easy task when I don't have a steady income). Then I was thinking about how much work and efforts went into the book cover (the second book cover for the first book). Originally, when I first published I went with a generic cover. So, it was advised to have the book edited and to have a different book cover for the relaunch. However, all the work seemed to be for nothing. Now the fear seats in saying - why bother?

My reaction to having to do edits...

However, there is a nagging voice within me saying that I've made a promise and that I need to see it through. So, this is the mini-driving force. But, my long bout with procrastination seems to be the barrier. I thought about trying Kickstarter or Indiegogo again to try to raise the funds. I wanted to get the groups opinions and suggestions.

What gets you motivating during editing?

How do you raise the funds for services?

IWSG Anniversary

Insecure Writers Support Group 

Celebrates 2 Year Anniversary

While I have not been with the group for two years, I can definitely agree that this group is an amazing one to be a part of, so thank you +Alex J. Cavanaugh for creating it, and thank you to all the amazing co-hosts throughout the years that have helped to keep us all in-check. I would highly recommend joining if you love to write, love to read, are an aspiring author within any format, or just want to be a part of a wonderful group of charismatic people with the passion to create, share, and support.  Join the Blogging Sensation!!

My Testimony

As a new self-published author, I felt like a very small and feeble fish in a very big and intimidating pond. After reading article after article of tips and tricks on the self-publishing realms, one of the suggestions that seemed unanimous was blogging. So, with anticipation I jumped on the bandwagon and things started to look up. However, while my eyes were high in the sky, my spirits started to plummet. I think most of us have the dream of our creations, our writing, that once people read it they would immediately fall in-love with it and then it will be an over-night sensation. Well, at least this was a self-indulged concept that I would play with like a kitten with a ball of string. Then again, sometimes we need those indulging perspectives to get us through difficult times too. But! The great outcome of a difficult time was finding the Insecure Writers Support Group. Here you are able to connect with other writers, you can vent, share advice, and learn a lot about the field. It is an absolute invaluable tool, much like the Tailors tools for defeating the giant. This group provides those tools for the writers taking on the self-publishing proverbial giant as well. So, arm yourself, prepare for battle! 

I originally had joined the group to gain exposure for my work. Joining groups and blog hops really helps you to gain followers and individuals that could potentially be interested in your blog and your writing. At first I was obsessed with connecting with as many bloggers and followers as I could. I would also highly recommend Alex's other groups as well for fellow bloggers and writers. Join Alex and his many blogging adventures here!

*Tip: being a part of this group, you have to post on the first Wednesday of every month. I had a hard time at first remembering, finally I added it into my calendar. Now, I get notifications reminding me about IWSG and that I need to post and check out the fellow bloggers as well. Ironically I'm posting late this month! But otherwise, this is a great tip and really helps me to remember. Especially for people like me, I seem to lose more and more of my focus or my memory capabilities... well, stress is a big factor here too...

That being said, if you have not already drawn the conclusion, I absolutely adore this group. I have found that after self-publishing my book, it has been a huge learning experience that I keep learning through trial and error. I love being able to have this "check-in" that connects me to others where I can ask a questions and get comments, answers, suggestions, or even the desperate support we need as self-published authors. I have a lot of support from my family, but sometimes you need that unbiased opinion to give you a different perspective too.

I cannot thank you enough +Alex J. Cavanaugh for creating this group and giving a forum, voices, and the invaluable tool to help us through - what can be - a difficult journey. I have only been contributing for a few months, but I do look forward to it. I'm also late in submitting this month (Oopps!) moving is so stressful and tiresome. But, I think I'll save that to write about for next month! Better late then never - agreed?

This Month's Insecurity

I dove head-first into the professional editing service realm. So far - so good. It is a little nerve-racking anticipating the manuscript. I am excited at the same time. The service I am using, There For You Editing has been used by other self-published authors and they highly recommend +Melissa Ringsted services. If you visit the link, you can read all of the testimonials. Some authors have received awards and a lot of recognition after using Melissa's services... not that I could be in the same category; I know I should not compare my work with others... but, I have to dream - right?  The editor has been very proactive with communicating and I look forward to Monday, receiving my first manuscript back and reading over it! If you want to continue to follow this adventure, I plan on sharing and blogging about it in another blog that I have, Going off Dreams: the journey and/or Going off Dreams: the series.

*Tip for newbies: MS refers to manuscript. I felt nearly idiotic for not knowing that... it was one of those moments where you palm-slap your forehead and tell yourself "Duh!" 

Have you ventured through professional services for your work? What services did you enlist and was it a positive avenue?

IWSG: Pilgrimage Through Platforms

Just in time for the Insecure Writing Support Group submission, just today I read an article about utilizing different platforms for a single title and how it can generate multiple avenues of income. While my title "Going off Dreams" is already available on two platforms; both createspace.com and through Amazon. I now am considering two more options, today I enrolled for open auditions through ACX an Amazon platform for audio books. Also, this past month I received an email about another new possible platform for our e-books called Book Track. This site lets you match music to your books for an entire different experience for our readers or listeners. An associate of mine is looking into this (+Stevie Nowinsky) since he is a proprietor of +Wonky Sensitive and is the creator of the Going Off Dreams Soundtrack through MixCloud, this is the perfect opportunity to match the two together for an amazing experience.

Has anyone else ventured these different platforms? Would you suggest these platforms?

As excited as I am, being a self-published writer is like riding a roller coaster. There are times of optimism like today, but most days I don't feel as optimistic, especially when I check my sales statistics. I should take advantage of this energy and begin editing the second book again, I'm probably about half way thorough and planning to launch it this October.  I guess right now I am having a hard time juggling everything. My motto has usually been to take deep breaths and just do one thing at a time. I'm trying to market my first book while editing the second, and let alone the other things going on in my life (loosing my house, having a sick child, and taking care of foster pets). We have to wear so many different hats, we are our own agents, marketers, public relations and everything else in between. To say it can be frustrating is an understatement.

How do you juggle self-publishing and the chaos of life?

IWSG Chronicles

The Chronicles of Self-Publishing

In another one of my blogs, Going off Dreams: the journey, I had written about the "Adventures of a Self-Published Author" and generated a top 10 list of attributes that any self-publishing writers should know. This also helped me to understand the mistakes I have made, to keep them in mind as I'm editing book #2 (For All In The Hope). For me, it has been a huge learning experience!

What has been the one thing that you wish you would have known before you published your first piece of work?

What's On My Mind:

As I look back on the past month, there are a couple things that are on my mind and I could use
some guidance or advice.  So, marketing myself has not been an easy avenue for me. I try to read every article I come across about how to market myself and promote my work (this is how I started blogging). The learning curve has curved around to bite me (where the Good Lord split me) a couple times. Joining social groups that are geared for authors, to promote our writing, to connect with our readers, and to participate and learn from one another. I really do like the groups where you can put your work out there, if the group members aren't interested they can just choose to ignore the post - no biggie, right? Wrong!

I'll admit, while I didn't read through every disclaimer and group rules (I'm a rule breaker, so I guess that is where I challenge authority? lol) When I read that we could share our work, that gave me the green-light to do so. So, why am I being told not to spam? Granted the definition alone is sending a message to a large number of on-line recipients - but, isn't that marketing and promoting?


Swallowing my dignity and what's left of my pride, I apologized for my inexperience, and clicked to leave the group. Looking back now, I still feel that I made the right choice. Probably, should have known better for this particular "group" - which consisted primarily of one person (the moderator) posting trying to (unsuccessfully) start group discussions. Maybe she just liked talking to herself? Because, when you bite the heads off of people trying to join your group (for no good reason), you'll be the only member... but, then again - maybe that's what she wants. Who knows!

What's On The Docket

Still going through my first draft of the second book. I've submitted two portions of it for editing, so I look forward to getting that back and reading the suggestions. I also love, when I am going through my original writing to change something here and there, and then it all just clicks! It makes me feel like my characters and story matters is some proverbial way. I did receive some very useful advice this past month from fellow writers about the challenges that we are faced with when trying to motivate ourselves to continue writing. This happens to me all the time. I

love writing and going through the processes, but then I hit these bumps where if I am not getting any feedback or no sales for the day, triggers my distorted thought patterns to believe that I am not good enough and other such nonsense. The advice that continues to drive me forward, came from within one of the aforementioned social groups. He mentioned that the characters we create become our responsibility, we are responsible for them, and if we don't write about them then we are neglecting them. I want to post this above my desk, along with another great tip: write because you want to tell the story, not to please anyone else (something along those lines).

What helps you when you are faced with writing challenges?

IWSG Finding Motivation

5/1/13
If you had the chance to rewind your life to where you made a certain decision, would you change anything? For myself, hearing that the story was good but my grammar skills and the cover of my first book needed help. This was great constructive criticism, but this situation is like a mother bear protecting her cubs. And this is one of my thought processes: You could hear a thousand compliments, but it is the one negative comment that can upset you. So far I have had positive views from individuals that have read or is currently reading. When I don't hear feedback, I get depressed, it's hard to muster up the motivation to continue editing the next three books, and my confidence goes out the window. Today, I have managed to start tweaking the second book For All in the Hope, and if you haven't read the first one Going off Dreams. Worries kept me up last night. you might want to call or text your friends to let them know you will be without a phone for a could of days. Praise God, everyone has made it across the finish line.
Do you have any advice with my struggle to find motivation to write?
Until next time or the next... dream (K.E.Nowinsky)