Happy Tuesday everybody!
It’s been a fabulous day in the world of self-publishing (said with sarcastic tone). Woke up to a note that my series was “blocked” on Amazon because they don’t publish “low content” books in a series. It’s 304 pages. Definitely not low content. But nothing to do with dealing with KDP, the publishing arm of Amazon, is easy. I quickly initiated a chat with customer service and responded to the blocking email. The problem was solved about an hour later which is very unusual. Score one for me! It’s just another lesson that when I’m publishing a new novel, don’t expect the timeline to go as planned. Fortunately, that’s not where I get the books that I buy to sell to you.
So I spent an hour (or more) creating a TikTok video that nobody is watching. Y’all know what I’m thinking. #$*%!!! Yep. That says it all. Suddenly everything is AI, and the AI apps are improving daily. But with improvements come changes. I am 51 years old. You can’t be teaching me new tricks on a daily basis. It’s painful. I need to sit through some more tutorials. Apparently #BookTok and #Bookstagram are the most effective ways for self-published authors to get their work out there but it’s not easy. “Influencers” keep asking to review my book, but when I send them a free copy, they follow up by asking for money to promote it. That’s not how it’s supposed to work. So, they get a free book, and I get nothing.
Last week, I went to visit some of the local bookstores that aren’t on Jekyll Island (names withheld so they don’t blacklist me) with copies of my books and a one-pager about my series. Most of them were nice, but not all. It was honestly the first time I felt a little slapped when I admitted that I have self-published my books. I’m hoping that they will read the books, as promised, and that when they’re done, they’ll want to sell it. I may have to wait til after the Christmas holidays because they’re all going bonkers right now. But I’m not giving up. All of them said they would order if the books if readers came into the store requesting the series (hint, hint).
In the meantime, I’m getting ready for my book release, preparing for Christmas, and volunteering a lot of my time for the Jekyll Island Arts Association’s upcoming Merry Artists Holiday Market. Yes, my books are sold there, but there are much more amazing things to see if you go. It opens this Friday at 10 am at Goodyear Cottage on Jekyll Island. The Christmas gift show includes woodworking, needlework, pottery, weaving, quilting, photography and so much more. They also carry books written by a host of local authors, including yours truly. I’ve started doing their social media so if you find a typo, that’s me. Be sure to tell me about it next time you see me (that was a joke).
Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through December, Merry Artists will feature demonstrations by different members of Jekyll Artists. It’s all free! Come see how they weave on floor looms or take in a pottery wheel demonstration. There’s a stained-glass artist teaching her craft and a number of authors who will be on hand to sign and personalize their books as gifts. I highly recommend stopping by Goodyear Cottage to finish up all of your holiday shopping. A full list of the demonstration is available on JekyllArtists.com.
I’m dying to announce the date of my first book signing for In the Shadows on Jekyll, but common sense is making me wait until I get confirmation on the books’ shipping date from the printer. Ugh. My books are available on this website for purchase and pre-order – and if you happen to live on Jekyll or St. Simons, I’m happy to drop it off when I get them, so you receive it faster.
Until next time, happy reading!
Sandy