You Say I'm A Dreamer, But I'm Not

I loved Dinner for Schmucks. Hilarious movie. Steve Carell's character was loveable yet drove you nuts at the same time.  There was one scene in the movie that although it makes me laugh because he misinterprets a great John Lennon song, it also makes me think.

"You say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not."

Really the line from the song is "You say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one." While I love this song. Maybe the schmuck got it right.

I've been trying to prep myself for this headlong dive into finally publishing. It seems surreal, exciting and at times somewhat terrifying. I remembered I had downloaded Smart Self-Publshing: Becoming an Indie Author by Zoe Winters a while back. And while I had read a good portion of it, I went back this past week and started re-reading it. She has some great advice and is definitely someone I find to be a decent role model in this indie world.

Among all the good advice Zoe has managed to pack into this book one thing stuck out in particular. Something that really can be applied to anyone, not just a writer.

Dreamers are those that think about all the what if's and wouldn't it be nice. They don't actually DO anything, but dream...

But those that set goals...well they work toward them. Not to talk about the all-mighty roller derby again but, I set a goal to be able to play in games. I passed my tests...and now I will probably be playing in a game soon!

For the longest time I always said I wanted to be a writer. I wanted to publish something and have people read my books. Dreaming about it didn't get me anywhere.

It wasn't until I got off my lazy ba-donk-a-donk, finished my drafts, finished all the initial edits and started actually working towards publishing it that anything got done.

I know this is sort of a well  DUH post, but I just thought sometimes we need a reminder to stop dreaming and start setting goals. Things feel so much harder to obtain when we are dreaming about them. But they become a reality when we start striding toward them.

So my goals right now are finish the final edit, get Mistaken to the publisher and formatted and uploaded for electronic sales.

As I finish reading her book I plan to set some more goals as well as figure out more my road map.

It is sometimes hard for us to actually grasp when one of our goals is within our grasp, and I feel like that is where I am now.

Just a few more steps...

Check out Zoe winter's blog here  .

And Then The Real Fun Starts!

Don't mind how sleepy I look!

I did it.... I have let go of Mistaken's draft  and it is on it's way to be edited by a very dear and trusted friend. Normally I would definitely recommend using a professional editor, however my friend Andrea is someone that I feel will help improve and polish Mistaken into its final form. She is very well educated, well-spoken, and an avid reader. If it were anyone else, and if my money situation wasn't what it is currently... I would certainly utilize a more established editor.

But I digress. My point of this post is that after all this time I have loosened my grip on my debut book. I am not going to call it my baby. When I picked up the print copy I made for her... I'll admit I got slightly misty-eyed though.  It feels weird that right now I don't have any of Mistaken  to work on.

Oh... about that.

Now that we know the printing is finally imminent within the next few months, I have been gearing up to promote not only Mistaken, but it's release party. I  have learned a lot from other indie authors and also have some plans of my own. I will be going into detail in the coming blogs, and they will start getting more frequent.

On top of that, I am working on the outline to my next book "Possess" and am getting equally as amped about writing it as I am about releasing Mistaken. 

Despite all this bunch of literary awesomeness, much of my life outside of writing is a bit disjointed. From work issues to illness in the family, life is throwing a lot at my little household right now.  But I am taking it as a lesson. 

When you are going through hell, hold on even stronger to your dreams and make your own luck. Keep your chin up and keep at it. Something has to give eventually, don't let it be you!

Speaking of...I finally passed my laps in derby! Told ya a  little hard work will go a long way!

Tempest Review: Reasons I don't go camping.

I had finished this book a couple weeks back but had not gotten a chance to post the review until now.  I have to say it was a very enjoyable read. I love how Jamie managed to mix up a bit of romance, a bit of lust and a whole lot of action into this book!

I never was a good girl scout. I loved dressing up in my little brownie uniform, but MAN did I hate camping! Jamie's book made me remember why, with all the things that happened to these poor hikers! Jamie did an amazing job keeping up the pace in the story and it never seemed to get dull.

The romance in the story was nice, spicy but not overwhelmingly raw. I loved Jake and Charlie and was pulled into their dilemma on Tempest mountain as well as the dilemma between them. Another character I found myself empathizing with  and cheering on was Adrienne. She does come off a little immature however as the story progresses you see she is actually a pretty strong character. Most of the other hikers didn't have much "screentime" per se...but I think in the length of this novella that is to be expected. Overall I found Tempest a fun, little read, packed with lots of adventure and enough sexual tension that you could cut with a knife!


I still refuse to go camping...by the way.

Just another reason...

With so many people being unemployed and unable to find a job right now the thought of being laid off is scary. And it's a real and valid fear. Even going to college doesn't guarantee you anything these days. I have been working at the company I'm with for 5 years now, and I have slowly crawled up the ladder a little bit. I don't want to go any further position-wise here because well....this isn't what I want to do with my life. It's what I am doing to pay bills while I go to school.

Some days I am not crazy about my job, but I don't hate it. It's a decent paying job and my coworkers are some really great people. Also, they are fine with me taking classes while working here and switching my schedule around to work with school...who could ask for more?

Now, before I get into where I am going with this, let me explain that we have several different accounts within the one company I work for. I was on one that was paying for my position but that account ended. So I was transferring to a different account. Well, thanks to someone dropping the ball, or simply thinking this issue would work itself out, I currently don't have a position. I'm in a type of purgatory...not yet laid off, but not necessarily secure in a job. I got sent home 3 hours early yesterday because my boss said, "we don't have anyone we can bill you to, you need to go home while we try and resolve this."

Granted they are working on a resolution, trying to find a spot for me, but this feeling it gave me sucked. Being at a company with such a high attrition rate, you would think they would really value those of us that have stuck it out, and really put into the company. Yesterday felt like a slap in the face. Someone forgot, someone ignored an issue that directly affected me without even making me aware of the situation until it got to the point of sending me home for an undetermined amount of time.

Just another reason I need to push myself ahead with my writing...just another reason I need to push myself through school. You can't rely on others to secure your own future, sometimes you have to go out there and grab you future all on your own.

This is a call to action.

Why You SHOULD Take the Dive....But Remember Your Floaties!

There is a lot of discussions regarding going with self-publishing or trying to get your book published the Traditional way-via a Literary Agent/Publishing House.  This conversation/discussion/disagreement has been going for a good while now.My only problem with these disagreements is the fact that some still think indie authors are sub par, which is completely not true. Sure, there is still some...but then there are some bad writers that get past the almighty gatekeepers and get a book deal the traditional way. Just saying. The door swings both ways.

I am not posting a blog to continue the quarrel. I am merely posting what I think are some darn good reasons you should give it a try. At least stick your toes in the water and get the temperature. But I also want to remind you to put on your " literary floaties", so you don't sink to the bottom. :) There are great ways to get yourself published/seen/heard aside from the traditional channels.

1. BLOG! Post excerpts or shorts that are in your genre and are a good example of your work.People will respond to them if they enjoy them. It is a great way to get feedback from your target market.
2. eBooks- With the dawn of eBooks it is now cheaper than ever to get your ass on Amazon, and a number of other sites. 
3. Printing On Demand- Also a very cheap way to get yourself published. When you find a good POD publisher, the books will have great quality, sometimes better than your average mass market paperback. You can usually purchase your own books at a decent discount from them as well. 
4. More Variety! Believe it or not, you would be doing people a service. I will be the first to admit I love me some supernatural thrillers and sexy vampires...but as things get popular they FLOOD the bookstores with them. Why? Because that is what is HOT right now, that is what is selling. If you've got a different story to tell, then maybe the reason it is getting rejected is because it isn't in a necessarily popular genre currently....but that DOES NOT mean there isn't an audience for it!
5. Goals! If your goal was to get a traditional publishing contract...this isn't for you. If you have said "I want to see my book published"  this is.If you want to see your book published, and cost is no longer stopping you... then do it. Allow yourself to achieve that goal! Don't be afraid to stretch your arms out...and possibly do a belly flop into the pool.
6. No longer the redheaded stepchild! (I love you redheads...I didn't mean it!) Things are quickly changing and traditional publishing is no longer the definitive way to get a book published and be able to call yourself an author. It used to be taboo...like getting your boyfriend of two week's name on your butt cheek. But it isn't anymore. I know quite a few amazing authors that are indie. These folks are helping to shape and change the view of indie authors and more and more readers are picking up their books.

Reasons you should remember your floaties. Now before you go running and dive head first into the pool, there are some things you always check. Make sure there is water in there... nobody standing where you are about to jump, and well...can you swim?

What I mean to say is, while this is an opportune time, there are things you should be sure to do in order to be prepared for that headlong dive into the deep end.

1. Make sure to edit! Edit! Revise! Edit! Get someone else to give it a good edit to ensure there isn't something you missed/major holes or issues. Books with typos, large plot issues, poor description may turn people off from a book that might have a potentially great story.
2. Be Visual: Create a cover for your book. If you aren't too good at it, ask someone, or hire someone to do it for you. You may be spending a little, but even online, a snappy cover will catch someone's attention quicker than an ugly one.
3. Accept criticism: If someone takes the time to reach out to you and give you some honest feedback to your book, or shorts that you post on your blog, read it with an open mind. I have gotten some great critiques on my own works that have definitely helped. 
4. Don't cry if sales are low: This doesn't mean you are no good. Many authors sales come as they build up a backlist of books. Keep at it! The more you write, the more you will improve. Also, be sure your are building a platform...(pst...that blog of yours would come in handy here!)
5. You can't please everyone. Nuff said... if someone happens to post a mean review of your book don't mope over it if you have 20 other great 4 and 5 star reviews. Some people LOVE to complain and many of those types of reviews are purely opinions of that reader. Not every story is for everyone. I have had books that I stopped reading simply because I was NOT enjoying them...they were making my head hurt from errors/inconsistencies, but I didn't go and blast them on the interwebs.  

I think that about does it...does any one else have any literary floaties to add ?

Real Connections

I have to say that twitter is such a big time stealer, especially when I should be writing...but I love it. In just the past few days alone, not only have I gained followers, but I have also connected with some real, genuine people that share a passion for writing as much as I do. I have been reading some great stories I might have otherwise never noticed amidst everything else that crowds the internet.

I think that is what excites me about the indie publishing scene growing more and more. There are real people behind it, real authors that may not have gotten their story out otherwise. Originally I had been steering clear of the self-publishing route because of the stigma often attached to it, but I think that times are changing with the publishing industry and these are not just people that are too lazy or too bad to get published the traditional way.There are many reasons, and many inspiring people that have led me to try out this route.

Zoe Winters posted a great blog post on this as well, that there is no reason to sling mud at any author that does self-publish, because self published or not, writing a novel and then having the guts to put it out there for everyone to read, review, and criticize is something to be commended on both sides of the fence. As I continue toward publishing my debut novel, I hope to make many more connections with authors and readers alike.

-Rayvenne

In The Beginning...

There was Rayvenne...and this was good.  As an up and coming indie author she decided to make a blog. You see, she is a slight blogaholic and will think of any excuse to blog. Sometimes even to avoid her writing deadlines...not all the time, just sometimes!

Oh alright, enough third person business. So yes I am starting this blog for more professional purposes. More or less anything related to publishing books of mine and the indie publishing industry in general. I hope through my posts you will find useful...or at least entertaining information. I put a little about myself on my About page, but writing truly has been a passion of mine since I was a child. I remember having trouble being able to read, being a little behind my classmates, and by the time I was able to read I was in love with reading! As I got a little older, I decided to try writing on my own and found that I really enjoyed not only creating my little alternate universes, but seeing others enjoy my stories. Throughout middle and high school I kept up creative writing on my own, mostly for the entertainment of my friends. Heading into college I was told I needed a real career... I tried to find passion in nursing...no such luck.

While I will say that I love art, to me writing is also art so I don't find it suprising to be majoring in graphic design as well as working towards publishing my stories. I have found that I am happy when I am creating something, whether it be a story, a work of art, crocheting a beanie with cat ears (yep, I have done this...), I am content to create.

I am hoping to finish my first draft of "Mistaken", my current work in progress, in the next couple months and then start the fun process of going through editing, formatting, marketing, and publishing! Fun! Well it should be an adventure anyways!

-Rayvenne