Author: Allie P.

Wait…haven’t I been here before?

by Allie P., posted in Life as I know it

English: Photographic composition of Granmata ...

When I began to research self-publishing channels I of course had heard about Kindle Direct Publishing. The success stories from that platform alone made me believe that nothing could be more simple. Obviously I was more than a little naïve.

I mentioned my aspirations about writing to a former colleague who just happened to play tennis occasionally with a New York Times Best Seller. I did not have a completed manuscript, nor did I have a ton of materials which would help support my credibility, so the only advice that author was able to suggest at the time was “write a good story.” He did however direct me to www.millions.com through which I found the self publishing channel I selected.

I knew wanted at least one physical copy on my shelf, however I felt I would have the best chance for success through e-book sales. Additionally, while I was a huge fan of my kindle, I knew at least a few of my family members were Nook people so I wanted to make sure my book would be available on a number of platforms. At the time, Kobo wasn’t even on my radar. I have since learned since that it should be. (I am happy to report An Uncertain Faith was recently added to their catalog). My dad wanted it on iBook, but as Apple requires exclusive content he would just have to read a physical copy.

Two Paths Diverged in a wood
Two Paths Diverged in a wood (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Now I am getting close to the halfway mark on my second project and even though it is a long way from a final draft (I still haven’t settled on the title yet either) I can’t help thinking about how I want to bring this one to market. Ok so maybe I am a little guilty of putting the cart before the horse, counting chickens before they hatch, etc. And yes, of course I would love to have a sweetheart deal offered my way out of nowhere, but I am at heart a long-term planner and need to have a realistic plan B and C. Do I stick with what worked for me once, or do I try a new path?

I know I still want to have a multi-platform distribution plan. Kobo may not have the same online presence that Amazon does, but it is the only reader supported by my brick and mortar channel. My seller’s rank also is not nearly as volatile there (which is both a good and bad thing). I definitely want an option that allows for physical copies as well. Print on demand is nice as it has prevented my garage from being overwhelmed with copies, but it has a price point which deters some would be readers.

My personal network was incredibly supportive when my first book was released, but I don’t know how deep that well will be again. People forgive a number of mistakes on your first attempt, but will they be as forgiving on my second?

Just in case any of you are finding yourself in the same place as I am here are some tips I have learned along the way.

Other authors out there – did you stick with what you knew, or did you try something new for book number 2?

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Distractions do not have to be the enemy of progress

by Allie P., posted in Life as I know it
Cover of "Are We There Yet (Backseat Book...
Cover of Are We There Yet (Backseat Books)

Growing up my family regularly took road trips up north to visit our relatives. Now that I am grown with two small children of my own, I don’t quite know how my parents managed to maintain their sanity with three children in the back seat prior to the invention of in-car entertainment systems.

I do recall a number of trips that either began or ended in the wee hours of the morning, but the evening just wasn’t quite long enough to get us all the way there without a few hours of awake time.

We playing the required car games, such as I see something that starts with the letter…, sang songs, played twenty questions without the benefit of a suggestion deck, among other things, but my favorite memory remains the story rounds. Each of us would take a turn telling a part of a story, then you had to wait while the other members of the family added to the story. You had no idea what they were going to have happen and would have to pick the story back up from where they left it when it was your time again.

That is unless your turn followed my kid sister’s. She was extremely young when we started playing these games and so didn’t quite grasp the concept. Rather than continuing on from where the last person left it, she would go rogue. Making up random short story elements and characters that had absolutely nothing to do with anything. We started calling her additions the commercial breaks.

Sometimes the ‘commercials’ ran long and you had to really try hard to remember where the main story had been before it was interrupted. Occasionally this actually worked for the story’s benefit. We had to remind ourselves about the setting or key plot points. Strong stories would get reined back in and would be refocused, weaker stories however couldn’t survive and were scrapped, forcing the family to start the story round over anew.

Creativity, focus, and follow-through are critical traits in any profession, however you will never know the depth of your commitment and determination until you have been thoroughly tested.  As the fantastic line goes “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Distractions don’t have you be your enemy. Take a step back and allow yourself downtime provided it is in moderation. If you come back and can’t regain your enthusiasm for a project (or story), then consider that a warning sign. Take the opportunity to rework some aspect of it. The public will thank you.

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Commitment is the Cure–From “Aspiring” Writer to Professional Author

by Allie P., posted in Life as I know it

Perhaps it is because my youngest just threw his copy of the Little Engine That Could at me, but I keep thinking, I think I can… I think I can…

Author Kristen Lamb's avatarKristen Lamb's Blog

Image via Flickr Creative Commons, courtesy of Tim Simpson. Image via Flickr Creative Commons, courtesy of Tim Simpson.

It’s been amazing and terrifying to watch the changes in our industry just over the past six years. For generations, there was only a handful of items a writer needed to do. Write a book. Query. Get an agent. Land a deal. Hopefully continue writing more books. Though this was far simpler, there was a horrific failure rate and most writers never saw their works in print.

In The Digital Age, we live in an exciting time. E-books have offered new life to many works that were simply a bad investment in the paper-based world (novellas, epic fantasy, poetry). Yet, with new opportunity comes new responsibilities.

We must understand the business side of our business. And, as someone who teaches at many conferences, I know that until recently it has been rare to find an in-person conference that offers training outside…

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Know yourself and your audience

by Allie P., posted in Life as I know it

Earlier this week I allowed my toddler to take over my blog for a few reasons. 1) He is a master manipulator 2) I’d mentioned my other son a few times and decided he deserved some spot light time and 3) His methods may be somewhat Machiavellian, but he instinctively knows how to conduct a basic personal SWOT analysis.SWOT

By SWOT I mean the business process of analyzing Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats and then figuring out a way to turn weaknesses into strengths and threats into opportunities, or at least neutralizing them.

He is mobile, but not agile. That is fine with him, he forces us to fetch and carry for him so that he can focus on other priorities saving vital resource time.

He is loud, but not necessarily articulate.  He finds other ways to get his message across. He is big on non-verbal communication.

What he lacks in world experience he makes up for by cultivating strategic partnerships.

All to often we try to be too many things to too many people. As the saying goes, when you try to please everyone, you please no one. Our messages become diluted, convoluted and lost in the crowd. In business it is of utmost importance that you clearly identify your target customer / target market.

When I began writing, I decided the same principles applied. There are going to be readers out there who just aren’t going to be interested in what I have to say, or be turned off by my style. Just as if I was creating a marketing plan in mind for product development, I tried to always keep my ideal audience in mind as I was writing. The story could easily have taken various, ultimately pointless, detours if I had tried to throw in nuggets for my non-target readers.

In addition to the book’s SWOT, I thought I might follow my toddler tyrant’s lead and complete my own personal SWOT. So what were my strengths? In the case of An Uncertain Faith, while I didn’t have much professional publishing experience, I have more than a few years of experience with much of the subject matter.

My weaknesses? The lack of prior publishing experience was a big one, but my day job has given me plenty of experience writing to non-English speakers. If you ever wonder if you are describing something well enough, send a note to overseas colleagues. If they can understand you even after putting it through a free translation program then you know your word choice is spot on. If you don’t have that luxury, merely open two free translation programs. Write text in one and convert it to Traditional Chinese. Copy and paste the Chinese translation into the second translator, specify that it is Simplified Chinese and convert back to English. I tried this once where I attempted to describe a metal fan blade. The resulting translation back was a poetic phrase about steel flower petals wafting in the wind. I believe there might have been a tiger involved as well.

Threats? Yes, there are going to be internet trolls and negative reviews out there, and as I become more successful they will become a greater threat, but at this time I found my greatest threat was myself. If I didn’t hit the submit button, I would never achieve success.

Opportunities? Well that is the whole point to this exercise isn’t it?

An unforeseen benefit from giving the little man the blog reins for the day was giving me an opportunity for my first blog two-parter, my first attempt at a sequel! I hope you enjoyed it.

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How to win friends and influence people

by Allie P., posted in General Tips and Tricks, Life as I know it, Life Hacks, Personal Favorites

As dictated by my recently turned two year old

where the wild things are tribute
where the wild things are tribute (Photo credit: Tojosan)

Taking command of any situation has always come naturally to me, but now that I track my age in terms of years rather than months, I’ve come to recognize that the path to success and world dominance may be more mysterious to others. I commanded one of my servants to write down my observations so that those that follow behind them may benefit from my years of experience.

Each of us are born with a set of tools, that when properly deployed, can ensure successful command of the servant set known as Mom and Dad. These tools are the piercing cry, the appearance of helplessness, and natural cuteness.

Step 1: Neutralize Potential Rivals with Speed and Extreme Prejudice

It is true that you cannot choose your family. For those of you who are placed in homes with two servants, you must exert your dominance. They may have the false belief that because they outnumber you they get to control the schedule. You must clear up this misconception immediately.

I found the easiest way to do this is through the process of divide and conquering. In my case I selected one of the two to ‘favor.’ For several months, I would allow none but the chosen one (Mom) to carry me around the house or feed me through effective use of a combination of the aforementioned piercing cry and sleep deprivation. While wearing down the resistance level of Mom, this tactic also causes the second servant (Dad) to be filled with feelings of inadequacy and/or guilt. Once conditioned, all I had to do is favor Dad with the smallest attention and he was volunteering to do my bidding.

It is important not to maintain the illusion of favor for too long of a period otherwise it will lose its effectiveness. I recommend that after no more than a year, you suddenly switch preference for no apparent reason. This will leave both servants wondering what they did to change your favor.

Secondly, do whatever you can to drastically alter the frequency and consistency of your bowel movements. This will cause the occasional discomfort, but it is worth it in the long run. Your servants will become obsessed with tracking your changes. This will become a frequent conversational topic even when you grant them a night out insuring that by granting them some alone time you do not inadvertently open the door for a younger, cuter housemate.

Step 2: Allow for the Appearance of Hope

Next, I found that many children make the mistake of walking very early on. I understand the temptation. It can be hard to properly train your servants and you may grow frustrated if they do not immediately jump to execute your commands, but do not give in. Once you begin to move about on your own, they will begin to question their continued belief in your helplessness. It is much, much better that you continue to demand that they carry you around everywhere. They will learn to love the additional time you spend together in doctors’ offices talking about you.

However you do not want them to become discouraged with your progress. It is important that you occasionally look like you are making an effort. Attempt to pull up on furniture, but fall immediately. Let them know you are healthy – as this will prevent shots, but just not ‘ready.’

Another good tactic is to point towards your hind end and say the word ‘potty’. This will cause the servants to start to dream about the day they no longer have to buy diapers. They will place you on a potty seat. Crush this dream by never, ever doing your business when and where they want. Laugh at their pleas as if you don’t understand.

As long as your servants believe there is hope for a change from the status quo, they will be less likely to rebel and or force you to do something not of your choosing.

Step 3: Dominate the Room. Any Room.

Eventually though, the temptation will grow too strong and you’ll mess up. They’ll catch you taking steps. They will start to question their belief in your helplessness. Once that occurs you will need to make them regret ever worrying about your development by getting into everything. They will think that it is now time to challenge your authority. Show them who is boss by breaking something they treasure. This will also help them to devalue material possessions. They will thank you in the long run.

Exert your personal style everywhere. Walls will be made better by your art. If those papers your older servants left out were so important they would have already been attended to. The servant called Mom doesn’t need to be distracted by magazines. Tear them up. They take attention away from you.

Step 4: Exude Irresistibility

After you conduct the required level of destruction, you will need to act quickly to stop the vein from pulsing in their forehead. Grab a stuffed animal, cock your head, and bat your eyelashes. No toys nearby? Placing leftover food in your hair also seems to work. Parrot their words while changing one or two syllables will win them back over to your side in a heartbeat. You will know you have achieved success when the camera comes out.

Step 5: Continuously Cultivate Allies

If you find yourself in a home with an older child, attempt to mimic a handful of things he or she does. He or she will then believe you want to be just like them. When the older servants attempt to challenge your authority, a well trained older sibling can be relied upon to sneak you toys and treats, and serve as a convenient scapegoat.

Finally, the greatest secret is to never, ever show any signs of disobedience in front of the servants’ parents (grandparents). This will ensure that the grandparents, who are more naturally prone to cave in and give you anything you want with minimal manipulation, will not believe your servants’ complaints about your behavior. Lacking allies, your Mom and Dad will be further forced to do your bidding.

By following these easy tips, you have a household running to your satisfaction in no time.

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