Insane day today…
For reading, I’m still trying to get back on the wagon. I’ll get there soon.
For marketing, I did a lot of that today…my day started bright and early at 7AM with the AskALLi Member Q&A Podcast. The incomparable Sacha Black is now my cohost, and we had a killer time answering self-publishing questions. Sacha is a lot of fun!
Then, I ended my day with another podcast—I was a guest on the Ken and G Podcast (third time). We talked about writing in general. Great conversation and I will share that later in the week.
Also, my interview with Ruth Taylor went live today on The Authorpreneur Secret$ Podcast. Ruth is a Jamaican author and doing great things in the Caribbean community to spread the word about self-publishing.
Check out my interview with Ruth here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOYEM7fBqPo
Also, another interview with Caryl Westmore dropped. We also talked about estate planning, and I will share that tomorrow.
Wow. Crazy times.
For production, I finished the short story I was working on. The title is called “Hangin’ with Uncle Funky” and it’s a quirky little coming-of-age fantasy short story set in 1974. I’ve never written a “period piece” before so that was fun. I spent a bit of time watching news broadcasts and reading news articles from that year to get a sense of lingo, pop culture, and other things I needed to know. The story clocked in just at 5,000 words—right on target.
Anyhoo, I finished the story and got it ready to ship out to my editor. I will send it with my next book. Once copyedited, I’ll send out to magazines.
The real question is: did I hit my quota today? Not exactly, not yet. I’ve still got some time left tonight so there’s a good chance I will. But I really need to get my next book prepared for my editor (the R.A.M.P. book). I’ve got a few chapters left to review a final time and then I’ll ship it off. I’ll probably do that tonight and plan on hitting my quota again tomorrow.
The good thing is that I’ve got plenty of surplus, and the next book I’m going to write is going to be big so I’ll make the words up once I get going on that, no problem.
Speaking of which, I never announced the next book you all voted on. It will be…THE INDIE AUTHOR BESTIARY 2!!!!
If you’ve never read the Indie Author Bestiary, it’s one of my more experimental books on writing. Actually, probably the most experimental book I’ve ever written.
The book is an allegory of a writer’s journey to self-mastery. YOU are the main character in the book, and you’re a knight who has to battle your way up the Tower of Laughing Beasts in order to save your soul. Fear, self-doubt, imposter syndrome, inferiority complex (and more) are gigantic, macabre monsters that you must destroy on your way up the tower.
Joining you on this crazy journey is me—also in knight form, as your mentor.
The book is told through MY POV but in the second person. A very, very difficult feat to pull off. I’ll be doing that again.
The best way to describe the book is, Shadow of the Colossus meets writing self-help.
Anyway, if you’ve never read the first Indie Author Bestiary, you can read the description and check out the link below.
Have a good night.
YOUR GUIDE TO SLAYING THE BEASTS OF THE WRITING WORLD
Do the “beasts” of the writing life trouble you? Fear, self-doubt, overwhelm, the inferiority complex, and more?
If so, you’re not alone.
These “beasts” of the writing world want to destroy writers everywhere, but they can only hurt us if we let them.
This guide will teach you to do battle with the beasts that are sure to show up in your writing career. It will teach you to slay them once and for all.
• Fight fear with every ounce of your being
• Beat burnout at its own game
• Overcome feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt
• And more!
If you struggle with the “emotional” part of being a writer, The Indie Author Bestiary will be your sword.
This unique book takes the emotional challenges of writing, converts them into monsters, and teaches you how to defeat them.
Are you ready to conquer the beasts of the writing world?
BUY: https://www.authorlevelup.com/bestiary
YTD Word Count: 54,850
Plan: 1,252,000
Words Over/-Under Plan: 8,100
Days Ahead/-Behind: 2.95
Projected Annual Word Count: 1,461,600
Projected Decade Word Count: 14,616,000
Deadline 12/31/2023
Days to Go Until 12/31/23: 474
Word Count Average: 3,226
Average Pulp Speed: 1.9
