Disappointment

Its been a while since Ive blogged. I was one of the lucky recipients of that super flu that spread through Chicago last week and was dead to the world for a good five days. However, this month certainly hasn't been roses and sunshine for me anyway so I haven't really had much motivation to be on social media outlets and such.

The world of Independent Publishing is an interesting beast. Having only been in this world about a year, there are plenty of stumbling blocks along the way that you have to experience in order to learn, and unfortunately that is where I am this month.

The release of my second book has been less than stellar. Hah- who am I kidding it's been embarrasingly bad. Part of that is my own fault, after the release of my first book it took me months and months to get a website up and running, so unfortunately I didn't have data capture or mailing list signups and so I lost the opportunity to tell readers that my second book released.

I put a lot of money up front into my second book- hiring editors and book formatters, a publicity company to do a blog tour, all hoping to get extended reach.

Unfortunately, even though the book pr company came recommended by book bloggers & reviewers I know, the tour was a complete flop. I found my book being promoted on blogs that had little to do with romance or chick lit books, and some had nothing to do with reading at all. "Hot Deals" and "Couponing" websites. Part of the promotion of my blog tour included a fifty dollar gift card to help encourage sharing and promotion of said book. Not even the fifty dollar gift card winner purchased my books as a result of winning. And the blog tour coordinator has little to say on the subject.

I know for next time to do better due dilligence when selecting a Blog Tour coordinator but it doesnt make the money spent and the effort put forth any less disappointing.

Additionally, as you've seen on other posts- the prize Dirty Little Secret won from Book Buzz was a sham. There's no money being awarded there. Thankfully I was able to recoup my entrance fee from PayPal, but again its just disappointing.

It's so hard you know? My second book is literally me cutting my soul open and bleeding onto the pages of that book... and to have been met with so many road blocks with this story just ... hurts.

I'm trying to stay positive - to remind myself that I never got into publishing my books to become a NYT Bestseller, and that I just need to find that place again where the love of writing and sharing stories exists in my heart and forget the rest of the it.

My husband & I are off on vacation next week - we're celebrating our anniversary with a cruise - so I'll be radio silent again until the 24th at least.