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Vampires and Witches and Myths, oh my! |
by
Lola James
When I first started writing, I wanted to be done quickly so that I could be published and actually become an author. Well, I wrote the story found a critique partner, and an editor. The whole process took about a month, and I am somewhat of a fast writer. Happily, I published my book on KDP, Pub-it, and Smashwords. I then sat back and waited for my good reviews and acclaims to roll-in. Boy was I wrong… Nothing happened, well something did happen I joined a writing group a few months too late, actually the day after I published, and joining that group forever changed my life.
The group consisted of less than 100 people but it was about 10 people in that group that really helped me out. It was nice to be among my peers, I mean my friends were supportive but they couldn’t relate; hell half the time they didn’t know what I was talking about!
After asking questions and getting answers along with occasional posts by various people, I found out that I rushed my publishing process. I was too worried about the end when I never paid attention to the beginning.
The first thing I did wrong was rush and only let one person critique my work. Not to say she wasn’t a good critique partner but it was just one. In my defense, I was new and didn’t know how to find like-minded people. Second, I didn’t have my name out there, yeah I had a blog but I didn’t use it, I had twitter but I couldn’t understand it, and finally Facebook but of course I didn’t want my friends to know I was a writer (stupid, right?).
Well, I soon made the changes needed to get my name out there. I started blogging, tweeting, and invited my friends over to my Facebook Author page. I gained more love and support by doing that than I had any other way.
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| Lola James |
In the meantime, I scrambled searching high and low for a blogger to read, review, and post about my book. It wasn’t until one gave me some good advice about my book: she told me that the editor I used wasn’t very good. A fact that was re-hashed by a few people in the writing group; a few had used the same one with the same bad results, so Ms. Blogger told me to have my book re-edited. After tears and crushed pride, I did exactly that. I found a new editor, who I love by the way, and she did wonders for my book. I made the changes, found a few more critique partners/beta readers then I re-published my book!
My next venture was exposure! During the re-edits, I found out about blog tours. This is where the magic happened! I quickly contacted some of the tour hosts and jumped on board, which led me here. And I must say the tour experience has been awesome.
Now getting back to the title of this post, I told you my story to say that there never is an end in writing. We as writers are constantly writing, editing, changing, fixing, and stressing over our work. The main thing I have learned in my writing process is that it’s not about our ending, it’s our continuing.
Has there been something you have learned that you can share?
Bound to Remember
Book One of the Spellbound Series
Vampires and Witches and Myths, oh my!
Toni is a young doctor with a past she can't remember and a deadly reason for forgetting it.
Ben is a nurse who has his own tragic past and transfers hospitals after an act of heroism forces his secluded life public.
Ben can’t believe his eyes when he meets Toni, she has an uncanny resemblance to an old friend of his, and Toni can’t help but find Ben irresistible.
Enter Kevin, Toni’s sexy but arrogant Ex. Kevin’s jealousy of Ben blinds him from his main objective, Toni.
A dangerous secret is revealed and a magic spell seems to be a quick remedy, but the witch that helps has a little more than magic up her sleeve…
Read the first chapter of: Bound to Remember
Genre - Paranormal Romance
Format - Ebook
Publisher - Self Published
Released - October 27, 2011
Purchase Links:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Author Website: Lola James and Blog
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