"I wanna be a real boy!"--wait-no! I wanna have real book! A hard copy...wouldn't mind a hard body either BUT we can't have it all!

     Yay!  My first book is actually going to print!  The cover has been designed, book has been edited, I've been so excited I had to double up on my Unisom.  Although taking sleeping pills with Mountain Dew is I'm positive a contradiction on its own. 

      Now just maybe-some will see me as an actual author. See, the thing is most people just don't comprehend the world of Indie Epubbing-they just don't get it. I understand their confusion-I do...really.  But being one of the ants climbing the digital publication ant hill-I get it!  Every author wants to see their work in hard copy.  I may be a bird of a different feather but I do happen to want to flock with them together.  Epublishing has so far been very good to me.  My book is getting out there.  I'm meeting authors, reviewers, publishers, bloggers and most importantly readers!  Epubbing has made my baby available to the masses.  Yet-many people don't understand why I see this as a success.  Why?  Because they can't hold the final product in their hands (besides holding their smartphone, ereader or tablet).  

     Face it peeps the book world is changing!  This isn't an overnight change either but some people weren't paying attention over recent years.  Back in the day your book being published (in print) meant you had made it.  Not the case anymore.  Anyone can get printed-no, really they can.  There is always a publishing company out there that will print your work.  You might not want what they pay, lose your rights to your work or even lose your pen name or agree they get first dibs on future work(oh how they slither with their snakey, sneaky contracts).  Of course not all are like this.  I just wanted to prove my point that anyone can get published even if its not under the best circumstances.  So, if I would've sold my wares to the devil himself BUT received a hard copy of my book for the price of my soul than I would've been seen as successful?  YEP!  All because you could hold my work, read it on paper pages, smell the ink, fold the page corners to mark your spot.

     Surprise uncle BillyBob, I can have my book distributed, read, reviewed, loved....maybe not so loved-whatever.  Bought, sold and paid for and I'm on the receiving end of it all.  How is that not a success?  How does that make a person any less of an author?  I don't see it.  

     Proof is in the pudding (aren't I just full of these little cliches today)?  I am paid every time someone downloads ~Quick On the Trigger~ (free promo withstanding).  The strange thing is that my epubbed book actually pays me more than if I had went with a publishing company and had hard copies of my book sold.  Epub there's no middle man/men.  It's lil' ol' me and my distributor-in my case amazon.  They get their 30% I get the remaining 70%.  No agent cut, no publisher cut added to the distributors cut-just me and amazon.  Thus meaning...those books I may grab on my way out of my pharmacy by some of the most "successful", popular, talented, adored authors out there-yeah those ones-I make waaay more moola per book than they do.  For real!  I'm no Nora, I'm no Danielle but I bring in more per book on my ePub than they do on their best sellers?  How is that right?  My simple answer...I dunno. 

     Of course you can't walk into your local Wal-Mart and buy my book though.  My ePub is exclusively sold in the kindle store on amazon.  So there they have my a** whooped!  But what the h*ll?  I can promote the livin' day lights out of my book.  I can beg reviewers, I can blackmail bloggers (wink,wink), I can hand out swag in person-the options are endless.  But-no hard copy=no success in some eyes.  Here's my answer to that...ready?  Kiss my computers hard drive!  Yep, right on the USB port! (I like it dirty-hey maybe I'll add that to the next book).  

     This brings me back to the reason for this rant in the first place (A.D.D. Kicked in there apparently). Main reason-I'm getting my book printed. Not after signing away any rights or not even after making the deal publishing dreams are made of.  Nope-just printing through CreatSpace (an amazon company).  For me at this moment it's the best for me.  I'm not saying I would never go with a publishing company-I would but it would have to be a deal that would be right for me.  The couple offers I have received through a couple small presses just weren't what I wanted at this time.  I'm not living in a fantasy that Mr. Moneybags is going to call me up and claim "Sidda, I want you, I have to have you." (Wait was that a publishing CEO or Channing Tatum in my dream?).  Point being-like the dishes...I'll do it my d*mn self.  Now uncle BillyBob, have I earned the title of author to be added to my name once you can hold the proof of my writing in your hand? (Were all the words on your IPad a lie somehow)?  

   Well, it's probably another one of those "you can't please everybody" or "when life hands you lemons" kind of puns that I'm über keen on dishing out today.  So, as I know I have suggested before-please yourself (could put that in a book to). I do call my self an author already.  But I am still pumped to see my book in hand with a glossy cover and my name going up the spine.  Now the cr*ppy part of waiting until it shows up.

Sidda

Quick On the Trigger - Western Erotic Book Trailer

Chugga...Chugga...chooo....chooo! The lil' book that could!

     Hallelujah! Hallelujah!  Yes, I hear the angels sing and holy cr*p chubby girls really do hear French horns instead of flutes when a semi-miracle has been bestowed upon them.  My itty bitty lil' project of writing a book has not only come completely true BUT its actually striving.

     Now, first off-I don't want to give you the wrong idea that I didn't believe it was 'good enough' because I've always believed it was.  That being said....there's a lot of parents out there who think their child is the most beautiful creature ever made.  When really the homely thing scares fellow preschoolers into giving up their goldfish crackers without a fight.  Ahhh point...there was a point...oh yes!  Point-I could've just been another mother in denial of her baby's likability.  But now I can happily say I don't think it's only my motherly instincts to cradle my book to my bosom and love it and protect it forevahh.  Despite being my first -Quick On the Trigger- is getting much love out there in the scary world all on its own.  Daily emails from people who have read it and loved it.  Yay!  Awesome tweets, some great reviews.  Bloggers sharing my links.  Even people sending and posting pictures with my book on their kindles, computers and phones.  I am shocked to silence.(trust me that's a rarity in itself)

     My lil' project has now been downloaded thousands of times.  In many countries!  We made it to #3 for a day on 'amazons free erotica downloads' in the US.  #16 in the UK.  H*ll, even #74 in Japan-yep, I said Japan.  To think as I sit her rambling on in a blog someone is hanging out in France reading my book and maybe even at the same time as somebody from India is.  Serious mind blowing going on here people!

     The free promo ends at midnight on Monday and its back to waiting to see if anyone will actually BUY the book or not.  Yes, I've sold a decent chunk but not near as many as have been given away freely.  Which at this point I'm completely content with.  Just getting my name out there and hopefully the story will bring readers to the next book.(fingers crossed, toes would be but they are just to short and stubby, really.)

     I have promoted and tweeted to the high heavens and now I wonder what I should be doing now?  Like right now.  I refuse to beg-okay not really but people can't hear me whining through my computer.  Now is the time to get working away on -Steel Horse Cowboy-and get it finished up so it can get edited.  Hello, we all know what a grammatical hotmess I admit to being.(scarlet 'G' worn on my chest, remember?).  Get the cover completed.  YouTube another book trailer(kinda just because they are really fun and super cool to say I have one-even if only 70 people have viewed the d*mn thing!).  Invest in more 'swag'-oh how I have learned how much romance readers like their swag!  My business cards and pens aren't cuttin' it anymore.  Work on getting my book in hard copy-that's a biggie.  

     Ya know sumthin'?  When I started this journey I was explaining it to my amazing go-to helper and she asked how are you going to do this?  I explained...I write a book, edit it the best I can and "toss it up on amazon and see what happens."  To say I was a little naive would be the understatement of the friggin' year.  Yep, I edited it the best I could-BUT guess what?  My 'best' wasn't enough.  I needed an actual editor.  Friends weren't hacking it.  Nor was I for that matter.  Covers need to be made, things uploaded and things downloaded-which all made me want to get loaded by the way.  Then...prices.  Yep try to figure out pricing-not as easy as it sounds.  Also, keywords, blurbs, synopsis, pages and sites and the phrase "just toss it on amazon and see what happens" replays in my head.  All I can think of is...YOU FRIGGIN' IDIOT!(oh so clueless). 

    The trials and tribulations(always wanted to say that but never thought I would since I'm not a rapper)-anyways, they've paid off.  I've learned more than I ever wanted to(that's not only a promise but also a guarantee), followed through with more commitments than I ever thought I would(truthfully).  Hmmm....hard work does pay off!  Huh, that wasn't a load of bull after all.  Can't blame me for not being positive that it would reign true after all-same people who said that also told me there was a Santa Claus an Easter bunny and that my glasses from the 80's that closely resembled Sally Jesse Rapheals were cool looking.  Liars!  Every damn one of them!  Parents, teachers and the dumb witch from the vision clinic!  Liars-BUT NOT ON THIS ISSUE!

Sidda

So excited I could pee!

     Well, here I type once yet again...about the woes of self pubbing. (Did I say woes? I meant joys of self pub.  I'm almost positive I meant joys-cr*p I did mean woes.)

     Today marks my first spin in the good ol' free promo days through amazons kdp program.  I have tweeted, I have face booked and shared, I have messaged and emailed.  H*ll-I even 'pinned it' for the first time on Pinterest (No clue if I did it right?! I write erotic romance people its about getting nailed...not pinned!).  At this moment I feel like a share button wh*re!  I spread my wares as much as possible to as many people as possible (lucky I've taken notes from some successful women who excel in this particular talent.)

     Now what?

     Do I continue to spread my link? (Sounds dirty but I assure you it's not.)

     Do I sit and wait and see?

     WHAT NOW PEOPLE?

     So far I have decided to chill out and let my lil' bird fly free...and hope it stays in flight-although all I have in my head is a crash and burn scenario.  Poor, poor -Quick On the Trigger- in flames spiraling towards the ground nearing its sudden death!  Why?  Why God?  Why must I be a pessimist?  No-I don't ever think the glass is half full!  But, I also don't think it's half empty either.  I just wonder why the h*ll you wouldn't just drink outta the d*mn bottle?  But, hey-that's just me.

     Hurry up and...wait.  That's what I'm doing.  I will wait it out and hope my download numbers are high enough to satisfy this chic.  Either way I am forging forward.  Book 2 ~Steel Horse Cowboy~ is about 3/4 done.  Can't wait until its ready to promote.  First, all I could think about was getting ~Quick On the Trigger~ up and running.  I was going to be an 'official' author once it was available to readers. Now?  Now, it doesn't feel like enough.(tune in Rolling Stones song Satisfaction here!).  At this moment I think-just one more and than I will REALLY be an author.  Just one more (spoken like the book addict I am.)

    Don't get me wrong, I am über proud of my book already.  I have gotten some great reviews and a couple bloggers have been amazing.  I have met many, many authors that I practically worship.  It's been an amazing ride so far.  But I look forward to the day someone's excited to meet me and have me sign a book.  By the way if that day happens and your around me I want to apologize now, ahead of time because I'm sure i will be so excited I'll probably pee!

Sidda

Not trying to change the world with my grammatical errors!

     First off, just an FYI why I went with this title for my blog...ready?  You sure?  Here's the hook...BECAUSE ITS HOW I FEEL!!(clouds part,sun shines down, doves fly, butterflies once again flutter!). 

     I read non-stop to a fault.  Now that I wonder almost blindly through the life of social networking I catch myself reading post by authors, readers, editors and others amongst the land of literature.  Many times their blog topics or ranting post leaving me feeling as if I am on trial.(if it don't fit you must aquit). Yes, I feel as if I'm under attack most of the time.  Okay-so I'm not named in their rants and raves but I feel as if they are looming over me smacking me in the back of my head with a dictionary(like a nun did with a bible once in religion class to a classmate of mine). I have fessed up to not writing grammatically correct often and to using slang-especially in some of my characters dialogue.  I do, I know this, I fully admit to it but guess what?  I prefer my trailer trash dialogue...for me.  I don't fault anyone else for using the written word like a Shakespearean professor.  All hail to you!  So, my only wonder is why do they care if I use slang?  Or if I am a grammatical hot mess?

     I am in no way considering the thought my books are here to change the world of students and teachers alike in English 101.  I write-because I have "a music in me"-wait wrong thought.  I write because my brain comes up with story lines and characters that maybe...just maybe someone else may enjoy as much as I do.  So why not?  Come on...I write in the erotic romance genre not educational literature.  

     Why do people feel the need to berate everyone and anyone?  Seriously?  Waiting for an answer here?(finger tapping on my desk before I realize I'm blogging and won't get an answer anytime soon. DUH!). I won't even start to believe my personal opinions should be held to biblical heights.  So why do so many others think just that?

     Guess what peeps?(<~wow that horrific grammar even scares me!). My novels are not here to save the world, solve life's greatest mysteries, reform our correctional institution inhabitants or educate our children.  To be as blatantly honest as possible...I write smut.  Yep, I'm fully content with that declaration.  I write dirty books that happen to have story lines that I am proud of and enjoy writing-bad grammar or not.  

     Perhaps I should wear a red 'G' on my chest at all times.  Hey, if Hester has to wear a scarlet 'A' for her crimes of passion-maybe I should do the same.  I can see virtual stones being tossed at me through instant messaging and FaceTime!  Although, I will gladly take pretend physical attacks as long as I can continue to write my uneducated but yet enticing tales of love and sex followed by a happy ever after.  As long as there are readers who will read, I will write.

Sidda

Author pages, twitter tweets, Facebook status updates, YouTube vids and do it all SOBER (seriously, it can be done!)

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DL3uvFqqShdU&h=JAQGRaQ-JAQGD-1rFo_FZhOcptBav6g9df03v_o7ip969Bw&enc=AZOhyO1sdyoLjlZwmk2tZl5xb7eTjqJdfh7imCy4GkkNX17ZV5Ii9WJAsTJT6MQw1cM8T01to92zH7ZLBG0gj4bH&s=1

***H*ll yeah!  My first evahhhh book trailer.  So, PLEASE take a look! Give a like! Try a lick!? (Wait, oops!  Can I blame that on auto-correct? No? Can't blame a girl for tryin', right?)***

     So, after purchasing an app from the App Store for $4-I was able to make an awesome book trailer(if I do say so myself!). I used photos I took so yep, I own the rights to them for FREE! yay me!  Then I purchased a song from pond5-just to make sure I'm all legal.  At $15 for 2 minutes and 49 seconds for music...I figured I'd be ready to go BUT NO!  Try to find my download on my ipad-impossible!!  Just to get my music I purchased for my trailer which I made on my ipad I needed to hook-up to an amazing friends (whom I also refer to as my assistant in my book journey) just to get my d*mn song on my d*mn trailer.  Whew-whoo! Done, right?  Nope!  Now, I try to upload my finally completed book trailer onto my AMAZON author page-after 25 minutes it claims ERROR!  Seriously? Yep!  Screw this!  I'll just put it on YouTube...NOT!(yep, I reverted back to 1985 and threw out a NOT-stay tuned might throw out a SIKE yet!). So, my YouTube attempt literally takes a couple hours! Claiming its being uploaded-just to suddenly claim ERROR!( yep, I now hate that frickin' word with a passion!  It's right up there with pimple and payment due...eeew I got chills.). After the threat of visions of IPads flying through the air and crashing into a plasma screen I decided to let it rest for the night.  After a couple Unisoms and some meditation I slept like a baby(or a drunken phrat boy-take your pick.). Figuring in the morning light my hatred on the subject of easy-one click sharing(my substantial fanny!) would be slightly less violent.  Surprising it really was! Hallelujah!(hear the southern Georgia baptist choir in the background? No? Hmm...I do.) ANYWAYS as I was typing...once again AMAZON upload a no-go after 5 tries.  FINE!  YouTube on red, 13.  I felt the luck.  Guess what it worked!  Upload successful!  And it only took 6 frickin' hours! 

***NOTE: Point being made now!***

     My simple little project of writing a book...continues on and not one d*mn thing has been as easy as I have been told or read.  Why the lies people, why?(like, seriously, why?) Outta everything so far-me writing my 120,000 word erotic romance novel has by far been the easiest part of this adventure.  So, if you're attempting your own journey in this realm I encourage you to follow my blog for the TRUTH of how all this cr*p actually goes!

    Now, that being so sweetly(as sweet as this chic gets,sorry) said...I'm not backing down.  Yep, gonna keep truckin' on! Pee or get off the pot! Grab the bull by the horns! And all that other self reassuring mantras I keep replaying in my head when all I want is a nice stiff lemon drop in a sugar rimmed glass.

Sidda

B*lls to the walls!!!

I love this pic I took the other day at the rodeo. Tells ya how fast they were truckin' along. B*lls to the walls!! That's what I've decided to do. Yep! Full speed ahead.
I am pushing my baby(book) without apology. First go round I wasn't as confident in it as I am now. It has been freshly, professionally edited and I've made a few alterations that made me feel better. I worked hard on my book and D*MMIT I want people to read it. 
When I first released it a few months ago it had not been edited to the extent it needed. Check! I didn't have Facebook, twitter, blogger, goodreads and some amazing bloggers and friends willing to share my links on. Check! H*ll, I even have a book trailer that will be released too!
Although, now I find out I should have a street team....and now I've been introduced into the thought of getting my book available in hard copy....I ask WILL IT EVER END? Possibilities are endless with options for writers now-a-days and its all about how much you want to put into it.
As of now...I am gungho and I'm in a Veruca Salt kinda thought process now when it comes to my book. I want it and I want it now. 
So, that means I need to make that happen...and with my amazing partner in crime assisting me along the way.
Fingers crossed I don't fall flat on my face! Or at least if I do-wait until I walk away before you crack up!
Sidda

When? Where? What? And who the h*ll knows?

     I find my self at yet another fork in the road and yet (also) again wondering exactly which way I should start truckin' down.  See the thing is...I want to write! Write-not mega market, not be a CPA, not anything else! (Hear my feet stomping in my mini tantrum?). BUT I know that being an Indie author out in the big bad self-publishing world alone I do have to be all those things and more.  

     So, social networking isn't bad when people are liking your page and emailing you but on a day when everything's in slow motion its a real kick to the gut. (Nobody likes me?  Why?).  Then there's the blogging...yes, I'm attempting to blog but I'm so confused on a "blog tour"-which I was recently told by numerous authors in my genre I NEED to do.  Write a guest blog?  Really?  I don't even know what to write on my own, fresh from the oven blog!

     Now, my book ~Quick On the Trigger~ was previously released and was selling on Amazon and Barnes and Noble and doing pretty well for a no-name author.  I had received a couple awesome reviews on blogs.  I had 10 awesome reviews on amazon, 2-4star, 8-5 stars!  I was flyin' high! BUT then I was struck! A grammar nazi had located me and had deadly precision in her shot.  Although she stated "the story is compelling" she ripped apart my book due to its grammatical errors.  I panicked! Not use to negative comments yet.  Although, I was freaked out I stayed strong.  The whole nananna boo boo I can't hear you...was my attack plan.  Hey, it worked...UNTIL someone commented on the bad review.  I know they had good intentions but it seemed to release the final straw and an attacked soon followed.  After another review which quoted and supported the first bad one but worse-did me in.  

     I pulled my book.  Yanked that sucker off so fast I scared myself!  The book was at a new editor the following day.  Since this, I have spoken with more than a few authors who have lectured me on "toughening up".  Good reviews are amazing to get and I think " yay" then go about my business.  The bad review though took me down.  I couldn't sleep, my brain was on overdrive and unsure what to do next.  Why did I let this one bad review destroy me? Why, when I had another 10 reviews who said they couldn't get enough of my book and couldn't wait for the next one?  Human nature you could say.  Negatives, especially personal ones are so much easier to believe than positives. (SUCKS!)

     With that behind me, I'm ready to rerelease my book.  Confident in its editing and an appreciation for positive reviewers.  Not to mention (but I will) a stronger backbone prepared for any negative ones.  It's gonna happen but with the "I don't give a sh...." Attitude I will continue on.  

     This brings me to the when? Do I attempt a blog tour?  Do I just attack as much social media as much as possible?  Or do I just release it and let my bird fly away to land where it lands?  Also, as I discovered this week that a few in my genre had releases this week.  I'm nowhere near them (yet!) so obviously I don't want to compete with their releases-so I wait again.  Do I release my trailer first?  Or do a full frontal attack and hit 'em all at once?  See my dilemma? My confusion?

     Now, I have read a ton of blogs and articles, downloaded books revolving around the word of self publishing.  All have helped one way or another but they've also given me too many options. 

     Any authors wanna be my guiding light, perchance?  Well, off to do what I know I can do half way decently-write! Time to escape reality for awhile!

Sidda