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