Thursday, March 28, 2013

More Is Involved Than Just Writing a Book

I'm not afraid to admit, I did everything a little backwards. That is, I published my book before I did any marketing. Not to say that I can't go full force with the marketing now because that's exactly what I'm going to do. Honestly, I'm just excited about having my book back out there.

I'm also learning how to tweet. Even though, I'm much more fascinated with reading tweets than I am with making tweets. We'll just say, "I'm studying the process." 

I'm hungry and I'm sleepy (it's 12:15 a.m.), and my right hand hurts, which is not a good sign. So, I'm going to go to bed and try this again tomorrow night. 

Feel free to leave comments telling me how to tweet. I really need some help. Thanks!

Simply TRB  

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

I Done Did It

Another, "I done did it." I put my cover out on Facebook today. Now I'm waiting for Amazon to do their thing. I'm really excited and extremely motivated to get my next book finished. The process of self-publishing, particularly through CreateSpace, is extremely easy (and there are many different ways to do it). Once you get it down, you got it. I think I could do this for a living. Well, if I could do it if I sold enough books.

This is officially my second time releasing a book. The first time, I distinctly remember thinking, "Who's going to read a book I wrote?" It was almost like, the audacity of me to write a book and really expect people to read it (other than family and friends). Don't get me wrong, I thought it was a great story. I think I was feeling something that a lot of new writers feel. A couple of Saturdays ago, I spoke with a member of the Atlanta Writers Club and she said those exact same words to me, "Who's going to read a book I wrote." She said she felt that way as she wrote her book. So much so that she changed stories and genres several times, until she was comfortable with a genre that she felt couldn't receive too much public criticism.

I don't feel like that this time. This time I'm excited at the prospect of receiving feedback--positive and negative. I'm looking forward to discussing the story with readers. I'm also excited about actually feeling like a writer this time. The first time I felt like someone who just happened to write a book. I honestly don't think I even considered writing another book until I had a few book signing under my belt (even though I had started another story). This time I feel knowledgeable and experienced--like I know what I'm doing, what I'm getting into and, sort of, what to expect.

And I'm happy, but I'll be even happier when I actually touch my first copy of the new book. I wish my grandparents were around to experience this with me. Even though the first release was never properly edited, my grandparents made me feel like a "big time celebrity author." Grandparents have a way of making your accomplishments feel larger than life. For that, and many other reasons, I mentioned them in the beginning of my book.

Wow, guess I should end here. I'm actually getting teary-eyed. I hope you continue to support my blog. Please check out my website. It's the first website I've ever had (I'm excited about that too). I hope you buy my book and thoroughly enjoy it. I hope it leaves you asking for more. I also hope you're motivated to accomplish a goal you have that's been lingering out there for awhile. Thanks.

Simply TRB          


Saturday, March 23, 2013

Jumping Back In

Well, four more days and I'm back out there. My website: www.simplytrbaker.com goes live Monday night, March 25, 2013, and my book drops Tuesday, March 26, 2013.



I'm more anxious than I am excited. I think it's time--time to "jump back in" to the literary game. This time I know a little bit more.

(This is the first public post of the cover of my re-released debut novel.)

Simply TRB

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Black History Month Speaker

Last month, for Black History Month, I was invited to the Elizabeth Andrews Alternative School to talk about writing and getting published. For the last 10 years I've been learning all I can about writing, editing, and self-publishing. Even though I know there is much more to learn, I felt very knowledgeable sharing what I have learned. I also invited a new author, Richard Martin, Jr., to talk about his writing/self-publishing experience. Mr. Martin hired Butterfly Whispers Copy Editing & Proofreading to edit his autobiography, and then I assisted him with publishing his book using CreateSpace. It was a great experience. So much so that I'm going to re-release my first book using CreateSpace.

I love writing, I love talking about writing, and I really love listening to other people talk about writing. My recent experience at Elizabeth Andrews helped me to realize how much I enjoy motivating other people to write. I'm excited about seeing where all of this goes, and who I get to meet along the way.

Simply TRB