August, wow. Where is 2020 going?
This month has been one of slowing the pace, writing-wise. Summer holidays have kicked in, as has the need to concentrate on things like work, exams, and other such stuff – which is much less fun.
The fun stuff has been my first two reviews on Amazon for The Dark Crown. Both are five stars and I’m really pleased. This, along with my sales reports and feedback I’ve received, shows that people are buying and enjoying the book – which is fantastic- but without reviews it is difficult for authors with a small profile or fanbase to showcase their talents.
Reviews really are important for self-published authors, and for anyone who has released a book. It strikes me it is something I hadn’t considered before, nor (I’m ashamed to say) something I’ve done much about. I will make a conscious effort to leave reviews for all the books I’ve read and enjoyed.
This month, I also received my first sales payments for both eBooks and paper copies. I’m not in a position to retire just yet, but it was an important milestone.
Writing wise book 2 – Coven of Shadows – is written (all 107k words of it). The process now is doing the second draft, and it is coming along in fits and starts. Some days it flows easily, and I feel as though I am making excellent progress. Other days it’s like wading through treacle, pausing after every sentence, and wondering if it is good enough.
It all comes down to the insecurities that all writers have – ‘Imposter Syndrome’ – the fear that they are a fraud and at any moment readers will twig and denounce them. It is a voice I hear occasionally, but I am getting better at telling it to ‘go away’, on some days using less polite terms.
It’s also something I’ll cover more thoroughly in my next post offering hints and tips that have helped me get through it and make the positive messages stick.
Editing book 2, I am finding little things that I’d forgotten about; things that have made me smile, and on one occasion dance around the room as a new character made their first appearance. It’s like meeting old friends again; something we can all appreciate given various lockdowns around the world.
I am back onto Audible and very much enjoying Garth Nix’s epic Angel Mage. It mixes fantasy with an interesting magic system and I am intrigued how it will pan out in the second half.
Enjoy the gorgeous weather, and don’t forget to leave book reviews where you can.
Take care of yourself and each other.
Steve
scgowland.com 