INDIE AUTHOR TELLS ALL

Me: "I wrote a book."

What my audience says: Oh? You did? How cool!

What my audience thinks: $ Cha Ching! $

If only...

Before there was instant e-book publishing and a plethora of indie authors, there was the agent, the publishing company, and the NY Times Book Review. The biggest challenge for an author was getting the agent to take him on, but once he did, it was smooth sailing. It was up to the agent to get a publishing company to buy the book, they would help market it, and eventually the Book Review would write a glowing article, thus creating a bigger buzz, and so of course it would be an instant bestseller...um, ok. No.

I'm not even going to explain further than Step 1: Get an agent to take on future bestselling author.
And the reason is because not many writers even got that far. Prior to 2001, rejection letters were on the ten top ten list of The Most Delivered Snail Mail, topped only by letters to Santa and The Easter Bunny.

Actually, I just made that up. But I think I've made my point.

Then came indie authors, e-books, and affordable print options. Suddenly, it was not only certain that you could call yourself a published author, but you had control of the marketing, the price, and more of your profits. A best seller's dream come true! Huzzah!

*POP*!!!!!!

That's me...bursting that bubble.

I'm going to take you through the day in the life of a typical indie author....me.

(DISCLAIMER: While everyone's situation is different, it is the rare few that can afford to stay home and focus on writing and marketing. Do not attack my one sided perspective, for if you read on, you will see that we are all in this together, and that the bottom line is in fact the same bottom line for all. The End.)

Now back to that day...my day:

I am an award winning, self published indie author.

For those of you who have not been subjected to my shameless self-promotion, my credits include:

Titles from the COFFEE BREAK SERIES:
KAFE CASTRO
MOORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
PGB
DEJA DREW

and my novella, SUKI

That's quite a few titles under my belt. The rest of my day should be easy enough to list and then I can move on to churning out more great reads for my fans.

Not so much.

I am a single mother of three terrifically intelligent and involved teens. Our day begins at 6am. The alarm rings, I begin waking the kidlets, and I make a decision. Am I alert enough to write a bit, or am I still suffering from yesterday and need another half hour of sleep?

In this example, let's pretend that the answer was, "I am ready and raring to write!"

In that case, I'll sneak in about forty-five minutes of writing time, and then a half hour of promoting my previously released works while I'm getting dressed....that is if I don't need to drive someone to early meetings or extra help at school.

By 7:40am, everyone is gone and I'm free to...go to my day job. I have many titles out in circulation, but I have ZERO bestsellers, and so a day job is necessary to keep the rugrats and myself afloat. In fact, it takes THREE day jobs and a load of ambition to do that. Hi ho, hi ho....

I am fortunate enough to make my own schedule each day and I do not have an office to report to. So while I am working, I am also lucky enough to take care of the food shopping, some clothes shopping, and can rearrange my day/week to accommodate doctor, dentist and miscellaneous appointments that pop up for myself and the kids.

I drag myself home, physically and mentally exhausted by 3pm most of the time. "Oh, an early day!" you might think, but you would be so very, very wrong. Now my day really begins. I have to fit in making dinner around activities and after school pickups...times THREE...and sometimes that means literally getting in and out of my car six to eight times a night.

On a good day (and by good day I mean MONDAYS ONLY), it's all over by 7pm and we can eat, clean up, and I can write a bit more at 8:30pm. I have almost perfected my deaf ears, so the bickering and yelling that goes on during homework and TV time only annoys and distracts me 60% of the time.

Just when I really start getting into it, I need to check and see if anyone thought to leave me any hot water. If so, I schedule myself a fifteen minute shower break, and then I'm writing full on by 9:30 or 10pm, until I fall asleep around 11:30, my keyboard an uncomfortable pillow, and cheek typing a million 333333333333333333's while I snore. (I do not include them in my daily word count)

If I am too fatigued to feel inspired, I will promote rather than write.

Two facts about promotion:

1.I am usually pretty exhausted, so I promote A LOT

2.Self-promoting is cheesy and often yields few to no results

I get many, many messages from all two of my loyal readers looking for more. They beg for full length novels, a new quirky COFFEE BREAK installment, or at least a blog post, and I want nothing more than to appease them. After all, they have stuck with me through the dance recitals and soccer practices, expecting nothing more than something good to read. Also, writing is what I love to do...this should be a win-win situation, but if you followed my day closely, you have already deduced that it's not that easy.

Many will argue that there are other mechanisms out there for us struggling artists:

1.Build relationships via Twitter, Linked In, Facebook....the list is endless, but I don't even have a relationship with me! Who am I supposed to introduce all of these strangers to?

2.Hire marketers, promoters, etc....and I can afford this "if I can afford Starbucks", I'm told....but I can ONLY AFFORD Starbucks...and I'm not giving THAT up

3.Beg and plead....aaahhh yes...so here I am

Readers, think for a moment. What is the best way to get you to read a book? Reviews are great and I write them from time to time for other authors on Amazon AND both of my blog sites, but is that really what drives you to read a book?

No. No it's not.

It's the shared experience.

When I love a book, I won't shut up about it. I want everyone to read it, so we can all enjoy it. I am dying to analyze about how it made us feel or how it made us laugh and if my friends haven't read it, I'm not going to ruin the twists, etc. Instead, I'll bug them till they finally give in...you can all thank me later...and here's how:

I have received dozens of emails, texts, messages and reviews about SUKI. It has touched so many and that makes me very happy, but readers are talking about it with ME. I've already read it. I am happy to have hundreds of book discussions to answer the questions that repeatedly come up, but that would mean involving OTHERS as well.  

If you love an author and want him/her to keep pushing out quality books, then take the stress off of us writers and TALK about the titles you love...on Facebook, on Twitter, in person!       

I'm not the only author with this problem, and it leaves both the reader and writer frustrated.

Look at what could potentially happen:

1.Sales increase, reducing the need for the artist's attention to be taken from his craft. Little to no day job, less time spent promoting (except for author interviews and book discussions), a less cluttered mind, which leads to better quality and more books.

2. The writer is happy doing what she loves.

3. The readers are happy to have more to great stories from their faves.

Huzzah!

The previously mentioned bottom line is this: Readers, you want the product. Writers want to create the product as freely and as frequently as they can. There are plenty of ideas and peeps to soak up those ideas. We are all in this together, so let's make it happen.

THINGS I'VE LEARNED FROM MY SOCCER TEAM

"When you step out onto the field to play, remember that the other team is not the enemy."

That statement has stuck with me ever since the girls from the Lindenhurst U12 FUSION soccer team and I attended the LIJSL Convention. We were there to receive our Sportsmanship Award for the Fall 2012 season, and I nudged one of the players sitting next to me and said, "We need to remind the girls of that. It's important."

I whispered to one of the biggest and strongest players on our team, but I have never seen her go out onto the field and use her size to deliberately hurt someone.

The whole team is like that...and the attitude is so obvious that we've won the Sportsmanship Award several times.

FUSION has always been a tenacious team, made up of girls who not only play with their minds and bodies, but also with their hearts. They have a love of the game and of each other. This group knows that when they step out onto the field, they are doing it with and for their soccer "family".

In the fall, our team took first place. Unfortunately, Hurricane Sandy cut our season short, but up until then, FUSION was undefeated.

Congratulations to us....but...what most people don't know is that we played many of our games with only ONE sub or NONE at all.

How did that happen? Before the season started, we had almost thirty girls at our try-outs. Another club approached us about merging...we knew that we could use some extra girls, and they were about to fold, so we agreed to help them out and try to keep as many of their players together as we could, because that's how FUSION rolls.

In the end, we decided to form two teams, the "regular" travel team that would play on Saturdays and a developmental team for Sundays...and all of the girls would have an opportunity to work with our trainer. This way, we'd keep the girls together and we'd have a pool of new players that were working constantly to sharpen their skills and eventually play on Saturdays again. No one would be "cut", and everyone would get to play soccer with their friends.

Thank you John Triessl for your creative idea and kindness.

Hundreds of poems and stories have been written about "crossroads" and "turning points". Unexpectedly, the girls U12 FUSION soccer team was faced with their first one. The developmental side was comprised of girls from our team and the other, and on Sundays, players from the travel group would rotate and fill in so we'd have enough bodies...but it was not to be.

Suddenly, the coaches/adults from the other club decided that if we didn't take their one girl we had placed on the developmental team, then we couldn't have any of their girls. This demand was placed after a few of our own parents also pulled their girls out of the sport, stating that we should have "left well enough alone" and not merged with the struggling club.

What we were left with was a skeleton of a team, BUT a core group like none I have ever encountered when I coached girls and boys basketball or in any of my years coaching soccer. We went on to have a tough, but tremendous season, taking home both the first place and sportsmanship awards for the fall of 2012.

The spring season has shaped up a little differently.

We continued to play when it got cold, going indoors for the winter season. During that time we had a few players get injured. We opened the spring season in Division 4 (up from Division 5) with my daughter in a wrist cast, followed by another injured wrist, a concussion, and some leg/foot problems.

Despite our lack of subs, we went into our games strong, and although we dominated most games, fatigue is a tough opponent, and we began losing for the first time in months. Our losses have only been by one or two goals, but for some it's hard to look at the big picture, and due to frustration, we lost a player to another team.

I wish her luck, but I feel sorry for her. Yeah, I feel sorry for her not FUSION.

Remember the big picture? Here's my version: We have played the entire spring season with either no subs or more commonly, one or two players short. We have not lost by more than two goals. (I have seen other teams go out defeated before they start and they lose by five or six). We have dominated all of the games and had the most shots on goal with the exception of one bad day...and after what this team has struggled with, they are entitled to one bad day.

 They do not go out onto the field thinking they are going to lose. They arrive early for the warm up, happy to see each other and laughing with the friends they have come to make over each season.

This situation has brought them closer to each other, forcing a protectiveness that is obvious when our sweeper literally uses her body as a shield between the opposing player and our keeper when she comes out to retrieve the ball. I am moved when I see the sweeper stretch her arms straight out to the sides, and her knees lock, daring anyone to come through her to get to either of our beloved goalies.

They show loyalty to each other every time they show up to practice and games, ready to do their best instead of giving up because things are a little tough right now. The standings do not necessarily reflect the real game.

They go out there to play, not to hurt others or take out their frustration with our losses on anybody. They have learned to speak up for themselves when refs make a bad call, and they have discovered their own strengths and weaknesses and just what they are really made of.

We can teach them sportsmanlike behavior, but what these girls have taught me is that when you lead with heart and strength of character, a loss doesn't look like a loss anymore.

Every game that they do more, give more, and gain more skill and the ability to strategize, they win more than any score could ever reflect.

As the game goes on, even if we're losing, I smile when I listen to the other team's coaches:
"Their defense is tight. We can't get a shot in."
"That goalie is awesome. There aren't many like her out there."
"They don't even have enough players and they're not making this easy."
"Watch that player! She's got a big foot! Don't let her shoot"
"Three of our players on only one of their girls, and she's blowing right through them!"

The FUSION team does not go to war with the "enemy" when they step onto the turf. They are just a bunch of young girls getting together with their friends, to play a game that they love, to the best of their ability.

As with all setbacks and challenges, they are temporary. This will pass, and when FUSION is running on 100% again, they will be fitter, faster, smarter, and hungry for a win.

You have been warned.

On behalf of the coaches, I'd like to say thank you to the parents for allowing us time with your children. It is an honor and a privilege to be around them several days a week. I have no doubt that when they are done being some of the finest players LIJSL has ever seen, they will spread their greatness wherever their futures take them.

Have you faced your challenges with patience and a strong belief in yourself?

*: Day 9 Item #5: Author CF Winn

*: Day 9 Item #5: Author CF Winn: The Write Stuff for Boston Auction Day 9 Item #5: Signed copy of SUKI from Author C.F Winn

SUKI EXCERPT

"He opens his arms for her to join him in the chair, on his lap. She snuggles up to his shoulder and takes in the odor of machinery and diesel that has clung to his shirt and hitched a ride home from his workshop. That's his smell; the smell of a man who works hard for his family and deserves to hear news like this. Almost every time she inhales, she steals another little piece of him for herself."-SUKI readsuki.com

"Savannah is hurt by her harsh words, but understands. She hears Caroline's tone and then she hears the DIAL TONE. She feels terrible and tries to ring her back,but Caroline yells at Savannah before hanging up again. They won't speak again till Caroline's mother's funeral, one year later.
That's the first crack in the glass house." -SUKI readsuki.com

 

ARE YOU A GIVER OR A TAKER?

Recently, Joan Rivers got all fired up and decided she was going to dance on Johnny Carson's.....plaque. She was mad. The kind of mad that made someone want to dance on someone's grave..if they had a grave to dance on. The two funny-makers were close for a long time, but after Joan got her own show, Johnny stopped talking to her...for twenty years. Then he died.

So after discovering that he was cremated and that she, along with most of LA had probably breathed in, swallowed, then pooped out his ashes, she decided to find his memorial plaque and dance on it.

Because the internet is so magical, her search was easy, and she set out to Cha Cha on top of the Daddy of Late Night. When she got to Johnny Carson Park, there he was, his face and name etched in stone and she, still limber enough to Tango all over it. Hell, she could've given some of those ashes she'd inhaled back in a few creative ways, and what could Johnny do about it but watch and maybe haunt her later that night?

With no one but a cameraman and a lone friend to witness, she looked that bust square in the eye, took a deep breath....and reached out and caressed his cheek. She sent her companion to buy some flowers and sat down next to the rock carved desk and cried for Johnny. She told him that she missed him and asked him why he stopped speaking to her. She chatted with him as if not a day had passed and then told her friend that she owed him everything because he gave her her start.

I believe that every person that blesses us with friendship, love, and kindness should be regarded in this same way. We are shaped by every interaction, and the deeper the connection, the more of an effect it has on us. Respect those relationships, and hold onto them tight, because they could be gone at any moment.

Today I was thinking about an old friend. Although he had faults like anyone else, he was a great guy. A few years ago he died and I was surprised at just how sad it made me. We were very close once upon a time, best friends in fact, but at the time of his passing, we hadn't spoken in about fifteen years. It wasn't because we'd had a falling out...our lives just drifted apart. We met significant others, had babies, and eventually, he moved a few continents away. For all of the SUKI readers out there, we'll call him Dwayne.
 

The thing about Dwayne was that he was a good person. A really good person. The kind that never considers what's in it for him when he acts on someone's behalf. He was the type to fly under the radar until he passed away....then as he watched from his new vantage point, was surprised to see a line of mourners at his funeral, and shocked to hear that people he didn't even know were still talking about him, years after his death. 

Once he saw a guy beating up his girlfriend. They were in a bad neighborhood, and he didn't know either of them, and without thinking of his personal safety, Dwayne came to the aid of the girl. There was a scuffle, but he was successful in running the guy off. The girl was able to continue packing up her car and leaving that creep for good because of one kind act.

I thought about him while I was on the road today. I was at a red light and I glanced around like I always do: some girl was texting, an elderly gentleman gazed off, his brow furrowed with worry, a

crazy looking dude was poking each of his ten fingers up his nose....but when I casually looked in my rear view, I swore the driver behind me was Dwayne. I did a double take, and realized it wasn't and couldn't be, but then...as thoughts tend to do...mine took over.

I noticed that for me, there's a hole in the world where he belongs. I wasn't feeling like I missed hanging out with him, because we hadn't, for a really long time. It just seemed like there was a little less positive energy floating around than there should be, and while Heaven has gained a tremendous presence, this Earthly plane has lost a little spark.

I remembered how much I respected him for all of the kind words and acts he gifted others with, and how many times I'd wished that I could be more like him. Then I wondered how many of us have that? Is there at least one person that you feel that way about?

But even more importantly, have you lived your life in a way that you will be remembered and respected for your integrity and compassion? What stories will be told about you after you've passed? Will those left behind want to dance around your grave in celebration of what you gave, or will they want to shake their booties ON it, laughing about how much of you was wasted?

BEING HAPPY IS HARD

I have been noticeably absent from blogging lately because I have been dying a slow, painful death. It's been a few weeks and I've kept that secret to myself, but now, I'm finally ready to announce it to the world:

"Hello, my name is CF Winn, and I am a mortalaholic."

 


Now, while I know that death is inevitable, there is no guarantee that the dying period we call life is going to be a cakewalk. That is all up to the individual, and sometimes...no, most times, when it comes to that, the majority of us are dumb as a box of rocks. Even me. As far as I am concerned, I've been a vegetable for the past few weeks.

I know you're all shocked. How could the fun, frisky blogger you've all come to depend on for life advice have fallen so hard, so fast?

I'm not sure that I have the answer to that, but I can tell you that recently I came close to slipping back into the jaws of corporate America, where working hard and barely making ends meet has been the mantra of the common-folk since about 2006.

Sadly, once I started back up again, I was hooked. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't stop. Here was an opportunity to make money, so I had to suck it up and just do it...but at what cost?

None of my bills disappeared and I was so miserable, that I was moody and began overeating. Almost ten pounds and a few screaming matches later, I remembered why I was so happy when my hours were cut at my job a few months ago.

Every so often, my very talented blogger friend, Stacey, temporarily hibernates, stating mortality as his reason: "Yes I find my mortality quite frustrating. There are times when I wish I'd enjoyed more of my misspent youth. When you total up all the reasons my books haven't been written, or why the hot girl I liked in high school (who was willing, BT dubs) wasn't sullied, the excuses make me sound like a little girl. With the attendant fear that I may not do any better with the time I have left."
                                                                                               

Well my friend, I have a treat for you. Not only have I come out of my funk, but your favorite #hashnag (Hock mit chynek) is back. I am officially turning your own words on you. In list form. With links to your comedic posts.

Readers, please click on the colorful words if any of the references are unclear while I unleash my take on the Staceyisms I have come to know and love.

Disclaimer: I'm not saying that you have to follow this advice. I'm just saying that if you're going for greatness, the moonwalk is not going to cut it.

 

 Five Reasons To Do What You Love According To 

 Stacey Roberts

1.Red Onions and Unwashed Produce Will Take You Far

Carol, his mom, had it right when she said, "SSStace...when it's your time to go, it's your time to go." She may end up dying of the arsenic poisoning or bad breath, but no matter what, things will end on her terms.
So many of us spend time worrying about the rules and we're not even the ones that made them up! Where's the fun in that? And worse yet, whose life do we end up living?
In the spirit of Stacey's love of lists, compile your own, make sure it reflects you and your beliefs, and then commit to it.

2.Girls Are Weird

I can't speak for all girls, but I can speak for girls like me. We are weird. We like substance more than surface. We like guys who are happy...joy is a strong aphrodisiac...I kid you not. Anyone who is using is my kind of addict. Boys who smile and go for their dreams SHOULD apply here...I'm just sayin'.
When you walk in a room, your very presence should scream, "Honeychild, I'm (insert your name here), What?!"

3. It's Time To Take Off The Sundress and Urine Soaked Panties...

...but keep on the frilly hat and never stop giggling like a little schoolgirl. In other words, stop being afraid and have fun!


4.It Worked For Jesus

This would not be a post powered by the spirit of Stacey if I did not include at least one stab at an historical reference. This is so not my forte, but here goes:
If Jesus had listened to the Devil when he tried to deter him from his true path, what would've become of us Goyims? One person's effort can have a tremendous impact on everyone.
Satan promised that if Jesus followed him, he'd live a luxurious life and never die...when we slave away at the American Dream, we do so with similar beliefs, but in reality our souls die...slowly and painfully while our bodies live on until they are riddled with regret and despair and the stench of unrealized goals...get the picture? 

Hologramming dead celebrities is becoming a thing. If we could hologram Jesus, he'd be like, "Seriously? I fasted and overcame temptation so you could stuff yourself with Xanax and live like zombies? Dude, I passed on the bread even though I was starving! WTF?"

5.Gratitude

I wrote this post in traffic. At red lights. Longhand. In my mileage log that I use for tax purposes. Doing what I loved made my stop and go, forty-five minute ride, seem like a fifteen minute party in my head.

In honor of appreciating the fact that I can do what I love, even when I'm doing something I may not love so much, I will add a short sub list:

a. "Men are weird. Most of the time they don’t want what they have, to make room for the equally ridiculous fact that they really want what they can’t have."-Stacey Roberts
b."Your approach is spot-on. Be Imperial about it." - Stacey Roberts
c."I love lists! Especially nested lists!" - Stacey Roberts
d.That awkward moment when you realize that your sub list is meaningless, but you post it anyway...see Reason #1...my blog, my rules, my life... #TheEnd

THE SECRET LIFE OF IFU! (I FEEL UGH!)

Migraines are no joke. To all of my peeps that suffer with them from time to time, or worse, on a regular basis... I feel for you my friends.

I not only woke up with one, but I endured a sleepless night with an unwelcome throbbing, pounding pain in my head. I have to be honest...of all the partners I'd choose to sleep with, migraines do not even make the list that includes Colin Firth (before he was gay in Mama Mia, and before I found out he was very happily married to a gorgeous Italian woman), and buff men in their 30's (who never have to speak at all when we're done).

So this morning, I have to tell you, I would've liked to have woken up alone, but I didn't. In fact, my room was pretty crowded. There was a huge black cloud hovering over the bed, some kind of sadness kept poking me in my ribs, and of course there was the migraine. But the worst thing was that my get up and go was missing and without it, I couldn't even look for it...sigh.

Luckily, I have a secret remedy. It's plentiful and pretty much always around except between the hours of 7:30 am and 3:00pm Monday thru Friday, and even then, its essence lingers, pushing me to do better each day. I know you all wish that you could possess this magic that keeps me going. I can feel the longing and the impatience to find out what it is...well, the good news is that some of you do not have to look farther than your own home...the secret remedy is not so secret. It's just really powerful. It's my... kids.

When my youngest peeked her head in this morning, she didn't see the unwelcome crowd, she just saw Mom still in bed on a Sunday..the day that we reserve for mother/daughter bonding. Her face dropped, when I said, "Honey, I'm sorry. I just don't feel well this morning." She's the baby, and although she shops in the women's section for bathing suits, she will always be my baby, and  my heart broke when I saw how disappointed she was. My migraine smacked me repeatedly as I said, "Ya know what sweetie? Let's get our clothes on and return that shirt to the Mall before we can't anymore."

RESULT: Sharp throbbing pain to the cranium, wave of nausea to the stomach = Migraine is a jealous bitch who doesn't like to share.

I thought, "In your face!" as I slowly put on my clothes. The dark cloud retaliated with, "You're going to die alone Loser!", but I ignored it...nothing would keep me from seeing my baby's face light up again the way it did when I told her we'd go shopping.

My girl knew what a sacrifice I was making. I am not a woman who enjoys shopping. But I realize that we need new things from time to time, and I'm one of those untrusting types that does not shop online very often. I want to see what I'm getting for my money...free shipping or no free shipping.

So usually, my family knows that they need to go in prepared. They have about an hour before I lose interest and start getting cranky...I become the eight year old whining, "Are we done yet?" every five seconds and taking all the pleasure out of spending money on pretty things.

But this time was different. My daughter was prepared to exchange the unwanteds for something cool and usable, and then we'd get out, me clinging to my Starbucks coffee cup like a life jacket, and her grateful that we'd be done before I had a seizure next to the fish pond on the lower level.

Instead, we finished in Aeropostale, and I agreed to go to Charlotte Russe, even detouring into Walmart for saltines along the way. From there I suggested that we go to Rue 21 and was rewarded when the guy from the cell phone store stopped us, looked up my phone number on his iPad, and informed me that I was long overdue for an upgrade. After picking up a pair of jeans from Wet Seal, we left...not because I was irritated, but because we decided not to spend any more money.



As a writer, dependent upon my words for income, my shopping trip is research, a tax deduction I will absolutely include next year, and as I finger my new necklace and feel every bit as LOVELY as the goldplated jewlery suggests, I decide that I'm going to file those receipts under MEDICAL as well...maybe shopping is therapy after all...my headache is gone and I'm in a much better mood than I would've been if I'd have stayed for the pity party in my bedroom.  









CF Winn is the award winning author of SUKI...now available for KINDLE:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BJVSHPE
and for NOOK:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/suki-cf-winn/1114686016?ean=2940016344898