Have you ever heard of “quiet quitting” ? It’s when an employee does the minimum that is expected of them at work. In other words, doing just enough to keep … Continue reading Moving In Silence
Tag: goals
I Don’t Make Resolutions But I Do Set Goals
To me, goals are more realistic than resolutions.
The End of 2020
Here it is, folks: the end of 2020. The last dance. The grand finale. Some bloggers like to end the year by reflecting upon it: they look back at all … Continue reading The End of 2020
My NaNoWriMo Goals
Hello, good people! Today is October 28, which means there are only 3 days until NaNoWriMo! I will be participating this year, and my goal is to finish a book … Continue reading My NaNoWriMo Goals
KDP Tutorial, Anyone?
It’s a new year: 2020. 2019 has finally died. People around me are busy making resolutions, and I generally don’t make any. My usual goal is simply to finish whatever I start. But this year, I do have one resolution, and this is it: I’m going to do more of the things that scare me; I’m going to challenge myself more.
Working in a public library has introduced me to many new people, some of whom are interested in writing and publishing (two of my favorite things!). During NaNoWriMo, I was fortunate to lead a workshop for creative nonfiction. I had no idea how much people enjoyed it, and it’s slowly turning into something I’m going to run all year ’round. Lately, I’ve had a few library patrons ask about publishing books through Amazon, so I’d like to integrate self-publishing information into my 2020 workshops. There’s something else I’m planning, too.
I’m going to do more of the things that scare me; I’m going to challenge myself more.
A few years ago, an offer was made to me to teach a class on Skillshare, but I never went through with it because I was too nervous. Several people have suggested that I post videos online to promote my writing. Again, I was too nervous and never went through with it. So this year, I’m going to get over my fear, and post a few videos. I’m planning to release a series of tutorials on how to navigate Amazon’s publishing service, KDP. Am I an expert on the subject? Maybe not an expert, but after working with an overpriced self-publisher, a publisher who closed for business, and publishing 32 books with KDP, I think I have a lot of knowledge to share.
I’m currently nursing a cold (more like the flu), so I’ll have to wait until my voice sounds normal to make these videos. I’ll keep you posted.
PS: I’ve update the refund policy on the Online Store, to make things easier for my customers/readers 🙂
Monday Blog: My Inspiration for Our Lady of Righteous Rage
Happy Monday, everyone! This week, I’m thinking about all of the things that inspire me to write. I like to keep my mind active while I’m working on a book, and one way I do this is by reading material that relates to what I’m working on. I also engage in activities that relate to what I’m working on (if I can). I’m currently writing the first draft for Righteous, book four in the Our Lady of Righteous Rage series, so I’m doing a few things to keep me inspired.
Music: I’m a huge fan of Punk Rock, and that’s the basis of this series. I also listen to Indie Rock, a little Goth, and a few other genres. I always listen to music while I’m on the bus or the train, but lately I’ve been making more of an effort to listen to it while I’m writing. The bands I’m listening to at the moment are:
Green Day (of course)
Blink 182
The Killers (“The Man” is my new work-out song)
Led Zeppelin
Jack White
Fall Out Boy
Portugal. The Man
IAMX (I heard “Look Outside” on How To Get Away With Murder, and now I’m in love with it!)
Fleetwood Mac (“The Chain”; thank you Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2)
Bauhaus (“Bella Lugosi’s Dead”)
That’s just the short version of the list. I can’t even begin to tell you how much music is on my phone, or how many CD’s I own (yes, I still listen to CD’s).
Guitars: I still have two of my electrics, Billie Joe and Jack. I recently donated Dillinger, my Maestro by Gibson. I’ve been spending more time with them. My goal is to get better at playing power chords. In the meantime, playing is relaxing. I used to be lazy and sit down every time I played. One day I stood up without realizing it, so that’s an improvement. I recently taught myself to play “Smile Like You Mean It”, by The Killers.
Reading: I’ve said it before, and I’m going to say it again: READ THE GENRE YOU’RE WRITING FOR!!!! When I’m working on anything Our Lady related, I read a ton of material about Punk Rock, music, and thumb through issues of Alternative Press and Guitar Player. I recently finished New York Rock by Steven Blush. Being a New Yorker who loves rock, I really enjoyed reading this book. It contains a lot of history about New York bands, like Velvet Underground and New York Dolls. I’ve read books like Please Kill Me and Everybody Loves Our Town, but this book was focused on New York, which made it extra special.
I believe finding things to inspire your writing is essential. Listening to music, playing my guitars and reading books and magazines that are music-related, helps me keep my brain focused on my writing, and I manage to get more writing done. If you ever find yourself facing a case of Writer’s Block, you may want to give this a try.
Monday Blog: 5 Things Every Self-Published Author Needs
Hello, everyone. Here we are: the final Monday Blog for January. This week’s topic: things I think every self-published author should have. No, I’m not naming random things, here. These are things that have been a great help to me, and I wanted to share them with my fellow writers.
- A Website: Good Lord, if you don’t have a website, what are you doing? Sure, you may not know much about building a website, but you can always enlist the skills of others to do this for you. I created my site through Go Daddy, on my own. Plus, Go Daddy offers tech support, and has a range of templates to choose from. Like I always say, if I can do it, anyone Your website should contain info about your books, where they can be purchased, and how readers can get in contact with you. There are plenty of online sources with tips on how to set up your website, and you’re more than welcome to use mine as an example. If you decide to use Go Daddy, I suggest taking advantage of their SEO option (search engine optimization).
- A Catalogue: The best way for you to get your name out there, is by giving your readers a list of books to choose from. Show your readers your true writing ability. This can be a single series of books, or several individual books. I have 4 series, and 1 individual book (which I will most likely write a sequel to). In all, I have published 19 books. Search for Nicole Woolaston on Amazon or Goodreads and take a look.
- Facebook Page: Yes, many of us use Snap Chat, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn, etc. I’m on all of that crap, and yes, it’s tiring. But Facebook is where it’s at. Why? Two words: Ad Space. Facebook is a wonderful (and free) way to connect with a large audience. Friends can like your posts and share them, then other people will share them, and so on. As for ad space, while it may not be free, it is DIRT CHEAP. Example: I made Our Lady of Righteous Rage: Extended and Uncensored free for Kindle for 3 days. I ran an ad on Facebook (spending only $3; I could have spent a little more and reached more people). Six people downloaded my book. Over 100 saw the ad, 12 people clicked on it. Either way, I gained 6 new readers and exposure for my book.
- PayPal: I’m recommending this for 3 reasons. 1) It’s a safe and effective way to collect payment from book sales, should you choose to sell them on your website. 2) You can use PayPal to pay for ad space on Facebook. 3) You can use PayPal to pay for extras for your website, if you happen to use Go Daddy.
- Fiverr: I’ll give you a minute to let this last one marinate. Ready? Good. If you need someone to help you build your website, create an effective Facebook ad, edit your book, design a cover, etc, there are plenty of people on Fiverr who can do those things for you, starting at $5. Also, it’s a great way to earn funds to support your Facebook ads and pay for your website. I write book reviews via Fiverr, starting at $5 per review, and the money I’ve earned since August 2017 has paid for all of my Facebook ad space, and my website. Think about it.
Keep a few things in mind:
Everything will not be free. Many things will be, but not everything.
Sometimes, you will need to spend money in order to make money. I’m not suggesting you break the bank, but $3-$10 for some ad space, or $5 for a book review to boost readership and sales, isn’t asking a lot.
You have to be willing to try. Fear held me back for a long time, until I let go of my fear, and jumped. You have to be willing to take risks.
Decide if you just want to write books, or if you actually want to sell them. If you just want to get your name in print, then kudos! But, if you want to sell some books, you’re going to have to put some work in, beyond typing a manuscript.
See you next week…
Monday Blog (on Wednesday): New Year, New Plans
Welcome to the first Monday Blog for 2018, on a Wednesday! Monday was New Year’s Day, so I took time off to relax. But the holiday is over, so it’s time to get back to work.
Most people like to make New Year’s Resolutions. I stopped doing that a few years ago. However, this year, I have decided to set a few goals for myself, and for Woolaston Entertainment.
1. Publish 5 more books by the end of 2018.
2. Read 100 new books
3. Create new merchandise for W.E.
4. Put my books in the hands of new readers, both here in the states, and abroad.
I’m also planning to use my social media pages more often. This means, more posts on Tumblr, more tweets on Twitter, and more ads on Facebook. I’d also like to reach out to my readers: if you’ve ever read a Woolaston Entertainment book, please post a review online. Or, send me your thoughts via the contact page on this site! I would love to know what you think.
To all of my fellow writers, artists and creators: I hope you have a wonderful year. It’s January, so we’re just getting started. Best wishes to everyone and Happy New Year!
woolastonentertainment.com 