A self-published author's diary, podcast

#TheLeftoverBride is out in the world! A recap a few days after publication…

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Episode 32

Today, I talk about publication day… #TheLeftoverBride (Kindle Paperback) is out in the world. Between celebrating, managing expectations (and sometimes not managing said expectations), a rush of anxiety and knowing readers will be smiling, release day is a roller coaster of emotions.

Also mentioned in this episode: this reel from Courtney Summers: “Everything I’ve done doesn’t feel like it happened. Courtney Summers doesn’t exist.” Especially as I’m thinking about the next book. 🙂

And White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson:  https://www.epicreads.com/books/9780063029095/white-smoke/

The Haunting of Hill House meets Get Out in this chilling YA psychological thriller and modern take on the classic haunted house story from New York Times bestselling author Tiffany D. Jackson!

“The creeps come on slowly, then start to build. When the cold shivers ran down my back, I wanted to scream—but I was too busy turning pages. I had to know: Just how frightening will it get?”- R.L. Stine, author Goosebumps and Fear Street

Follow me on instagram: @aselfpublishedauthorsdiary :-), on my author’s YouTube channel or the podcast’s YouTube channel.

Numbers: The Book That Had 23 Preorders and…became my most read book. A self-published author's diary: The Ups and Downs of Self-Publishing (and everything in-between)

This is a numbers episode. I'm going back to the archives a little bit (back to the future, kind of) to talk about a book I released in 2015 that had 23 preorders and became one of my most read books.A Summer Like No Other launched at 99 cents. I had a whole plan — cover reveal with Xpresso Book Tours, NetGalley, YouTube videos, a blog series called The Making Of, emails to readers who had reviewed my first book. I got 23 preorders. In the first three months I made about $200.That same book has now been downloaded 66,550 times in English: 40,279 audiobooks, 24,414 ebooks, and 1,360 paperbacks. Best month was May 2024, with 7,930 downloads.The French version, Un Été Pas Comme Les Autres, had 20 preorders. It's now perma free, has been downloaded 48,368 times, has 1,843 ratings on Amazon France, and the translation got picked up by a publisher that was part of Hachette — which is how I became a hybrid author.So preorders really don't make or break a book.I also talk about:Dictation finally working for me — two days this week with more than 6,000 words, which hasn't happened in foreverA very funny dictation fail from my walkLast week's newsletter (Elodie Now): 205 subscribers, 48.19% open rate, 0.49% click rate, one unsubscribeFun fact: more than 50 subscribers across Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and I didn't know that until this week. Thank youThe two YouTube videos that helped me with dictation:Real Time Dictation Session: Dictate and Edit a Scene With Me — Alyssa in the Books https://youtu.be/I7rpvAGPgv4?si=4Oju1Ob5MjjukVNcBook Dictation for Beginners — The Courtney Project https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUVQ2vd_w1MThe Margie Lawson Deep Edits packets: Deep Editing, Rhetorical Devices, and More: https://www.margielawson.com/product/deep-editing-rhetorical-devices-and-more/Make Endings POP! Deep Editing Style: https://www.margielawson.com/product/make-endings-pop-deep-editing-style/PublisherChamp: https://www.publisherchamp.com/If you'd like to tell me you're listening and where from, I would love to hear from you: authorelodienowodazkij AT gmail.com
  1. Numbers: The Book That Had 23 Preorders and…became my most read book.
  2. This isn't a grand gesture …
  3. My Self-Pub Weekly Diary: Some Wins, Some Wobbles, and Absolutely Zero Words (on My Manuscripts)
  4. My F***-It Book: She Had Cancer and Still Gets a Holiday Steamy Rom-Com
  5. New Release Hiccups, Metadata, Pen Names, and Mild Panic

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