As part of my “A Self-Published Author’s Diary” podcast, I am chatting with authors on Fridays. And whenever possible, I am giving away a copy of one of their books. On Friday, April 30th, I talked with award-winning fantasy and paranormal romance author L. Penelope and this coming Friday (May 7th), I will share my conversation with contemporary romance author Mona Shroff.
My newsletter subscribers automatically get 5 entries in each giveaway, so don’t forget to subscribe (readers’ newsletter or weekly self-published author’s emails) Plus you’ll help me choose the cover for #TheLeftoverBride…
A second chance romance set during the holiday season in a small town on Maryland’s Eastern Shore: full of laughter and heartwarming moments (and some sexy moments), checklists, family dynamics, a stubborn cat, and a rescue dog.
All Sorcha O’Connor wants for Christmas is for her life to turn into a Hallmark movie—but sexier.
Ryan Sawyer has a few things on his wishlist. First, he wants to stay away from Swans Cove. Second, he wants his NHL career back. And third, he wants Sorcha. Always has, always will.
Follow and subscribe to my “A self-published author’s diary” podcast:
“A self-published author’s diary” is available now!
The behind-the-scenes of self-publishing and writing with Elodie Nowodazkij, author of first kisses, second chances, things that scare the crap out of her and things that make her laugh out loud. Elodie’s been self-publishing since 2014.
I’m so happy to have L. Penelope on the podcast today. Leslye Penelope has been writing since she could hold a pen and loves getting lost in the worlds in her head. She is an award-winning author of fantasy and paranormal romance. Her book Song of Blood & Stone was selected as one of TIME’s Top 100 Fantasy Books of All Time. Visit her website: https://lpenelope.com/
Publishing, patience, perseverance and cheesecake…
Today on the podcast (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and more), Leslye and I talk self-publishing, publishing, patience, perseverance, hybrid, description and writing processes, how hard writing is sometimes and moments that make us smile and so much more!
Thank you so much to everyone who has listened and subscribed to my podcast. Don’t hesitate to leave a review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow on Spotify or Google Podcasts…
And thank you to everyone who’s already added #THELEFTOVERBRIDE on Goodreads and those of you who already pre-ordered it (on Amazon, iTunes, Kobo).
I’ve also been sharing little snippets with everyone who has left a comment on my Facebook Author Page and/or Facebook readers’ group. I will also do the same with my readers’ mailing list and Instagram.
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(2) A newsletter for my readers: full of bonus scenes, updates on my books, shows I’m watching, books I’m reading, exclusive giveaways and more…
Click on this link and just add your email and you’ll receive access to a page full of exclusive content! Plus my emails include pictures of my cat and my dog…and they’re pretty adorable…:-)
A second chance romance set during the holiday season in a small town on Maryland’s Eastern Shore: full of laughter and heartwarming moments (and some sexy moments), checklists, family dynamics, a stubborn cat, and a rescue dog.
All Sorcha O’Connor wants for Christmas is for her life to turn into a Hallmark movie—but sexier.
Ryan Sawyer has a few things on his wishlist. First, he wants to stay away from Swans Cove. Second, he wants his NHL career back. And third, he wants Sorcha. Always has, always will.
Do you want to help me choose the cover?
I have two versions of the cover and in a couple of weeks, I will ask my newsletter subscribers to help me choose...If you’d like to help me choose, just subscribe to my readers’ newsletter before May 15th.
You’ll also receive exclusive access to a bonus content page with bonus scenes, audiobook excerpts and more!
I’ve shared a few excerpts already (including on Goodreads in my status updates).
The first sentences…
“Dear unknown-reader of the future, or alien archiving information on the human race (I have so many questions for you), Christmas is in the air. Well, not Christmas per se. But buttery apples and cinnamon and maybe ginger?”
Meet Ryan…aka #HockeyHottie:
In the past year, I got caught on video bitching about Stevens and how he’s handling the team. I punched my “sperm asshole donor” at a black-tie event. And I was involved in a fight that almost kicked our team out of the NHL.”
Trouble seems to follow me. Or maybe, as Sorcha told me once, it’s not that trouble follows me; it is that I am trouble. But the way she said it all breathy and with that secret sexy smile of hers? It didn’t seem terrible then.
Oh and did you know I have a podcast?
“A self-published author’s diary” is available now!
The behind-the-scenes of self-publishing and writing with Elodie Nowodazkij, author of first kisses, second chances, things that scare the crap out of her and things that make her laugh out loud. Elodie’s been self-publishing since 2014.
This article is available as podcast episode on my podcast: “A Self-Published Author’s Diary”. My podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and more…
Before starting, I am very excited to share books I should be receiving very soon. I ordered them on One More Page Bookstore’s website and I loved the commented that those books are great choices. 🙂 I agree of course but it was a nice touch to see those words as I opened my email…
From the author of Once Upon a Sunset and The Key to Happily Ever After comes a heartwarming and moving novel following three Army wives—estranged friends—who must overcome their differences when one of them is desperate for help.
From the author of Once Upon a Sunset and The Key to Happily Ever After comes a heartwarming and moving novel following three Army wives—estranged friends—who must overcome their differences when one of them is desperate for help.
I’m currently still reading CINDERELLA IS DEAD (and loving it). Next, I have a loan from the library: PRETTY LITTLE WIFE and then I’ll read those two. 🙂
On another note: Did you know you can send me audio messages for my podcast via the message button on anchor.fm? That means you can also send me questions. Don’t hesitate. Or you can leave me a comment or send me an email (authorelodienowodazkij AT gmail.com).
Over the years, I’ve given quite a few interviews to bloggers, reviewers, even journalists (like the wonderful Brittany Britto when she worked for the Baltimore Sun). I still remember driving early Sunday morning to several gas stations to get copies. And yes, it hangs over the computer in our office.
I’ve also written quite a few blogposts so for a little flashback Friday, here are some of the questions I’ve received most often over the years.
What was the inspiration behind ONE TWO THREE?
If you do not know ONE TWO THREE was the first book I published. The tagline to that book is: When seventeen-year-old Natalya’s dreams of being a ballerina are killed in a car accident along with her father, she must choose: shut down—like her mother—or open up to love.
I used to love dancing ballet as a kid, and I won a writing contest to go see the Opera de Paris. We saw the dancers train, it was magical. Those moments stayed with me. Then, one day, I was talking about the movie Center Stage on Twitter and Natalya’s voice came into my head. At first, all I knew was that she was seventeen and an accident had killed her hope of becoming a professional ballerina…The accident turned into a car crash that also took her father’s life…
Her voice was full of longing and full of hope and I had to tell her story.
Tea or coffee?
I drink both. If I had to choose, probably coffee.
Dog or cat?
I will not choose.
Are your characters inspired by people in your life?
Ummm, yes and no. No and yes. Some things might be inspired by real life. The mom’s perfume in ONE TWO THREE is Chanel 5 which might be the perfume my dad has gifted my mom for many years. And the mom in ONE TWO THREE is named Natalya which is my mother-in-law’s name.
In FEAR ME, FEAR ME NOT the main character’s name is named Erin like one of my nieces and the book is dedicated to her. There may be a beagle mix in FMFMN. I have a beagle. In one novel, I think I named a dog Friday. And Friday was a wonderful lab. In A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER, you meet Svetlana…which is my husband’s aunt’s name.
The siblings dynamics (the healthy ones), the ones I get complimented on a lot is inspired by both my sisters who I love very much and are amazing.
Oh and my husband will tell you he has inspired a lot of my characters.
And so much more. Really, I could share a lot more. So again it’s not really a moment, it may be a feeling or it may be something specific or an Easter egg.
In three words:what do you enjoy about self-publishing?
Flexibility, control and creativity.
When you think about writing, what three words come to mind?
When I think about writing, the three words that come to mind are: balance, patience and love.
And I am so so happy to let you know that in the coming Fridays, I will share interviews with wonderful writers at different stages in their careers. Some are traditionally published. Some are hybrid. Some are self-published. Some are not yet published…Some may not even think about getting published…
Next week, I will be chatting with the wonderful L. Penelope.
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(2) A newsletter for my readers: full of bonus scenes, updates on my books, shows I’m watching, books I’m reading, exclusive giveaways and more…
Click on this link and just add your email and you’ll receive access to a page full of exclusive content! Plus my emails include pictures of my cat and my dog…and they’re pretty adorable…:-)
First of all, thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who’s been reading these posts and listening to my podcast “A Self-Published Author’s Diary”. This blog post is also available as episode and you can listen and subscribe and review to “A Self-Published Author’s Diary” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and more…You can also become a monthly support of my podcast by clicking here.
And thank you to everyone who’s already added #THELEFTOVERBRIDE on Goodreads and those of you who already pre-ordered it! If you have already added it to Goodreads and or pre/ordered it (on Amazon, iTunes, Kobo). I’ve also been sharing little snippets with everyone who has left a comment on my Facebook Author Page and/or Facebook readers’ group. I will also do the same with my readers’ mailing list and Instagram.
On Friday, I talked about The Ulman Foundation and how much their work has meant for me, they have a wishlist if you’d like to donate items for the Ulman House in Baltimore. At Ulman House they provide free housing for young adult cancer patients, and their caregivers.
A couple of months ago, I shared the fact that A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER had 115 reviews on Amazon.com…and guess how many reviews it has now? It now has 155 reviews!
The quick hook for A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER is:
She’s his best friend’s little sister. He’s the biggest player of them all. They shouldn’t be together. But this summer’s just too tempting. It’s going to be A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER.
Did you know I wasn’t planning on writing A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER? Did you know that this is the book that got the attention of a French publisher, got picked up by said-publisher and enabled me to be in French bookstores? Did you know this book now has 155 reviews on Amazon?
I published A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER in July 2015. Almost six years ago.
Actually, the French translation of A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER (which is called UN ÉTÉ PAS COMME LES AUTRES) is my most sold book…
I sold more more than 1300 paperback copies of the English edition of A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER since 2015. And it has been downloaded for free more than 17000 times. I haven’t advertised this book in English for years and just last July, 400 people downloaded it and I sold 56 paperback copies.
The French version has even much better numbers: both for the paid e-book and for the paperback version. Especially since the French paperback version was picked up by a French publisher and was also sold in bookstores and supermarkets and Cultura and la Fnac and in libraries…:-)
I have sold more than 4000 copies of UN ÉTÉ PAS COMME LES AUTRES . I have sold 2992 copies (ebooks + paperback) through my different publishing platforms as well as 1011 paperback copies through my French published (those numbers are from 2019 – I haven’t gotten my 2020 sales numbers from them yet). And this doesn’t count the pages read when UN ÉTÉ PAS COMME LES AUTRES was in Kindle Unlimited.
It is truly the little book that could. 🙂
How do I track my sales…
I track my sales mainly using TrackerBox and BookReport and my wonderful husband, The Chemical Engineer, has also started helping me analyzing some of the data. He’s very very very busy so I do appreciate whenever he takes the time to help me out with some of the business side of things. I mean, yes, he also does inspire some of my characters (as he will tell you) and does listen when I’m talking about plotting my novel…
In TrackerBox I can add all the sales report from all different platforms and I can see all historical data, revenue data, unit data and everything. In BookReport which is a browser extension, I can see my Kindle Direct Publishing Data.
The problem with TrackerBox is that again it uses the monthly report data and some of them (like KDP) do not report that data by day. You can access the historic data by day on BookReport for Kindle Direct Publishing but I’d really like to have the data by day for all e-retailers.
Why? Because as I’m starting again to lean into doing advertisements for several of my books, I need to know what my Return On Investment Is.
In the Ads for Authors class I’m currently taking by Mark Dawson, he provides students with an excel list on how to keep track of Facebook Ads and sales. Buuuuuut, in one of the groups I’m in for the 5 Days Amazon Ads challenge (that is a free class), someone has shared a screenshot of their excel list and it looked great to keep track of all ads and sales and ROI. I’ve tried throughout the years to come up with different tables and such but nothing that really worked for.
I checked on Etsy to see if anyone had made such an excel table available but I still need to dig in other places to see if I can find the excel worksheet that will enable me to be even more strategic and more aware of what works and what doesn’t when it comes to advertising.
155 reviews on Amazon.com and counting…
I mean, granted, not all reviews are raving…the one on top of the Amazon page is a one-star review, telling readers not to read A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER because it will make you angry. And another one on the German Amazon site talks about the fact that this book isn’t Oscar Wild-esque and lacks moral…
I wanted to share those full reviews, but apparently, Amazon reviews belong to Amazon due to copyright? Something else to check out in more details later.
Why am I sharing that this book has some negative reviews? To show you that all books get negative reviews. And that’s perfectly fine. Not everyone will like what you’re writing. Not everyone likes what I’m writing.
And some of those negative reviews might actually help your sales, believe or not. The sales of A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER didn’t dwindle since that 1-star review took center stage on the product page.
And while, I still get these little moments where my stomach clenches as I release a new book…wondering about those first reviews trickling in, checking my book page to see if anyone reviewed it or what readers thought about the story I spent months on…I don’t dwell on them as much. Right now for #TheLeftoverBride I am at the very excited stage because I believe in that story, in my writing and this upcoming book has been with me for the past year and a half…
And fine it’s also true and easier not to dwell on them when most reviews are four and higher, and some readers call A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER the greatest book they’ve read or that they fell in love with the characters.
And did you know A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER got reviewed in The Guardian? I mean that’s pretty cool.
The story behind A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER…
I wasn’t planning on writing A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER.
My goal was to write ALWAYS SECOND BEST as a standalone companion novel to ONE, TWO, THREE. But as I drafted ALWAYS SECOND BEST, I kept on thinking about that summer between Nick & Em. I kept on thinking I needed to really get to know them better. I kept on thinking maybe I should write it out.
So, I did. I did it as a way to really get to know Nick & Em and to make ALWAYS SECOND BEST stronger.
It was only supposed to help me understand the characters better, but I fell in love with that summer story.
And I drafted it very very quickly. It took me a few months only between the moment I started drafting it and the moment I sent it to my copy editor.
My critique partners loved the story and this was one I didn’t need to revise a lot. I had been thinking about it so much while I had started drafting ALWAYS SECOND BEST that I couldn’t wait to dig deeper into their summer.
And it ended up being A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER (Nick & Em #1). And the rest is history…
Languages and more languages…
A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER is available in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese.
I even signed with a French publisher!
Throwback to December 2016: Signing the contract with my French publisher for the French versions of ASLNO & ASB.
The French version of A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER was translated by Edith Girval. No, I do not translate my own books in French, but I can re-read them and talk to my translators through the process. Me translating my own books in French would take me forever and would require a lot and I mean a lot of editing after. Not because I don’t speak or write French but because I’ve been living outside of France for more than half my life. I’ll discuss this in more detail later. I think it can be an entire blog post or podcast episode.
The reason why UN ÉTÉ PAS COMME LES AUTRES did so well in French is that I think I got into the French-speaking Facebook Ads when there weren’t yet a lot of authors who were advertising on Facebook in France. My cost-per-click was very low (less than ten cents and is still to this day about 17 cents) and converted very well into sales.
I mean look at this…And the ad got so much traction at the time, even though it has text on it which is usually said to not be great for conversion…I replied to all comments and answered questions readers had about the book, about follow-up books and so on…
I released ALWAYS SECOND BEST in French not long after and it also did very very well…and that’s how A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER caught the attention of a French publisher. And made me a so-called hybrid author (self-published and traditionally published).
On November 21st, 2016 I received an email from a French publisher, who contacted meto see if I would be interested in signing with them for the French versions of A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER & ALWAYS SECOND BEST. Plus a possible option book.
At first, I thought it was a scam.
Really.
I don’t have an agent and I wasn’t sure how to go about it. I don’t recommend selling your foreign rights without an agent. An agent may have been able to negotiate different aspects of the contract for me. I got lucky, I think. One, because I speak French 😉 and thus, I was able to do my research, see the story of their imprint, look at the other authors they had signed with, and negotiate with them directly. I only sold the rights to the paperback version and not other format or languages. Two, they have been very good with all follow-ups. They, unfortunately, no longer carry the YA line but they were part of a bigger imprint and thus, I still am receiving royalty information and everything.
They also ended up buying the option book! And they acquired the French version of ONE, TWO, THREE as well.
September 2018 – Signing my contract for the option book: The French version of ONE, TWO, THREE…
I got an advance. I got author copies. I got promotion. I even saw my books in French bookstores and grocery stores! Kind of like one of my books making it into Target-level of excitement!
Writing this still feels surreal, even though I signed the first contract for UN ÉTÉ PAS COMME LES AUTRES and UNE SECONDE CHANCE more than 4 years ago.
Bilingual copies…
A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER is available in several bilingual editions (I really need to add a tab on my blog for those 🙂 – coming soon!):
Thank you to everyone who has given this little book of mine a chance, from my critique partners to my French publisher to all the people who have read it in whatever language and format. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review it. Thank you to all the readers who have sent me an email to let me know how much they loved this book…
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(2) A newsletter for my readers: full of bonus scenes, updates on my books, shows I’m watching, books I’m reading, exclusive giveaways and more…
Click on this link and just add your email and you’ll receive access to a page full of exclusive content! Plus my emails include pictures of my cat and my dog…and they’re pretty adorable…:-)
Okay, granted, it’s not a full-full day behind the scenes…:-) I do quite a few things before I start my work day and there are certain moments during the day that don’t make it to social media. But, a few days agaon on Instagram, I thought I’d share some of what a day in the life of this author (me) entails.
Writing, of course, but not only writing as you’ll see in the video. If I were to record my work day again next week, it would look slightly different as I am also now recording an audiobook (stories in French to learn French) that I was hired for…
So…why did I decide to share my day in video?
I don’t post regularly and it has been a while since I posted on social media.
I think that this could be interesting/fun (maybe :-)) for: (a) readers, (b) writers, (c) people who know me in real life,
In the video, you’ll see/hear me mention that SEE ME, SEE ME NOT is now available as audiobook (Audible – Amazon – iTunes). I am currently working on a promo video for it (stay tuned :-)). I will be sharing bloopers and more with my newsletter subscribers. So, if you haven’t yet, don’t hesitate to sign up here.
SEE ME, SEE ME NOT is the second standalone novel in the Gavert City series. You don’t need to read or listen to the first one to listen/read this one.
For fans of Criminal Minds comes an audiobook full of heartache, mystery, and romance.
After suffering through the horror of her sister’s unsolved kidnapping years ago, seventeen-year-old Tessa strives to achieve some balance in her life. While still struggling with crushing guilt over Mellie’s disappearance, she cares for her mom, goes to school, works two jobs, and dreams of getting into a college music program. And she’s even reconnecting with her old crush Luke, who stumbled back into town with a sad smile and plenty of secrets. As another fake psychic tricks her mom into giving her lots of money for very little info, part of her still hopes they’ll find Mellie.
Seventeen-year-old Luke didn’t plan on setting foot in Gavert City ever again–even if thinking about Tessa helped him during the years he spent in his stepfather’s doomsday cult. His stepfather could track him here. He could find his little sister who escaped with him. He could make his life hell again. But it’s not like he had a choice. Now, he only has to keep his mouth shut and work his ass off to make his older sister proud. She’s still stuck in the cult with their mother. Maybe he can even find a way to get her out of there too.
Mellie doesn’t remember what it’s like to be with her family. They forgot her anyway. They don’t care. Jeremiah said so. And he knows. He knows everything.
As their terrifying pasts are more linked than they ever realized, will Luke and Tessa be able to save the people they love before it’s too late?
I’m currently writing a book on self-publishing: my experience, some tips, some of my behind-the-scenes, expectations vs reality,the happy moments…It will not be a book on how to become a millionnaire, but hopefully a book that will give you insights, ideas, resources…If you have any questions you’d like me to tackle in this book, don’t hesitate to send me an email or leave a comment. This blog post will be featured in that book.
Did you know I wasn’t planning on writing A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER? Did you know that this is the book that got the attention of a French publisher, got picked up by said-publisher and enabled me to be in French bookstores? Did you know this book now has 115 reviews on Amazon?
I published A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER in July 2015. More than 5 years ago. And since then?
A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER has been translated in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese. It is currently perma-free in English on all e-retailers (Amazon – iTunes – Kobo – Google Play – Scribd – Hoopla). It is available in paperback on Amazon and very soon will be available on Bookshop.org. It is also available as audiobook. (Audible – Amazon – iTunes).
I sold more more than 1200 paperback copies of the English edition of A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER since 2015. And it has been downloaded for free more than 16000 times. I haven’t advertised this book in English for years and just last July, 400 people downloaded it and I sold 56 paperback copies.
The French version has even much better numbers: both for the paid e-book and for the paperback version. Especially since the French paperback version was picked up by a French publisher and was also sold in bookstores and supermarkets and Cultura and la Fnac and in libraries…:-)
It is truly the little book that could. 🙂
115 reviews on Amazon and counting…
Did you know the English version of A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER has now more than 100 reviews on Amazon?
I mean, granted, not all reviews are raving…the one on top of the Amazon page is a one-star review, telling readers not to read A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER because it will make you angry. And another one on the German Amazon site talks about the fact that this book isn’t Oscar Wild-esque and lacks moral…
I wanted to share those reviews, but apparently, Amazon reviews belong to Amazon due to copyright? Something else to check out in more details later.
Why am I sharing that this book has some negative reviews? To show you that all books get negative reviews. And that’s perfectly fine. Not everyone will like what you’re writing. Not everyone likes what I’m writing.
And some of those negative reviews might actually help your sales, believe or not. The sales of A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER didn’t dwindle since that 1-star review took center stage on the product page.
And while, I still get these little moments where my stomach clenches as I release a new book…wondering about those first reviews trickling in, checking my book page to see if anyone reviewed it or what readers thought about the story I spent months on…I don’t dwell on them as much.
And fine it’s also easier not to dwell on them when most reviews are four and higher, and some readers call A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER the greatest book they’ve read or that they fell in love with the characters.
And did you know A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER got reviewed in The Guardian? I mean that’s pretty cool.
The story behind A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER…
I wasn’t planning on writing A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER.
My goal was to write ALWAYS SECOND BEST as a standalone companion novel to ONE, TWO, THREE. But as I drafted ALWAYS SECOND BEST, I kept on thinking about that summer between Nick & Em. I kept on thinking I needed to really get to know them better. I kept on thinking maybe I should write it out.
So, I did. I did it as a way to really get to know Nick & Em and to make ALWAYS SECOND BEST stronger.
It was only supposed to help me understand the characters better, but I fell in love with that summer story.
And I drafted it very very quickly. It took me a few months only between the moment I started drafting it and the moment I sent it to my copy editor.
My critique partners loved the story and this was one I didn’t need to revise a lot. I had been thinking about it so much while I had started drafting ALWAYS SECOND BEST that I couldn’t wait to dig deeper into their summer.
And it ended up being A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER (Nick & Em #1). And the rest is history…
Languages and more languages…
A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER is available in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese.
I even signed with a French publisher!
Throwback to December 2016: Signing the contract with my French publisher for the French versions of ASLNO & ASB.
The French version really took off when I published it. It shot up the charts…I released ALWAYS SECOND BEST in French not long after and it also did very very well…and that’s how A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER caught the attention of a French publisher. And made me a so-called hybrid author (self-published and traditionally published).
On November 21st, 2016 I received an email from a French publisher, who contacted me by email to see if I would be interested in signing with them for the French versions of A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER & ALWAYS SECOND BEST. Plus a possible option book.
At first, I thought it was a scam.
Really.
I don’t have an agent and I wasn’t sure how to go about it. I don’t recommend selling your foreign rights without an agent. An agent may have been able to negotiate different aspects of the contract for me. I got lucky, I think. One, because I speak French 😉 and thus, I was able to do my research, see the story of their imprint, look at the other authors they had signed with, and negotiate with them directly. I only sold the rights to the paperback version and not other format or languages. Two, they have been very good with all follow-ups. They, unfortunately, no longer carry the YA line but they were part of a bigger imprint and thus, I still am receiving royalty information and everything.
They also ended up buying the option book! And they acquired the French version of ONE, TWO, THREE as well.
September 2018 – Signing my contract for the option book: The French version of ONE, TWO, THREE…
I got an advance. I got author copies. I got promotion. I even saw my books in French bookstores and grocery stores! Kind of like one of my books making it into Target-level of excitement!
Writing this still feels surreal, even though it happened about four years ago for the first contract and about two years ago
Bilingual copies…
A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER is available in several bilingual editions (I really need to add a tab on my blog for those 🙂 – coming soon!):
Thank you to everyone who has given this little book of mine a chance, from my critique partners to my French publisher to all the people who have read it in whatever language and format. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review it. Thank you to all the readers who have sent me an email to let me know how much they loved this book…
Let me know if you have any questions…any behind-the-scenes you’d like to read more about…and don’t hesitate to send me questions about my experience with self-publishing that you’d like me to answer in the book I’m currently writing.
Found this post interesting? Don't hesitate to share it.
What is a love list? Honestly, you could do a love list for a whole lot of different things, but this one is about my manuscript. 🙂
Once upon a time, YA Highway (remember, YA Highway?)’s prompt for Road Trip Wednesday was: “What’s on your Work-in-Progress Love List?”
It was a summer day, forever ago (on August 22nd, 2012), when writers around the globe shared their love lists for their own manuscript. I did, too. Even if I did apparently forget.
Whenever I begin a new project, I also begin a list called “What I Love About This Story.” I start by writing down those first ideas that sparked the fires of my mind, and then I add more ideas as I discover them during my push through early drafts. I use this list as a touchstone to remind myself during the hard times why my story is worthwhile. It’s easy to forget the GOOD STUFF when I’m wading through the muck, and the end is still months away, and it feels pointless and hopeless to continue. This list becomes a crucial reminder: Yes! This is a story worth telling!
And as I’m about to go back into finishing drafting/revising my current work-in-progress, I feel like writing down this manuscript’s love list (in addition to my Pinterest board) will be helpful.
This is my first adult rom-com and I’ve only been sharing snippets of it with my critique partners.
So, here we go.
💕Love List 💕
Second chance romance. Bucket Lists. Lace. And tule. And wedding dresses. Vintage clothing. Old Bay. Swans’ Cove. Maryland Eastern Shore Little Town. Holiday season. Laughter. Animal shelter. Hockey. Therapy. Ice rink. Self-confidence. Therapy. Friendships. Giggles. The sweet smell of cinammon apple pie baking in the oven. The flavor of Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon. The sound of the waves. Family dinners. Support. Chemistry. Scenes full of sexy moments…including sizzling sexy moments and laughing sexy moments and full-of-emotions sexy moments. and so much more ;-)…
Do you have a love list for your manuscript? Or maybe for your job? Or your day? Don’t hesitate to let me know in the comments. 🙂
Oh, and if you’d like to help me raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and #LightTheNight, please check out this link.
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I posted this on Instagram this morning. A little Motivation Wednesday if you will. And it’s stayed with me all day. I am looking forward to adding words to my manuscript. I am gathering them in my mind right now.
I am writing this post from our desktop under the sleeping eye of Bobbie Voltaire The Cat. My laptop’s keyboard is still writing its own story and I can’t really write on it. I did order a new one and it should arrive tomorrow, after some delay. I managed to download Scrivener to the desktop despite the wireless card being a bit problematic so I am gearing up to write. And I am very much looking forward to writing the chapters I’ve unlocked in my last writing session.
Today, I also wrote other words…not manuscript words, but newsletter words. As you probably know I have a newsletter and Mailchimp gives me data on the percentage of people opening said-newsletters. Sometimes newsletters end in spam or maybe my subject lines are not appealing enough or maybe people get busy. And it is important to make sure subscribers are still interested in the news I send. From a business perspective, deleting subscribers who are no longer interested mean I may pay less monthly for Mailchimp 🙂 and from a personal perspective, it’s nice to see higher open-rated on my newsletters….
I’m also working on the back-end of previously published books to keep them updated.
And I just wrote those words.
One word a time.
What are you currently writing or thinking about writing?
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Today’s prompt for #ASummerInWriting is Plotter or Pantser.
A plotter is someone who plans their story before writing it. They outline. They usually know what happens in each chapter. I wish I could underline “usually” because they are many varying degrees and ways of being a plotter or pantser.
When you’re a pantser, the idea is you sit at your computer and write without a detailed outline or a roadmap. A pantser is someone who “flies by the seat of their pants.”
There are a lot of articles detailing both processes as well as the way some authors can be pantsing scenes while plotting chapters or vice-versa 🙂 Jami Gold has a comprehensive article entitled “Pantser vs. Plotter vs. Something In Between” if you’re interested in learning more.
I am a little bit of both.
I don’t have a very detailed outline. I do have a bit of a roadmap. I usually know how the story ends. I mean it’s a romance so there’s a happy ending, but I usually have the epilogue scene playing in my mind like a movie. I know some of the plot points. Buuuuut…I learn about the story and more about my characters as I start typing. Which means that things change. A lot.
Since I started using Scrivener, I write scenes out of order.
I revise them and re-write them as needed and so when I type “The End” on my first draft, it’s in a much different place than for my first novels.
Because I learned that if I just go to the end without going through that process, if I just push through and continue writing the story without going back to change some things, to polish other scenes, to get more into the head of my characters, I end up needing way more time to re-work said first draft. I’ve been known to completely re-write books because that first draft wasn’t working. And I found that it’s more motivating to me and less time-consuming if I write the scenes out of order, re-write them or delete them if they don’t work and if they do work, make them shine as much as I can before typing “The End.
That first draft is not my final manuscript. Far from it. Revisions still happen of course. But once I type “The End” on my first draft, it’s much much closer to being ready to be sent to my critique partners.
So now, my first drafts may take me a bit longer (depending on the novel but I should do another post on that :-)), but they require less work after typing “The End.
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Elodie Nowodazkij 