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You could win a signed paperback copy of ONE DREAM ONLY :)

Elodie

Tada –> This is the official giveaway music.

🙂

Giveaway time

I published ONE DREAM ONLY a few months back already as an e-book and it is soon going to be available as paperback too.

So, to celebrate, I am giving away a signed paperback copy of ONE DREAM ONLY over on my Facebook group, Elodie’s Cozy Nook

ONE DREAM ONLY is the prequel novelette of ONE TWO THREE.

PBOOK001 (1)She thought she was on her way to the top…  

Sixteen-year-old Natalya Pushkaya has one dream and one dream only: becoming the best ballerina ever. Dancing’s always been who she is and she’s working her hardest to land the main role of the School of Performing Arts’ end-of-the-year showcase. But…will she make it?

Within a week, Natalya’s life will be changed forever. 

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If you have already read it, don’t hesitate to leave a review on Goodreads and/or online retailers. It really helps ❤ Thank you and hope to see you in my Facebook group soon…

a to z challenge

Self-Publishing: R is for Reviews

Elodie

RReviews are so important for authors, being on Twitter, on Goodreads, on blogs and especially on online retailers for many reasons – here are just a few:

  • Before a release, it amps the anticipation, might bring a buzz.
  • it really helps the visibility of books on online retailers. There are algorithms that are used on Amazon for example which could make your book show up in their ‘also recommended’.
  • Reviews can drive sales (and not only good reviews…)
  • Readers might be more inclined to read a book if they know people have already read it.
  • Certain advertising  or reviewing sites are only considering books with a certain number of reviews.

Thank you, thank you so much for everyone who’s taken the time to review my books. THANK YOU ❤

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Join me tomorrow for S…

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a to z challenge

Self-Publishing: Q is for Quote (motivational quote)

Elodie

QQ is for…Quote (motivational quote) or in this case quotes…:) I just finished drafting and revising my NA thriller YOU ARE MINE and it is both exhilarating and super scary. That also means I need to go back to other projects, including an overhaul of another thriller and finish drafting a companion novel.

That’s where the quote from Stephen King comes in…

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And then, there’s this one because I think sometimes we don’t necessarily see the amount of work people with lots of success or lots of luck or both have put in or are putting in. We get distracted by the “what ifs” or the “why not me” and this quote captures how I feel about this.

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Join me tomorrow for R…

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a to z challenge

Self-Publishing: P is for…Platform

Elodie

PP is for…Platform.

P could really also be for Peter The Cat and Plato The Dog. Those two are the cutest, even though Peter the Cat whom we rescued 3 years ago from a shelter is not taking kindly to Plato The Dog whom we adopted from a rescue three months ago. They’re fine when they’re sleeping 🙂

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But again, I’m here to talk about Platform. I think if you’re self-publishing, you do need to have an author platform. At least a website with your books and your bio.  It helps to give some credibility and to spread the word easier. And you do need to interact with potential readers somehow, but the key is to do what you like, to be genuine. I love all the interactions I have through this blog, my Twitter, Instagram and my FB page. But I haven’t gotten onto Tumblr because I’m afraid I’d spend too much time on it 😛 I don’t only talk about my books but about my life: my hubby, my writing, my reading, my dog and my cat, sometimes about the European Union. And I’m having fun interacting with people there. And I made some great friends thanks to those social media.

Once more as is needed in the self-publishing world, It’s also important to keep informed about the new

 Join me on Monday for Q…

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a to z challenge

Self-Publishing: O is for…ONE TWO THREE

Elodie

OO is for…ONE TWO THREE

ONE TWO THREE is the first book I self-published and the inspiration for all those posts.

I queried this book, received amazing feedback and close calls from agents but never a “yes”. My beta and critique partners loved the book. Other readers also loved it, even remembering it a year after reading it. That’s when I decided to choose my own magic. I also wrote a post on how I understand why agents didn’t sign me at the time. I have no regrets, I am learning and I can’t wait to publish the companion novels of ONE TWO THREE, my new NA series and the translation of ONE TWO THREE in French and German.

Here’s more about ONE TWO THREE (it’s currently on sale at $0.99 on amazon)

Official coverPERFECT CHEMISTRY meets SAVE THE LAST DANCE in this story of tragedy and hope, anger and forgiveness.

Last year, seventeen-year-old Natalya Pushkaya was attending the School of Performing Arts in New York City. Last year, she was well on her way to becoming a professional ballerina. Last year, her father was still alive.

But a car crash changed all that—and Natalya can’t stop blaming herself. Now, she goes to a regular high school in New Jersey; lives with her onetime prima ballerina, now alcoholic mother; and has no hope of a dance career.

At her new school, however, sexy soccer player Antonio sees a brighter future for Natalya, or at least a more pleasant present. Keeping him an arabesque away proves to be a challenge for Natalya and his patient charms eventually draw her out of her shell. When upsetting secrets come to light and Tonio’s own problems draw her in, Natalya shuts down again, this time turning to alcohol herself.

Can Natalya learn to trust Antonio before she loses him—and destroys herself?

 Join me tomorrow for P…Platform

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a to z challenge

Self-Publishing: N is for…Nook Press and other distribution channels

Elodie

NN is for…Nook Press and other distribution channels .

When you decide to self-publish, and you go through your business plan, you need to decide what approach you’re going to take when it comes to paperback and e-books. Are you publishing both? Are you releasing both at ones? Are you going to enroll your books in Kindle Select (which means exclusively to Kindle) or are you going to branch out?

Are you going to upload each book to each site manually (create an account on B&N, Kobo, iTunes for example) or are you going to use Draft2Digital, or Smashwords or…or…?

Again this is a lot of questions.

I personally have used Draft2Digital in the past. I love that they also distribute to foreign retailers (especially as I’m looking into translating my books into French & German) on top of B&N,  iTunes, Kobo and so on. I also have a separate account for Amazon. I had issues with KDP Select in the past but having the book in unlimited is sometimes appealing. Google Play is not as user-friendly I find but I did have a few sales there too.

When it comes to future books, I think I will keep on using CreateSpace, Draft2Digital, GooglePlay and Amazon.

Here are a few interesting articles

 Join me tomorrow for O…

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a to z challenge

Self-Publishing: M is for…Moments (happy moments)

Elodie

MM is for…Moments (happy moments)

Self-publishing (publishing in general I think) is not an easy process. It’s time demanding, it requires an investment (time, self, money), and a lot of writing…(which in itself is not easy either). So, I think it’s important to keep in mind the happy moments in the journey.

For me it was:

1. My announcement (the feedback my “Choosing your own magic” post received was so overwhelmingly positive).

2. The feedback ONE TWO THREE received prior to my decision to self-publish…

3. The way writers support one another…and the friendships I made along the way.

4. The time someone made a fan art for ONE TWO THREE

5. The readers sending me emails and letting me know they fell in love with Natalya and Antonio.

6. The teacher who recommended my book to a student who loved it (<3)

7. The first time it made it on a “Waiting on Wednesday” list

8. The bloggers who reached out to me asking me how they could help promote my book after they’ve read it and loved it.

9. Being able to publish on my parents’ 40th year anniversary.

10. Holding my book for the first time in my hands.

11. Receiving congrats letters from dear friends.

This amazing book birthday package from my lovely CP & friend, Jaime Morrow, almost made me tear up and definitely made me smile! Thank you sooooo much, Jaime!

12. Having someone review my book on YouTube

13. Celebrating release day with my husband (in a Waffle House in Galveston, Texas)

14. All the behind the scenes emails and Facebook chats/posts with a group of amazing ladies (who are oh so talented too!)

15. All the people taking the time to review my little book!

 And so so so sooooo much more! Thank to everyone who’s making this journey truly incredible.

I’m lucky ❤

 Join me tomorrow for N…

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a to z challenge

Self-Publishing: L…is for Lessons Learned

Elodie

LL…is for Lessons Learned.

I’ve learned a lot throughout this past year about self-publishing but also about myself.

And sometimes I like to say that my failures are the reasons why I still believe in success. Here are a few of the things I learned:

  • Continue to dream big.
  • Publish books closer to one another in date.
  • Be realistic…
  • Working on a business plan – not only for one book but each stage of my career.
  • Define what success means for me.
  • Connect and learn from other writers (really, they’re awesome and the amount of things I’ve learned from them is priceless).
  • Don’t be afraid to say: “I didn’t do as well as expected.” Don’t be afraid to say: “I learned.” Don’t be afraid to see failure as a step towards success.
  • Make sure you have enough coffee
  • Make sure I take some time away from my writing.
  • Continue to learn about the business.
  • Read. Read. Read.
  • Find ways to connect with readers.
  • Write short stories or excerpts for my newsletter.
  • Sometimes, I’ve got to step away from reviews.
  • Other times, I have to make sure I seek them.
  • Make sure I don’t forget to stay in the moment: publishing is a business but it’s also bringing your words to readers. People are going to read (are reading) my words, they’re having a reaction to my characters. This is truly magical.
  • WRITE!

Join me tomorrow for M

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a to z challenge

Self-Publishing: K is for…Klitschko

Elodie

KK…is for Klitschko.

Technically today was supposed to be about Kindle. But…I’m feeling kind of sluggish, so I’ll reserve this part when I talk about vendors.

Instead I’ll just leave you with a photo of Wladimir Klitschko.

Why? Well…why not? 🙂

And he’s boxing on April 25th. The hubby and I saw him several times but we won’t make it to New York.

And another reason? He kind of makes me want to write a NA romantic suspense novel taking place in the boxing world. Maybe one day.

 Join me tomorrow for L…

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a to z challenge

Self-Publishing: J is for…Juggling roles

Elodie

JJ is for…Juggling roles.

When you’re self-publishing, you’re not only a writer, you’re also a business. You need to think like a business without losing the joy of writing (see what I did there, another J)

It’s a Juggling act. That’s why I’m going to create a business plan and make sure I schedule my time appropriately, to make sure that (i) I dedicate enough time to writing, (ii) I follow up on my own deadlines, (iii) promote as needed, (iv) learn and continue learning not only about my craft but about how the business of publishing is evolving.

 Join me tomorrow for K…Kindle

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