Yay, it´s time for Happy Friday 😀 I know, I know, it’s been FOREVER…
Looking forward to know what made you smile this week!
What made me smile this week?
…I finished incorporating the comments and changes from my wonderful copy editors (Double Vision Editorial). And I re-read the entire book again to make sure it was e-ARC and paperback ARC ready. And it is!
…so I sent my book to my formatter (Catilin Greer) today. I should have the e-ARC ready on Tuesday…can you believe it?
….and I shared my ENTIRE first chapter on my blog (you can still read it here).
…and last week my hubby ran his first half-marathon. So proud of him.
…and I got to spend time with my parents, my hubby and my MIL.
What´s up Wednesday is the brainchild of Jaime and Erin. It´s a weekly meme geared toward readers and writers, allowing us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what’s up. Should you wish to join, make sure to leave a link to your What’s Up Wednesday post in the widget on Jaime´s blog.
What I´m reading
I just finished WHAT I THOUGHT WAS TRUE by Huntley Fitzpatrick and I can still feel the sand under my feet and the salt water all around me. I can still hear Em. And I so enjoyed hanging out with Gwen. Loved it!
What I’m Writing
As mentioned in my Six Reasons To Smile yesterday, I sent my manuscript to my copy editor.
So I’ll be writing blog posts, cards, emails…but no novels. I’m taking a short break to catch up after an intense edits/revision…
What else I´ve been up to
Going to the Klitschko fight with my husband and hearing Scorpions
All ready to go
We were sitting SO close.
What inspires me right now
The amazing Jen has her book coming out in less than a month (yeeeep). I had the chance to read it and can’t wait for book #2
Seeing people excited about my own book coming out. It’s surreal. Totally surreal but so exciting.
My husband’s dedication to train for his half-marathon.
This song Scorpions sang during the fight THE BEST IS YET TO COME!
I can’t wait to check all your posts and see what you’ve been up to 🙂
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I have to say I’m excited and anxious and happy (did I mention excited?) to share my cover with all of you today! Derek from CreativIndie did an amazing job in capturing the novel and #Team123 was super duper helpful in giving me their impressions on the different samples I received.
The cover I’m about to unveil is the one we all fell in love with, and it’s the one that had my heart from the very beginning. It’s SO gorgeous! And I love it!
Thank you as well to Giselle from Xpresso Book Tours who’s been wonderful. 60 bloggers signed up to help reveal my cover (THANK YOU!) To celebrate the cover reveal, I’m also organizing a giveaway (it’s open internationally and the link is at the end of this blog post)
Blurb: Last year, Natalya 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, and his patient charms eventually draw her out of her shell. But 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?
Before taking the self publishing road, I checked my strengths and weaknesses. I´m pretty good at coming up with a marketing plan, and I enjoy it, but it´s tough for me to ask for help. I feel awkward and weird. It´s also difficult in real life. Yes, I know, unresolved issues here, but…hmmm let´s get back to the topic at hand. In the publishing world (actually in the marketing world), there´s this thing called “street teams” that basically means I need to ask for help once…and then I know that it´s okay for me to send an email once in awhile for brainstorming sessions on how to reach readers, with possible promotions ideas, or ARCs for review to this group of people, because they´re part of “my” team.
I did a lot of research on the street team phenomenon, read the pros and cons, talked a lot to Jen (who´s in the same boat as I am and is genuinely amazing!), and then decided to take the plunge.
I´ve also read the ones mentioning the possible negative aspects of creating a Team…and I understand the points most make. They relate to now knowing if reviews/actions are genuine or not because of the swag involved, or about apparently some teams ganging up on reviewers (which I totally disagree with, bullying in any shape or form is not okay), or about an overkill in marketing.
I´m not looking at bribing people, or forcing them to do something. I believe that some of you are interested in helping me out, some have asked already and this is a way for me to do it in an organized manner, to provide content which my team members can share if they wish and for them to come up with their own ideas on how to promote my book(s). It avoids the awkward email (hey, here´s something but I have no idea if you´re interested and did I mention I feel weird about asking you if you want to do this?) and helps me to build up on my strength.
And not to become all mushy or anything like this (and here I would like to ask my husband – if he´s reading – to stop laughing. He knows I can be quite sentimental…), but I´d like for my team to be also about connecting and having fun!
DISCLAIMER: Because, as mentioned, I feel very awkward about this, I also want you to know, dear reader, that it´s okay if you don´t sign up. There´s no pressure and I still ❤ you. Plus, I am limiting my team to 30 people, so that I can really connect with everyone. Did I mention awkward?
Reminder 🙂 Short description of the book:
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.
Last year, Natalya 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, and his patient charms eventually draw her out of her shell. But when upsetting secrets come to light, Natalya quickly shuts down again, this time turning to alcohol herself.
Can Natalya learn to trust Antonio before she loses him—and destroys herself?
Enthusiastic people. People who may have read excerpts of my writing (or my entire book) and loved them (it). People who love YA contemporary romance novels. I´m not looking for someone who devotes 100% to my writing/books, but someone who has a genuine interest in helping my books reach out to readers…
How many people?
For now, a maximum of 30 people. I want to be able to have a connection with my team and I won´t be able to do so if it´s too big.
What would you need to do?
What you feel comfortable with. There will be a button and a countdown widget…there will also be opportunities to sign up for my cover reveal and book blitz…
You may want to post your review, quotes or whatever else on Goodreads, post your review on Amazon, like my Facebook page and share it with your friends. Share teasers prior to the release of ONE, TWO, THREE…Spread the word on the amazing-ness that is Antonio (for those who have read the book, I think you would agree :-))
And you can also come up with your ideas. You can create your own buttons and share it with the group for example, or you can simply tweet your favorite quotes, or talk to the teenagers in your life about the book…
As long as it´s friendly and respectful, I´m all for it 🙂
Why don´t you have a name yet?
Because I feel like the group should decide…
What do you get?
Honestly, mainly, my gratitude. And this cute image of my cat. He´s also very thankful…
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
You will also receive promotional material that you can use on your blog if you wish (countdown widget, team button…), ARCs…
Oh…and swag of course 🙂 all related to the world of ONE, TWO, THREE…(and possibly German chocolate…no this is not bribery, it´s just yummy).
How to sign up?
Fill in the following form 🙂
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And if you have any questions, you can always email me (elodie@elodienowodazkij.com or send me a tweet @commutinggirl)
Thanks for spreading the word!
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This is the somewhat dreaded question you are asked when turning 16, 18, 21, 30 and so on…or one that your friends ask you after special moments in your life.
Say what?
How about when you announce to the world that you’re self-publishing?
Things do change.
When you take this step, you close other options for this book. Options that hopefully you weighted the pros and cons of before, not after.
Most importantly, you open new doors.
I’ll tell you what has concretely changed for me.
I freak out a bit more about what/how I write on this blog. I still say everything I want but I’m afraid of typos and possible errors…and that those will turn people off from my book. I want to yell: “My book has an editor, it will also go through copy editing and proofreading. Love me.”
Or maybe not as dramatic but you get the gist.
I researched how to handle reviews. See I’ve got my first review on Goodreads and it’s so nice and I want to hug it and the reviewer but I cannot comment, right? I cannot put myself out there. Wait, I think I just did, but that was only to express my confusion. Nothing more. I know the rules: no interaction with the reviewer. But what about if they reach out to you, it’s fine right?
I´m also totally confused about this us vs them debate.
I think we pretty much all have the goal of having our books reach readers. There are different paths. There are different ways to go about it. But really? Those are choices. And choices are good.
I respect and encourage everyone who’s trying to make it happen. Querying is tough, getting an agent is tough, going the traditional route is super tough. Going indie may not be easier. Self-publishing is also difficult. You forego going through certain doors, yes but for that you have to also be willing to spend time finding the people to work with, to become involved in some aspects you might not be otherwise.
Again, those are choices. But let’s all rejoice in our love of writing and reading 🙂
I’m using Facebook more often and trying to come up with engaging content there as well.
I write more. I have deadlines now and thanks to #WriterRecharge, I have already achieved a lot this month.
Before I start writing, I sometimes get scared, what if no-one loves it? But I had moments before where I had the same fear, so I guess that’s a constant.
Most importantly?
I wake up every single morning, knowing that my book will be out there. In the big wild world and that maybe Antonio and Nalatya will touch people. That someone in high school will talk about them to their friends. That someone may take a piece of them in their own adventure.
And honestly, I cannot find a gif for that amazing feeling 🙂
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I´m not often left speechless (at least according to my husband and family), but I have been overwhelmed in the most positive way by the kind and encouraging words I´ve received on my decision to self-publish.
I mean, look at the tweets below ❤ and this doesn´t even show all the retweets I got. On top of it, so many people already added my book on Goodreads, liked my Facebook Page or signed up for my newsletter…Those who didn´t know I write are also very supportive…
First of all: Hello to everyone who just clicked on this little blog for the first time and who most probably had no idea whatsoever that I´ve been using my commuting time for the past 5 years to draft stories… And hello to everyone who has been supporting me and cheering me on!
As the title may suggest: I have some news.
Some pretty incredible news…
And warning this is a long post 🙂
I decided to self-publish my young adult contemporary romance novel ONE TWO THREE.
ONE TWO THREE isn´t the first book I wrote but it´s the first one I felt like I wanted to share with the world (scary) and that was getting so many lovely reviews by the ones who read it. I got very close to getting picked up by a literary agent several times, I received great feedback from beta readers, critique partners and through contests but…the magic door stayed close.
In the past months, I read a lot of books that I know would do so well with readers but for x or y reason haven´t hit the shelves yet. That´s when I realize that I could choose my own magic. That doesn´t mean I don´t have to work hard on it, or that I didn´t revise, and revise, and revise with the help of my critique partners and beta readers. My book will still go through the necessary work of editing, copy editing, proofreading…And there is no guarantee.
If all goes well, the publication date of my novel will be June 26th, 2014 – the 40th wedding anniversary of my parents because they´re all kind of amazing and encouraged my love for books.
I´ll be sharing my journey in the self-publishing world on this blog, explaining more in details why I chose this path…and so on.
I can already tell you I have those moments:
It would be a lie to say I´m not scared because I totally am. People are going to read my book(s). People are not going to read my book(s). People may hate my characters. Others may love them.
But mainly I´m excited. And happy. And looking forward.
Yep, lots of emotions. Luckily I have a very patient and supportive husband 🙂 I´m also working on a release calendar for my additional novels. There will be a companion novel to ONE, TWO, THREE in October 2014, anotehr one in February 2015 and I plan to release my first YA thriller in January 2015.
If you want to receive my newsletter with updates on new releases, excerpts, fun stuff (like the favorite pelmeni recipe of my main character), you can sign-up here.
And…you can already add my book on Goodreads!
In a nutshell:
Title: ONE, TWO, THREE..
YA contemporary romance novel
Publication date: June 26th, 2014
Tagline: 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.
Elodie Nowodazkij 