podcast

The One With the Weekly Update (and a Trip to the ER)

Hi 🙂 Hope you’re having a wonderful day. Here’s a weekly recap.

Latest Podcast Episode

Choose your platform SpotifyApple PocketcastYouTubeAmazon Music

Quick summary: I had different plans for this episode, and then I ended up in a Belgian ER at 6:45am with hives and a lip that decided to swell. So… new plan. This one’s three days in the life of this self-published author: writing and revising, taxes, and the ER. (I’m fine. Bobbie Voltaire was very concerned for approximately four seconds, then remembered it was second-breakfast o’clock.)

CURRENTLY

Watching: Pretty Little Liars. Yes, I’m late. No, I do not yet know who A is. The second season of Four Seasons and Euphoria.

Reading: Finished Yesteryear (that was a ride that still has me thinking), and just started Jami Albright’s The Summer That Changed Us.

Listening: In addition to my true crime podcasts rotation…The Creative Penn with Jami Albright, Writing Through Grief and Rebooting an Indie Author Business.

Writing: Revising # My Christmas Wish List and making sure Plato is in all the scenes he needs to be in. If you’re new here, Plato was our beagle (2015–2025), and writing him in (pillow-humping, stubbornness, the nickname Poopie) helped me get back into the story in July last year. He’s earning his place in every scene now. 🙂

BOOKS

# My Christmas Wish-List — new pre-order date, July 31st, 2026 (the book, and I, will be better for the extra time). Pre-order.

Cancer Is Not My Brand — and, with my trademark smooth segue, it’s now up for pre-order!

I hope your socks are fluffy.

Happy writing, and happy, happy reading!

<3

Elodie

Uncategorized

The One With “Currently”, the New Books and New Podcast episode…

Talking about currently, I started updating my Elodie Now website and I might cross-post the blog posts here.

I need to take a little pause because Bobbie Voltaire is doing his I’m so cute eyes and meowing, which means he needs his second breakfast.

Yes, he has two breakfasts. Okay, I’m back.

In today’s post:

CURRENTLY

Grief…is an ongoing process

I almost didn’t write this… not the entire post. The next sentence. But I feel like it’s important. For me. To write it. To share.

Because I didn’t realize how much grief permeates so much. So many moments. The happy ones and the hard ones and all the ones-in-between.

I don’t cry every day anymore like I did for weeks – but the grief is still there. I think I’ll always miss my dad. And I think he’ll always be with me. And in a way I’m lucky.

Okay clears throat. Now… let’s do this.

Watching

  • Off-Campus Season 1 – loved it!
  • watching the first season of Euphoria (we’re on episode three and that’s intense);
  • watching the second season of Running Point (we laugh :-))

Listening (audiobook, song, podcast)

  • started listening to the audiobook of Yesteryear (can’t stop listening)
  • Been listening to this song every morning – Sincère by Woody (:-))

Steel Magnolias meets Schitt’s Creek in this emotional, laugh-through-the-tears women’s fiction novel about sisters, grief, second chances, and the family that knows how to push every button.

At fifty, Hope Hall has done everything right. She earned a PhD, built a career, and held her marriage together with determination and stubborn denial.

When her life publicly unravels, Hope returns to her hometown in Texas, and the loud, loving, opinionated family who never quite understood her. Surrounded by her four sisters, who make everything bigger, messier, and usually a public spectacle, she expects the chaos, the old grudges, and small-town rivalries that always seem to involve toilet paper and bail money.

What she doesn’t expect is June—her wild, fearless sister, who has spent a decade giving cancer the middle finger. But you can only run from the devil for so long, and what’s coming for June may be the thing Hope’s family can’t survive.

Told with sharp humor, messy love, and the kind of honesty that sneaks up and wrecks you, The Summer That Changed Us is a deeply moving, laugh-through-the-tears story about sisters, second chances, and what it really means to show up when it matters most.

Perfect for readers who love emotional women’s fiction, small-town family dramas, and unforgettable Southern characters.

*This book contains themes of terminal illness, grief, and the death of a sibling.

LATEST A SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHOR’S DIARY PODCAST EPISODE

Numbers: Amazon blocked one of my e-books (one that had been live for ten years)

Choose your favorite podcast platform here.

This One is About Amazon Blocking One of my e-books – one that had been up for ten years. In today’s episode, I share how many returns that book got over years, the sales number, the reviews, what I decided to do. I also talk about moving a pre-order, and a little bit about craft – thinking about how to improve my books.

Mentioned in this episode:

UPCOMING BOOKS

I’ve been hard at work behind-the scenes on several projects this week. Yesterday was cover day as I worked on several ones. And I also continued revising # My Christmas Wish List and I started revising A New Year’s Eve Like No Other.

I have also put up Cancer Is Not My Brand for pre-order…

If your favorite e-retailer isn’t there yet, make sure to check again later as I’m adding pre-order links to more stores 🙂

# A Christmas Wish List by Elodie Now

# My Christmas Wish List by Elodie Now

A kid calling me Dad. My sister’s best friend crashing in to help like this is a romcom. (And yeah, pinning said sister’s best friend to the nearest wall would absolutely get me on the naughty list.) This Christmas is a disaster waiting to happen. 

One minute I’m a Grinch divorce lawyer avoiding Christmas like it’s a contested prenup clause, the next, there’s a twelve-year-old girl on my doorstep claiming I’m her dad. With her cat annoying my beagle, and an annotated list of holiday movies I’m apparently contractually obligated to watch. And then? My little sister’s best friend moves in to help.

The former wedding planner. She looks like every bad decision I’ve always wanted to make, and nearly did that night after that Christmas party. Now she’s in my house, wearing flannel, baking things, and filing motions to trim trees like we’re not one snowstorm away from me forgetting every objection I’ve ever raised.

Out on July 31st, 2026

# Ma Liste de Noël (n’inclut pas l’amour) par Elodie Now

# Ma Liste de Noël (n’inclut pas l’amour) par Elodie Now

Une gosse qui m’appelle Papa. La meilleure amie de ma sœur qui débarque à la rescousse — on se croirait dans une comédie romantique. (Et ouais, plaquer ladite amie contre le mur le plus proche me vaudrait direct le Père Fouettard aux trousses.) Ce Noël court à la catastrophe.

Cancer Is Not My Brand…by Elodie Nowodazkij

Cancer Is Not My Brand…

Welcome to the inside of my brain. Cancer Is Not My Brand is not a how-to guide on publishing, branding, or writing. But hopefully, it will make you feel seen. (Also, yes, it’s a book *I* needed to write).

This is pretty much what was happening in my head when I got diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma back in October 2017. How that affected my writing at the time of diagnosis. How I lost my words at the start of treatment. Before finding them again. Differently.

And how cancer (even in remission, and in so many different ways) keeps shaping my creativity. Despite me really not wanting cancer to be my brand.

If you’re writing through something hard, or not writing through it, maybe this makes you feel a little less alone.

Welcome to the first book in my F***-It series on writing, self-publishing and marketing.

Out on October 7th, 2026

A New Year’s Eve Like No Other (Nick & Em #3)

The story of Nick and Em continues in A New Year’s Eve Like No Other…

Out November 10th, 2026

Un Réveillon Pas Comme Les Autres (Nick & Em #3)

Le troisième tome de Nick & Em… Retrouvez-les pour un réveillon du Nouvel An pas comme les autres.

Sort le 10 Novembre 2026…

MY LATEST PATREON & SUBSTACK & YOUTUBE POSTS

Over on Patreon

Over on Substack

Over On YouTube

PICTURE OF THE WEEK

A snoopy with a typewriter with the headline "Good things take time"
A Snoopy aka a Plato with a typewriter? Yes, please.

HAVE YOU MISSED THOSE BLOG POSTS?

Thank you for reading <3

If you’ve read alllllllll the way to the end, would love to know in three words how your week was? Or what book you’re currently reading…

<3

Elodie

A raccoon with a typewriter...and the name Elodie Nowodazkij with hearts - the logo of Elodie Nowodazkij

A self-published author's diary

First Video AND Audio Podcast: Splitting pen names & Newsletters (and yes, Bobbie Voltaire might make an appearance)…

First audio and video episode…. yes, Bobbie Voltaire might make an appearance. I’m talking about splitting my books into two pen names, what that means for updating newsletter automations, and creating reader bonus scenes. Plus, a sneak peek at Sophie and Liam’s surprise twist, thoughts on making Sweets for Love free, and details on InkersCon 2025 (use code Golden25 for a discount – this is a friend’s affiliate code which *I* am planning on using and thought I’d share with you all).

You can listen to this podcast on your favorite podcast player: Spotify Apple Amazon MusicOvercast and more or watch it on YouTube or Spotify

Thank you so much for reading/listening/watching!

To KU or not KU my Gavert City series in English?
A self-published author's diary

To KU or not to KU my Gavert City series in English?

Listen to the episode on Spotify…

Have a coffee with me, this short self-publishing podcast episode is taking you my thought process on whether to put my Gavert City series in English in Kindle Unlimited or not…

Also mentioned in this episode:

Find my books online: ⁠www.elodienowodazkij.com⁠ or ⁠www.elodienow.com⁠

Listen to this episode on SpotifyApple PodcastsYouTube Pocketcasts Amazon Musicand more...

Thank you SO much for reading and listening!

signature elodie
A self-published author's diary

Dear Meta, It’s Not Me, It’s You… or My Facebook Ads Account For My Books Has Been Disabled.

This is the podcast episode where I tell you allllll about my Facebook Ads account being restricted, and mostly about how I was told everything would be fixed… but it wasn’t. And my ads account is now basically gone. Well, it’s here, but I can’t use it.

A few things in this episode:

  • I may get slightly frustrated and laugh because sometimes, well, why not laugh?;
  • I explain the back and forth and more than 80 hours lost in this;
  • I think about multiple streams of income – including an “I Fail” series;
  • I talk about expectations;
  • I focus back on writing…

This is not the episode where you’ll learn how to get your account back. (Spoiler: I haven’t – and I’m no longer trying…).

Have you ever got your FB ads account restricted? Disabled? Back?

Listen to this podcast on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and more....

Totally looking for a dopamine hit here, but if you’ve listened to the podcast, don’t hesitate to let me know by leaving a comment and make sure you follow my podcast.

Thank you!

Numbers: A TikTok Experiment As an Indie Author (the yay, the nay, and what it costs), pre-order numbers and more A self-published author's diary: The Ups and Downs of Self-Publishing (and everything in-between)

This one's a numbers-and-behind-the-scenes episode. I share a full preorder update across all five of my current books, platform by platform, the good and the zero, and where I'm at ten days into a thirty-day TikTok experiment in 2026 (I know, I know).The BookTok part is genuinely interesting to me: one video crossed 2,000 views and somehow racked up more than eight hours of total watch time, while its near-identical twin stalled at 94 and I have no idea why. That's kind of the whole lesson. I get into what's working, where in the world people are actually watching from (hello, UK), how many of them clicked through (spoiler: two), and yes, what it's costing me in focus, because I opened the app nineteen times in one afternoon and that felt worth admitting out loud.Plus: the Belgian VAT answer that arrived in eleven pages, the Barnes & Noble payment I'm still chasing, a trip to the ER that cancelled a posting day, and trying to use my phone less.And I'm going to interview the chemical engineer about how to write a believable one. If you've got a question for him, send it to elodie@elodienow.com. He refuses to see them in advance. So. :-)If you've tried TikTok and it worked for you, or really didn't, come tell me. We can commiserate, or you can show me your data.BeccaCon + Becca Syme's Write Better-Faster Patreon — the author-business conference and the experiments-homework that started all this: https://betterfasteracademy.com (Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/beccasyme/posts)Wide for the Win Circle (where I posted about the Barnes & Noble delay): https://wideforthewin.com/L. Penelope — "The Fire That Forges You" (My Imaginary Friends), on documenting your process while you're in it: https://myimaginaryfriends.substack.com/p/the-fire-that-forges-youJami Albright — The Summer That Changed Us — the book that wrecked me (Steel Magnolias meets Schitt's Creek with the heart of This Is Us): https://books2read.com/b/mdZvPW — jamialbright.comMy Christmas Wish-List (preorder, now July 31st): https://books2read.com/MyChristmasWishCancer Is Not My Brand (preorder): https://books2read.com/cancerisnotmybrand/Nice Guys Don't Kiss Like That at Christmas: https://books2read.com/NiceGuysDontKissLikeThatA New Year's Eve Like No Other (third in the Nick & Em series): https://books2read.com/ANewYearsEveLikeNoOtherFrench editions — Ma Liste de Noël and Un Réveillon Pas Comme Les AutresIf the episode was useful, a rate-and-review would make this self-published author's day. Happy writing, and happy, happy reading.www.elodienowodazkij.comwww.elodienow.com
  1. Numbers: A TikTok Experiment As an Indie Author (the yay, the nay, and what it costs), pre-order numbers and more
  2. Writing and revising, Author Taxes & the Emergency Room: 3 Days in My Self-Published Life
  3. Numbers: Amazon blocked one of my e-books (one that had been live for ten years)
  4. ROMO Or My Reality (Realities) Of Missing Out In the Self-Publishing World…
  5. Numbers: The Book That Had 23 Preorders and…became my most read book.

Uncategorized

A monthly (not really monthly) recap…

Hi, it’s me, the author of this blog, it’s me… My last post? Let’s just say it’s been a while. So, I thought I’d share with you a bit of a recap of what I’ve been working on, sharing, updating.

Also Plato The Dog says hi…

NEW AUDIOBOOKS ON YOUTUBE….Also I now have 219 subscribers (are you one of them? Super subtle hint to ask you if you already subscribe…)

  • UN ETE PAS COMME LES AUTRES lu par Maya Belgnaoui est dispo gratuitement en livre audio sur Spotify, Apple, B&N, Kobo, Google Play, Amazon, Audible et plus encore et est aussi maintenant sur YouTube

RECORDING AN AUDIOBOOK IN FRENCH (follow along on YouTube)

  • And yep I’m recording LA PEUR DANS LES YEUX in French…

REVISING NICE GUYS DON’T KISS LIKE THAT AT CHRISTMAS…And updating my progress on Patreon (yep, I have a FREE Patreon)

  • It’s available for pre-order ….
  • You can read several chapters already… including this one on my FREE Patreon

Certain chapters take me longer than others, especially in the revision process… and this one feels like it needs to balance the emotions with the humor. It is a romcom. It is Adam and Eve. It is SO MUCH. (….)

Chapter 15.      XXX-ADAM

She’s still wrapped around me, breath shaky against my neck, and I don’t say anything yet. Just let her feel it. Let myself feel it. Our damp skin, the messy sheets around us, the air that smells like her, like me, like us.

Because this isn’t just (KEEP READING HERE….)

  • And the dedication…

Sharing this with all of you because something finally clicked as I was revising Nice Guys Don’t Kiss Like That At Christmas (yet again):

Eve had cancer… and is living a romcom. Fuck it, why not?

When I was revising, there was a moment that didn’t feel right. Why did Eve ghost Adam? After everything they’d shared—after the way he made her feel—why wouldn’t she show up in Pittsburgh? Why did she feel like this couldn’t work?

I needed to really understand this to give them their second chance.

And then I knew.

But part of me …. (keep reading here)

Dealing with my Facebook Ads Account being restricted (for some reason)…

  • I’m on my Substack explaining what’s happening (or rather explaining I have no clue what’s happening)

Numbers: A TikTok Experiment As an Indie Author (the yay, the nay, and what it costs), pre-order numbers and more A self-published author's diary: The Ups and Downs of Self-Publishing (and everything in-between)

This one's a numbers-and-behind-the-scenes episode. I share a full preorder update across all five of my current books, platform by platform, the good and the zero, and where I'm at ten days into a thirty-day TikTok experiment in 2026 (I know, I know).The BookTok part is genuinely interesting to me: one video crossed 2,000 views and somehow racked up more than eight hours of total watch time, while its near-identical twin stalled at 94 and I have no idea why. That's kind of the whole lesson. I get into what's working, where in the world people are actually watching from (hello, UK), how many of them clicked through (spoiler: two), and yes, what it's costing me in focus, because I opened the app nineteen times in one afternoon and that felt worth admitting out loud.Plus: the Belgian VAT answer that arrived in eleven pages, the Barnes & Noble payment I'm still chasing, a trip to the ER that cancelled a posting day, and trying to use my phone less.And I'm going to interview the chemical engineer about how to write a believable one. If you've got a question for him, send it to elodie@elodienow.com. He refuses to see them in advance. So. :-)If you've tried TikTok and it worked for you, or really didn't, come tell me. We can commiserate, or you can show me your data.BeccaCon + Becca Syme's Write Better-Faster Patreon — the author-business conference and the experiments-homework that started all this: https://betterfasteracademy.com (Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/beccasyme/posts)Wide for the Win Circle (where I posted about the Barnes & Noble delay): https://wideforthewin.com/L. Penelope — "The Fire That Forges You" (My Imaginary Friends), on documenting your process while you're in it: https://myimaginaryfriends.substack.com/p/the-fire-that-forges-youJami Albright — The Summer That Changed Us — the book that wrecked me (Steel Magnolias meets Schitt's Creek with the heart of This Is Us): https://books2read.com/b/mdZvPW — jamialbright.comMy Christmas Wish-List (preorder, now July 31st): https://books2read.com/MyChristmasWishCancer Is Not My Brand (preorder): https://books2read.com/cancerisnotmybrand/Nice Guys Don't Kiss Like That at Christmas: https://books2read.com/NiceGuysDontKissLikeThatA New Year's Eve Like No Other (third in the Nick & Em series): https://books2read.com/ANewYearsEveLikeNoOtherFrench editions — Ma Liste de Noël and Un Réveillon Pas Comme Les AutresIf the episode was useful, a rate-and-review would make this self-published author's day. Happy writing, and happy, happy reading.www.elodienowodazkij.comwww.elodienow.com
  1. Numbers: A TikTok Experiment As an Indie Author (the yay, the nay, and what it costs), pre-order numbers and more
  2. Writing and revising, Author Taxes & the Emergency Room: 3 Days in My Self-Published Life
  3. Numbers: Amazon blocked one of my e-books (one that had been live for ten years)
  4. ROMO Or My Reality (Realities) Of Missing Out In the Self-Publishing World…
  5. Numbers: The Book That Had 23 Preorders and…became my most read book.

Very excited about this pacing class by Ines Johnson…

I’ve backed this Kickstaster by Ines about pacing and more and I’m very much looking forward to it. While you can no longer back the project, Ines has a website with more information…I’ve taken her Writing Dirty class and I definitely think about it when I craft, um, certain scenes.

Celebrating Katy’s latest release which is a B&N Monthly Pick

I *am* planning to go to B&N next week to see this beauty in person… But I’m so so excited for Katy and her Lia and Beck and Isaiah to find their ways into your heart. EVERYTHING I PROMISED YOU

In addition, I’ve been reading (the last one was House Of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen, which I could not put down), and watching XO, Kitty during my lunch break (because it makes me smile, not every episode, but still…) and making sure to stay informed (without spending hours scrolling, though, let’s be honest, I still scroll… but still).

There’s so much happening right now, impacting so many people. I’m about to call one of my representatives about how the NIH funding cuts could affect research on Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Past studies have shown that a significant portion of research funding for certain clinical trials comes from the NIH, and since Hodgkin’s is rare and not exactly the most profitable, these cuts could be devastating—especially for patients in smaller hospitals, not just the big ones. If you’d like to get informed about direct and indirect cuts, here are some articles:

And maybe you’re wondering why I’m bringing this up. Well, many reasons, but not to be dramatic, but I’m alive thanks to research. This is one of the topics I’ll bring up with my representatives when I talk to them.

Because writing is a creative process, and let me tell you, it’s much easier to write when I feel like I’ve done something. And, yes I’m going to keep wanting to bring joy and happiness and so much more through my books.

Thank you for reading <3

podcast

Latest podcast episode: Cancer and Creativity: Finding Hope in Therapy, Romance Novels and Second Opinions

Choose your favorite platform here... or listen to it on YouTube…

Also did you know I have a YouTube channel? Make sure to subscribe 🙂

In this episode, I open up and look back about navigating life with cancer back in 2017—receiving tough PET news, seeking second opinions, and finding support in unexpected places. I talk about how therapy really helped, how romance novels reminded me to escape into stories, and how creativity (not necessarily mine) brought moments of light during some of the hardest times. This episode explores the small yet powerful ways hope can appear, even when it feels out of reach.

http://www.elodienowodazkij.com or http://www.dasdog.net

authorelodienowodazkij AT gmail.com

Questions about writing, self-publishing or those weird stuff in-between? Shoot me an email at ⁠authorelodienowodazkij@gmail.com⁠.

<3

Elodie

Numbers: A TikTok Experiment As an Indie Author (the yay, the nay, and what it costs), pre-order numbers and more A self-published author's diary: The Ups and Downs of Self-Publishing (and everything in-between)

This one's a numbers-and-behind-the-scenes episode. I share a full preorder update across all five of my current books, platform by platform, the good and the zero, and where I'm at ten days into a thirty-day TikTok experiment in 2026 (I know, I know).The BookTok part is genuinely interesting to me: one video crossed 2,000 views and somehow racked up more than eight hours of total watch time, while its near-identical twin stalled at 94 and I have no idea why. That's kind of the whole lesson. I get into what's working, where in the world people are actually watching from (hello, UK), how many of them clicked through (spoiler: two), and yes, what it's costing me in focus, because I opened the app nineteen times in one afternoon and that felt worth admitting out loud.Plus: the Belgian VAT answer that arrived in eleven pages, the Barnes & Noble payment I'm still chasing, a trip to the ER that cancelled a posting day, and trying to use my phone less.And I'm going to interview the chemical engineer about how to write a believable one. If you've got a question for him, send it to elodie@elodienow.com. He refuses to see them in advance. So. :-)If you've tried TikTok and it worked for you, or really didn't, come tell me. We can commiserate, or you can show me your data.BeccaCon + Becca Syme's Write Better-Faster Patreon — the author-business conference and the experiments-homework that started all this: https://betterfasteracademy.com (Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/beccasyme/posts)Wide for the Win Circle (where I posted about the Barnes & Noble delay): https://wideforthewin.com/L. Penelope — "The Fire That Forges You" (My Imaginary Friends), on documenting your process while you're in it: https://myimaginaryfriends.substack.com/p/the-fire-that-forges-youJami Albright — The Summer That Changed Us — the book that wrecked me (Steel Magnolias meets Schitt's Creek with the heart of This Is Us): https://books2read.com/b/mdZvPW — jamialbright.comMy Christmas Wish-List (preorder, now July 31st): https://books2read.com/MyChristmasWishCancer Is Not My Brand (preorder): https://books2read.com/cancerisnotmybrand/Nice Guys Don't Kiss Like That at Christmas: https://books2read.com/NiceGuysDontKissLikeThatA New Year's Eve Like No Other (third in the Nick & Em series): https://books2read.com/ANewYearsEveLikeNoOtherFrench editions — Ma Liste de Noël and Un Réveillon Pas Comme Les AutresIf the episode was useful, a rate-and-review would make this self-published author's day. Happy writing, and happy, happy reading.www.elodienowodazkij.comwww.elodienow.com
  1. Numbers: A TikTok Experiment As an Indie Author (the yay, the nay, and what it costs), pre-order numbers and more
  2. Writing and revising, Author Taxes & the Emergency Room: 3 Days in My Self-Published Life
  3. Numbers: Amazon blocked one of my e-books (one that had been live for ten years)
  4. ROMO Or My Reality (Realities) Of Missing Out In the Self-Publishing World…
  5. Numbers: The Book That Had 23 Preorders and…became my most read book.
podcast

Latest podcast episode: Goodbye, Kindle Vella. A recap of the highs, the lows and yet another pivot as a self-published author.

Choose your favorite platform here... or listen to it on YouTube…

Also did you know I have a YouTube channel? Make sure to subscribe 🙂

Amazon announced on October 28th that it’s closing Kindle Vella. To quote their press release: “We’ve made the difficult decision to gradually wind down Kindle Vella in February 2025 as the program hasn’t caught on as we’d hoped…”

Right when they announced it, I was in the middle of doing this huge analysis on what had been working for me—digging into my Facebook ad data, my reads, my bonus… especially since they’d been slashing that bonus pool for the past few months.

This episode is about: a recap of my reads, monthly bonus and royalties writing romance serials on Kindle Vella, my theories and what’s next for my serials (pivoting, again).

Questions about writing, self-publishing or those weird stuff in-between? Shoot me an email at ⁠authorelodienowodazkij@gmail.com⁠.

<3

Elodie

Numbers: A TikTok Experiment As an Indie Author (the yay, the nay, and what it costs), pre-order numbers and more A self-published author's diary: The Ups and Downs of Self-Publishing (and everything in-between)

This one's a numbers-and-behind-the-scenes episode. I share a full preorder update across all five of my current books, platform by platform, the good and the zero, and where I'm at ten days into a thirty-day TikTok experiment in 2026 (I know, I know).The BookTok part is genuinely interesting to me: one video crossed 2,000 views and somehow racked up more than eight hours of total watch time, while its near-identical twin stalled at 94 and I have no idea why. That's kind of the whole lesson. I get into what's working, where in the world people are actually watching from (hello, UK), how many of them clicked through (spoiler: two), and yes, what it's costing me in focus, because I opened the app nineteen times in one afternoon and that felt worth admitting out loud.Plus: the Belgian VAT answer that arrived in eleven pages, the Barnes & Noble payment I'm still chasing, a trip to the ER that cancelled a posting day, and trying to use my phone less.And I'm going to interview the chemical engineer about how to write a believable one. If you've got a question for him, send it to elodie@elodienow.com. He refuses to see them in advance. So. :-)If you've tried TikTok and it worked for you, or really didn't, come tell me. We can commiserate, or you can show me your data.BeccaCon + Becca Syme's Write Better-Faster Patreon — the author-business conference and the experiments-homework that started all this: https://betterfasteracademy.com (Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/beccasyme/posts)Wide for the Win Circle (where I posted about the Barnes & Noble delay): https://wideforthewin.com/L. Penelope — "The Fire That Forges You" (My Imaginary Friends), on documenting your process while you're in it: https://myimaginaryfriends.substack.com/p/the-fire-that-forges-youJami Albright — The Summer That Changed Us — the book that wrecked me (Steel Magnolias meets Schitt's Creek with the heart of This Is Us): https://books2read.com/b/mdZvPW — jamialbright.comMy Christmas Wish-List (preorder, now July 31st): https://books2read.com/MyChristmasWishCancer Is Not My Brand (preorder): https://books2read.com/cancerisnotmybrand/Nice Guys Don't Kiss Like That at Christmas: https://books2read.com/NiceGuysDontKissLikeThatA New Year's Eve Like No Other (third in the Nick & Em series): https://books2read.com/ANewYearsEveLikeNoOtherFrench editions — Ma Liste de Noël and Un Réveillon Pas Comme Les AutresIf the episode was useful, a rate-and-review would make this self-published author's day. Happy writing, and happy, happy reading.www.elodienowodazkij.comwww.elodienow.com
  1. Numbers: A TikTok Experiment As an Indie Author (the yay, the nay, and what it costs), pre-order numbers and more
  2. Writing and revising, Author Taxes & the Emergency Room: 3 Days in My Self-Published Life
  3. Numbers: Amazon blocked one of my e-books (one that had been live for ten years)
  4. ROMO Or My Reality (Realities) Of Missing Out In the Self-Publishing World…
  5. Numbers: The Book That Had 23 Preorders and…became my most read book.
podcast

Latest podcast episode: Gasp. Anxiety And Writing Didn’t Prepare Me For Cancer.

Choose your favorite platform here... or listen to it on YouTube…

Also did you know I have a YouTube channel? Make sure to subscribe 🙂

Intro: First of all, how dare anxiety and writing not prepare me for this? I thought we had a deal—you’d give me fears, I’d be anxious about them. I’d learn, become a Google MD. Heck, I’d even develop OCD—starting young because why not? And boom, when something happens, I’d know how to handle it. Like. A. Pro.

And maybe sometimes, yes.

But when I got diagnosed, that plan went out the window. My brain didn’t like that plan. Or it skipped that lesson entirely for me. Because things didn’t go the way I thought.

I also share what happened in the past two weeks in my writing/self-publishing world, including my newsletters, Facebook Groups I joined and more.

In this episode: I talk about not having control, my first days after diagnosis, how writing can be cathartic…

To read the full text mentioned: check out my Substack – https://elodienowodazkij.substack.com/

Thank you so much for listening/reading!

And if spicy paranormal or fantasy romance is your thing, check out Elizabeth Briggs’ books to support a fellow author going through treatments for stage IV colon cancer: ⁠https://elizabethbriggs.com⁠.

Questions about writing, self-publishing or those weird stuff in-between? Shoot me an email at ⁠authorelodienowodazkij@gmail.com⁠.

<3

Elodie

Numbers: A TikTok Experiment As an Indie Author (the yay, the nay, and what it costs), pre-order numbers and more A self-published author's diary: The Ups and Downs of Self-Publishing (and everything in-between)

This one's a numbers-and-behind-the-scenes episode. I share a full preorder update across all five of my current books, platform by platform, the good and the zero, and where I'm at ten days into a thirty-day TikTok experiment in 2026 (I know, I know).The BookTok part is genuinely interesting to me: one video crossed 2,000 views and somehow racked up more than eight hours of total watch time, while its near-identical twin stalled at 94 and I have no idea why. That's kind of the whole lesson. I get into what's working, where in the world people are actually watching from (hello, UK), how many of them clicked through (spoiler: two), and yes, what it's costing me in focus, because I opened the app nineteen times in one afternoon and that felt worth admitting out loud.Plus: the Belgian VAT answer that arrived in eleven pages, the Barnes & Noble payment I'm still chasing, a trip to the ER that cancelled a posting day, and trying to use my phone less.And I'm going to interview the chemical engineer about how to write a believable one. If you've got a question for him, send it to elodie@elodienow.com. He refuses to see them in advance. So. :-)If you've tried TikTok and it worked for you, or really didn't, come tell me. We can commiserate, or you can show me your data.BeccaCon + Becca Syme's Write Better-Faster Patreon — the author-business conference and the experiments-homework that started all this: https://betterfasteracademy.com (Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/beccasyme/posts)Wide for the Win Circle (where I posted about the Barnes & Noble delay): https://wideforthewin.com/L. Penelope — "The Fire That Forges You" (My Imaginary Friends), on documenting your process while you're in it: https://myimaginaryfriends.substack.com/p/the-fire-that-forges-youJami Albright — The Summer That Changed Us — the book that wrecked me (Steel Magnolias meets Schitt's Creek with the heart of This Is Us): https://books2read.com/b/mdZvPW — jamialbright.comMy Christmas Wish-List (preorder, now July 31st): https://books2read.com/MyChristmasWishCancer Is Not My Brand (preorder): https://books2read.com/cancerisnotmybrand/Nice Guys Don't Kiss Like That at Christmas: https://books2read.com/NiceGuysDontKissLikeThatA New Year's Eve Like No Other (third in the Nick & Em series): https://books2read.com/ANewYearsEveLikeNoOtherFrench editions — Ma Liste de Noël and Un Réveillon Pas Comme Les AutresIf the episode was useful, a rate-and-review would make this self-published author's day. Happy writing, and happy, happy reading.www.elodienowodazkij.comwww.elodienow.com
  1. Numbers: A TikTok Experiment As an Indie Author (the yay, the nay, and what it costs), pre-order numbers and more
  2. Writing and revising, Author Taxes & the Emergency Room: 3 Days in My Self-Published Life
  3. Numbers: Amazon blocked one of my e-books (one that had been live for ten years)
  4. ROMO Or My Reality (Realities) Of Missing Out In the Self-Publishing World…
  5. Numbers: The Book That Had 23 Preorders and…became my most read book.
podcast

Latest podcast episode: Organizing Writing/Self-Publishing Goals and tasks and to-do lists : Finding a System That Works for Me…

Choose your favorite platform here…or read the article inspired by this podcast here.

Also did you know I have a YouTube channel? Make sure to subscribe 🙂

Intro: I think I finally found a writing/self-publishing goals tracking that works for me. In this one, I talk about my Gallup Strengths and how Becca Syme’s helped me come up with ways to get more organized, my Sarra Cannon’s HB90-inspired adapted board and more.

I also share what happened in the past two weeks in my writing/self-publishing world, including my newsletters, Facebook Groups I joined and more.

To read the actual newsletters mentioned: check out my Substack – https://elodienowodazkij.substack.com/

Mentioned in this episode:

Thank you so much for listening/reading!

And if spicy paranormal or fantasy romance is your thing, check out Elizabeth Briggs’ books to support a fellow author going through treatments for stage IV colon cancer: ⁠https://elizabethbriggs.com⁠.

Questions about writing, self-publishing or those weird stuff in-between? Shoot me an email at ⁠authorelodienowodazkij@gmail.com⁠.

<3

Elodie

Numbers: A TikTok Experiment As an Indie Author (the yay, the nay, and what it costs), pre-order numbers and more A self-published author's diary: The Ups and Downs of Self-Publishing (and everything in-between)

This one's a numbers-and-behind-the-scenes episode. I share a full preorder update across all five of my current books, platform by platform, the good and the zero, and where I'm at ten days into a thirty-day TikTok experiment in 2026 (I know, I know).The BookTok part is genuinely interesting to me: one video crossed 2,000 views and somehow racked up more than eight hours of total watch time, while its near-identical twin stalled at 94 and I have no idea why. That's kind of the whole lesson. I get into what's working, where in the world people are actually watching from (hello, UK), how many of them clicked through (spoiler: two), and yes, what it's costing me in focus, because I opened the app nineteen times in one afternoon and that felt worth admitting out loud.Plus: the Belgian VAT answer that arrived in eleven pages, the Barnes & Noble payment I'm still chasing, a trip to the ER that cancelled a posting day, and trying to use my phone less.And I'm going to interview the chemical engineer about how to write a believable one. If you've got a question for him, send it to elodie@elodienow.com. He refuses to see them in advance. So. :-)If you've tried TikTok and it worked for you, or really didn't, come tell me. We can commiserate, or you can show me your data.BeccaCon + Becca Syme's Write Better-Faster Patreon — the author-business conference and the experiments-homework that started all this: https://betterfasteracademy.com (Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/beccasyme/posts)Wide for the Win Circle (where I posted about the Barnes & Noble delay): https://wideforthewin.com/L. Penelope — "The Fire That Forges You" (My Imaginary Friends), on documenting your process while you're in it: https://myimaginaryfriends.substack.com/p/the-fire-that-forges-youJami Albright — The Summer That Changed Us — the book that wrecked me (Steel Magnolias meets Schitt's Creek with the heart of This Is Us): https://books2read.com/b/mdZvPW — jamialbright.comMy Christmas Wish-List (preorder, now July 31st): https://books2read.com/MyChristmasWishCancer Is Not My Brand (preorder): https://books2read.com/cancerisnotmybrand/Nice Guys Don't Kiss Like That at Christmas: https://books2read.com/NiceGuysDontKissLikeThatA New Year's Eve Like No Other (third in the Nick & Em series): https://books2read.com/ANewYearsEveLikeNoOtherFrench editions — Ma Liste de Noël and Un Réveillon Pas Comme Les AutresIf the episode was useful, a rate-and-review would make this self-published author's day. Happy writing, and happy, happy reading.www.elodienowodazkij.comwww.elodienow.com
  1. Numbers: A TikTok Experiment As an Indie Author (the yay, the nay, and what it costs), pre-order numbers and more
  2. Writing and revising, Author Taxes & the Emergency Room: 3 Days in My Self-Published Life
  3. Numbers: Amazon blocked one of my e-books (one that had been live for ten years)
  4. ROMO Or My Reality (Realities) Of Missing Out In the Self-Publishing World…
  5. Numbers: The Book That Had 23 Preorders and…became my most read book.