Tag: what every romance author wants to hear

Happy Friday

What every romance author wants to hear (and I heard it from an insurance agent)…

Elodie

There are words romance authors love to hear.

No… not those words. Well, at least, not in this case.

I shared in my newsletter today a pretty eventful day from a couple of days ago. For the full story, click here.

Here’s the very short version.

As I was looking to switch car insurances, the insurance agent (who was very friendly and knowledgeable) went through a list of questions to see if he could match the new offer.

At some point in the process, he asked “So what’s your job title?”

I replied, “Author.”

And he followed up with: “Oh, what do you write?”

“Romance novels.”

There was one of those long pauses… you know the type. The ones that could go in so many directions and thousands of answers flashed in my mind. 

Sometimes, let’s just say, romance novels are seen as “lesser-than.”

And his response caught me off guard.

He said…. are you ready for this?

“Oh wow, you’re spreading happiness around the world. That’s awesome.”

His words were just the pick-me-up I needed. And who knows, maybe his words will have the same effect on someone else. After all, a little bit of happiness can go a long way…

And whatever you’re doing, you might be spreading a bit of happiness around you, too. 

And if you’re looking for your next romance novel: one-click #TheLeftoverBride (A Hallmark-worthy romance with a little extra steam) and start reading now…

Or pre-order #SweetsForLove and make this romance author even happier. :-)

Check out my other books and audiobooks, too… 🙂

Thank you so much for reading!

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PS: If you’re interested in self-publishing, I have a podcast. 🙂 Listen to the latest episodes of A Self-Published Author’s Diary…

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

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