Hi all!
I hope your summer is going well – and isn’t too hot. Even here at 7,200 feet in Santa Fe, it’s a little too toasty for me…. Hopefully, you are in a pool, ocean, or air conditioning. I’ve been working on the Rock Gods & Messy Monsters relaunch (info below), finishing up the sixth draft of the sequel to it, and refining a pitch for an event I’d like to do. I’m still helping with dog adoptions at Espanola Humane once a week, and I’m starting to figure out next steps once my sabbatical (as I’m now calling it) is over at the end of this year. Or early-ish 2024….
My NYC Return
If you didn’t see my post on social media, I’m coming back NYC! I’m hard launching (relaunching) my book on October 11th in New York City at the Bowery Poetry Club (because everything’s harder in NYC…). If you’re in the area, please come! I’ll send out an official invite shortly but you can RSVP at https://bit.ly/nyc-rgmm
Book Relaunch
I wrote an article about why I’m hard launching my book, so check it out for more in-depth info. I’ve also done a YouTube video discussing the importance of a soft and hard launch. To sum the piece up, the first year – especially for a new author – should be looked at as a soft or beta launch. There is so much to do and so much to learn, whether you’re traditionally published or doing it yourself, that an author needs time to learn what works and what doesn’t. I’m not there 100% yet, but I know so much more than I did twelve months ago. And with online bookstores now, a book never gets old. So why not give it new life over and over? As part of the relaunch, I’m having a new book cover designed. As much as I loved the one I had, I had three book marketing experts evaluate Rock Gods & Messy Monsters, and they all said I needed a different cover. I didn’t know that there are certain requirements for book covers that help sell books.
Articles You Might Have Missed
Why I’m Hard Launching (aka Relaunching) My Book a Year After Publication – I go into why I’m relaunching my book a year after it was published. Learning Video and Video Promotion to Accent My Writing – I’ve committed to making more videos and learning reels. This video gives a quick explanation about what I’ll be doing Gratitude, Sabbaticals, and Why Reviews Matter – I got an amazing review for Rock Gods that really moved me. That in turn moved me to write this piece…. The Let Them Theory: Letting Go to Find Peace – This one is easy to sum up. If you want to find peace, just let people do what they want to do. Stop trying to control things or other people. You’ll end up much happier. The Joy and Stress of Writing and Change – I was interviewed on the Wayne Jones podcast about my writing and changing direction in my life. Alternative Book Promotion – Little Free Libraries – Because I’m going to have a new book cover, I’m dropping off extra copies of the first version in Little Free Libraries in Santa Fe, Denver, and even Los Alamos. I’m hoping to bring some to New York City with me in October also.
A Quick One
I am still deciding if I want to stick regularly with Substack and Medium , so apologies if there’s a delayed absence on either or both. I appreciate you sticking with me as I figure out the best outlets for my work! If you have any ideas/suggestions on sticking with Substack and/or Medium, please leave a comment below! I’ve also committed to learning reels on Instagram/Facebook and doing more videos on YouTube. Yes, I have no idea what I’m doing, but everything is going video, so I plan to do more. Follow me on either platform if you’d like to see some really mediocre but well intentioned videos… I’ll be back in the next few weeks with more info about the hard launch and more about building community.Stay in Touch
If you’d like to stay in touch, please do!- Feel free to share this newsletter with anyone. They can also sign up for the email list to receive future issues.
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