Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Buy My Book

Being an independent author seemed to be the best option for me. I am impatient and I don't do well with rejection, so publishing my book through Createspace killed two birds with one stone.  I wouldn't have to wait years for a publisher to agree to publish my book and no one would be able to say no to it if I did it myself.  All I had to do was write the book.  People think writing a book is hard (which it is), but trying to promote and sell one all by yourself is a hell of a lot harder!
I have done the whole social media thing, even tweeting, which I'm still not very good at.  I have started this blog, which has been the most fun out of all of this.  And I have begged friends and family to tell others about my book.   That should sell my books, right?  WRONG!  Now, granted, I have sold about 40 books now, which I am super excited about, but I really was hoping it would have been more.   This is where my impatience comes in.
I know I have to understand that I am a no name writer and this is my first book, and these things take time.  I guess I just want people to read it!
I've been asked about how much money I've made off the book.  Almost nothing, which is ok.  I'm not writing these stories for the money, I'm writing them for people to read.  I want them to be shared with others.  Is it exciting to see money go in to my account when I sell one?  Absolutely!  But to me the most exciting part is knowing that someone is reading one of my stories.
I've read different ways to get people to buy my book, most of them are by bribing the reader with fancy gifts, but that's not how I roll.  I want people to read my book because it looks interesting or because someone they know said it was a great read.  And I want people to write reviews that they mean, and not because I bought their opinions.  
I guess I just need to be patient and wait.  And hope like hell that my book will get into the hands of more people.  And while I wait, I will keep writing my stories and be grateful for every single time someone buys a copy of my book.
P.S. Thank you to everyone who has bought a copy, reviewed it and told a friend about it.  You guys ROCK!

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Back To Me

I think I wanted to get a tattoo before I was even at the legal age, but never got one because I have issues with permanent decisions. LOL!  But last year for my birthday I finally did it!  I thought long and hard about what I wanted to have and where.  People have since questioned me about it and some have even teased me, but in the end I couldn't be happier with it.  
The whole process only took me about 20 years!  I was scared to get one because I didn't want to regret my choice in a year or two. If I did a picture or a name or even a symbol, would it be relevant to me in the future?  So I waited.  But last year was the year, the year of me.  I accomplished so many things for myself and I wanted to celebrate it.  So I sat down and drew a few designs, but still wasn't sure, and then it hit me.
Years ago I had written a poem and the last line of it (although the poem is about a different circumstance) just fit my life at that moment, so that was what I decided on.   I knew that having something that I had personally written would be relevant and have meaning forever.  The poem is actually about being strong enough to fight your way back to yourself.  In a way that was what I was doing last year.  Writing this book was a dream of mine that I had put on the back burner so that I could be a wife and mother.  I kind of lost who I was along the way.  You get lost in your roles of life and sometimes forget who you were.
This book is who I am and what I want to be doing.  I love that my kids were able to be part of the experience and see that you can make your dreams come true if you fight hard enough.  
So I will show off my tattoo and be proud of it and of myself.  I proved that I am strong enough to do the things I've dreamed of doing even though they may scare the shit out of me!  And that is why I named my second book Back To Me.  It was the perfect fit for the story.

Here is the poem in it's entirely:

Running
By Amy Heileman Ben-Kiki

I remember running into you
Our eyes met and my heart
Raced furiously from head to toe.
Your bright smile blinded me
from seeing anything
Other than you.

I remember running to you
When you said that you loved me.
These words deafened
Me from reason
And made me sense
What wasn't there.

I remember running with you
On the sun stroked beach.
The world disappeared
With the sensations of your lips.
The warmth that filled me
Took the chill from the air.

I remember running from you
When you raised an open fist.
Your jealous rage had
Thrown me to the ground and
Awoken me from a deep unconscious.

And I remember running back.....
                                            To Me.