The Raccoon Author's Self-Publishing Diary

Today, I am sharing a patchwork episode as I recorded every single day, documenting my progress in my revision of #TheLeftoverBride. Come revise with me and also discover what topics I googled on each different day (for this story). :-)

Today, I discuss revising #TheLeftoverBride. After feedback from my critique partners, I cut the first five chapters from about 16000 words to a bit over 8000. And it is a roller coaster of emotions full of doubts but also moments of success...Plus do writers get decision fatigue?

Today, I dicuss going wide with my audiobooks: changing their ACX exclusive status to non-exclusive and bringing them to more e-retailers and libraries via Findaway Voices. On ACX you can now do so after 90 days. And Findaway Voices has a template which you can just copy and paste. In addition, I talk about some market data I found in the US and in France about the audiobook market. I also refer and quote from an interview on audiobooks with Nana Malone. She also talks about her writing process and being herself a book cover model (including her own at some point) because there was no/not enough pictures of dark-skinned Black women to represent her characters on covers. And then I go a bit deeper into bringing my French audiobooks to the French-speaking audiobook market.

When it comes to struggles and smiles in my writing and self-publishing week: it includes the roller coaster of emotions that is sending the first 1/3 of #TheLeftoverBride to my critique partners. I've been hard at work and am currently polishing the rest of the novel but it is a lot of feelings. :-) And more!

Here are the links I mention during this episode:

I don't know if "adapting" is really the correct term. I've been thinking about preparing the launch of #TheLeftoverBride and preparing for it as if it will be a bestseller so taking all the necessary steps so that if it does, my other books (my backlist) are also ready.

Following my conversation with Ines Johnson about her use of social media as author and Erin Bowman's Instagram post about her own use of Instagram, I'm exploring my strenghts and putting the focus on my characters, creating social media profiles for #TheLeftoverBride, detaching myself a little from my book in a way. 

Oh and I also talk about not reading spoilers anymore, and the struggles and smiles of my self-publishing and writing week.

If you want to check out my book's website: www.theleftoverbride.com

My author's website: www.elodienowodazkij.com

You can pre-order #TheLeftoverBride already for only $0.99: https://books2read.com/TheLeftoverBride

And you can sign up for my readers' newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/elodienowodazkij/website

Today, I am answering two questions I've received from a reader named Amanda: Did I always know I would write for readers? And where does that confidence come from?

I go back into my junior high writing of poems and my high school writing of romance and my later years of fanfiction writing to answer the first question. And when it comes to the second question and the confidence aspect, I try to analyze a bit where that confidence comes from. :-) And how fleeting it is throughout the process.

I talk about my very scientific writing process of "ooohhh" and "yay" and about my love for romance books. Readers pick up those books knowing what the ending will be and yet we still get so enthralled by them. I think that's really a testimony to the magic and the art of writing romance.

I also mention the podcast "My Imaginary Friends with L. Penelope"'s latest episode which I recommend for all writers struggling with their manuscript: https://lpenelope.com/podcast/

Don't forget #TheLeftoverBride is available for pre-order for only $0.99. 

Choose your favorite e-retailer here: https://books2read.com/TheLeftoverBride

As always, thank you for subscribing, rating and reviewing!

Follow me on instagram: @aselfpublishedauthorsdiary :-) and don't hesitate to check out my website: www.elodienowodazkij.com

Today, I'm sharing some of what I've learned from my own data and experience when it comes to the French-speaking market for self-published books (in this case, mine): what vendors generate sells and revenue, what price point do I use, recouping investment.

Before that, I also add a bit of info shared by the actress portraying Umma in Kim's Convenience in regards her crucial input for the food element to keep the authentacity (follow-up from last week's episode).

I mention the following articles:

I'm also explaining how I find translators to translate my books into French and share the job posting and questions that I I posted on Upwork for the translation of #TheLeftoverBride summary and title. 

I'm also talking about making progress in my revision and the fact that I almost have a cover for #TheLeftoverBride. I've designed two different covers and I'm asking my readers in my readers' newsletter to help me choose. :-)

Don't hesitate to ask me a question: https://anchor.fm/elodie-nowodazkij/message 

As always don't hesitate to check my website out: www.elodienowodazkij.com

Today, it's all about selling my e-books directly to readers, using my backlist, talking about Kim's Convenience (and storytelling), the happy revision feeling, time management and expectations and that happy "I got that one paragraph" feeling from revising #TheLeftoverBride.

Some of the links mentioned in this episode:

Today, I am very happy to welcome Ines Johnson, who is a self-published author who has published 65 books under 2 pen names.  A couple of weeks ago, I read on BookBub an article Ines wrote entitled: How I Make Six Figures as a Self-Published Author: https://insights.bookbub.com/how-make-six-figures-self-published-author/

Ines not only shares her insights about the work behind her self-publishing success (goals and planning and advertising and brand and choosing to be wide and more), we also chat about her writing process that is influenced by her experience writing screenplays,  why she's not really on social media, how she rewards herself and so much more.

Giveaway 1: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/35c42cc28/? 

Giveaway 2: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/35c42cc27/?

Would you like to ask me a question about self-publishing or my writing or my books? Leave me a voicemail here: https://anchor.fm/elodie-nowodazkij/message

Subscribe to my readers' newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/elodienowodazkij/website

#THELEFTOVERBRIDE is available for pre-order on Amazon (https://amzn.to/3dmlaVV) , Kobo (https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/theleftoverbride), iTunes (https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1563233571). You can also add it to Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57746923-theleftoverbride)

As always, you can find me on social media (@enowodazkij on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and @elodienowodazkij on Tiktok).

More info on my website: www.elodienowodazkij.com

Studying cover trends and romantic suspense covers to see if maybe I should re-brand my Gavert City series. I found an article from Creativindie with top fonts used in different genres and I have played around with designing a new cover for the first book in the series, using Depositphoto and Canva. Today, I'm also sharing a snippet from my upcoming novel #TheLeftoverBride, and the doubts about releasing while managing to make progress and being also so very excited about getting back into the story. So. Many. Feelings.

And I'm answering questions from listeners. Today: what was the first book I self-published? And where do I write?

Do you want to win one of my books narrated by Megan Carter? Enter the giveaway here (open internationally): http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/35c42cc26/?

Would you like to ask me a question about self-publishing or my writing or my books? Leave me a voicemail here: https://anchor.fm/elodie-nowodazkij/message

Subscribe to my readers' newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/elodienowodazkij/website

As always, you can find me on social media (@enowodazkij on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and @elodienowodazkij on Tiktok).

More info on my website: www.elodienowodazkij.com

Talking with actor and writer Megan Carter (audiobook narrator of FEAR ME, FEAR ME NOT - SEE ME, SEE ME NOT - A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER and more) on how acting may influence her writing, the similarities between publishing and acting, critique partners. We also talk about roller coasters and Medea...

Do you want to win one of my books narrated by Megan? Enter the giveaway here (open internationally): http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/35c42cc26/?

Would you like to ask me a question about self-publishing or my writing or my books? Leave me a voicemail here: https://anchor.fm/elodie-nowodazkij/message

Subscribe to my readers' newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/elodienowodazkij/website

As always, you can find me on social media (@enowodazkij on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and @elodienowodazkij on Tiktok).

More info on my website: www.elodienowodazkij.com