The Raccoon Author's Self-Publishing Diary

Welcome to my first audio AND video episode - yes, you can finally see my face (and probably my cat)!

I'm diving into the messy reality of splitting my books into two pen names and why updating newsletter automations is a lot of work.

I'll share how I create those bonus scenes readers love (epilogues, wedding scenes, even deleted diary entries), why I'm thinking about making Sweets for Love free, and give you a behind-the-scenes look at my current Sophie and Liam story where I just left them in a very interesting situation involving a surprise daughter.

Plus, I'm sharing details about InkersCon 2025 - use code Golden25 for a discount!

Check it out at inkerscon.com.

Grab your coffee, water or whatever and stretch - let's chat about the ups and downs of self-publishing!

Visit my website: www.elodienowodazkij.com

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:

• Golden Angel's Presentation: Money Matters for Authors with Golden Angel
• You can sign up and watch it live online or for 90 days after here: https://marylandromancewriters.com/mrw-events/may-meeting/

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

This episode is NOT a how-to on how to get your Facebook Ads Account back as a self-published author... it's a lot of me venting and explaining what happened.

Visit my website: www.elodienowodazkij.com (www.dasdog.net) or www.elodienow.com

My Facebook Ads Account has been restricted and, well, this hasn't been fun. As an author, I had been using Facebook ads to reach both KU readers in the US, Australia and UK and French-speaking readers who read on Kobo, Apple, Google Play and more... I don't know why my account has been restricted.

Also mentioned on this episode:

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.

www.elodienowodazkij.com or www.dasdog.net

authorelodienowodazkij AT gmail.com

Amazon announced on October 28th that it’s closing

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).

Check out my website: www.elodienowodazkij.com

In this episode: I'll talk about how anxiety and writing didn't prepare me for cancer. And for entering the Hospital World. The Patient World.

First of all, how dare anxiety not prepare me for this?

Heck, I'd even develop OCD—starting young because

And maybe sometimes, yes.

But when I got diagnosed, that plan went out the

Because things didn't go the way I thought.

As always if you have any questions, don't hesitate.

For my books: www.elodienowodazkij.com or thanks to my genius husband: www.dasdog.net :P

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!

This isn't your typical how-to guide, because let's be real—it’s more about the messy art of balancing (or not balancing) self-publishing, creativity, and cancer treatments. I’m publishing this episode on my fifth second birthday (my second birthday was the day I received my stem cells back during my autologous stem cell transplant). And I've been in remission for now five years after three years of treatment for refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma, and while I won’t shy away from the tough stuff (we’ve all cried in the shower, right?), I’m hoping to fill this series with humor, hope, and maybe a bit of awkward laughter. Join me on the first Monday of every month for Big, but Not Romance Big: Looking Back at Cancer Treatments, Creativity, and All the Weird Stuff In Between.

And hey, 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 [email protected].

My writing and self-publishing love list (for those days, you know). Also an update on Kindle Vella, a local event and Claire Taylor's kickstarter...

Get me newsletter directly in your inbox: https://elodienowodazkij.substack.com/

Kickstarter Claire Taylor: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ffsmedia/sustain-your-author-career

Leave me a comment/share your own self-publishing/writing love list with me: https://elodienowodazkij.substack.com/p/my-writing-and-self-publishing-love