independent authors

What’s New? (Tuesday’s Tell All)

/ Janna Hill / 4 Comments

What’s new?

Is nothing and a lot an appropriate answer?

Well it will have to suffice.

Let me first assure you I am not in a funk nor am I suffering from writer’s block.

On the contrary, potential stories abound!! I say potential because none have made it past my imagination.

In the garden, the grocery store, in front of the television or at a restaurant….

The list goes on forever.

So this morning as I was rocking and sipping my coffee (without spilling a drop), I asked myself,

Self, why haven’t you written a damn thing ??? No new books, not even a short story… Not so much as a blog post since April, and by the way you failed miserably at supporting NPM.

I pondered the question while I kept rocking and sipping, listening to the birds, watching the butterflies in the Mimosa tree and waiting for a response.

Finally self answered. Well, (in no chronological order) let’s see...

You got older and slower so multi-tasking got a little harder.

Not nearly enough candles.

You had a birthday and Mother’s Day that went on for weeks-because you have some awesome ass kids.

You had Covid twice…

Your oldest brother died and it is still a painful and fresh wound…

You focused on family…

Remember a large portion of last year was consumed when the home had to be gutted and restored due to the flood after the freeze. And the fishing shack had to have all of the pipes replaced due to the same freeze.

The economy has put a strain on your finances so you’ve had to seriously reconstruct your retirement- and even put the fishing shack up for sale.

You chose to spend a significant amount of time mentoring and advocating for others because you know how it can be…

You spend a lot of time “working” at the pond and in the yard and gardens. But honestly you “meander” as much as you work.

Your dog died and you got a new kitten….

After listening to self for a minute, I said Oookay, and I didn’t feel too bad.

But then the selfish self had to wonder… am I still relevant? Not that I base my self worth on my writing but… you know.

So I typed my name and search-engined myself.

Great. At least I still appear in the www sphere.

But I found a piece of me in a place I had not heard of.

Fnac. F what? 

Est-ce que tu parles français

Lord no. But I have been known to fake it.

So, in a nutshell that is what’s up. Or down.

If you don’t hear much from me it is safe to assume I am probably wandering in the woods or on the beach or working on a story even if it is in my head.

Stay well. Be happy.

XoXo

Read an eBook Week #Tbt

/ Janna Hill / Leave a comment

Ah I vaguely recall my start as an independent writer; it almost seems like a lifetime ago.

I can’t even remember how I found [the oddly named] Smashwords, but I am glad we connected. Mark Coker’s publishing platform really simplified my life.

And then Draft2Digital with Books2Read came along with their pretty little layouts and boom I had a new crush. And a new distributor.

But I never left Smashwords.

By the way, it is true Smashwords and Draft2Digital are merging and I think that’s a good thing.

I’m not sure if Smashword’s support of the annual Read an eBook will continue in the years to come, but it is going on right now through March 12th. I, of course, am participating. Several of my books are available free or at a drastically reduced price. Just scroll through and check it out.

I believe The Perpetual Series was the first, or one of the first books I published with Smashwords; that was in 2013. Can you believe that?

I recall making the cover from a photograph I had taken of a flower blooming in the yard. Sadly, that flower never returned.

… that flower and so many other things.

Sigh

Happy Thursday Y’all. XoXo

TikToking (Tuesday’s Tell All)

/ Janna Hill / Leave a comment

Whew, the title alone☝️is a mouthful. Alliteration much?

I haven’t been very productive as a writer (or anything else). I blame it on a lot of things, heck the heat here in Texas by itself is an acceptable excuse [and I have lots of excuses] but the truth is …

I found TikTok about a month ago.

My Lord, I have stayed up late nearly every blasted night for the past month gobbling this junk up like a crack head crashing after a week long binge.

I might need an intervention.

Nah, like most things, I will probably get bored with it and it will be poof! “physician heal thy self.” But until then…

Tik tic- tick tick – TikTok.

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This video doesn’t exist

I’m TikToking @ https://vm.tiktok.com/JL7Qw3J/

Ready For Takeoff

/ Janna Hill / 5 Comments
Whew! Man, I have been busy!

How busy you ask? Well, busier than a one-armed wench in a fistfight!
I mentioned last month I was starting a new story and indeed, I did. In fact, I started two stories. See, I told you I was busy. Busier than a cat scratchin’ sh*t on a marble floor – and about as productive.
So, I started a couple of new projects only to find out a few older ones had been neglected. Arrrgh, right?! To make a long story short I will be flying solo. This independent business just got real (er). I still have my proofer but… did I tell you how busy I’ve been? Yeah. Busier than the headless horseman in a pie eating contest!
Where is he gonna put all of that pie?
Anyway, a week or so ago we took the evening off and drove to Terrell for the Fly In/ Flights of Our Fathers. We needed a little R & R and nothing says rest and relaxation like walking fifty miles in 110 degree Texas heat – in flip-flops. I’ve got blisters the size of Dallas between my toes! It ain’t pretty y’all.
And the drive… Oh my gosh Terrell is every bit of fifteen miles from where I sleep. That is twenty minutes in the car no matter how you slice it. Lord have mercy, all of this walking and driving and writing and re-writing…

Good News – Bad News

The good news, I half-ass re-re-re- edited the books that make up The Rage Trilogy. I do not believe authors can effectively edit their own work – but I am giving it a go. Physician heal thyself! Hmm, we will see.
I also ran a ‘cuss check’ and omitted 899 a few curse words. I rewarded me with a lollipop.
The bad news, I am behind schedule for the next two projects and people are wanting to rent blister space. Of course I had to tell them NO. I do not need people living on my feet, the ones taking up space in my head are more than enough. I did however offer them my flip-flops.
Anyhow, after all of that prattling I suppose it’s time to put my big girl panties on and ready for takeoff.
Until next time, here are a few shots from the airport.

Living Out Loud

/ Janna Hill / 5 Comments

A bit about the East Texas Book Fest last weekend and then I must get back to writing.


The meet and greet at the Potpourri House Friday evening was entertaining to say the least. Kim and I, myself and Kim, Kim and me (all six of us) found ourselves seated with a journalist, a professor and an adorable retired engineer that had written his first book. The seating was not prearranged, that’s just how it happened. We didn’t mingle much past that due to being inebriated time constraints.

Take 2 cards and call me in the morning.

We barely made it to the book fest on time. Puffy eyed and sleep deprived but on time. We were so excited!
It took all of 30 seconds to arrange our tiny display, say hi to a few folks. ..

Then we were off to check out the festivities. There were authors out the wazoo, writers of everything imaginable, artists and a few esteemed educators but this really grabbed my attention.

Forensic sculptor Amanda Danning was so gracious. Despite our interrupting her lunch, she shared her talent and knowledge with such passion. Between bites of ham and cheese (or was it turkey?) she explained the process of facial reconstruction while her husband narrated the history behind each work of art. They are both amazing.

So all in all I would say the East Texas Book Fest was a success. Will it boost sales? I do not have a clue and you know what? I’m okay with that.  After all, I’m just living out loud and flinging cake against the wall.

Inspiration

/ Janna Hill / 1 Comment

I am still officially out to lunch but you know how it goes when a story gets inside your head and the schizophrenia kicks in. An old photograph comes alive, the landscape shifts, characters start cropping up and voila, The Sharecropper’s Son is conceived.

 

I have about two thousand (totally fictitious) words written so far and I have no idea how long the story will be. There are no deadlines to meet and though the destination is set, the path is not carved in stone. The only thing I know at this point is that I am excited to let the story tell itself.

What’s New in My Indie Adventure???

/ Janna Hill / 6 Comments

What’s New in My Indie Adventure???

Well… I created a discount e-store that only carries paper books by moi.  Y’all know I speak French, right? Right!  I don’t know if anyone will ever see it and I don’t really like the way it feels and functions but I did it by golly. So I have been productive! I’m one of those that has to be productive [in varying degrees] to feel comfortable- not perfect, just productive. It is too hot outside and I haven’t got my writing mojo back so there you go. I sat around in the A/C all day. I also consumed a cookie jar full of vanilla wafers and a jar of peanut butter. Eating is considered productive. Y’all know I can eat and type at the same time so I dabbled with banners, background colors and discount codes over at CreateSpace

CreateSpace is an Amazon venue, they print/provide the trade paperbacks for six of my books. They also offer an e-store option and discounts. If you don’t care for discounts (real ones) then you ain’t been poor enough yet. I’ve been poor. Poor as a church house rat and too poor to pay attention. Of course at the time I didn’t know I was poor, I had to be told “damn girl you’re poor.”  I believe rising from poverty helps a person not fear failure. Been there, done that- I ain’t scared. I recall one time  Grandma  and I –Oh dear that was a rambling digression.

So back to this store that is probably tucked away in the boondocks of cyberspace. I don’t mind that a new window pops up every time you click the ‘more’ link, it apparently keeps up in the shopping cart but already I have complaints about not being able to delete an accidental add to cart. These darn cousins of mine keep me in business but there’s four-hundred a handful of them that complain about the slightest things. (Not you – you know you’re my favorite.)

What Else is New…

I updated my LinkedIn profile. I didn’t know they had changed and it is like starting over. I got as far as hanging a picture on the wall and accepting a few invitations. (Sorry LinkedIn I don’t want a job right now. I do have one friend/connection I knew before LinkedIn. Morgan McFinn. He is a sophisticated slob. Sophisticated  and slob are my words but he doesn’t speak much higher of himself. He’s a funny guy.

Before I start babbling again I named the store Discount Direct. You can not buy tires, appliances or clothes but you can get 15% off of six different books (by moi) by buying direct and then you can sit naked in your car with bald tires at KFC because your fridge went out. I had to heard of that once.

DISCOUNT DIRECT HEADER FOR CS 15% OFF

P.S. Closed up shop before the ink dried. My friends/fans/family deserve better.

The First Year as an Indie (Lessons Learned)

/ Janna Hill / 42 Comments

Part I

Can you believe I have a solid year behind me in this adventure as an independent author/publisher? My how time flies when you’re having fun.

So what have I learned other than how to type while holding fried chicken in one hand and a biscuit in the other? A lot!

Do I have any advice for beginners? Oh yes indeed I do and my first pearl of wisdom is this: cut the biscuit in half, strip the chicken and make a sandwich. It will be much easier to handle. I would also suggest turning the keyboard over and gently shaking the crumbs loose verses picking between the keys. That tip will save you time and keep your proofreader from returning your manuscript un-proofed with a note that says Get back to me when you’re sober!

I don’t have any real pearls but if you’re interested I’ll be happy to share a handful of pebbles and opinions.

#1 Support: Get some! No man is an island. Editing, proofreading and polishing don’t necessarily mean stripping away your authenticity. Surround yourself with people you can trust, people who are willing to encourage you, offer constructive criticism and be brutally honest when necessary. If your book is your baby prepare it to face the world and get that baby some child support. Lesson: Keep it real even in fiction. Find people you can trust (paid or voluntary) and listen to them.

#2 Reviews: Good reviews are fabulous but they don’t guarantee massive sales. On the other hand bad reviews definitely hurt sales. Responding to bad reviews and personal insults is a no-no. Lighten up, insults can be funny. Learn from the constructive ones and laugh at the assholish ones. Yes, I just made assholish a real word. Not everyone likes spaghetti so what makes you think everyone will like what you dish out? Lesson: There will be haters. Get used to it.

#3 Social Media: I firmly believe in building an online presence and interacting. I said in- ter-act-ing. That means relating to people,not only networking and connecting but talking and occasionally having a conversation. I tend to avoid a couple of the most popular media sites for that very reason. How do you respond to “Buy my book! My book’s on sale!” You say something like “I see you’re from Manhattan. How is the weather there?” And they respond with “Here’s a link to Amazon. Be sure to leave a review.” Lesson: In-ter-act.

I like blogging. I’m not sure how many book sales it has garnered (if any) but I enjoy it. It’s like bloggers are… wow, I don’t know… like they are real human beings or something. Lesson: Blog away. Blogging has zero calories and you meet great people from all over the world. It’s an inexpensive means of travel and sometimes you find the inspiration needed for your next story.

While we are on the topic of blogging allow me to weave in an experience related to marketing. I recently consulted with a couple of PR firms who shall remain nameless. One suggested I buy their book (argh). Um, no. I am looking for someone to create “the buzz” for me — just do it okay?! The only buzz I am motivated to create comes in the aftermath of consuming liquor.

The second person (much more helpful) looked at my social media sites and informed me I was not promoting myself enough. The conversation went like this:

“You’re just there” she explained while politely pointing out I was not utilizing said media properly.

“I’m sorry but one more ‘buy my book-my book’s on sale’ and I may rip the arm off of this chair. I can’t do it that’s why I contacted you special magic guru lady.”

“It’s not that easy anymore. What about your blogger account?” She was scanning search results as we spoke, “Do you have one?”

“Well sure. I posted something about 2013 releases but I’m more comfortable at WordPress.”

“Let me see what you are doing on WordPress…  It seems your focus is on photography and just hanging out?”

“Yeah, it’s like a bar/library/art gallery, cool huh? Except they don’t serve drinks. It’s  BYOB.”

“That’s fine but you need to squeeze in a pitch directing readers to buy your books.”

“I have a website listing most published works. Just google Janna Hill and you’ll find me.”

“That’s not enough. You’re going to have to get more involved in promoting yourself. You have to get out of your comfort zone.”

“Oops my macaroni is burning. I’ll have to get back to you.”

Lesson: Even for a fee no one will do it all for you. I need to “get out of my comfort zone.”  Hell no Maybe I will but if I ever respond to a greeting with “Buy my book. Leave me a review” somebody shoot me please.

*BYOB: bring your own bottle could now mean bring your own book.