I'm going to self publish!

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Whimsical Writing

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That's so great, Celeste! What great experiences this weekend.

I feel the same about writing romance. I don't tell many people, including family, that I write because of the stereotypes associated with romance. I am shy about it as well. I had been thinking of going to a local RWA chapter, but like you, I am uncertain about how accepting they'd be. I haven't gone. It's awesome that you signed up for a creative writing class. I bet you'll have the same positive experience as with your RWA meeting.
 

Mclesh

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Celeste, good luck with your writing class! That sounds like fun, actually. (I hope so.) :) And good to hear that your RWA meeting went so well. Sounds like a good, supportive group.

Congrats on your downloads and new reviews!
 

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Ok, maybe I'm just too sleepy to use my brain properly, but what's DFW Writer Con?

Dallas-Fort Worth Writer's Conference. It's a yearly con attended by aspiring and published authors as well as self-pubbers, agents, editors, and all kinds of people. It's a pretty big one, all kinds of genres and writers. They have panels with Q&A, writing workshops, and one-on-ones with agents/editors that allow you a so-many-minutes pitch for your book. It's really cool.
 

Celeste Carrara

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That's so great, Celeste! What great experiences this weekend.

I feel the same about writing romance. I don't tell many people, including family, that I write because of the stereotypes associated with romance. I am shy about it as well. I had been thinking of going to a local RWA chapter, but like you, I am uncertain about how accepting they'd be. I haven't gone. It's awesome that you signed up for a creative writing class. I bet you'll have the same positive experience as with your RWA meeting.

Thanks. And I think you should try looking up your local chapter. The first 2 meetings are free so you can just go and be a "fly on the wall" and see what's it's like.

Celeste, good luck with your writing class! That sounds like fun, actually. (I hope so.) :) And good to hear that your RWA meeting went so well. Sounds like a good, supportive group.

Congrats on your downloads and new reviews!

Thank you!!!

Dallas-Fort Worth Writer's Conference. It's a yearly con attended by aspiring and published authors as well as self-pubbers, agents, editors, and all kinds of people. It's a pretty big one, all kinds of genres and writers. They have panels with Q&A, writing workshops, and one-on-ones with agents/editors that allow you a so-many-minutes pitch for your book. It's really cool.

Wow that sounds so cool!

I'm thinking about going to the RT (romantic times) convention which is in Dallas next year. That's a really big one. I've only gone to one convention (self publishing book expo) and I loved it. I really want to go and see what other conventions are like.
 
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Great numbers! Good luck with the next promo. Also awesome to hear you got to connect with other writers, I'd be a little nervous as well, but sounds like things went well for you.

Hope you enjoy the class!
 

Celeste Carrara

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It hasn't been too long since my promo for my new adult romance, but I have 1 review on Amazon, and two on Goodreads (4 stars) so I guess that's good!
I didn't noticed sales going higher (on my other titles) than usual after the free promo. That was to be expected, because it's my only new adult romance (it's not erotic).

Today I started my free promo for book 1 (Give Me Forever) in my paranormal romance series. 82 downloads so far & I'm sitting pretty on the best sellers list at #10 for free kindle ebooks erotica paranormal, #24 in free kindle ebooks erotica urban fantasy & #72 in free kindle ebooks erotica romantic erotica. I'm happy with that!
And, sales for my other books are picking up too!

I've gotten more reviews for my stand alone erotic contemporary romance, Intimate Desires, and they range from 3 to 5 stars which makes me really happy! But they are all mostly on Goodreads. I have quite a few review copies out now which is always nerve wracking for me.

I'll update again later with the progress of my free promo.
 
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Celeste Carrara

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Great numbers! Good luck with the next promo. Also awesome to hear you got to connect with other writers, I'd be a little nervous as well, but sounds like things went well for you.

Hope you enjoy the class!

Thank you!

Sounds like things are going very good, Celeste. Keep up he good work!

Thanks! This is very exciting :)




Here's an update!
At the end of day one of my free promo for Give Me Forever I had 179 downloads. It was #5 on the Amazon best sellers list for free ebook erotica paranormal, #10 for erotica urban. I'm really happy with these numbers!

So far this morning I've had 16 downloads. The stats for the best sellers list for free ebooks are: #5 on erotica paranormal, #8 erotica urban, & #36 romantic erotica. Oh and #1332 in free kindle store.

The best news is, all my other books are selling really well too.

So this free promo is already doing what I had hoped and I'm very happy I did it. I hope today I beat yesterdays downloads, well see!

*editing this to add - I didn't contact any blogs or websites to announce the free days for either of my free promos. All I did was post it to my blog, Facebook, Google +, Twitter, Goodreads, & this site.
 
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Celeste Carrara

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My free promo is over. The 2nd day went well! Give Me Forever had 105 downloads on the 2nd day and stood at the same rankings as the night before. I have noticed a jump in sales for the rest of the books in the series, as well as my other titles! I would say this free promo is so far a success. I'm curious to see what happens during the next few weeks. I'm wondering if I'll get any reviews from this.

During this time I offered my erotic contemporary romance Intimate Desires free in exchange for an honest review on a couple of groups I belong to on Goodreads. I've already gotten 2 reviews from that. One 3 star, one 4 star. I'm happy about that!

I am sad to report my class I was going to take got cancelled! There wasn't enough students :( I'm going to look and see if I can find another creative writing class in my area.
 

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You've really inspired me to check out a RWA meeting! Glad to see they were welcoming of a self publisher. I really need to meet other romance writers in person. I'm old school and like talking to people face to face.

Sorry about the cancelled class. Registration for winter session will be here before you know it, so don't lose hope!
 

Celeste Carrara

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You've really inspired me to check out a RWA meeting! Glad to see they were welcoming of a self publisher. I really need to meet other romance writers in person. I'm old school and like talking to people face to face.

Sorry about the cancelled class. Registration for winter session will be here before you know it, so don't lose hope!

I'm glad I inspired you to give a meeting a try! The first 2 are free so it doesn't hurt to try it out.

I didn't even think about winter classes! lol I'll try again then :)
 

Celeste Carrara

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Today seems like a good day to post some updates :)

I revealed the cover for In Circles today. (It's my avatar) It's the new adult erotic romance I was working on (novelette). I'll release it on the 24th of this month on amazon, B&N, and ARe for .99. I give up on Kobo. I get no sales there at all. Only 10 since self publishing in 2012 and most of those sales were from the first year.

My website has been updated and I just love how it looks!!

I decided not to do a serial and am turning that story into a, well I'm not sure what yet lol It's a little over 10,000 words, but I could see making this into a novella. So it's still a work in progress. The other short I got back from my editor I'm putting to the side for now. I'm still working on book 5 of my series & it's killing me, but I'm pressing on. I'm also writing a YA fantasy novel, an erotic romance novella, and I've got two ideas written down for 2 more novels! I've got a lot to keep me busy. ;)

I recently purchased a book by Rayne Hall about self publishing & book sales, things to do and not do. It didn't really tell me more than I already knew. But it did help me come to a decision that I needed to make. I am no longer going to blog. I really didn't enjoy doing it and it was a big pain in the you know what for me. I had friends take over my social media, but I felt bad they were doing the blog too. So, no more blogging for me and I'm really ok with that! With that, I also made the decision to take back control of my social media. But, I'm only concentrating on 3 sites. Facebook, Google + and Twitter. Twitter is where I'll be more active socially. I'll use Instagram to post pictures of my city just for fun. Pinterest I'll keep using occasionally. As for Goodreads, I'm not active in any groups right now because they are a huge time suck. I'll stop in from time to time, but I have to spend my time writing!

I attended another RWA meeting and it was a blast! I wanted to try one more before I commited. I'm definitly going to join. The women are wonderful and talented and supportive and I just love being around them!

As for my sales, nothing too impressive to report lol. They are steady which is great, but things died down after my free promos. I have gotten more reviews and they all have been really good, so that's a great thing! I plan on doing another free promo right before Halloween of book 1 in my paranormal series.

Once my time in KDP select expires, I won't renew it. Currently I have 2 books enrolled and I think select served its purpose and there's no need to stay in it after it expires.

I guess that's all the updates I have for now.
Oh, I've been in touch with an old friend and he purchased one of my books & is reading it now. I don't know why the knowledge gives me stomach aches lol There's just something about knowing someone I know is reading my work that gets me so nervous!! Will he like it? Will he laugh at me & think I suck? Would he tell me if he did? Or will he love it? It doesn't help that he's a writer too! On a more positive note, a fellow self pubber here read this same book and just gave it a 5 star review, so that's something to be happy about! I'm just going to focus on that ;)
 

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Celeste, it's good to hear you're enjoying your RWA experience! That's great. Sounds like you're super busy too. I like your new cover! All of yours are very nice, and they tie together well.

Don't feel bad about not blogging. Blogging is tough. People are busy, and it's hard finding a following. I gave up regular posts a long time ago. Now I use it when I have something to say. I don't think anyone's going to hold that against you, anyway. As long as you have a website with your info, you're good.

Good luck with your new release! And don't worry about your friend. I'm sure he'll enjoy your book.

Although, when someone I know reads one of my books and doesn't say anything about it, I assume they hated it. ;)
 

Celeste Carrara

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Celeste, it's good to hear you're enjoying your RWA experience! That's great. Sounds like you're super busy too. I like your new cover! All of yours are very nice, and they tie together well.

Don't feel bad about not blogging. Blogging is tough. People are busy, and it's hard finding a following. I gave up regular posts a long time ago. Now I use it when I have something to say. I don't think anyone's going to hold that against you, anyway. As long as you have a website with your info, you're good.

Good luck with your new release! And don't worry about your friend. I'm sure he'll enjoy your book.

Although, when someone I know reads one of my books and doesn't say anything about it, I assume they hated it. ;)

Thanks! My husband does all my covers, with a little help from me ;)
FYI, still haven't heard from my friend!
 

Celeste Carrara

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In Circles is now available for pre order on Amazon! I decided, why not lol
It'll be released on Fri on Amazon, B&N, and ARe.

I'm doing another free promo for Give Me Forever Oct 29th & 30th. Since it's paranormal, I figured some free days right before Halloween was a good idea. I'll have one more free day left to use after that before select expires.

This week I'm setting a goal for myself. Get my novelette (yes, I decided it'll be a novelette lol) No Cords Attached, Done. I'm putting all other stories aside so I can finish it. I'm going away soon (in 2 weeks!!) and I want to get it to my editor before I leave. I'll work on the cover before my trip too so when I get back I'll have minimal work to do and can hopefully get it up for sale by the end of Nov.
 

Celeste Carrara

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Good thing I checked Kobo just now. I've had a couple of sales there this month and I had no idea! So much for me forgetting about Kobo. I guess I'm going to put my new release there too. :D
 

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Good thing I checked Kobo just now. I've had a couple of sales there this month and I had no idea! So much for me forgetting about Kobo. I guess I'm going to put my new release there too. :D

Kobo has been good to me too. I've had some good promos run over there that have helped sales considerably.
 

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Thanks! My husband does all my covers, with a little help from me ;)
FYI, still haven't heard from my friend!

Tell him he's doing a great job!

About your friend, he probably hasn't gotten to it yet. Of course, I'm still waiting to hear from a friend who said he'd review Normalish...two years later. :D

Congrats on the Kobo sales! My first two books are on there, and I've only had a couple of sales, I think. I hear people do really well with it, though.

Sounds like you're getting a lot accomplished, Celeste!
 

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Great job on everything Celeste! You are busy and have a lot going on, it's amazing! The updated website looks amazing.

Thanks for updating on your Select experience. I never went that route. I think it works better for some than others.

I wish you continued success!
 

Celeste Carrara

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Kobo has been good to me too. I've had some good promos run over there that have helped sales considerably.

Really? I'd love to hear more about what promos you did there.

Tell him he's doing a great job!

About your friend, he probably hasn't gotten to it yet. Of course, I'm still waiting to hear from a friend who said he'd review Normalish...two years later. :D

Congrats on the Kobo sales! My first two books are on there, and I've only had a couple of sales, I think. I hear people do really well with it, though.

Sounds like you're getting a lot accomplished, Celeste!

Thank you! I will tell him :)
Heard back from my friend. He's been crazy busy & is only half way through it, but he said he loves it so far!!

Kobo is just a big mystery to me lol

Great job on everything Celeste! You are busy and have a lot going on, it's amazing! The updated website looks amazing.

Thanks for updating on your Select experience. I never went that route. I think it works better for some than others.

I wish you continued success!

Thank you so much!!
I'm happy to hear you like my site. I'm always tweaking it to try and get it just right lol



Just a small update. I'm just about done with my next release, No Cords Attached. It's around 15,000 words so I guess it's considered a novelette. I'm happy with it and am working on the cover now. Hopefully my betas will like it & then off to the editor it'll go. Once it's released, that'll make 5 stories released this year!!!! Even though it doesn't look like I'll get book 5 in my series out this year, that's still a huge accomplishment for me. Who knows, maybe I can finish book 5 before the end of the year. But I'm not going to put any pressure on myself to finish it. It has to be done right and as of right now, I'm just not sure about the direction I originally planned for it. So, I'm taking a break from it for a bit.
 

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Just a small update. I'm just about done with my next release, No Cords Attached. It's around 15,000 words so I guess it's considered a novelette. I'm happy with it and am working on the cover now. Hopefully my betas will like it & then off to the editor it'll go. Once it's released, that'll make 5 stories released this year!!!! Even though it doesn't look like I'll get book 5 in my series out this year, that's still a huge accomplishment for me. Who knows, maybe I can finish book 5 before the end of the year. But I'm not going to put any pressure on myself to finish it. It has to be done right and as of right now, I'm just not sure about the direction I originally planned for it. So, I'm taking a break from it for a bit.

Congrats! Five in a year is ridiculously impressive to me. And I'm a firm believer in taking the time to do a story right. Who knows, you might just fall into another project while you're taking a break...

YA....

....YA.....


YA............
 

Celeste Carrara

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Congrats! Five in a year is ridiculously impressive to me. And I'm a firm believer in taking the time to do a story right. Who knows, you might just fall into another project while you're taking a break...

YA....

....YA.....


YA............

:ROFL: I'm gonna keep repeating that... YA... YA... YA ;)

And I keep telling myself 5 isn't really impressive cause they aren't all novel length! Maybe I'm too hard on myself lol
 

Mclesh

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:ROFL: I'm gonna keep repeating that... YA... YA... YA ;)

And I keep telling myself 5 isn't really impressive cause they aren't all novel length! Maybe I'm too hard on myself lol

I give you points for juggling everything and continuing to write in the process. No small feat. So have an extra chocolate. :D
 
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