My First Fan Letter + Amazon Ranking Roller Coaster

It wasn’t just Emerson sweating things last week. I was riding a ranking roller coaster. Moving from the tens of thousands to the hundreds of thousands over the course of two days on Amazon.

I had no concept of what was good or bad, but watching my ranking drop into the 300K arena sucked all the air out of my lungs. This had to be bad. Something that shouldn’t be happening.

So I reached out to my published buddies. I needed a benchmark. I needed affirmation of what was happening and then possibly consolation. They assured me that for a debut indie author I was doing pretty well. But it still stung. No one wants their book to be unpopular.

I wasn’t expecting to break into the top 1000 any time soon. I was kinda hoping for that slow build.  So when my ranking plummeted, it hurt.

But then the the best surprise in the world arrived…

My first fan letter!

From my aunt in Arizona.

We hadn’t seen each other in years, but we reconnected on FB. And she devoured my book. Loved it.

So much that she took the time to hand write me a thank you note, where she actually thanked me for writing Six Train. Wow. I never expected to receive anything like that.

She also made me an adorable handmade writer doll that looked like me and gave me a lovely handkerchief.

I was so touched by the gifts and the card. By the time and care my aunt put into them just to let me know that my book mattered.

It made me realize rankings are interesting, but they don’t count how many hearts you’ve touched. And for me, knowing I moved one person with my words is the best feeling in the world.

It makes all the work, all the self doubt, all the uncertainty worth it.

Where in The World Has Kourtney Been?

Over the past week, I started my blog hopping to promote The Six Train to Wisconsin!

So far, it’s been a blast.

I stopped by the awesome Peter Andrews’ How to Write Fast Blog on 5/10/13 to talk about my inspiration for Six Train and share a few productivity tips.

This Monday, the fabulous Carrie Rubin of The Writer’s Transition shared her rib-tickling take on Grandma H as a mindreader.

And yesterday, the amazing Fel Wetzig of The Peasants Revolt picked my brain about what type of drink I am, my writing process, and why I use a pen name for my YA.

Thank you to Pete and Fel for asking cool interview questions and giving me a chance to showcase my book. Thank you to Carrie for featuring my book and inviting readers into the world of Grandma H.

To showcase the generous and talented bloggers who are hosting me, I am going to dedicate one post a week to listing where I’ve been. I hope you’ll check out a few of them and maybe find a few new blogs to follow.

******

This week I received my first official book review from Sandra Schwayder Sanchez of BookPleasures.com! Thank you Sandra!

And a big thank you to the blog buddies and readers have taken the time to post  Amazon reviews! Thank you thank you thank you to EllaDee, Carrie, Catherine, Jen, Robin, and Marilyn!

Yesterday, I kicked off Six Train’s Biggest Fan Giveaway to thank all my supporters and readers!  Taylor Swift is one of my favorite artists, so I’m giving away two tickets to her 7/6 concert in Pittsburgh, PA. You can find out more details and enter the giveaway here: http://www.facebook.com/kourtneyheintzwriter/app_228910107186452

Coleen Patrick Dishes on Her Indie Journey

Today, the lovely and talented Coleen Patrick has stopped by to talk about her fabulous debut YA novel, Come Back to Me. I’ve been following Coleen’s blog for a while now and I love her uplifting take on writing and life. Last week’s post to Give Yourself the Stamp of Approval really resonated with me and I’m delighted to have her here on my blog!

1) Challenge time…in just a sentence or two can you summarize what your book is about?

At the heart of the story, Come Back to Me is about hope, friendship, and love—and discovering the choice we have in terms of our own happiness.

2) Why did you choose to indie publish?

About two years ago, I’d been hearing a lot of buzz about blogging, author platforms, and indie publishing. I had two “finished” manuscripts at that time, but wanted a break from the query process. So, I decided to start blogging, figuring I’d give myself a year to decide on how I wanted to move forward.

In the meantime, I edited, wrote two more stories, connected with writers online, and learned so much more about the publishing business.  I also started to become comfortable with the idea of the indie route. The more I researched it, the more I became interested. Maybe it’s because I’m the oldest of four siblings, but I loved the idea of being in charge!

3) What has been the hardest/most time-consuming part of the process?

The hardest part for me is the promotional aspect of the business. I’m not a natural salesperson! I’m working on finding strategies that work with my introverted personality, as well as pushing myself a little out of my comfort zone. I know it’s possible! I once thought starting a blog and interacting on social media was a huge stretch. I hope I will eventually find a rhythm for the promo side too.

4) What has been the most rewarding moment of your journey to date?

Connecting with readers! I always imagined what it would feel like to see (and hold) my book in print, but I completely underestimated the moment of meeting someone new and having them talk to me about my story and characters. Really awesome.

5) What’s next?

I’m working on a YA series—the first book will be out late fall. The story is about friendship, family, and how the main character, Grace, deals with falling in love with her best friend. The great thing about writing Grace’s story is that she’s funny.

BACK COVER BLURB

Whitney Denison can’t wait to start over. She thought she had everything under control, that her future would always include her best friend Katie… Until everything changed. Now her life in Bloom is one big morning after hangover, filled with regret, grief, and tiny pinpricks of reminders that she was once happy. A happy she ruined. A happy she can’t fix. So, she is counting down the days until she leaves home for Colson University, cramming her summer with busywork she didn’t finish her senior year, and taking on new hobbies that involve glue and glitter, and dodging anyone who reminds her of her old life.

When she runs into the stranger who drove her home on graduation night, after she’d passed out next to a ditch, she feels herself sinking again. The key to surviving the summer in Bloom is unraveling whatever good memories she can from that night. But in searching for answers, she’ll have to ask for help and that means turning to Evan, the stranger, and Kyle, Katie’s ex-boyfriend. Suddenly, life flips again, and Whitney finds herself on not only the precipice of happy but love, too, causing her to question whether she can trust her feelings, or if she is falling into her old patterns of extremes. As she uncovers the truth about her memories, Whitney sees that life isn’t all or nothing, and that happy isn’t something to wait for, that instead, happy might just be a choice.

AUTHOR BIO

Coleen Patrick grew up in New Jersey, Virginia, Michigan, Louisiana, and Indiana. Always being the new kid, she learned that books and friends are precious–and dessert. She never met a dessert she didn’t like (except for flan).

When she’s not writing, reading (or avoiding flan), she enjoys TV, arts and crafts, quoting movies, and trying to take cool photos.

She lives in Virginia with her husband and two kids.

*****

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Website/blog http://coleenpatrick.com/

Twitter @coleenpatrick https://twitter.com/ColeenPatrick

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/coleenpatrick

Pinterest http://pinterest.com/coleenpatrick/

Instagram http://instagram.com/coleenpatrick

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6980394.Coleen_Patrick

*****

PURCHASE LINKS (alternatively, all purchase links are also on my book page http://coleenpatrick.com/my-books/ )

Amazon (ebook or paperback) http://www.amazon.com/Come-Back-to-Me-ebook/dp/B00BPK0H4S/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1362580213&sr=1-2&keywords=come+back+to+me#reader_B00BPK0H4S

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/292193

Nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/come-back-to-me-coleen-patrick/1114821506?ean=2940044359246

Apple iBookstore https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/come-back-to-me/id617214528?mt=11

Kobo http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Come-Back-to-Me/book-yKuCjnwhiUCAx28PE3feYw/page1.html?s=-vvm35qLB0iGA30izVQxog&r=1

Sony https://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/coleen-patrick/come-back-to-me/_/R-400000000000000988203

Many Thanks + What’s to Come

Thank Yous

A big thank you to JM McDowell for featuring Six Train on her blog! It made my week when I saw my book there. Thanks so much JM!

And a “wow I made it” thank you to Carrie Rubin for featuring me in her everchanging blog roll of spectacular blogs she follows!

And a thank you to Johnnie over at The Place for Ebooks Blog for  featuring The Six Train to Wisconsin as one of the best in new ebooks from tomorrow’s literary stars! Thanks Johnnie, *blushing* that’s such a huge compliment!

I also want to say thank you to every one of my blog followers. You guys were there every step of the way with me. Cheering me on and propping me up. I wouldn’t be at this point without you!

 

What’s to Come

I have a giveaway going on over at Goodreads for 10 paperback copies of The Six Train to Wisconsin. The giveaway will run from now until May 20th.

Since the publication date moved up, there are things in motion that aren’t quite here yet. Still a lot going on behind the magic curtain.

I will be selling a limited number of autographed paperbacks through Paypal. The link isn’t set up yet, but my web designer is on it.

As you all know, I’m a huge Taylor Swift fan. So how else would I thank my readers than with a giveaway of two free tickets to see Taylor Swift July 6th in Pittsburgh, PA? This will be Six Train’s Biggest Fan Giveaway running from May 15-31. You will get points for tweeting, liking, and purchasing The Six Train to Wisconsin.

My Facebook release party is still scheduled for 5/28/13–planning is underway.

I just taped a radio show “Everything Internet” that will air Sunday May 12th on 660 KSKY Radio in Dallas Fort Worth, WCRA in Decatur, IL, and FamilyNet Radio hosted by Ed Frazier and Lisa McKibben. I should get a link next week if anyone wants to check it out.

And there will be a guest blog tour kicking off in mid-May and a book tour starting May 30th.

Wonderful Happenings in Kourtneyville

It’s been a mad crazy ride the past two weeks here in Kourtneyville. And I’ve loved every second of my life. A big thank you to my publicist, Jennifer Fusco of Market or Die Author Services–none of this amazing media stuff would have happened without you!

I had a full page feature in the local newspaper, Republican American, April 22nd. That gave me a media burst!

I appeared on CT Style May 2 with Teresa LaBarbera to talk about my book and my journey from Wall Street to Wolcott.

I wanted to have the ebooks ready for the appearance, so the last week of April was 12 hours days of proofing and tweaking and perfecting with Rik Hall.

Newsday Long Island picked up the AP article about me “Author Turns Wall Street Layoff into Second Career“!

Createspace has been absolutely awesome too. I reverse my previous opinion of them. They got things to me faster than I expected and I had the physical proof in my hands on May 2. I held it and flipped through it. It was a quiet, almost religious moment. Then I approved the book for publication and order copies for my signings.

Big thank you to Createspace for helping me meet and beat my deadlines.

They estimated me a 5-7 business days for the book to be on sale on Amazon, and it was available the next day!!! AMAZING turnaround time on their part. They turned out a top notch interior and despite being a big company they were responsive to my needs and exceeded my expectations in meeting my crunch time deadlines! Go Createspace!

I also received my shipment of BookBaby books. I’m torn on which interior formatting I like better. BookBaby’s is simpler and more streamlined. Createspace is more artistic. I’m super pleased with how both versions turned out.

 

You might have noticed the buy links for the books that appeared on the blog with no real fanfare. The fanfare is coming, I promise. I’ll tell you more in Thursday’s post.

So mini-drumroll please…

The ebook is now available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords. The ebook is the simpler version. Just the story. No bonus content.

*Big Wave* Thanks to Pete and Cha–my European friends for purchasing the ebook! And thanks to my terrific blog buddies in the U.S. for buying it too! I hope you enjoy it.

The paperback is available on Amazon and it comes with fun bonus content–photos I took of the places Kai and Oliver visit, a book club discussion guide, and the original short story I wrote in 2010 that became this novel. And it’s got fun fonts and glyphs.

I figure if you pay more, you should get more.

I haven’t been this busy or this happy in a very long time. Thanks for being a part of my journey! I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without all the bloggers and readers who’ve supported me and cheered me on. 10,000 thank yous!

Brenda Novak’s Charity Auction For The Cure

Back in 2010, I needed agent and editor and published author feedback on an early version of The Six Train to Wisconsin. I stumbled across an ad in Writer’s Digest about Brenda Novak’s Online Auction For The Cure of Diabetes.

The proceeds of the auction go to a great cause–to find a cure for diabetes. It’s a cause close to Ms. Novak’s heart. Her son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at 5 years old.

The prizes are every writer’s dream. Lunch with a NYT Bestseller. Having a Big 6 editor critique your first 50 pages. Having an agent critique your pages and getting a follow up call with them.

For readers, there are signed copies, previews of new work, author interaction.

The online auctions will be going on throughout the month of May. But individual auctions have different opening and closing dates. Make sure you set up an account and get alerts so you don’t miss out on your dream items.

I think the feedback from this auction played a huge role in my being an Amazon Breakthrough Novelist Award Semifinalist last year.

She has thousands of items and experiences up for auction. Worth every penny. And those pennies go to such a great cause.

Check them out, you might just find something that propels your work to heights you never imagined.

http://www.brendanovakforthecure.org

Getting The Call From an Editor and an Agent

 

This has been the craziest, best spring of my life. As I prepared to indie publish The Six Train to Wisconsin, I got “The Call” from Harlequin.

Except I was editing and didn’t hear the phone ring. LOL. So it went to voicemail. But she immediately sent an email to contact her. When I got in touch with her, it was awesome. She really liked Reckonings, my first YA novel.

She had revisions she wanted, but she wanted to make an offer on it!

I almost fell over. This was my first novel. The one I wrote in 2006. The one I cut my writing teeth on. The one I workshopped and submitted to critiques for years. The one I’d revised from 120k to 67k because I loved it so much. The one I feared I’d never sell.

And I’d almost given up on it. I’d submitted to 192 agents and 15 publishers over the years. The last publisher had a lovely editor who gave me a page of feedback, saying I could revise and resubmit to her. I taped her email over my desk. It was the kindest rejection I’d ever received. It buoyed my spirits.

She recommended I submit to this Harlequin editor.

I did. Eight weeks later I got the editor call!

But I knew nothing about negotiating book contracts. I talked to my mentors Jenna Bennett and Paige Shelton who advised trying to get an agent to help. So I went through my spreadsheet of agents and contacted the ones that gave me great feedback on the full manuscript to see if they might be interested in working with me.

ICM Partners expressed interest. ICM Partners!!! Agent Lyndsay Hemphill devoured my revised book in a day and we set up a call. She offered to represent me. She was super enthusiastic about the book and she patiently answered all my questions about everything. I immediately wanted to work with her. I signed with her last week.

So I’m delighted to announce Lyndsay Hemphill of ICM Partners will be representing my YA novel and negotiating the offer from Harlequin.

I still can’t quite believe this is all happening. And I am so thrilled to work with such a top notch agency and such a publishing giant!

 

 

My Lifesavers: Rik Hall and Jian Chan

Formatting the paperback book with Createspace was a massive mistake. Every step takes them 5-10 business days. For five minutes of work. For an hour of work. For 6 hours of work. Doesn’t matter. It’s always 5-10 business days.

We are closing in on my release date. It’s now less than 5 weeks away. As of last week, they cannot guarantee I will have the paperback by my signings. But it may happen. That a serious five alarm fire problem that dropped into my lap on last Wednesday. After I hit the panic button, I dug into problem solving.

I found two other sources of book printing. Espresso Book Machine and Book Baby. But they need .pdf files formatted to their specifications for the interior and cover.

Luckily, my ebook formatter, the amazing Rik Hall, was ready, willing, and able to format the paperback interiors on zero notice.

He’s not just a formatting magician, but an actual magician.

Jian Chan  jumped in to reformat the cover two more times to fit these book printers’ requirements.

Jian isn’t just my cover designer and web designer. He’s a musician. A multi-dimensional artist.

Rik turned out a terrific interior in 4 days.

I am so grateful to have Rik and Jian on my team. Otherwise my entire book launch could have been derailed.

Lessons learned: 1) Never rely on one source for the paperback book and 2)  Hire Rik to format all ebooks and paperbacks. His turn around time is phenomenal. His customer service is top notch. His kindness is soothing to nerves more frayed than they should ever be.

And Jian. He’s a bastion of calm. He always gets things done before deadline. And he makes sure I’m in love with his work.

I think I’d be in a corner rocking and crying right now if it weren’t for these two amazing individuals.

How do you thank people for saving your butt over and over again? I can’t begin to figure it out. But I owe these dedicated, hard working wonderful guys so much! 1 million thankyous wouldn’t cover it! But I’d like to begin there.

My First Reading at Fresh Ink NVCC Writers’ Conference

 

There I am at the podium in the Playbox Theater. I was the third author reading an excerpt. I sat in the first row so there was nothing to trip over on my way to the podium. Though I did fear that computer set up behind me might get knocked over by my ample behind. Luckily, none of my fears came to pass.

I’d practiced for a month every other night reading to myself, my dad, my mom, and my dog. I knew the words inside and out. I timed myself every time to make sure I kept it to 8 minutes and allowed time for Q&A.  And I believe all that preparation made all the difference in the world.

The audience responded incredibly well to my novel. They asked questions (I did offer a pen to anyone who asked a question). And they seemed really interested in the story.

Afterwards, they came up to get signed bookmarks and enter my raffle for a free ebook and swag bag. This was my first time ever interacting with readers and it was an absolute pleasure to hear how much they enjoyed my reading and wanted to purchase my novel.

A huge thank you to NVCC and John Greg Harding who organized this entire event! It was a magical day for me as an author.

I got to meet a few other indie authors and commiserate over the ups and downs of the process–Elizabeth Barone and Jason Rapczynski were part of the reading sessions with me.

And the Fresh Ink Literary Journal award winners!—the cover artist was phenomenal (see poster below), the poetry astounding, and the prose intriguing. It was a delight to be in a room with so many talented people.

 

I was in the readings so I missed the workshops, but I did catch the Keynote by Everett Hoagland. He gave an inspiring talk on voice in poetry and read several of his pieces. Perfect way to end a literary day.

 

I’ll definitely be back next year. Thanks NVCC for putting on a stellar one day event for writers and authors!

 

The Author Swag Has Arrived!

After hours of pouring over 4imprint.com‘s website for the perfect tote bag, I found this one. It’s very mod style and has a nice gusset so things can stand up in it. I couldn’t brand it with the book cover because this bag only allows one color of printing and the bookcover didn’t look good. Actually, it looked like a horror novel. I considered changing the bag, but this one is so adorable in person.

Thanks to Jian Chan for helping me figure out what to put on it.

The swag bag will include the bookmark I showed you Saturday too.

One of the many things I learned in consulting was not to waste time. So when I have a question, I find an expert and pick their brain. My darling cousin, Amanda, works as a publicist in NYC. She let me fire dozens of questions at her and gave me back diamonds of knowledge.

One phrase in particular impacted my entire swag process. She told me to link it to the book in some way and personalize it for the reader.

That phrase rolled around in my head. I decided to take one of the pivotal scenes where Kai is facing her mortality and give my readers everything she had in that moment: Kai’s survival kit.

Enter the notepad, where she wrote her last letters to loved ones…

The notepad is also courtesy of 4 imprint.com. I have to say, they were fantastic! Very responsive to emails. Went above and beyond to make sure I was happy with my choices, the artwork proof, and the delivery. I will definitely use them again. The customer service and the prices cannot be beat!

A penlight to write by…

Since I could only put one line on it, my cousin recommended my website since it’s the hub of everything. Info on events, buy buttons, etc.

The pen to write with…

Big thanks to Carrie Rubin for recommending PensRUs to me. They were fast, efficient and the best prices around! I got the three-sided pen so my website and author name appear on the other two sides. I picked green because the 6 train is a green subway line.

Water…

The mini bottle of water and mini Twix are courtesy of Target. They fit into the theme of Kai’s survival kit.

Snack…