Looking Ahead

As the old year succumbs to Father Time, so we all look forward to what the following year might hold for us all. I’m no different and tend to feel a sense of optimism as the New Year approaches. This time last year I was in the middle of chemo therapy, living in Spain and wondering what the future held for me. Now we are living in England and I have no worries about my condition. We are settled into our new life and I have great hopes for my continuing progress in the book world. I have a 30 day promotion with IBD (Independent Book Authors) for my title, The Eagle’s Covenant, beginning on January 3^rd. This is a low key, low budget promotion, but it’s a promotion at least. Second week in January I will be meeting up with the Chindi Authors (www.chindi-authors.co.uk) who I hope will teach me a lot about promoting and marketing my books. I also have plans to continue publishing my titles on Amazon under my name as publisher. At the moment they are published by www.acclaimedbooks.com. This is a ‘collective’: a small group of writers from all over the world publishing under one heading. We are all “directors” of this group but in reality the bulk of the work is done by Peter Lihou, the CEO of the outfit. (He pays our royalties!). Although I will be removing my books from Acclaimed Books, I will still remain a member of the group. But although I will be fully independent, I still have a publisher at www.halebooks.com (Robert Hale Ltd) and Harlequin Books in Canada www.harlequin.com. So I have a lot going for me and titles out there over which I have no control.

My current work in progress (WIP) is back on the shelf again, but simply because of the Christmas period and all that it entails. I have been learning Scrivener and have been putting my WIP there. I’m a long way from being competent at it, but once I get back into some sort of groove in the New Year, I’m sure things will take off. I am also learning Photoshop with a view to buying the software. This is something I need to do if I am to republish my own titles as an Indie on Amazon. It’s more for CreateSpace than the e-books. I’m using the 30 day trial at the moment. I also want to trim my social networking and rationalise it somewhat. By that I mean the use of Twitter, Goodreads and other associated network forums and sites. It can be complicated, time consuming and pointless sometimes, but I do need to understand the why and wherefore of web marketing etc. Pinterest is another which I am told is the No.1 site for promotion (Free). If I could afford it, I would use BookBub: it does what it says on the tin and is a great source for writers.

Well, I knew what I was doing this time last year and I wonder what I’ll be doing this time next year. With luck I will have established myself as a favourite among readers of my genre, and have a better grasp of how to manage myself. But we are all in God’s hands and only He knows what’s in store for us. I do hope that all the readers of my blog, and my books, whatever your beliefs, have a wonderful, happy 2015. See you all next year!