May Musings

Starting the fifth month of the year that is 2017! Is it too late for a blog about plans for the new year?

Between travel, the loss of two very special loved ones, and just trying to keep up with life in general, I decided that this was going to be a say-YES year to publishing. My own collection of short stories is well on its way to being complete and, via Meadowlark Books, I am working on building a bigger bookshelf for Kansas authors! I was honored to work with my very good friend, Cheryl Unruh, on her first book of poetry, Walking on Water, which was released in April.

Walking on Water - April 2017
meadowlark-books.com

I have found myself returning to this post in recent days, where I wrote, among other things:

"I am convinced that writing is a profession of constantly becoming." 

I guess I have long understood that I find a great deal of satisfaction in simply putting together beautiful books. That I find this process as meaningful--and perhaps even more enjoyable--when I do it for others is still catching up to me. Working as part of a team is fun, and with each Meadowlark book, new team members have added depth and richness to my experience, and Meadowlark, as a publisher, has grown. 

Working so closely with writers fuels my creative fires. Dedicating time to book formatting and production seems to bring balance to my own endeavors in fiction. Each read through a book brings me closer to an author, and more appreciative of the view and perspective that person is sharing with the world through their writing.

Could I get my own work done more quickly if I didn't pursue these publishing endeavors?

In theory, yes. But my reality seems to be that I stay better focused on my own work when I surround myself with other writers up close and personal.

My short story collection is still on its way. I expect to have a proof ordered by the end of May, and I hope to be sharing it with the world by July... or so. In the meantime, there is a lot of becoming to focus on, including writing, publishing, travelling, and time with my family.  I am enjoying living life on that book mountain, helping others up and down the path.

Blog Neglect Does Not Equate With Writing Neglect

Life in July has provided plenty of fodder for topics to write about. I only hope that I have taken thorough enough notes to bring me back mentally to the place where I can eventually get everything I want to write written!

The big event for the month has been the final stages of preparing a book I co-authored with two friends from the Emporia Writing Group. Green Bike is a group novel due to be released the first week of September.

I also got news this month that my short story, Virtual Farm, has been selected for publication in Page & Spine, most likely coinciding with the release date of Green Bike! I made a deal with myself earlier this year that I would submit two new short stories for every rejection letter I received as a way of boosting my output... but I failed to set parameters for the occasion of an acceptance. I'm thinking the same deal -- two out for every response received. This means I'd better get to work!

Brutal Honesty from a Newbie Indie Author: Ebook Questions & Answers

I got a question via email regarding my thoughts on ebooks. Specifically, "Where did you publish your book, in what formats, and where is it available? What has your experience been so far?"

It was my original intention to publish my book only as an ebook. I had bookmarked Smashwords a couple of years ago and was very impressed with three books by Mark Coker, Smashwords founder. Those books were Smashwords Style Guide (most important for formatting your book for ebook publication), Smashwords Book Marketing Guide, and The Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success. Note that all of these books are free and I highly recommend them even if you have no plan to publish with Smashwords. 

I had a last minute change of heart and ended up publishing my book via CreateSpace as print-on-demand, as well. I'm glad I did, as I've had greater success with print copies than with ebooks at this point. However, as I admitted in a previous post, I did not have any type of marketing plan going into this. My entire focus was on getting the first book published. I've not given up on ebook sales and I like the idea that an ebook has a very long potential shelf life.

Anyway, what I like about Smashwords and why I will likely publish any future ebooks through them first:

Brutal Honesty from a Newbie Indie Author

A new writing aquaintance and I were discussing this article via Facebook and it really got me thinking. I've been studying publishing for years and have spent some time working on the pre-press side of publishing, but I am technically a brand new Indie author. As someone who is just entering the trenches, why not be brutally honest about it? I started making a list of things that I have learned so far and I have to say that the list is already enormous. Rather than dwell on all the many honesties I could share with other authors, I'm going to start right here, right now, talking about my progress so far... and I promise to tell the truth.

I believe there are many Independent Authors getting started who would appreciate a real rather than inflated glimpse of the process. The truth is, most independent authors aren't selling thousands of books. Most of us aren't even selling hundreds. Satisfaction isn't necessarily 100% wrapped up in the number of books sold, however.

So here is where I will start, the beginning.

On March 13, 2013, I released my first novel, Tiger Hunting, as an ebook. In a presentation that I gave later about the act, I referred to Tiger Hunting as my pull-off-the-bandaid novel. I've been writing and publishing in various forms (not novels, not books) for many years and the idea of publishing my own work of fiction, quite frankly, remained a huge and scary endeavor in my mind. Personally, I was at a now-or-never moment of my life. I'd spent plenty of years learning about the craft of writing and had ample time to perfect all the procrastinations and obstacles that might stand in the way of publishing.

... I will be keeping an eye out for more from this author!

Oh! That's right. I'm supposed to be writing the next novel!

With just a little bit more than a month since my semi-official release date... I have started a list of lessons learned and, all along the way, I've been giving myself little pep talks. Don't worry so much about this one, Tracy. Just get to work on finishing the next novel. Stop checking the stats of your sales pages so obsessively. It'll only serve to bring you down. And besides, it's likely they only update once a day, at most, so if you just checked it 3 minutes ago, there's really no need to check again.

I had several weeks at the start when working on the "next" novel was a good distraction. But this marketing thing, I swear, it takes on a life of its own. It can be scary, as well as more than a little exhausting. It can also be a bit of an adrenaline rush while, though positive, is also exhausting.

Reviews from friends and acquaintances are awesome. But that same voice that gives the pep talks also says things like, Well isn't that sweet of her? You have such lovely friends, to say such nice things. All the while implying, of course, that the kind things are more to spare my feelings than anything. Sheesh! Who needs book critics with a voice like this inside my head!

That's why reviews from total strangers are awesome on a whole new level. Here's someone who hasn't shared lunch with you, hung out with you while your kids shared sandbox toys, attended years' worth of writers conventions with you, or looked you in the eye in any way and called you friend.

It's hard for the little voice to give too much grief over a review from someone you've never met before. As well, a 3-star versus 5-star review, even though heart-stopping for a moment, is still a "liked it" rating and who can complain about that? Not me.

Other lessons?

• I've never been so current on all there is to know about the golf star, Tiger Woods. Who would have imagined that a Google alert labeled "Tiger Hunting" would return so much detail about that man's life?
• Most books sell because people spend time selling them. This is a truth I suspected even before I set about publishing my own.
• It is unlikely that any author will build a loyal following of readers with just one book. So... back to the keyboard I go (for something other than checking my sales stats).
• It really can be OCD inducing to have so many places to check how many times your page has been viewed, an excerpt has been previewed, or a book has been purchased. Then again, I like to think of it as fodder for procrastination, and heaven knows I need more of that in my life!

This is a fairly short, light read and super cute! I believe it's something many women can relate to at some point. After all, I know I have, at times, wondered what happened to my "compass needle." There's a little bit of a possible budding romance as well and plenty of humor...had me giggling many times! I will be keeping this one to read again when I need a giggle and a smile. And I will be keeping an eye out for more from this author! By the way, absolutely LOVE Orville! Can he come visit me sometime?

~ Trinity Jo, 5-star Amazon Review

The Secret to Writing in Get 'er Done Mode

I had the pleasure of a lunch date with my son today. Kaman is 12 and he's a fantastic conversationalist. We talked about our current projects and activities; I asked questions and I learned a lot. I learned, for instance, about the possibility of launching a career in comedy via the internet (specifically, YouTube). I also gained a greater understanding of what he is learning in programming and what his ultimate goal is (to learn as much as possible about all the various possible applications of the programming language he is learning, which I think is Java Script).

Kaman asked me a lot of questions about my projects, as well. It is quite clear that he has been paying attention. He managed to query about every angle of my current, multi-faceted career(?) path. Let's just say he had a solid grasp of the things that are important to me and knows a considerable amount about what I spend my time doing.

One question he asked, was this, "If you were to quit working at the farmers market, and didn't need to work at dad's office anymore, would you just spend your time writing, writing, writing and publishing books?"

To which I answered, "Writing some; publishing little."

I had the luxury of time for many years. Sometimes I think of all the free time I had before I had kids... and how seriously I pursued writing through those years. I think I managed two or three magazine submissions and an award in a national short-short story contest. And I worked on a novel or two, of course. Endless starts and zero finishes.

It wasn't until my children came along that I started making true progress as a writer. It wasn't until I was the mother of three that I was regularly publishing pieces for fun and profit. And it wasn't until I was working two part-time jobs, as well as a fairly involved volunteer gig, and trying to keep up with two teens and a tween, that I finally managed to finish and publish a book.

I know it works differently for each person, but I feel little need to get things done when I have all the time in the world. It's when my life is full that I take the approach that I better get 'er done.

“It starts with this: put your desk in the corner, and every time you sit down there to write, remind yourself why it isn't in the middle of the room. Life isn't a support system for art. It's the other way around.”

― Stephen King, On Writing

Whoot! Box O'Books

They arrived today! I have copies of Tiger Hunting ready to deliver into the hands of eager readers. If you are one who enjoys collecting signed copies of books, you may purchase via my virtual book tour at any time. You can pick up a copy at my favorite local bookstore, as well.

The next thing on the list for this great publishing adventure is to create a calendar of events. Until I get to it, here are a couple of save-the-dates. 

• I will be talking about my book at the District 2 meeting of the Kansas Authors Club on Saturday, June 8, in Lawrence, Kansas.
• I will also be participating in the Town Crier Author Extravaganza in Emporia on June 15, from 11:00 - 1:00 PM. 

And between two covers we have the pages of a book!

You've seen the front...

Now I am very pleased to share the back...

Virtual Book Tour -- Taking Place Now!

Blurbs for the back cover are in!

Many Thanks to Cheryl, Max and Gloria.

Tracy Million Simmons takes the reader on a fun romp across the High Plains of southwest Kansas in a hunt for an escaped white tiger. With an engaging story of loss, family expectations, and finding one's way, Simmons shows us that home can be the greatest healer of all.

~ Cheryl Unruh, author & columnist, Flyover People: Life on the Ground in a Rectangular State

The right amount of magic! 

Tiger Hunting is a winner from the start. Most of us have lost our direction at one time or another. Follow Jeni as her search leads through the most unexpected events around Tracy Million Simmons' own stomping grounds of Dodge City, Kansas. 

This book comes with a wonderful insight (for some of us) into the mysterious way a woman's mind works.

I welcome this white tiger to Kansas.

~ Max Yoho, author, Me and Aunt Izzy and The Moon Butter Route

Tracy Million Simmons writes with heartfelt warmth and humor when she develops her characters and their relationships in this entertaining and delightful story.

~ Gloria Zachgo, author, The Rocking Horse