A Matter Of Pride

She's in the mirror again
using those words
familiar
as the spark blows
across your mind
igniting the fire
that began
it all

She's your reflection again
using all of the bits
you buried
or pretended you did
under layers of dullness
years of the nothing void you hid in
that accumulated into 
reruns of your mind that
the picture sitting 
on your mantle of pride 
now holds

the ghost
of fascination
constructed from the mold of you
that now suffers
because 
in the mirror 
all she sees is
you
running
away.

Run by Noah Stacey on ArtStation

Why I Love Being An Indie Author

Since the first time I wrote a story and let someone read it, I have wanted to be an author.

My father loved my story so much that it was published in the Virginian Pilot - Ledger Star newspaper in my hometown (where he just so happened to be an editor of said paper) when I was seven years old. 

All through my school career, my English teachers loved me, I was in the newspaper club, the yearbook staff, and I focused on writing in any way that I could. I never thought I could make a career at it.

Then, I got swept up into life and got married, had two children, and wrote when and where I could. As I learned and practiced more, I started to enter my stories into competitions on the internet. I won and was paid for writing my story for The Legendary. 

After that, I began to consider writing and being published. I wrote and saved over the days as I took care of my family and researched at night while they slept.

I wrote about Drive In Movie Theaters for FilmSnobbery for about a year and enjoyed every minute of it. Drive In Movie Theaters are the best way to experience all movies, by the way.

Just in case you forgot like a crazy person.

I kept writing on Tumblr, and Facebook, and Twitter, and all of those other places you find yourself immersed in online and stumbled across CreateSpace. That was it. CreateSpace helps you format and edit not only your words but your book cover! It gave me total creative control over my book and I excitedly started putting my first book together. 

Of course you can still purchase it here

It was done! I had done it! And people were buying it! It was almost a surreal experience.

My second book followed shortly after and I was so excited for the whole process again. I put it together using my own creative control, published, and it was well received as well!

Also still available for purchase 

 Now, there are some pros and cons I've found being a self-published author and I'm going to share them with you.

PROS

• You have 100% creative control. You decide what goes in and what stays out. You have all of the creative freedom in the world.
• It's an excellent way to learn the process of your craft, all the way down to how books are bound.
• You get as many copies as you need for promotions, giveaways, and signings for free. 
• YOU DID IT. Yeah, just that feeling. That feeling of accomplishing a lifetime goal is the biggest pro of being a self published indie author.

CONS

• MARKETING. Get ready to HAVE to learn everything you never cared about! You should be able to get a marketing degree from Google for all of the tips, tricks, stats, graphs, blahhblahblah you have to research to get even an inkling of a tip or trick to get your book out there. You are definitely going to have to eat it on marketing and just pay someone to do it if you can swing it. I've tried myself and I've paid others to do it and when I've paid others to do it, it always turns out much, MUCH better.
• You are now grouped in with "What's Up With Needles?!" by Anti-vax Mom and "Hey, Aliens Are Real, Join My Cult!" By Crazy O'Ridiculous or the zillion "Marketing Master Entrepreneur Real Pro Tips" By Basic Business Guy/Gal In A Business Suit on the cover as the type of authors people associate self published authors with. 
• You are going to learn a lot about royalties. You'll have to learn to negotiate and fight for your work to get the money you deserve. Although, once you can negotiate the right terms, you'll be so happy, especially when you get your first check!
• It's A LOT of work. Expect to put a lot of work into it. It's more than just writing once you are publishing.

But, it's so worth it. I love being an indie author! I love having complete control over my words and how I present them to the world. But most of all, I proved to that little seven year old girl that yes. Yes, you can write a book. And you will.

And, you did.

I'm working on my third book at the moment which will be another collection of poems. I hope to have it out by next autumn but maybe I will get it out sooner. Either way, I'm excited to be closer to my next publication! 

What do you love about being an Indie Author?

Heavy

Heavy
This feeling that is
weighing over me

I look over my shoulders
to see if it's the world rotating upon them

but all I see 
is that monkey

Glaring with his 
red eyes
snarling
gnashing nightmare teeth

that
will
chew
right
in

Heavy
this burden

This burden 
I am...

Cartoon

You're a cartoon
he said

and just like that I was
dead

Cartoons
he said
we all are

Just scripts 
code
snippets
pictures
memories of

Caricatures
he said
We who live in houses
made of skeleton bones
paste over our real skin 
with misery's breath

You're a cartoon
he said

and
just like that
I was
dead.

Source

Voices Of Social Media

It is amazing how much social media dominates people's lives.

I started my journey into the internet way back in 1996. I was twenty years old.

It's really hard for my kids to understand that no, the internet did not exist in my life until I was 20. They have always had the internet. 

Windows 95 had just hit critical mass and everyone had a desktop computer in their house. I was a new mom and started out looking for tips on pacifiers in a chat room and twenty one years later, I literally would not have a job without the social aspect of the internet. 

It is insane to sit back and think about how important social media is not to just us, but the entire world.

A virtual global free market has sprung up because of it! 

I started out with chat rooms, was a moderator on a forum for awhile, started my blogging career on XANGA, and then MySpace happened. 

Then onto Facebook, and Twitter, and Instagram, and now Pinterest. It is ever moving. A new social media site was just announced last week. You guys can join it, but I am exhausted.

                                                photo via

Social media is where the majority of people get their fake news, nowadays. I love Twitter, I go to Twitter first for news. Facebook is friends and family stuff. Instagram for photos and Pinterest for everything I am planning. It's like the first and last step of every day. Wake up, check, have a day, check, sleep.

Back to that virtual global free market, did I mention that I love it? I have met and done business with people from all over the world due to social media! I have found some great products and met some great folks to network with. Sometimes, because of luck. Sometimes because of social media optimization. There are many different ways to call attention to yourself on the internet, that's for sure. Social media and advertising are besties because of it!

In order to do business, you have to attract business, right? I never thought I would be the type of blogger to use any SEO tactics but now I am surprised I hadn't sooner! Sometimes, it can feel like you are screaming into the wind but because of the internet, specifically social media, there is always the chance that someone will hear your voice through the jumble. And that's all bloggers really want, I think. To be heard through the noise.

How do you drive traffic to your brand?  Have you noticed how well social media and advertising work together?