INSIDE: Exciting Announcement In Case You Missed It Bookshelf |
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Hey friends! I've waited to tell you my 2021 goals because I wanted to get things set up and official before I announced anything. Now that I've accomplished all of my January goals, I’m ready to share everything with you. I’m super excited, but also extremely nervous about this new journey in my writing career. |
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I've made a HUGE decision. So you understand how I came to my decision I need to give you a short backstory. See what I did there? LOL, Okay moving on... |
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One night I told my Mastermind group how I was struggling with revisions for The Curse of Albina Woods, and they mentioned something I was already debating about. So, I chatted with my amazing friend Amanda Creek. After speaking with her, I spoke with my husband and some of my other writer friends who were all extremely encouraging and supportive. I’ve thought long and hard about everything, so I didn’t come to my decision lightly. |
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So, what's my big announcement? |
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I’ve decided to self-publish my YA Contemporary Fantasy Rhythm of the Stars! Aaahhh! I'm so thrilled to finally share this story and these characters with you all! I hope you're as excited as I am! I plan to take you on this journey with me by sharing the process here in my newsletter. So if you have specific questions, please let me know and I'll make sure to address them. |
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What beta readers said about Rhythm of the Stars |
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It's been a while since I talked about Rhythm of the Stars, so here's a short pitch. |
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Why did I decide to self-publish? Two things have been holding me back from self-publishing. Money Time As far as time, I've been carving out more time for writing while my kids do virtual school. And after speaking with Amanda about how she did an Indiegogo campaign, I felt like self-publishing was more of an affordable option for me. By doing an Indiegogo campaign it will help pay for the expenses of self-publishing, but I can also give back to those who contribute. Plus, by doing an Indiegogo campaign, I can market my book from the very start. Indiegogo has levels like Patreon, so each level has certain benefits, and contributors get different things. I’m handcrafting unique bookmarks with the main gemstones that are part of the magic system in Rhythm of the Stars (moonstone, sunstone, garnet, jade and amethyst). Those who contribute at a certain level will get a one of a kind bookmark. Since I'm creating them, I can make sure each one is unique in someway. If you saw my Instagram story or post with a secret package, it held the supplies to make the bookmarks. Check out the pictures below to see one bookmark I've made. |
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For now, I plan to run my Indiegogo campaign in February and March. I’ll share all the information and link with you when the campaign starts. |
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What goals did I accomplish in January? |
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This month, I set up my Indiegogo campaign, and I secured a developmental editor who will start in March. I also secured a copy editor and cover designer. I can't wait to share the cover and character art with you! It's all coming together and looks amazing! |
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But, J.J., what about The Curse of Albina Woods? I will share this novella with you, I promise. But for now, Rhythm of the Stars (RS) is my priority. I decided this because I’ve tried and wanted to publish RS for years now. Instead of hiring an editor and cover designer for The Curse of Albina Woods, I decided I'd rather share Rhythm of the Stars with you first. I want to get it out to you this year, and maybe book two next year. I hope you all can understand and are excited as I am about Rhythm of the Stars. If you're new or don't remember much about it, you can check out more info on my Books page. You can also check out the Members' page where I have character aesthetics, a crystal quiz, and more! The password to the Members' page is at the bottom of this email. |
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I'd love to hear from you! Reply to this email or contact me on Instagram to let me know if you have any questions for me, and/or if you’re excited about my 2021 plans. |
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Do you need an Author Website? Sale January 28th-31st Use the code: YOUAREHERE I'm an affiliate for Author Brittany Wang's Author Website Boot Camp, and highly recommend it to anyone thinking about creating an author website or revamping an old one. There's a sale this weekend! So make sure to check it out! |
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If you aren't sure how or what to put on your website, you should definitely consider enrolling in Brittany's course. Brittany takes you through step-by-step on how to create a website from scratch using Wix. She also includes other valuable resources you can use! |
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I learned so much from Brittany and her course. It's also self-paced, which I found helpful. If you’re interested, click the button below to use my affiliate link. Disclaimer: The picture above is not mine. It is the property of Author Brittany Wang and is on her website. |
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*** Disclaimer *** As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This newsletter contains an affiliate link. This just means that when you click on the link and shop, I get a small percentage of the purchase. It helps me keep my website up and running with the best content I can give you! So thank you! |
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January This month I read some great books. I really enjoyed... Serpent and Dove (four stars) Blood and Honey (four stars) If you haven't read them yet I highly recommend them! |
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To see all of my reads, follow me on Goodreads. |
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If you have any questions on my projects, books I've read, or writing, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. I'm happy to answer your questions! Also, if there's ever anything you'd like to see in future newsletters, please let me know! |
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Until next time... Keep reading...writing... and dreaming. :) Always, J.J. |
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*** DISCLAIMER: *** All images used above are not my own. They are inspirational images that I found on Pinterest or covers of books I've read this month, so they are the property of their respective owners. If you are one of these artists and want your artwork removed, please email me. |
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By Subscribing to my Newsletter, You are a Member! Take advantage of all the free goodies and insider knowledge by entering the password "JJLibrary" on my Members' Page: | | |
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