Fear of rejection

I have recently read Kristen Lamb's blog. The subject was "The five mistakes killing self-published authors" and I have to, unfortunately, agree with everything she has to say regarding the subject. I wish I could disagree and shine a ray of light on the self-publishing journey I've been through but I can't. I have self-published two books and honestly I chose that route because I was afraid. I was afraid of being rejected and told that my writing wasn't good enough. I also really just wanted to get my feet wet in the business and this way my way of doing that.

I can say with conviction that even though I am not wildly popular, yet, I am thankful for the exposure and success that I have had. I have just finished my third book which is very different from my first two and am toying around with going to a traditional publisher. Kristen Lamb touches on getting your book ready and doing a lot more work polishing it up and shelling out your own money when going the self-publishing road and again she is right.

I am now on the hunt for a good editor and am willing to pay good money for someone to keep me on the straight and narrow when it comes to polishing the finished product. I read somewhere that you are never really truly done with your book until you have re-written it (or tweaked it) a minimum of four times. Now that sounds crazy and scary but it's true. Writing a great book or even just a good book doesn't happen like it does in the movies. Movies like Misery and Little Women show writers that churn out a book in a day or so and it's perfect...not reality.

If that were case, the New York Times would have it's hands full picking out which best seller they want to back. I also agree with Ms. Lamb regarding writing more. I am currently working on another project even though I have just finsihed a book. If someone out there figures out that you are the writer they want to follow, they won't be prone to do so if you only have one book to offer. My fourth book is in the works. I was talking with a wonderful writer, Carter Wilson (www.carterwilson.com) and he was telling me about defining one's work. This is something that I am struggling with. I am kinda the multi-personality of writing. I do poetry, young adult and scary tales. So now I find myself wondering...who am I? As a writer. With that thought in my mind...I will let you know when I make that decision.

Until next time...keep writing.

New poetry book-Veneficus

I have a new poetry book out, Veneficus. Veneficus is a poetry book of and about spells, hexes and curses-This book broaches the magical realm of spell casting while poking fun at a subject not discussed at the dinner table. Written with quick humor and insight into deep emotion, this book will leave you with a satisfied smile.

Feel free to check out my book on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Veneficus-poetry-about-spells-curses/dp/1461026342/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1354843113&sr=8-5&keywords=Veneficus) or visit my website at www.jennipherdallas.com for more information.

I am also putting the finishing touch on my third book, The Great Chase. This is not a poetry book but a young reader story about a girl's first love and the mystical journey in self discovery. I will be announcing more information about this book on my website. 

 

Thanks for following me on my crazy journey as a self-published writer. 

Welcome all self-published writers

Let me introduce myself. My name is Jennipher Dallas and I am a self-published author of two books, Veneficus and Poetry for Emotion. Both books were published through Createspace.com and both poetry books have very specific niches, which has been an issue for me when it comes to marketing.

I am also sort of a wallflower. Which is not a good thing when you are supposed to go out in public and tell everyone you meet how wonderful your books are. I have tried the standard, Internet recommended methods. I have my own website (www.jennipherdallas.com), I sent out book announcements on my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/jennipher.dallas) and on my twitter account (https://twitter.com/Jennipherdallas). I also have a blog, other than this one, and still my sales are decent at best.

I have created this blog for any and all self-published writers to post information about their work. I am hoping to grow this blog into something that will help the upcoming self-published get their work out to the public and in the process, get a little selfish self promotion on my books too. If you are a self-published writer and would like to share your journey or just post information about your work, feel free. The more the merrier.

As this blog grows I intend to create pages that pander to different genres and then put specific works on those pages. At this time, I am just looking to grow the blog and get some acknowledgement. I look forward to seeing lots of posts and meeting tons of talented writers.

Thanks for stopping by...Jennipher