Hi folks!
Exactly four years ago, I was signing my first contract with Entangled Publishing. I knew my book, A Vengeful Affair, got approved a few weeks before that. Still. Signing the contract was a big deal.
I look back and realize so much has changed. I have learned so much more about the craft, and the industry changed a lot too. When I started, I was so green. I mean, I'm still green and trust me, there's still a lot to learn. I guess what I meant to say was I didn't know much. I loved writing, but I was a dummy in so many ways.
Six months after the contract, A Vengeful Affair was released. Thankfully, it got amazing reviews and it was on Amazon's Romance Series bestselling list for a several weeks. Again, I was so green-- I knew nothing about promo. I had virtual no support; I didn't know what a teaser was, or how to make a banner. When someone told me about street teams, I laughed it off. Who in the world would want to invest their time and effort to help me get exposure and boost sales? Really, that was such a silly idea.
Thankfully, the past few years taught me a lot of lessons. In particular, the past two years. Why? Because I was so new at everything, that when my book got picked, I had no back-up plan. I didn't have another romance ready to submit, I had no idea where to go from there. Nowadays, I get antsy if I don't have anything else in the works, with EP or self-pubbed.
Again, I know and hope this is still just the beginning for me. But I must say, all in all, I'm grateful I've been blessed with working with talented professionals. And the street team? I have one now, believe it or not, with well over 300 fabulous members. I'm getting better at promo, although I can't make my own teasers. They suck. Seriously. :)
So. To celebrate my contractversary, I'll give away a digital copy of A Vengeful Affair. For a chance to win, answer the question: what fear have you overcome or would you like to overcome?
