I’m trying.
That’s really all I can suggest I’m doing.
I’m completely dependent on others doing for me here.
I don’t mean, I need people doing work for me.
Well I kinda do. Writing reviews can be an actual job. But I’m not asking for a job level review. More like a few minutes after reading the book with a very basic thought. It can be so simple and I’d just be happy it’s there. It doesn’t need to be five stars or complicated. I don’t care. I just need reviews to exist.
I need to sell more books. I’ll be doing the free ebook sales seemingly randomly over the next year. It’s to increase my sales numbers.
I’ll be dropping prices randomly. I like 99 cent sales. Otherwise my ebooks will be at $2.99, $4.99, or $9.99. Minus [Just a Little Bit of Life] that is too short for me to feel comfortable selling at anything besides 99 cents.
If the ebook has a paperback, it is going to be $4.99.
If the ebook does not have a paperback, it is going to be $2.99.
The final price point would be if I create a series collection such as [Leagende] as six books in one ebook file. I did that before. I may do it again. It would be marked to $9.99.
I’ll probably leave [All or Nothing Vol 1] at 99 cents. Or it’ll drop to 99 cents again when I hit publish on vol 2. I have enough poems for a third volume now… I think… (Check out my Instagram [CatHartliebe].)
I may create six special ebooks + paperbacks + hard covers for Leagende’s six novellas. The ebooks will be the same price as the doubles. Probably. I need to create an amazing cover for it. Special covers. Each one will need new bonus content. All the current bonus content will be included. No guarantees I’ll keep the duos up if I do both the six book ebook special as well as the six specials. New editions are fun.
I have not decided on what my publishing plans are for the coming year. Only that I will be publishing.
I will be reading (more? can’t say) this year. If you have a book you want me to read, let me know. I have a TBR pile, but it’s never big enough.
[Reviews] [Want me to review?] [Want to Offer me a Review?] should make it clear I offer my ebooks to other reviewers. (Everyone can be a reviewer; a few lines means the world to me.) I also accept other’s ebooks for reviewing purposes. No money can exchange hands. Paying for reviews aren’t acceptable. Paying for a service to review is acceptable, but I don’t have those funds. You can let me know of a book for me to buy; it just may take a lot longer to get the review then.
If a book I read has less than fifty reviews on Amazon (or goodreads if not available on Amazon), I will be creating a review as long as I read more than a third of the book. That’s my only requirement. If the book has more than fifty reviews, I may still write a review.
If I am giving 3 or less stars I may not be posting the review anywhere besides here.
Which day will Reviews be posted on? Um… Tuesday or Thursday? Wednesday? I’ll weigh that when I have reviews to post. Sunday doesn’t have a mark either. Maybe then.
I’m going into the tenth year and it still feels like I’m failing. I didn’t put in any effort in 2012. None. In 2013 when I hit publish, I didn’t even have a pen name picked out. I never read up how to do this properly. I just went for it. I figured out the basics and hit publish foolishly. (Cat Hartliebe was decided withing moments of hitting publish literally.)
Since then I have revamped myself several times. I realized many errors. I didn’t even have a cover when I hit publish in October of 2013.
I never really had a hundred books sold in a year. I’m having more books sold than the beginning, but it’s not enough.
The suggestion with writing is ten years is really expected time to succeed. It doesn’t feel like that way anymore. There’s so much luck involved. But if you’re in the business long enough, the luck must fall in your favor at some point. Just keep trying.
Some people walk into publishing with a guarantee.
Others it’s more like a flip of a coin or highly likely besides.
And others like me with no knowledge, no support, disabilities hindrance… I have a low chance. I’ll get hit with a lot of abuse from the media too if I ever did succeed. Because people like me should be left for death not pushed into the spotlight.
I’m trying more. I putting effort in more useful methods. I have my social media platforms. My blog is active. My website has all my work. I’m doing sales. I’m creating promotion images. I’m building my skills with marketing.
I will never be what is truly required from a successful social media star. My disabilities get in the way.
I don’t have the income to use on my marketing either. That’s a hindrance. When I finally make enough money from writing for my marketing, it will only be used for things like covers. I won’t need to pay a reviewing site. People would ask me to promote my work because it would have residuals.
Because to be making enough to pay for my marketing I need to be selling tens of thousands of books a year. If I’m doing that, my name is known.
If I consider when I broke down, deleted everything, and created Tod Leben as my true start, I’m only at year two. Jan 1st, 2021 had me restart everything.
But even for two years, I’m not doing well. If anyone had a business and was putting in my effort and time while making my “profits”, they’d quit.
I’m not giving up.
Even if I never succeed, or die before I do, I will still put in my effort and time. It’s not about having a piece of me live forever. It’s about making someone feel less alone. It’s about giving hope and relief. It’s about helping those who need my books.
I just need to figure out how to get my books in their hands.
And that’s why I’ll keep handing off my books for free. Because my goal isn’t make “all the profits”. My goal is to make someone’s life better.
My books will never help anyone when they exist only in my head or on my computer. I’ll keep going. One day I will succeed.
No. My goal is a success. Already. I just want the number I help to be higher.
If I truly had a goal for this, it would be to sell over a hundred books a year and make a profit over a hundred dollars. I haven’t really done that yet. And I won’t add it to my goals list. Because it’s not something I can do. I can market. I cannot force sales.
All my books are tagged on my home page if you’re interested. Or send me an email if you have a book you want me to read and review. Or leave a message here. I’m open to chatter everywhere I exist.
Any questions, comments, suggestions, I’m open to listening. I suck at this. But the only real goal you can find how to guides for is how to make “all the profits”. Even if found a guide, my disabilities limit my abilities to learn. I take a lot more effort, but once I know something it’s forever.
I’m a genius with learning disabilities. And you wonder why school failed me. Rofl.
Cat Hartliebe 