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Showing posts with the label Amazon

The struggle of being an author

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I don't get it. I have been writing since I was 10. It came naturally to me. Never had to think it over. I'd open a book, write Chapter One and the story would flow.  After publishing my second book, I felt the fatigue. I have never had writer's fatigue before. Ever. It is so bad, I have realised I will write as and when the story demands. This includes waking up at 3 AM when the story demands to be written and start writing. I don't know how to navigate this new writing. I won't force it though. I need to like and enjoy the book if I am going to give it to the readers. On the bright side, I have been quite busy. I am on a drive to collect books to help set up a library at a school I went to as a child.  This will a short blog because writing is draining me at the moment. Enjoy yourselves and remember, dreams never expire. 

Inhale, Exhale

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A s any writer will tell you, the weeks before the release of the book is nerve-wracking. Challenges appear out of the blue. Setbacks that you didn't anticipate- especially if you're an indie author emerge from every nook.  That is what I am going through. Had my first breakdown today because, despite everything I've done to get this far, I have been thrown a curve ball. So, I am persevering. I am seeking solutions instead of wallowing in frustration. I am proactively trying to dig my way out of this six feet deep hole. Dramatic, I know, but it is frustrating to be so close to releasing your second book and then... cue music that's depressing. Alas, I am not going to make this long. I have to troubleshoot. In the meantime, enjoy the videos I have produced to excite you about the 26 August 2022 release of  The Kenryk Series: The Rise of the Emoryk . You can preorder your copy now.

I am the gum under your shoe.

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I am devastated. My initial intention was to release book 2 in May. Life happened. In a major way. I am one of those people that were caught in the floods that happened in my area. It was a traumatic 6 days. I lost my mojo. I had PTSD. If it rained, I panicked. I couldn't write. My struggle to get the final manuscript completed is well documented in this blog. Finally, after two months of no creative juice, it came back. I wrote and the manuscript was completed.  Side story : I have always struggled with this book. When I wrote The Avaris in 2016, it had always been intended to be standalone. However, Amari and her crew demanded that I continue their adventure. I wrote book 2, The Rise of the Emoryk and then book 3. I proceeded to spend years rewriting them until I found the problem. I was struggling to connect book 1 with book 3 because something was just off with book 2. I don't know how many times I have had to rewrite book 2. I don't think I will ever be satisfied, but

What a week I've had!

And it has been mostly an amazing week for me. I have a tick-tock  page under the handle @welawrites   I have received moderate success on it. The video with the highest views is sitting at 1708 as of now. But you know what? I don't mind. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Also, I posted a series on how I self-published my book so if you want any tips on how to self-publish, simply check it out on my tick tock. Thank you to everyone who has viewed and liked my videos. You're doing the absolute most! Below is a sample of the kind of videos I post Now, for the hustling news. I realised my book sales had dipped. There wasn't much happening at books stores or on Amazon. I remember thinking back to the time I was ten in the school library reading books and imagining different endings. That was when I started writing my books. Then- Aha!- there are schools across South Africa that have school libraries just like the one I went to. I, therefore, decided to email them, not expectin

Character Face reveal

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Almost a year later? I know, I know. I should have done this right from the beginning. However, now that you have read the first book on  Amazon  or  Exclusive Books  and  these different sites you hopefully pre-ordered book 2 The Rise of the Emoryk on  Amazon  and  on all these sites . So, what is this about? Well, I wanted to introduce you to how I saw the book characters in my mind when I wrote the books. Please note, that you're absolutely allowed to have your own version of them in your mind when you read. However, for you to understand the Kenryk, I will begin with the introductions of the key four characters. Name and age. Amari (20)   Korin (24). Yes, he's a man Forde (25) Arteryn (34) Say hello to the faces that will go through the fire with you for three whole books. When I said Korin was beautiful, I wasn't kidding. I'd like to hear your thoughts on what you thought they looked like.  Remember The Kenryk Series: The Rise of the Emoryk #2 comes out 26 August

No Amazon reviews? Meh.

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I have had my first book, the fantasy fiction The Kenryk Series: The Avaris #1 out for a few months now. When I published the book for me it was for the "I did it" feeling. Then I started getting caught up with the numbers, the rankings, and the endless need for reviews. I was desperate. I wanted to be recognised.  It took the writer's block I've finally overcome to realise, that "I did it!" I published my book all by myself. I sourced the illustrator, the book cover designers, the formatter, the printer, and the distributor. I made it into bookshelves. Granted, I have not yet seen my book on shelves, but they are available in other provinces in the country. However, I did get reviews. A teen who has been badgering her father about when I will release the second book and my primary school friend who cannot get enough of Korin.  These are people in South Africa who want to read the next book. I got so caught up in gaining external validation, I forgot why I h

Still Stuck

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W hen I made the decision to self publish my first book, I didn't think anyone would buy it. Since I have been writing books since I was 10, I was driven by that "I did it" feeling. And I did it. I got my book published. It became available in book stores and online and there were sales. Then I got caught up in the numbers, the rankings, the sales, the reviews. I was consumed by what I could and should be doing to get higher sales and a higher ranking. I forgot why I had started writing in the first place. As a result, I have hit a major writer's block with Book 2 of the series: The Rise of the Emoryk. I forgot why I did this in the first place. Not even music could help until I had to pause and remind myself why I started. I compared myself to others. I started feeling inadequate. I just wanted to reach that level. What Level? That is the question. What level am I hoping to reach? Like my main character Amari in The Kenryk Series, I had worked towards a goal- to be a

My book characters have turned against me!

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The date is set.  May 2022, The Rise of The Emoryk, Book 2 to the Avaris will be released! Sounds exciting. Yay! Er Nay? Korin, Amari, Forde and Arteryn are refusing to cooperate with the storyline I have created for them. Nope, their fates will not be determined. I am struggling to finish the fourth draft of the book before it goes through extensive editing. So, what do I do? I'm giving them the silent treatment. I haven't written in 4 days because they insist on deciding what should happen. The problem is, where they want to go will change the whole story. So, I am locked in a battle with my characters. I am ready to delete the 2 chapters I just wrote that Amari and Korin took over.  In other news, I am officially available on South Africa's biggest online store. You can now get your paperback of The Kenryk Series the Avaris on Takealot  . Do not panic when you see the cover and blurb. That was the original cover and blurb before the cosmetic makeover. You know the book c