Wednesday, July 27, 2011

How Do You Define "Crap?"

There was an interesting post over at J.A. Konrath's blog recently that I wanted to get your opinion on:
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/07/be-deliberate.html

He basically theorizes that when writers are deliberate... it's impossible for them to write crap.

He also states that people who leave 1 star reviews are usually dummies who aren't truly thinking about whether they are being objective or subjective.

I have my own opinions on this, but I'd love to hear yours :).  Is it possible for a deliberate writer who understands basic form stuff like proper grammar, to write True Crap?  Are 1 star reviews objective?

What do you think?

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Update Roundup!

Hi, All,

Man.  So sorry I've been neglecting you all lately!

I promise, I still love you.  It's just been one stressful/good/fun/crazy/sad/weird/funny week.  I feel like it's a been a month.  But, also in a good way?  It's like I'm in the Twilight Zone, and I ain't talking about sparkly nosferatu.

Since 7/9, bascially, I've sold 2200 books.  What??

Anyway, things are going really well, but I'm now working harder than ever getting the next installments of Veronica Grim ready to go, as well as getting ready for a sequel to Legacy of the Empress.  My alter ego has a trilogy planned. People:  It is ON!

I had a lot of highs this past week and a half, but I also got my first one star reviews. Egads! They totally happen, and I'm even sort of happy that I got that "milestone" over with ;). It's like waiting for the first rejection from an agent, or getting your period or something. It's a part of the beautiful cycle of Nature.

Okay... I admit I felt like this *just* a little bit:


But, then I read the one-star reviews from some of my favorite authors and felt a smile creeping onto my face.  Dude!  A one star means I'm like... a real author.  With books out there for people to have opinions about!

That's seriously awesome :).

Also, I got some lovely 5 stars for No Rest for the Wicked, Carnivore, and Legacy of the Empress. From Internet Strangers!  Wooo hooooo!

So there you go.  Roller coaster of happy/sad/happy and some hard workin's.

In other news, I promise to actually ship your books out, you lucky contest winners. I still don't have a couple of your addresses, so please email me forthwith to claim your treasures.

There have been lots of fascinating discussions lately in the blogosphere, so expect linkage later this week. 

In the meantime, how the hell are you all doing?  Any projects that you're working on?

I'd love to hear about them!

Monday, July 11, 2011

Terrified of Failure--Terrified of Success

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond imagination. It is our light more than our darkness which scares us. We ask ourselves – who are we to be brilliant, beautiful, talented, and fabulous. But honestly, who are you to not be so?"



- Marianne Williamson

Confession time, gang.

I always thought this quote was bullshit until three days ago.  Why would anyone be afraid of success?  Now... I understand it for the first time in my life.

Well, what the heck happened three days ago, you ask?  Some weird new pattern started that is now scaring the hell out of me.

Last Friday I saw an uptick in my book sales. I'd been selling a modest 3-10 a day (which for me was a great improvement over the last couple of weeks of June), and was hoping above hope that maybe I could double my sales this month and hit somewhere in the 250-300 sales range total.  Well, Friday I sold 29 books.

"What the heck, Friday? Why are you being weird," I thought.  My Fairytale Assassin short stories No Rest for the Wicked had started selling for free over at Amazon the day before, and I was super excited to see if it drove my other sales higher.  My Alter Ego also had a story go free, so yay! Double interested to see what happened.

I woke up on Saturday morning and wandered over to the computer to compulsively check my sales, per usual, and cocked my head to one side at the oddly inflated numbers before me. This has to be some sort of mistake, or perhaps Amazon is playing a cruel joke on me, a-la the pigs blood dumped on Carrie.  This cannot possibly be the correct number.

I checked my stats, then I checked my rankings, then I checked my pulse because I felt like I was having a heartattack.  I sold 207 e-books on Saturday between my two names.  Earlier that week I'd been stoked because I'd broken 7.

My heart was hammering out of my chest all day, and I realized, much to my surprise and dismay, that I was terrified out of my skull. 

This shouldn't be happening, or at least not to me. It had to be a fluke, and everything would be normal again the next day. I would go back to slow-and-steady, dreaming of a successful future that was always just out of reach. All would be as it should be.

Yesterday, I sold 215 books, and today I'm already nearing 120 with my busiest time of day ahead of me.  I've now sold 620-something books this month, and if this continues, I'll have sold 4600 by month's end. 

I feel like I'm a hampster and an eagle just spotted me from above.

I'm sweaty, and I haven't been sleeping well.  I keep waking up in the middle of the night and feeling the anxiety coursing through me.

If sales keep doing this, I'll be able to quit my day job and start living my dream in 2-3 months.  Yet... I'm more scared about this journey than ever before.  Why?

Because, I'm not worthy.

Sure, I've worked hard, but it's too good, so it shouldn't be happening to me.

I feel guilty.  I don't deserve this.

Why do I get to live my dream?  Why do I get to be lucky?

Why am I being given this gift?  This opportunity?


I finally get the quote.

Yesterday I told my husband my fears that I don't deserve this.  He's a rational dude, so he pointed out that I've been struggling on the journey to become a full time writer for years now.  I've been writing my entire life, and working toward getting published since easily 2005 if not earlier.  I've studied, I've honed my craft.  I've written, and written, and written.  I've put in a shit ton of hours on this dream.

Why shouldn't I get a bit of luck?  Why am I so scared of achieving my goal?

The other half of that quote spoke to me today as I was looking it up for this post:

"You are a child of God, small games do not work in this world. For those around us to feel peace, it is not example to make ourselves small. We were born to express the glory of god that lives in us. It is not in some of us, it is in all of us. While we allow our light to shine, we unconsciously give permission for others to do the same. When we liberate ourselves from our own fears, simply our presence may liberate others."

How cool is that? :)

I felt peace reading that just now, because I want that.  I want to give others permission to dream upon seeing that I'm seeking mine out and achieving it.  I want to express God's glory in my life.

I want others to have the boldness to shine and to allow myself to do the same.

If this is my time to achieve my dream, then it will be an example to other folks out there ready to take that first step.  We CAN do this.  This is possible!

We can shine together.


... so why am I still a little freaked out? :P


What about you?  Do you fear success as much as failure?  Why or why not?

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!



I assigned numbers to all of the Fabulous people who entered my Launch Day Giveaway, and the free random number generator I found online has chosen FIVE lucky winners!

Seriously, though. What did people do before the Internet? Put names into a hat?  Pfft!  We're high tech now, baby!

ANYWAY, without further ado, your winners are.....

Drumroll, please....

....

................................

.......................

GRAND PRIZE WINNER:  Catwoods!!!  You've won a $25 Amazon giftcard and a copy of Legacy of the Empress.  Whooo hoooooo!

THREE RUNNERS UP:  Shalena, Sandra, and Callie!!!  You ladies win chocolate, a book by a strong heroine, and a copy of Legacy! Woot!

MISS CONGENIALITY:  Abby!  You win a copy of Legacy and of course, the title of Miss Congeniality for my contest.  You are fabulous. 


Winners, please email me at rebeccaknightbooks @ gmail (dot) com to claim your prizes! Please include your addresses, runners up, and please include which format you'd like your copy of Legacy to be in--Nook, Amazon, Smashwords, etc!  I'll hook you up.

CONGRATULATIONS to you lucky winners, and a huge THANK YOU  to everyone for making this contest so much fun and such a success :).

If you didn't win, remember, Legacy of the Empress is only .99 cents until Labor Day on Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords.  Gotta love Summer Sales!

Monday, July 4, 2011

AMERICA

FUCK YEAH.



Happy 4th of July, Everyone!

Now let's go drink beer and blow some stuff up.


(contest winners will be announced tomorrow)