Category: Career

Making It So

Previously on Betsy’s blog….

Betsy has announced that she is going to be publishing her next book on June 22nd. Harry, Betsy’s Guide on her Quest to become a successful independent author, has called all hands on deck to make sure Betsy doesn’t back out or screw up in another, as yet unknown, way.

When last we left our hearty crew, the aforementioned Harry, Betsy’s Muse (known simply as “Muse”), Skipper (a chipmunk who is the best Habit Implementation Specialist around), Coffee (the beverage of champions), and the Blogosphere (who can be kind of a jerk), were all gathered in Harry’s office in Betsy’s brain, preparing to boldly go where Betsy has never gone before. They are also, as fate would have it, dressed in vintage Star Trek uniforms. There’s even a uniform for Betsy! Yes, it has a red shirt, but…hmmm…

Harry, the Captain Kirk of this little drama, is trying to get his ship underway. But first he has to figure out what’s left to be done. Does Betsy know? Does she even have a clue? And, more importantly, will she be able to evade the Dark Voice – the force trying to push her off her path – long enough to get her starship to the finish line?

Let’s see….

*Harry pounds on the arms of his captain’s chair with his little paws* Attention, people. The Dark Voice is already trying to invade my ship. We need a plan and we need it now before Betsy becomes a Borg!

*Muse sits on the sofa next to Coffee* Set phasers to stun?

No! *Harry pounds the arms of the chair* We will not just stun this time. Set phasers to KILL!

*Betsy turns from pulling on her uniform shirt* I have phasers in my brain? When did I get them? Can I use them anytime I want?

It’s a metaphor. *Muse settles back and crosses legs* Someday you’ll know about such things.

*Harry glares at everyone in the office impartially* We have to remain focused. The Dark Voice is always strongest at the end of the journey, just when you’re ready to take the last steps. It knows that if Betsy can break through her final barriers, she might actually end up on the right path. It doesn’t want that to happen. It’s trying to knock this starship off course and we can’t let that happen! We’re going to have to hit Warp Nine and hold it to the finish line! Now, what still needs to be done to make this book a reality?

*all eyes turn to Betsy*

*Betsy smooths down her uniform shirt* *Looks up to see everyone staring at her* What?

*Harry growls at her* What do you still need to do to get the book out? Come on, I’m aging here.

*Betsy blinks* But…but…I didn’t prepare! I didn’t know there would be a test. I didn’t bring my notes!

That’s illogical *Coffee sips a cup of himself* We are in your brain. Therefore, all of your notes are here.

Good point…hey. In the last post you were playing Scotty. That sounded more like Spock.

I’m expanding my role.

*Muse reaches over to Betsy and pats her arm* Just let it go. They’ll get it out of their system sooner or later.

Damn it, Muse! *Harry pounds chair* This isn’t a game. We need to move!

*Muse stares at him coolly* Excuse me?

*Harry returns her stare* *Swallows* Um, sorry. Ma’am.

*Muse nods* Good.

Wow. *Betsy leans towards Muse* I wish I could do that. What role are you playing?

My own. *Muse leans back in seat again* But Captain Harry and Mr. Coffee do have a point. What’s left to do?

Here. *Skipper hands Betsy a sheaf of papers* I took the liberty of downloading some information from your gray matter.

*Betsy stares at the papers* Thanks. Way to communicate there, Skipper.

*Skipper shrugs* I was bored. Without her comm screens, Lt. Uhura doesn’t have much to do..

Right. *Betsy shuffles through papers* Okay. The edits are finished. I’m giving the manuscript one final read-through, and then the body of the book will be done.

Good. *Harry settles back in his chair*

*Betsy continues to read* Then I need to get the front matter and back matter finished.

Matter? *Harry surges forward* What matter?

*Betsy shrugs* That’s like the copyright page and the author bio and stuff like that. I have most of it roughed out.

Oh. Okay. *Harry sits back again* *waves paw* Make it so.

*Betsy stares at him* I just said I would.

*Muse reaches out and taps paper* What else?

*Betsy reads* Oh, just a few little things. Convert the book into the various formats and make it look nice, and set up accounts with the different vendors, and figure out categories and keywords and metadata, and get the book up for preorder as an ebook, and set up a newsletter link on my site, and figure out how to do print on demand, and get ISBN numbers, and… *gulps* Golly. That’s a lot.

*Coffee frowns* Hmmm. Yes, it’s life. But not as we know it. I suggest more caffeine to help you work faster or your aspirations will place you in a Vulcan mind-meld and you’ll be stuck.

More caffeine? But I already can’t sleep! *Betsy pulls hair*

You’ve got to keep going now. *Blogosphere cackles* Resistance is futile.

We’ll help. *Skipper bounces up and down on keyboard* I can open all hailing frequencies.

NO! *Harry stands* *tugs gold uniform shirt down over round tummy* If you open the hailing frequencies, the Dark Voice might sneak in. We cannot allow that.

*Skipper pouts* But I want to open all of the hailing frequencies. That’s all I ever get to do. I don’t even have my own phaser.

I said, no. *Harry struts around chair* *stares out into Betsy’s brain* Betsy knows the way to the stars, but if the Dark Voice attacks, her shields may fail and she’ll be cast adrift.

*Skipper continues to pout* Aye, aye, Captain.

*Betsy stares at Harry* *chews on her bottom lip* What if I can’t do it?

*Harry looks at her with big, dark eyes* You can do it. You will do it.

*Blogosphere shifts position* *smirks* Too late now anyway. We’re all watching.

*Muse smacks Blogosphere on the back of its heads*

*Harry continues to watch Betsy* What do you say? Are you ready to take that last step into the final frontier? Are you ready to make the trek? Are you ready to go where you’ve never gone before?

*Betsy clears throat* I am? *voice wobbles*

*Harry clasps hands behind his back* *glares at Betsy* Say it like you mean it.

*Betsy clenches fists* I am!!

*Harry glares at her* Say it louder. Are you ready to go?

*Betsy jumps into the air* YES, I AM! *gives double fistpump*

*Harry gestures* Then, make it so, number one.

YYYEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!! *Betsy runs out of post*

*Harry looks at the Muse* We’d better keep an eye on her.

*Muse sighs* Tell me about it. She still has on the red shirt.

To be continued…

June 2, 2015
All Hands On Deck

Previously on Betsy’s Blog…

Betsy has made a decision. I know, but it’s true! She is going to publish her book and it will be out in eBook form on June 22nd! It WILL goldarnit!

As you may know, Betsy has a Guide on her Quest to become a successful independent author-entrepreneur. Although most seekers on a Quest have a White Hare or a White Stag to lead them on the path towards their goal, the International Muse Council has assigned Betsy a White Gerbil with ambition – Harry. Harry wants to be promoted, and the IMC told him he might get moved up if he can keep Betsy on the straight and narrow. (Good luck with that)

Other members of “Team Betsy” are: her Muse, who has appeared as a Goth-girl, but seems to be taking on a lot of new dimensions recently; Skipper, a chipmunk who is one of the top Habit Implementation Specialists at the IMC (and really a little too chipper for her own good); Coffee, the beverage of champions; and the Blogosphere. Well, the Blogosphere isn’t really on “Team Betsy,” but it shows up anyway. Sometimes.

Trying to pull Betsy down the path to destruction is the Dark Voice…but more about that later.

As we rejoin our adventure, Betsy has finally taken the first toddling steps towards a certain level of maturity. But now Harry has summoned her back to her brain (and, yes, it should worry you that Betsy has to be summoned back to her own brain). Isn’t everything settled? Aren’t things moving along? What in the world could he want?

Let’s see….

*Betsy enters her brain* *brain lurches* *throws her against wall* *she clutches at frontal lobe to steady herself* *brain lurches again*

*siren sounds*

AAAHHHHOOOOOOOGGGAAAAAAHHH! AAAHHHOOOOOOOGGGAAAAAAHHH! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! AAAHHHOOOOOOOOOGGGAAAAAHHH!

*voice comes over loudspeaker system*

ATTENTION! ATTENTION! ALL HANDS ON DECK. WE HAVE COMMITMENT. I REPEAT, WE HAVE COMMITMENT.

Harry? *Betsy pushes off frontal lobe* *is thrown down to floor as brain bucks* What the heck? What’s going on? And when in the world did I have a loudspeaker system installed in my brain? Or sirens? *Betsy races down sulci as sirens continue to wail*

FULL COMMITMENT HAS BEEN REACHED. I REPEAT, FULL COMMITMENT. ALL HANDS ON DECK!

*Betsy is thrown into a wall of gray matter* *recovers and starts running again* *slides around corner and falls into Harry’s office*

Finally! Get over here.

Harry? What are you doing? *Betsy stumbles forward as brain lurches to the side* And why is my brain bucking like this?

Why? Because you finally made a commitment! A full-mind commitment! Your brain is in shock. There….it’s settling down now.

*brain lurches one last time, then shudders into stillness*

Whew! *Betsy blows out a breath* I was…wait. Where did that captain’s chair come from?

*Harry glares at her from his seat in an orange captain’s chair perched on top of his gerbil habitat* I ordered it from eBay. Got a problem with that?

How much did it…why are you wearing a Star Trek uniform? You look like Captain Kirk.

*Harry preens* That’s the whole idea. Our starship is finally leaving drydock. This is the moment we’ve been waiting for! We are about to boldly go where no one has gone before!

*Betsy frowns* But plenty of other people have published books.

Then we’re about to go where YOU’VE never gone before. Shut up. *Harry swivels in his chair and looks at a laptop open on top of the coffee table in front of the sofa in his office* Do we have any contact, lieutenant?

Nothing yet, sir.

Excellent.

*Betsy moves closer to the coffee table* *Sees Skipper sitting on the keyboard of the laptop* Skipper? Why are you here? And why are you in a Star Trek uniform, too?

Do you like it? *Skipper stands and twirls so the little uniform skirt swoops out* I went old school Star Trek rather than Next Gen or Deep Space 9.

Very Lieutenant Uhura.

*Skipper beams*

And you’re here because…?

*Harry leans forward in his captain’s chair and glares at Betsy* She’s here because she’s the best darned Habit Implementation Specialist at the IMC, and I don’t trust you. I’ve been waiting for over a year to get you to this point, and I’m not going to let you back out now.

*Betsy bites her lip* I’m not going to back out. *eyes slide to the left*

Damn right you’re not! *Harry stands, turns, points at his tail* Do you see this?

*Betsy closes her eyes* Harry, I’m not sure the spandex is a good look for you.

Not my butt, doofus, my TAIL. Do you see it?

*Betsy opens one eye* *peeks* *opens both eyes* Hey! Your tail is little and puffy now. Not long and skinny.

Exactly. *Harry sits back down in his captain’s chair* And do you know what that means?

*Betsy thinks* No.

*Harry rolls his eyes* It MEANS that I’m heading towards Hare-hood. I’m taking a step up the Quest Guide hierarchy. I’m heading to be a White Hare instead of a White Gerbil! That’s what it means!

*Betsy frowns* Okay.

*Harry sighs* Look. Moving up to hare means a lot to me, just like writing means a lot to you. You are finally taking steps forward, and I’m not going to let you run away.

*Betsy’s frown deepens* I’m not going to run away. Didn’t you see my blog post? I put up a sale date and everything.

*Harry nods* Yes. More than that, I see what’s going on INSIDE you. I know that you’re serious. And that means we need to be prepared for attacks and evasive maneuvers.

I don’t understand. *Betsy walks to stand next to Harry’s gerbil habitat* I’ve made the decision. I’ve put myself out there. So everything’s good to go now, right?

*Harry snorts* So naïve.

Sir! The Dark Voice is on the starboard bow! *Skipper touches her earpiece as she listens* It’s trying to open hailing frequencies.

Don’t let it in! Damn it, where is the rest of my crew?

We’re here. We’re here. *The Muse strolls in, followed by Coffee and the Blogosphere*

*Coffee runs to the sofa and sits* I canna go any faster, Captain. I’ve got no more power. *winks at Skipper* Well, hello my fine wee lassie.

I don’t even want to be here. *Blogosphere tugs at uniform collar with some of its hands* Do you know how hard it was finding enough Star Trek uniforms to fit me? I’m the Blogosphere, not a miracle worker, damn it.

You all look very nice. *Betsy studies them* *pouts* Why don’t I have a uniform? I want one, too.

We have one for you. *Skipper points to a chair* Look! Your uniform is red, like mine.

*Betsy frowns* Um, thanks…?

To be continued….

PS – yes, yes. I know this is a guinea pig, but apparently nobody dresses up chipmunks in Star Trek uniforms anymore. Cretins.

May 28, 2015
What May Come

As we rejoin our story, we find Betsy and Harry, the white gerbil who is Betsy’s Guide on her Quest to become a successful independent author / publisher, lying on their backs in the field of waving wheat that spreads across a portion of Betsy’s brain. They are watching the sky overhead. As they watch, stars form and splinter apart. Suns grow and burst. Dreams stir. They have been here before.

For the last few weeks, Betsy has seemed to be moving forward on her Quest. She has been running around like a chicken with her head cut off to get the business side of things going. But Harry senses something is amiss. Is it? Is Betsy using sleight of hand so people think she is doing a lot when she is actually practicing her finely honed skills of procrastination and avoidance? Let’s see…

*Betsy lays with her arms outstretched, fingers digging into the earth* Why are we here?

You needed to come here again. *Harry lays on his back with his paws folded at his chest* *His tail is curled to cover his boy-gerbil bits, as is proper*

Why? Oh! I think that’s a super nova! *Betsy points at the sky*

*Harry considers* Yes, I believe that’s a very good idea going on there. *Turns head to look at Betsy* I don’t see a second draft for the book you’re working on.

Oh. *Betsy props herself on an elbow to look down at Harry* Well, you see, I’ve been doing a lot of work to get the business part up and running. I have a business name now and a checking account and there’s some money there, and—

But no second draft. Look! *Harry points with a paw as a star shoots across the sky* That’s a passing thought that might have burned brightly in a story, but it was a little too fleeting for you to capture.

*Betsy settles back* You’re saying I’m not paying attention. I’m not catching these thoughts when they pass by, I’m letting them burn out.

*Harry folds paws* Are you?

No! *Betsy turns head to glare at him* I’m writing. I’m working. You know I am. I’ve gotten a lot done on the book.

You’re also spending a lot of time watching Netflix.

So? Aren’t I allowed to relax? I have a lot on my plate. Between my day job and caring for my mother and other things I’ve got a lot of freaking responsibility. And didn’t I just tell you that I’ve gotten a lot done?

Yes. *Harry’s large, dark eyes follow a comet as it zooms across the sky*

*Betsy crosses arms* *Glares* I’m allowed to relax. I’m allowed to watch damned Netflix if I want to. I’m allowed to read a book. I can go to a movie. I don’t have to work every single minute of every day. I don’t have to live up to your expectations.

Of course not. *Harry turns his head to look at Betsy* Although you realize I’m just vocalizing the expectations you have of yourself.

Yeah, so what? *Betsy scowls* I let myself down all the time. Who cares.

Ah.

What does that mean? *Betsy sits up to glare down at Harry again*

*Harry sits up as well* I didn’t say anything. I made a sound.

Yeah, well it was a stupid sound. *Betsy lies back down*

*Harry rolls to his feet* *Jumps over on top of Betsy’s chest* *Looks down at her* I just want you to tell me what’s going on.

Nothing—

Don’t lie to me! *Harry’s voice is sharp, deep beyond his size* Not to me. I live here, remember? *taps Betsy’s forehead*

Which is just weird. *When Harry doesn’t look away, Betsy turns her head* Okay, so maybe I’ve been thinking about what happens if I…fail.

Fail?

Yeah, fail. Don’t sell any books. Don’t have any readers. Or worse, have people read what I’ve written and laugh at me or make snide remarks behind my back or leave hurtful reviews. Fail.

*Harry considers her* Let’s say that you don’t publish the book. Would you still write?

*Betsy frowns* I guess. I like to tell stories.

And when you tell them, when you write this blog and the newsletter you’re going to start, you feel like…. *Harry raises eyebrow meaningfully*

*Betsy chews lip* I feel like I’m playing. Like I’m inviting other people to come play with me in this world with these characters. Almost like….*Betsy flounders for words* Like a dollhouse. But the dollhouse is real too. *Shakes her head* I’m not making any sense.

*Harry sits back on his haunches* What happens if nobody accepts your invitation to play? Or if they hate it if they do?

That’s the problem! *Betsy flings her arms wide* *Almost succeeds in dislodging Harry* Then I fail!

What if they love it? What if you become famous?

That scares me too!

*Harry’s little face is serious* You can’t give other people that much power over you.

What does that mean?

If you are looking to other people’s reactions to determine whether or not you are a success, or happy with that success, then publishing might not be a good idea.

But I want to publish! *Betsy sits up abruptly* *Harry rolls into her lap* Nobody will read it for sure if I don’t publish. And what good is a story if nobody else hears it? And people might like it. *Betsy gestures at the sky* It might as well have just stayed a galaxy inside my brain if I don’t publish.

*Harry smiles* Then… we publish.

But—

When you shoveled snow today, you wondered whether or not taking that action would impact your whole life, didn’t you? *Harry clutches Betsy’s sweatshirt* You wondered whether you were making a mistake and would end up hurting yourself and changing the rest of your life, or maybe even ending it.

Well, yeah. The snow was really heavy and I was thinking about how I shoveled last year and fell and hurt my foot so badly it still hasn’t healed correctly.

But then what did you do? *Harry’s little fists clench tighter*

*Betsy frowns* I went out to shovel.

Why?

*Betsy shrugs* Because I can’t live my life being afraid of what might happen. I have to be careful and use common sense, but I can’t not shovel my walk just because I’m afraid of a possibility.

*Harry looks up at Betsy* Yes. Do you see?

*Betsy frowns* Failure is a possibility. And so is notoriety, and I’m scared of that too. But if I don’t take the step forward, then I might as well not write? Right?

Right. *Harry jumps down onto the ground* You don’t HAVE to write. You don’t HAVE to do anything except be the best Betsy you can be, the best person, the best human being you are capable of being. But for you, being the best human being you can be involves writing. Now, you can certainly write and just stuff the stories in a drawer, but if you birth these ideas, if you give them form and substance with words, then you want other people to be able to read them – no matter how good the stories may or may not be.

*Betsy frowns* So, you’re saying that I need the possibility of an audience. And that to have that, I might have to face the possibility of failure or notoriety. Just like to shovel my driveway I had to face the possibility I’d get hurt.

Exactly. *Harry lays back and clasps his little paws behind his head* And you also need to get the second draft finished.

*Betsy lays back beside him* *Watches the sky* Okay.

To be continued…

February 22, 2015
Bawk! Business! Bawk!

Previously on Betsy’s blog…

When last we left Betsy and her Muse, it seemed they were making progress towards the ultimate goal of Betsy’s Quest. Betsy had completed the first draft of her next book, and even took the time to evaluate her writing process in a relatively thoughtful manner. But something appears to have happened since last we spoke. Betsy’s brain has been ringing with the sounds of…screeching? And are those really feathers filling the corridors? What in the world is going on here?

Let’s see….

*Muse walks through Betsy’s brain* *Hums softly* *Pushes open door to Harry’s office*

Bawk! Business! Bawk! *Betsy runs by* *Hands flap wildly in the air*

Hmmm. Interesting. *The Muse walks to the comfortable sofa where Betsy’s Quest Guide, Harry, and her favorite beverage, Coffee, sit watching Betsy run around the room like an idiot.* Hey, guys.

Hey. *Harry waves a paw*

Mon cheri. *Coffee steams*

So, what’s up? *Muse settles herself next to Harry on the sofa* *Crosses legs*

*Coffee pours himself out and hands her a mug* Nothing much, mon petite.

Bawk! Newsletters! Newsletters! Newsletters! Bawk! *Betsy fists her hands in her hair and pulls*

*Muse nods toward Betsy* What’s that all about then?

Oh. *Harry sips Coffee* She’s panicking about all of the business stuff again.

VAT Tax! VAT Tax! *Betsy runs by*

*Coffee tsks* She is like ze chicken wit ze head cut off, no? And I even gave her decaf.

Bawk! Cover! Back matter! Sales blurb! Bawk! *Betsy runs past, pulling her hair* Are they good enough? I don’t know! I don’t KNOW! Bawk!

*Muse looks at Harry* Didn’t you try to talk her down?

*Harry shrugs* Oh, sure. But I’m a gerbil, not a miracle worker. I reminded her that her stories were the most important thing, and–

What the hell is metadata! *Betsy crows at the ceiling*

–that’s what I got. *Harry sighs* You just can’t Guide someone who won’t be Guided.

*Muse rolls her eyes* For heaven’s sake, I thought we were beyond this. The stories are what she should be focused on. Until she’s built up an inventory, there’s not much else to do on the business side anyway.

*Harry holds up paw* Preaching to the choir, babe.

Bawk! Do I need ISBNs? Do I? *Betsy jumps up and down* Why does a number cost so much money? *Runs off, hands flapping*

*Harry sips Coffee contemplatively* I think a combination of things set her off. First, her DBA filing came through, so now she actually has a publishing imprint name and can operate as a business. It made it all more real.

*Betsy runs up* DBA! Bawk! Federal EIN! Business accounts! *Betsy runs off*

I see. *Muse sips Coffee*

*Coffee giggles* It tickles.

*Harry shakes head* Anyway, so we have the whole reality of the business thing going on. Then she started reading publishing blogs and news loops and books again.

Bawk! Too much information! Too many things to do! *Betsy runs past, arms flapping* Taxes! Accounting! Merchandise! Bawk!

*Muse puts Coffee aside* Okay. I’ve got this. *stands* *catches Betsy as she runs by again* *stares into her blank, insane eyes* Listen up! Do you want to know the best thing you can do to launch your business?

*Betsy cocks head to the side* *looks alarmingly like a brainless chicken* Marketing? Bawk?

*Muse shakes her* No.

Accounting? Websites? Interviews?

*Muse shakes her harder* No! The best thing you can do to launch your business is to write more stuff.

*Betsy cocks head to the other side* Write?

Yes. Write and keep on writing. Write the next book and the next and the next. In the end that’s all that matters to you anwyay.

*Betsy fluffs feathers.* Just write? That’s enough?

*Muse shrugs* Sure. I mean, yes, there are other things you’ll need to learn–

Learn! Bawk!

But in the end, just write. The rest of it will work itself out. You don’t need to get everything done this second. You have time.

*Betsy considers* *cocks head from side to side* I do?

*Muse smiles* You do. Now get out there and create me some eggs.

Bawk!

To be continued…

February 8, 2015
Back To Nuts And Bolts

Previously on Betsy’s Blog –

In a meeting with Harry, the white gerbil who is the Guide for her Quest, and Skipper, the chipmunk who is a Habit Formulation Specialist, Betsy realizes her overarching life goal is to always choose her own Path, follow her own Guide, and seek her own Grail. Working to achieve this goal effectively changes her Quest from that of becoming a successful indie authorpreneur to that of becoming a successful human being. Which is kind of the point of all Quests anyway, isn’t it?

However, Harry is about to remind Betsy that being a successful indie authorpreneur is still extremely important to her and a huge goal. And these kinds of goals aren’t going to achieve themselves, are they?

Now that the tender moment has passed and Skipper has returned to the International Muse Council, Harry wants to tackle some nuts and bolts issues. What does he want to discuss? Can he get Betsy’s head out of the clouds and pin her feet to the ground? In other words, can he get her to do something…productive? Let’s see…

Hi, Harry. *Betsy walks into Harry’s office in her brain* *settles on comfy sofa* You wanted to see me?

Yeah, doll. Thanks for coming. *Harry pulls out gPad and hops down from gerbil habitat* *runs up sofa* *perches on arm* I know you had kind of a big deal moment in the last blog post.

Yes. *Betsy shrugs* I’m still trying to figure out what it all means.

You still want to be a successful indie authorpreneur, right?

Oh, yes! *Betsy claps hands* *bounces on sofa* That’s like the bestest thing ever!

Sheesh, calm down. *Harry waves his paw* You’re scaring me.

Okay. I mean, *Betsy clears her throat* *deepens voice* Why, yes, Harold. Becoming a successful indie authorpreneur is a very important goal. *relaxes* Actually, I think focusing on that goal is essential in working towards the independence I’m trying to achieve in my life overall. It’s like, symbolic, you know?

Yeah, I think so too. *Harry taps on the gPad* Okay, then I think we need to move away from the touchy-feely crap for a minute and talk about some nuts and bolts things.

Oh. *Betsy makes face* Really? Do we have to?

Your goals ain’t gonna come true just because you wish they would, kid.

Oh. *Betsy slouches on sofa* Okay.

Suck it up. *Harry taps* First, how’s the writing coming? I want to document your progress.

Okay, I guess. *Betsy straightens* I had hit a snag last week with the real-life stuff, but I’m at the very end of the second draft. I’m not lying. I really am.

I believe you. *Harry types* And what will you do after you’re finished working on Handling It? *glasses suddenly appear on his nose* *he looks at Betsy sternly over them*

I’m going to work on the next book, Losing It. *Betsy crosses her heart* I swear. I’ve learned my lesson. You’ve got to keep going. I even know how I want it to start out and who the main characters will be.

Wonderful. *Harry swipes paw to open another screen on gPad* Now, you know you have things you’ll need to learn before we can actually publish.

*Betsy nods* Yes. Like how to compile in Scrivener and how to upload files onto the different ebook sites. But that’s not big deal. After Handling It is out to the beta readers and edited, I’ll get that under control.

There’s something else you should be thinking about now. *Harry turns gPad around so Betsy can see the screen* You need a newsletter.

*Betsy wrinkles her nose* A newsletter?

Do you see this article? *Harry points at the screen* You need a newsletter so you have a way to talk directly to the people who want to read your books.

Okay, yes. *Betsy waves hand* I know it’s important for an author to be able to communicate directly with their readers without the middle-men, but why can’t I just use Facebook and Twitter?

Did you see the “reach” your last Facebook post got? *Harry frowns at her* Pitiful. You can’t count on a platform not to change and you sure as heck aren’t important enough for them to care if it bothers you.

*Betsy pouts* Well, thank you very much for that.

*Harry shrugs* Just being honest, kiddo. With a newsletter, you have more control. Plus, the people who’d sign up for the thing are probably the ones who actually care about what you’re doing.

Well, yeah. *Betsy throws both hands up in the air* But it’s one more thing to do!

Tough. *Harry turns gPad around and taps on it some more* It’s important.

*Betsy frowns* What would I even say?

*Harry rolls his eyes* I’d say you could send out one whenever you have a new release, but we want it to go out more frequently than every three years.

Oh, ha ha. *Betsy thinks* That is a point, though. If I say it’s going to go out monthly or bi-weekly or whatever, I want to make sure that happens. I’ve signed up for newsletters where they were supposed to come frequently and I haven’t gotten one yet. It’s really annoying.

Even more important, we have to make sure people WANT to sign up for it. You have to make it worth their while. *Harry frowns* And that means, it has to be something special, not just news announcements once in a blue moon You have to be freaking entertaining.

*Betsy sighs* But no pressure.

I know kid. *Harry pats her hand with his paw* Tell you what, you go away and think, I’ll go away and look up the deets on how this thing works, and we’ll get back together and brainstorm.

Okay. *Betsy thinks* *slowly smiles* You know, this might be fun.

*Harry beams* There’s my girl. Now go finish your book! That’s an order.

*Betsy salutes* Yes, sir.

To be continued….

September 21, 2014
Things To Learn, Decisions To Make

Previously on Betsy’s Blog…Betsy meets with Harry, her Quest Guide, to discuss progress on her Quest. She tells him she has finally finished the first draft of her book, but she doesn’t seem excited about it. Turns out she’s scared because now this whole thing is getting real. Harry talks her down off the ledge and they end up doing a happy dance around Betsy’s brain.It turns out Harry hasn’t been idle as he waited for Betsy and her Muse to finish writing – he’s come up with a whole lot of things Betsy will need to learn and other things she will need to consider. What are they? Let’s listen in and find out….

*Betsy collapses back down onto the sofa in Harry’s office in her brain* *Wheezes from exertion of happy dancing* Okay, I’m feeling much better now. Thanks Harry!

*Harry settles onto coffee table* *Breathes normally* No problem, babe. You done good. *He looks pained* Just tell me you’re typing the damned thing into Scrivener now.

I am. *Betsy scrunches face apologetically* It took a little bit for me to get started, but I’m working on it now.

Just remember you aren’t really finished. *Harry waggles finger of paw at her* I know if feels like you are because the first draft is written, but the book isn’t finished until it’s in the hands of the consumers.

*Betsy draws in breath* I know.

Speaking of which, I have a few things we need to talk about. *Harry jumps off coffee table* *scampers up tower of gerbil habitat* *grabs gPad* *scampers back down and jumps back up on coffee table*

Yeah? *Betsy eyes gPad nervously*

Okay. *Harry taps away on screen of gPad* While you’ve been writing, I’ve been looking at the other things you’ll need to consider to bring this book to market. Do you want me to give you a list?

Um, sure? *Betsy sinks further into sofa*

Right. I’ll make sure you have a printout later. *Harry studies screen* Some of this are things you need to learn. Some items are things we’ll need to consider as we move forward.

What do I need to learn?

*Harry looks up from his notes* Well, first of all, you’ll need to learn how to use Scrivener better so you can compile ebook files quickly and easily. You’ll have to learn about formatting the file to make sure the files are formatted properly for the vendors. You’ll need to learn how to download files at the vendors. And that brings up the first decision we need to make. How do you want to distribute the book?

Well, I don’t know. *Betsy frowns* Based on everything I’ve heard, it’s best to go directly to the biggest markets like Amazon, Kobo, Nook and iBooks instead of using an aggregator like BookBaby. But I do want to go to Smashwords too.

Um huh. *Harry types* I agree, but that means we’ll need to find out how to upload files on each of those vendors. We’ll also have to figure out how to put vendor-specific buy links in the backmatter once you have more books uploaded.

Buy links…? Back matter….?

*Harry looks seriously over reading glasses he is suddenly wearing* You’ll need to learn more about metadata and search engine optimization too, as well as Amazon categories.

*Betsy’s face takes on dazed expression* Metadata? Search engine…?

Hmmm. *Harry continues typing* Now, regarding the cover. You have a good base as far as I’m concerned. Are you going to want to hire a professional cover designer?

*Betsy shakes head* *Tries to catch up with the conversation* I know everyone says that you need to hire a professional cover designer, but I think the one I did is fine.

I agree. *Harry nods* I think you might want to look into a less common font, though. And while you’re at it, you should look at making the font of your name on your website stand out a little more.

Are you kidding? You want me to buy a FONT? *Betsy stares at him*

Only for the book covers. Now. *Harry swipes to a new page* I’m assuming you do want professional editing.

Yes, I think so. *Betsy frowns* I have beta readers lined up and they’ll provide some editing, but I think I should invest in a professional.

Good, good. I agree. *Harry types* I’ll do some research on that. Now, let’s talk about launch strategy.

Launch… *Betsy stares at him* Harry, the damn book isn’t even finished yet!

And well I know it. *Harry sets gPad aside to look at Betsy intently* I would like to propose that you finish at least three books before you release this one.

Three! *Betsy gapes* Harry, you know how long it took me to get this one this far finished! I might be dead before I get two more done!

No. *Harry rests his paws on Betsy’s clenched hands* Because things are different now, remember? You don’t have to be afraid anymore. And you’ve got a goal, a Quest, and a schedule.

Ookayy… *Betsy sounds uncertain*

There are a lot of advantages to releasing three at once, or three fairly close together. *Harry’s paws tighten on Betsy’s hands* You can start a funnel to drive readers to the next book in the series and there will be a next book for them to read.

Funnel…

You can have more than one book edited at the same time and maybe get a discount.

*Betsy brightens* I like discounts.

Maybe. *Harry holds up a cautionary finger* We’ll have to see.

Okay.

*Harry peers at her* Okay, like you understand? Or okay like you agree?

Okay, I agree. I think. But it sounds like I’ll have a lot to learn while I’m trying to write these next books. I’m kind of nervous about that.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. *Harry sits back* I won’t deny there’s a big learning curve. But you knew that before we started.

*Betsy chews her lip* I guess I did.

We’ll take things one step at a time. First step is getting this book in Scrivener and finished. *Harry picks up gPad* *Swipes to new page* And you’ve already signed up for a Scrivener training course. You’ll need to watch those videos soon, not old episodes of “The Big Bang Theory”.

Awww. *Betsy pouts*

Deal with it. *Harry reads his screen* You’ve also signed up for lynda.com. Use them to get some training in Photoshop and maybe some graphic design. If you want to do your own covers, you’ll need to know more about that stuff. Oh, and you should find images for the next few covers. And you need a font.

I’m starting to hyperventilate. *Betsy puts hand on her heaving bosom*

Relax, babe. It will be fine. *Harry absently pats Betsy’s leg* There’s a lot to learn, but I’m with you all the way.

*Betsy gazes at Harry with big, liquid eyes* Promise?

Sure.

To be continued…

June 11, 2014