In this issue:

• Where have I been?
• When is your book actually DONE?
• What to do after your book is on Amazon

I've had a few ask why they haven't gotten a newsletter from me, and I assure you I have NOT dropped off the planet or been abducted. 

 

However, it may have seemed that way to one long-time client. Somewhere between my email and hers (no one has yet determined the source) one of those blankety-blank scammers nabbed our correspondence and tried to impersonate me. Thankfully, my client knew something was wrong and, between us, we finally straightened it out. With passwords changed, updates made, and reassurances from our ISPs, everything is fine. But here is the take-away for EVERYONE on the Internet:

 

If you get an email, even from a trusted source, and there is something odd about it, do NOT click any link in it and do NOT hit reply. Instead, call that person, message them on FaceBook, or email them directly (not on a "reply") using an alternate email of your own. 

 

We all need to be on the web these days as writers and diligence and caution, sadly, needs to be the keyword to protect ourselves.

 

 

• There are always more changes you COULD make. The question is whether you should or not. If you get to a point where you have that gut feeling of “what the heck am I doing,” then stop!
• We can’t adequately evaluate our own words, it’s a fact. That is why we have BETA readers, critique groups and professional editors. And why writers need them.
• Is a book ever perfect? No! Try for perfection and you’ll never finish your book. Try for darned good and you’ll be on your way to fulfilling your dream.
• When is a book ready for an editorial review? It can be when you are thrilled and know it is done. Or when you know you can’t see it clearly anymore. Or when you feel sick of the whole thing and wonder why you even started it. In other words: there is no “right” time to send a story in for review. Trust your own judgment.

Here's a free and full-length primer on self-publishing from Jon Morrow (a guy who has proven he knows his stuff, at least when it comes to guest blogging). This LONG blog post gives you LOTS to grasp before, during and after you self-publish to be more successful on Amazon.

 

Check it out here Kindle Direct Publishing: How to Make Real Money on Amazon from Smart Blogger