self-publishing – Morrighan's Muse

A Poetic Cover Reveal

Published on October 5, 2015November 1, 2015 by MorrighansMuseLeave a comment

No, I did not fall off the face of the earth
though I did disappear for awhile
if only to dot every i and cross every t
for there’s a book I was getting ready to let fly

It took some time to get things right
And I still don’t do things in their right order
but if you’d like to find out what’s kept me busy of late,
here’s my book – with its brand new cover!

Kidding aside, I just officially gave my book a whole new look via a brand new cover, and I couldn’t be happier. There have been so many lessons learned in this journey called self-publishing – and I’m still learning – on how to release a book properly. In fact, writing is the easiest part – and I mean it – E-A-S-I-E-S-T.

I’m not saying I’m a genius wordsmith but when it comes to making sure that your story is seen and read (i.e. purchased), there’s so much to do, and even then, with so many people telling you of many more things to do, the work of promoting your work is never done. It also takes away from more writing.

But the end result is still there – a book with my name on it – a sweet chick-lit with romance and a bit of mystery to keep you occupied for a few hours.

You can preview the first few chapters and purchase Loving Ashe here, and if you’re a book blogger and are interested in reviewing Loving Ashe, please drop me a line.

Tootin’ My Horn A Bit

Published on June 29, 2015November 1, 2015 by MorrighansMuseLeave a comment

I need to toot my horn a bit so please do indulge me. I just published my NaNoWriMo novel, Loving Ashe, a few weeks ago and wouldn’t you know it? I’ve neglected to make even an announcement on my main blog!

[begin self-promotion]

So here I am doing just that and hope that you will mosey on over to Loving Ashe’s landing page to read a few sample chapters and even purchase a copy.

The paperback is still in the works but the ebook is available right now.

For those of you unfamiliar with NaNoWriMo, it’s stands for National Novel Writing Month which falls every November. It benefits literacy programs throughout the country and it’s a challenge (to write 50K words in 30 days) I’ve undertaken three years in a row now. I failed that first year but it planted the seed, which was all I needed.

Loving Ashe started as a short story challenge on this blog two years ago and I expanded it into a novel, which I serialized live on Wattpad on November 2014. Sour Patch Kids (that sour and sweet candy) included it in their list of featured stories this February during their #sourthensweet contest which definitely didn’t hurt boosting its reading numbers, which now is at 1.5 million reads.

So if you like to read an unconventional romance novel with a little twist, do give Loving Ashe a read!

And from today till July 7, 2015, you can purchase Loving Ashe at 50% off on Smashwords (epub version only) using code: WG32X

[end of self-promotion]

Whew! Hope that wasn’t too painful for you to read, and thanks for reading this far 🙂

NaNoWriMo Blues

Published on November 23, 2014 by MorrighansMuseLeave a comment

It’s the 23rd day of NaNoWriMo, and though my word counter says I’ve written 67K words, I’m really only at 45,635 words (because I am editing as I go – don’t tell anyone). In the midst of it all, the house is untidy, my gray roots are showing, and I’ve slackened off on my running – and walking. Yes, my butt has gotten quite big in a span of 23 days.

But in those 23 days, I published my novel Finding Sam. Indie-publish should be the word to use though, since I didn’t get published by some big-name publisher and they’re not yet beating a path to my door. Hell, not even a small publisher, not that I even know what publishers are not actually vanity publishers right off the bat.

But I’m quite pleased with myself that I got my book on Kindle and Smashwords’ Premium library, which means I get to see it featured in the search results on the Apple bookstore and other stores that Smashwords sends their novels to be featured. I thought it would be nerve-wracking and confusing. it’s not like I kept a checklist on paper – for this one was all in my head, and on my browser bookmarks folder. Now all I have to do is tackle the marketing, but that will be after NaNoWriMo.

So all in all, in those 23 days, I don’t think I’ve done too bad. I’ve managed to stay out of trouble – online, at least, and have kept on writing, and pants-ing pseudo plotting my way to the end of my second novel, Loving Ashe. All I need to do now is input the number on the NaNoWriMo website and call myself a winner.

But not till this second book is done and dusted. I’ve got 7 days left.

It’s a Good Day To Be A Writer

Published on November 17, 2014November 18, 2014 by MorrighansMuse4 Comments

Today, my first son turns 23. It’s also the day I chose to publish my first novel, Finding Sam on Amazon.

Now , while I just “published” an in-progress novel for NaNoWriMo a few days ago, there’s nothing like actually publishing a completed novel because I know it’s as “done” as it can be. Even my husband told me a few weeks ago that if I kept worrying about perfection like I do over my work, nothing I write will ever see the light of day.

So last night, bleary-eyed and cross-eyed, I hit the button marked Publish and unleashed my dearest Sam into the world. And while there may not be any balloons, cake and confetti to mark such a momentous occasion, I did receive my iPhone 6 Plus today and just activated it.

And I also heard from the Margaret Atwood people about the Wattpad contest I entered a month ago where I wrote a bit of fan fiction for her new novel, The Stone Mattress (and no, I didn’t win BUT I am getting a copy of her book as a runner-up!). Still…

It’s a good day to be a writer.

– Reposted from Back_Space | by Liz.

My NaNoWriMo Novel is Live! | Back_Space

Published on November 13, 2014November 15, 2014 by MorrighansMuseLeave a comment

So I’ve been quite busy with this NaNoWriMo thing of late, judging by my latest word counts, and since I already have it up on Wattpad, I decided to expand its reach a bit more. I need all the encouragement I can get!

And readers can even discuss the book – you know, point out typos and all that…

Tonight, I ambled over to my Leanpub account after ignoring it for a few months and finally got started editing my first novel in earnest. While it needs another read-through (and maybe the traditional manuscript printing and wasting paper bit), I decided set it aside and upload the NaNoWriMo book I’m writing, Loving Ashe.

And what do you know? It’s currently live! I have it up on Wattpad, but I’ve decided to continue it on Leanpub, where readers have the option to not just read it for free (which is pretty good!) but actually purchase the book based on what they think it’s worth. It’s a huge gamble, but I’d rather have that option for readers to buy the book if they like it, than none at all. It’s also a great way for me to test Leanpub as an e-publisher and online shop.

Whether you decide to pay $1, or $4.99 or even more, it’s up to you. Whenever I update the book, like when I add a new chapter – especially since the clock’s a-ticking with the NaNoWriMo write 50K words in 30 days deadline – you can opt to receive an email from me or not. It’s all on the page.

So if you’d like to read something a bit light, a bit romantic, a bit sexy and sometimes even a bit funny, Loving Ashe could be just for you. If anything, check out the new digs and tell me what you think.

via My NaNoWriMo Novel is Live! | Back_Space.