self-publishing – Page 6

Category: self-publishing

20
Feb
2018

Why Bookbub Rocks

categories: Adorkable, Bookbub, giveaway, Ninja Girl, promotion, self-publishing, YA

Bookbub seriously rocks!

Wait, wait, what’s that you say? You don’t know what Bookbub is? *Gasp* How can that be?

Just kidding lol, I didn’t know either until I decided to publish my first book ADORKABLE :). In 2016, I searched the best ways to promote a book, and Bookbub was always right there, being mentioned by authors. They made it sound SO awesome, and of course, I had to know more. So, what is Bookbub? Basically, it’s a site that helps readers find new reads at a limited-time great price. It also helps authors promote their work and expand their readership. Each day “featured deals” are emailed out to the readers with books that are 1) in genres they love to read and 2) at deeply discounted prices.

Sounds amazing, right?

The catch for authors: It can be pretty pricey. You pay up front if your book is selected, a pre-determined price listed right on their website based on your discounted price and genre. The process was said to be super selective. There are no guarantees.

Flash forward to 2018, when I’d released a couple of books and was hoping to better promote them.

I chose to submit ADORKABLE because it had more ratings/reviews on Amazon and Goodreads than NINJA GIRL. The Bookbub editorial team supposedly looks at this (see post). I wasn’t overly confident, was scared to submit, knew that my book may not be selected–knew too that authors had started to say that Bookbub was no longer as effective, that readers were overwhelmed with discounted books and that Bookbub experiences varied widely. With nothing to lose, I submitted ADORKABLE anyway.

And miracle of miracles, it was selected for a featured deal!!! Yay, yay, yayyyyy!

My genre was teen and young adult. The discounted price was $0.99 for a limited time. The featured deal ran on a Sunday, and ADORKABLE was at the top of the email I received from Bookbub (ahhhhh!). Then I watched to see if the promotion would have any effect.

And boy did it ever!

Several new readers discovered the book, more than I could’ve ever hoped for. Several new readers discovered NINJA GIRL, too. More pages were read on Kindle Unlimited. ADORKABLE quickly skyrocketed to #1 in a couple of its categories–which yes, thankfully, it has been there before.

But the most amazing thing, the most unbelievable, I-hoped-but-never-thought-it-would-happen surprise was this:

ADORKABLE broke the Amazon Top 100!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It reached #98.

In. The. Entire. Amazon. Store.

I know…I know!!!! Incredible, right? I had to take pictures because otherwise when I look back on this, I may not believe it LOL.

Sigh. ADORKABLE‘s success has always been something I am so incredibly thankful for. I love that little book. And Bookbub rocks because it helped put Sally and Becks into the hands and hearts of new readers <3.

To celebrate, this Thursday I will be having a Facebook Giveaway!!!!! This is a way for me to connect and thank my readers, and last time, it was so fun, you guys! I hope you’ll join me this Thursday, February 22, 2018 at 7:30am PT (10:30am ET). I’ll be asking bookish questions about my books, and the prizes are $5 Amazon gift cards, 1 signed copy of ADORKABLE and 1 signed copy of NINJA GIRL!!! I love giving, and I especially love giving to you readers! Hope to see you there :).

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

03
Jan
2018

Goals for 2018

categories: Adorkable, doing what you love, Happy Holidays, Kamuzasok Kavarasok, Ninja Girl, Romance, self-publishing, writing, YA

First post of the new year, whoop!

It’s a time for new beginnings, new hopes and a fresh start. It’s also the time for resolutions, but to be honest, I’ve never been a big fan of those. They are so easy to break. And it’s so easy to feel like a failure when that happens. Ugh.

So instead, I set goals.

Some are writing-oriented like: Publish a book. Finish writing my current WIP. Try new things with marketing/promotion. Keep being thankful and doing giveaways because readers rock! Write more, write better, write something I would love to read.

Others are more personal like: Be a better person. Make someone’s life easier. Restore and strengthen my faith. Exercise more, worry less, keep heart and stay positive.

I ended 2017 surrounded by the people and the books that I love <3. I’m hard at work on my next books, and I hope that readers will want to read them. A goal that I’ve always had (and continue to have in 2018) is to write the best book possible for my readers and myself.

So, how is 2018 treating you so far? Any resolutions or goals for the new year? Any new books? 😉

I hope you’re all doing well and that you’re having a wonderful week!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

P.S. Another goal for 2018: Figure out why the pics in my posts end up sideways on computer but right on mobile devices lol!

26
Dec
2017

We have a winner!

categories: Adorkable, Amazon, doing what you love, giveaway, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Ninja Girl, Ninja Girl Christmas Giveaway, Romance, self-publishing, YA

I hope you all had a very merry Christmas!

My day was spent with the people I love, and it was wonderful to finally give them their presents. Although I’m not the biggest fan of shopping (understatement of the century–and bookstores don’t count. I could stay in the bookstore forever), I absolutely LOVE giving.

It rocks. It makes them feel good, makes you feel good. Speaking of which…

We have a winner! The winner of the NINJA GIRL Christmas Giveaway is:

Janet!!!

Congratulations, Janet! Your $25 Amazon gift card is on its way, and I hope you love it! Thank you so much to everyone who entered the giveaway and who has supported both NINJA GIRL and ADORKABLE. I appreciate your support so very much. I’ll have to do another giveaway soon because it feels so awesome to give :).

May the odds be ever in your favor, may the Force be with you, and may your holiday be filled with awesome!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

15
Dec
2017

It’s Giveaway Time :)

categories: Amazon, giveaway, Ninja Girl, Ninja Girl Christmas Giveaway, Romance, self-publishing, YA

Okay, in case you missed it: NINJA GIRL came out in paperback yesterday! Yay, yay, yayyyyy :). I’ve gotten several nice comments, and I appreciate them so much; the power of a kind word to brighten someone’s day is very real. Also, some people have already bought the book–which is crazy awesome. I’m so so thankful for every reader and for anyone who gives Ash and Snow a chance <3.

Second, like I said at the end of the previous post…it’s giveaway time!!!

The NINJA GIRL Christmas Giveaway will run from December 15 until December 25, and a random winner will be chosen to win a $25 Amazon gift card! 🙂 You can enter using the rafflecopter below. With Christmas right around the corner, I definitely wanted to do a giveaway to say THANK YOU to my readers, so please enter as many times as you can!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I’ll be doing another post next week, but until then…happy holidays, everyone! I hope life is treating you well. Thank you so much again for making yesterday a great day, and best of luck in the giveaway!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

14
Dec
2017

Happy Paperback Release Day!!!

categories: Adorkable, Amazon, doing what you love, Ninja Girl, Release Day, Romance, self-publishing, YA

I can’t believe it’s here! Today is the day, my adorkable ninja readers, the day that Snow and Ash make their big debut in print <333. And I’ve gotta say:

Happy Paperback Release Day, NINJA GIRL!!!!!!!

FullSizeRender(12)

It’s live, you guys! Snow and Ash’s story is now available in another format, and I’m so excited. I hope readers embrace their story, and the mix of action and romance. I hope they love the strength, the chemistry, the funny, and of course, the swoon in NINJA GIRL.

Oh my Ash, do I hope they swoon :).

I can honestly say that this–publishing my second paperback–is just as exciting (and nerve-wracking lol) as the first time. I care about my characters, and the experience of seeing a physical copy of their story, the beautiful cover, the real-life pages, knowing all the feelings and time that went into writing this little YA romance? Ahhh, it is a truly amazing feeling <3.

Also, print books are just awesome! I only give them to the people I really like lol. I don’t loan mine out because I’m afraid of bent pages and torn covers (shivers). As much as I love my iPad–and I definitely do!–books you can hold in your hand are irreplaceable. Some people only read print books. So, I’m hoping NINJA GIRL will find even more awesome readers and that Snow and Ash will find a place in their hearts and on their shelves.

And it’s just in time for Christmas!!!

I love getting books for Christmas, so hopefully NINJA GIRL (and ADORKABLE) will find its way under some bookish person’s Christmas tree lol :). As always, thank you so much for your support, and I hope you’re having a wonderful week!

Happy reading and Happy Paperback Release Day,

Cookie O’Gorman

P.S. I’ll be doing a giveaway tomorrow to celebrate, yayyyy! 🙂

12
Dec
2017

Just 2 Days!

categories: Adorkable, cover love, Harry Potter, Kamuzasok Kavarasok, Ninja Girl, Romance, self-publishing, YA

Just a reminder: The NINJA GIRL paperback will be released on Thursday, December 14, 2017!!!

That’s this week, you guys, in just 2 days–or 1 depending on when you read this post.

Also…I knew it would look awesome on my shelf. Le sigh <3 <3 <3.

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Of course, Mr. Potter approves ;).

I hope you are all well and that your shelves are gorgeous and overflowing with amazing books!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

P.S. Oh my goodness, I really can’t believe NINJA GIRL is coming out in paperback this Thursday!!!!! So, so excited!

08
Dec
2017

Proofs & Paperbacks

categories: cover love, Ninja Girl, Romance, self-publishing, YA

I received my NINJA GIRL proofs today, and opening the box, taking the book out, holding it in my hands was just *sigh* a truly amazing feeling! Thank you SO much to Stephanie Mooney for this beautiful cover–she is magic, you guys! This week I’ve been a bit under the weather–but I have to say seeing NINJA GIRL in print was a much needed pick-me-up :).

I hope it will do the same for you!

Here are the book pics–I took several because I was so excited, but I’ll limit it to three here lol.

Here’s the paperback as it looked in the box…

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…the awesome title page…

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…the spine of the paperback <3.

I love, love, love it so much!!!! That color fade on the spine? Just WOW, and the book itself, I keep staring, but I can’t help it–and I don’t really want to lol. I cannot wait to add it to my shelf right next to ADORKABLE :). If you were one of the people who asked about if/when NINJA GIRL was coming to print or if you wrote a kind review/comment, THANK YOU!!!!!! This one is for you, and I hope the print book finds even more readers who will love Snow and Ash’s story <3.

I will be releasing NINJA GIRL in paperback on December 14, 2017!!!

As long as Amazon doesn’t do anything weird, it should be available next Thursday (just in time for Christmas!). Whether you’ve read the ebook or not, I hope you’ll check it out!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

05
Dec
2017

Hello December

categories: Adorkable, doing what you love, NaNoWriMo, Ninja Girl, self-publishing, writing, YA

Hello December!

I hope the month is treating you well so far. I also hope you’re further along in your Christmas shopping than me lol. It’s a real problem, you guys. There’s so much more to do, but I’ve been writing so all is well, right? Just kidding. But I did get a few presents today, so at least, it’s a start.

Speaking of writing, as mentioned in a previous post, this year I participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) for the first time. It’s all about words/increasing word count, and I gotta tell you: It is a challenge! But NaNoWriMo was also a lot of fun. 🙂 Every day in November I wrote down how many words I added to my WIP. I tried to push forward and not look back. This was hard, though, because I feel the need to fix things when they need fixing lol!

Anyway, for anyone who enjoys numbers, here are my stats.

Most words written in a day: 1,684 words

Number of Days I wrote: 26 days (the other 4 days I edited (hey, I couldn’t help myself!))

Word count at the end of November: 40,104 words

I had about 12,000 words prior to starting NaNoWriMo–which means I added about 28,000 words!!! I wanted to significantly advance the story, and that definitely happened. Also, the more I write this book, the more I love it <3. Sometimes the words just won’t come, but they did in November, and I’m very thankful for that.

On another note…I ordered proofs for the NINJA GIRL paperback!!!! 0__0 WOOHOO!!!!! They should be here Thursday, and I’m so excited to add it to my shelf with ADORKABLE. Ahhh! They are going to look so awesome together. 🙂 If all goes well with the proofs, I should have NINJA GIRL up on Amazon and available in paperback before Christmas. Fingers crossed!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

04
Nov
2017

NaNoWriMo

categories: doing what you love, NaNoWriMo, self-publishing, writing, YA

November is National Novel Writing Month.

If you’re a writer, you probably already knew this lol! But if not, basically, the goal is to write a novel (or about 50,000 words) in a month. That’s actually a bit short for a book–a typical YA romance ends up being between 60,000-80,000 words–which is somewhat of an arbitrary range, but when I started writing, I did a LOT of research on this.

FYI, my rough drafts were always short of the normal length. *Le sigh*

But anyway, back to NaNoWriMo.

I’ve always thought about participating. There’s even an online community/website here! Sooo…this year I’ve decided to try and stick with it. I haven’t signed up–mostly because I feel like the people may have their own friends/groups, and I’m nervous about introducing myself, getting to know new people yada yada yada. Maybe someday I’ll finally take the plunge, but for now, I’m staying in my hermit writing cave lol!

My personal NaNoWriMo goal is to write every day and to significantly advance my current WIP.

If that means 50,000 words…awesome. If it means I get to “The End,” that would be even better. If not, though, I’ve decided to be proud of the progress and enjoy the journey.

Confession time: I’m a slow writer. Also…I only work on one story at a time. Gasp, I know! There are people who can work on several stories at once. It still baffles me when authors are able to put out multiple books a year! Truly, I envy and respect those writers SO much. But right now, that’s just not me.

So again, my goal is to write, write, write!

Currently, I’ve added about: 561 words (Nov. 1) and 1,248 words (Nov. 2) to my WIP.

I hope this post didn’t bore you too much, just really wanted to share this with you guys :). Wish me luck, and I hope you all have a great weekend!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

12
Oct
2017

Never Have I Ever

categories: Adorkable, doing what you love, giveaway, Happy Fall YA'll, Kamuzasok Kavarasok, Ninja Girl, self-publishing, writing, YA

Every writer has dreams.

Every person has dreams, but I’m pretty sure writers have specific writer-ly dreams. Dreams about their book babies and how readers will embrace their work. Off the top of my head, I can think of about ten that would apply to most people (write a book (bonus points if it’s a book you love); get a literary agent (I actually had one for a while!); publish a book; have people read said book etc.). I won’t bore you by listing them all lol! But I thought I’d talk about a few of my dreams that have yet to come true.

Caution: This post contains writer-ly “nevers” that may be embarrassing, revealing, and TMI.

You have been warned.

Never have I ever: done a book signing. I know you’re probably like, “The ADORKABLE paperback’s been out a year! What are you waiting for???” Welllll, one reason I haven’t done a signing is because I’m self-published, and I’ll just say: bookstores are still snobby to self-pubbed people–especially if you use Amazon/Createspace. Another reason is, though I’d love to do it, I’m not sure anyone would show up. There, I said it. I’m scared…scared people wouldn’t show…scared they would…ugh.

Never have I ever: participated as a writer at a book festival. Pretty sure there’s a way to make this happen, I’m just not sure how lol. And again, who would visit my table/booth/little corner anyway?

Never have I ever: spotted someone I don’t know reading my books. I’ve seen a handful of people I do know reading my books (paperback and/or ebook), and I just wanna say: I seriously LOVE these people!!! I fangirled every time, and it truly warmed my heart. Now to happen upon a stranger reading ADORKABLE or NINJA GIRL in a shop/restaurant/train/walking their dog? I would love that dog forever! 😉

Never have I ever: hit the New York Times, WSJ, or USA Today Best Seller Lists. Yeah, I’m thinking this will Never (with a capital “N”) happen, but…dare to dream, right?

There are many more, but I’ll stop there. I think a big part of it is fear–and that makes me wish my inner NINJA GIRL would come out. And okay, I know this was supposed to be about “nevers,” but I want to end with a few dreams that have come true–mainly to remind myself, that they actually happened.

Writer-ly Dreams That Have Come True: I got to see the ADORKABLE library book! (Bethany from Washington, you seriously rock!!!)

Adorkable library book

Both ADORKABLE and NINJA GIRL have hit #1 in their categories on Amazon (multiple times and in multiple countries).

Adorkable Best Seller

Ninja Girl Best Seller

One of my books has been translated into another language–specifically Hungarian (again, I <3 Hungary!).

A few of my students have asked me to sign copies of their books.

People from all over the world have messaged/left reviews/commented about how much they enjoyed the books.

And that brings me to my biggest writer-ly dream that has come true, and it wouldn’t have been possible without YOU. I published my books (ADORKABLE and NINJA GIRL), and people actually read them! Real readers, awesome book-ish people, Harry Potter-loving, YA romance-reading, Korean Drama-watching, Book Boyfriend-collecting people, my kind of people, have actually read and liked my books!!!

I gotta say that was, is and always will be my greatest writer-ly dream. What are your dreams and goals? I’d love to hear about them, and whatever they are, I sincerely hope they all come true!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

P.S. Just a reminder, if you’d like to win a signed copy of ADORKABLE, there’s still time to enter the Happy Fall YA’ll Giveaway! 🙂