I know I am not alone when I say the business of writing is hard. In fact, I’d say the business of writing is actually more challenging than the writing itself and sometimes actually interferes.
When I sat out to write the City of Fountains series, I don’t think I realized just how difficult the business side of things would be. All I really wanted to do was to tell a story. Tell a story about a feisty detective who, with the help of her partner and a few others, gets justice for the underdog. Tell a story about a job I loved in a way that helped people understand the truth behind the façade. Tell a story that drew people in and left them wanting more.
What I discovered was that telling the stories was not the hardest part. Other than a period of time when the 
stress of my personal life prevented me from writing, telling the stories is actually not that difficult and is a lot of fun. The most difficult part is the business of writing.
Promotion
In order to increase sales one must promote their brand by marketing and advertising. And for me this has all been done on a shoestring budget. I initially operated under a pen name; a name that no one new. As a result I worked to build a platform of followers – most of which were my Facebook friends. And not all of my Facebook friends “liked” my page. I sold a few books, but unfortunately the novels did 
not magically jump to the NY Times best seller list and I didn’t receive a call from Hollywood wanting to make either one into a television series or movie.
Because I am serious about making this a successful venture (not just a hobby as someone said to me the other day) I decided to drop the pseudonym and build on my platform of experience. I decided I needed to use my extensive background in the field of gender-based violence and promote the entire package. It is something I probably should have done a long time ago. As a result I have changed my website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I have updated the book covers and set them out for re-release (Book 1 in Sept and Book 2 in October) with the plans of releasing Book 3 in November. I have an appointment to get the cover art completed for Book 3 in October, so watch my Facebook page for a sneak peek in the middle of the month. In short, I am trying to re-build a following. And it is SLOW-GOING.
You can help
A lot of book and brand promotion is word of mouth. You can help me by doing a few things.
- “Like” and “Share” my Facebook page and leave a review.
- Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.
- Follow my blog and sign up to receive updates.
- Leave a review on Amazon.
Mostly you can help by continuing to engage and talk about my novels. Thank you for your support!