I enjoy the changing seasons the most. Summer is alright, but my favorite part of the year is when summer gives way to autumn. Georgia’s temperature is 80 degrees, yet the sun is not intense, and the way this wind blows feels like my skin is drinking a cold glass of water. It is refreshing.
That’s why I’m typing this at the kitchen table with the door open to the back porch.
As I sit here, I cannot help but think about how much of a blessing this blog (which is to say, the people who follow this blog) has been to me.
Despite the fact that I had been writing and publishing books since 2010, it was when I started this blog in 2014 (after my first two attempts had failed) that it became a platform where I could share my work and receive helpful feedback in return. As a result of this feedback, three published books were born, all inspired by blog posts.
This blog put me on by introducing me to a larger audience, and together, we blossomed into a community.
We had so much fun in the early years. I miss it.
With Elon Musk now contemplating charging X (Twitter) users to use its platform, assuming other social media platforms will eventually follow is not too far-fetched.
They do seem to copy each other. Reels were created to compete with TikTok, and Threads is just Instagram’s version of Twitter.
After thinking of this, I began to consider the significance and necessity of creating our own communities, both online and offline. If we take the time to create them, we may soon be forced to seek solace in our own isolated areas of the globe.
Just as this wind is blowing the trees, which will soon let us know how beautiful it is to let go when its leaves fall, I sense a change is coming.
Draft2Digital is a gem. D2D is an aggregator that distributes your books to major retailers online, from Barnes and Noble to Apple iBooks to Baker & Taylor. They have merged with Smashwords and now also offer a paperback option. The upload procedure is simple and efficient. Your only issue is if your book still needs to be formatted. You should finish, edit, and format your text before uploading it.
I have only used their ebook service so I cannot comment on the quality of the paperback, but it is an option for self-publishers who don’t want to use Amazon. Also, the speed of making your book available everywhere online is top-tier.
Ingram is another option, although the upload process is slightly more complicated. However, it is set up that way because Ingram is a distributor designed to get your book into bookstores.
During the process, you’d want to think about things like your wholesale price (usually 40%), and you will need an ISBN. While Ingram does offer a free one, I highly recommend Indie authors own their ISBN.
Buying them in bulk (assuming you will self-publish more than one book) from Bowker can save a ton of money. I haven’t had to buy one in three years. I am using Ingram for the hardcover version of my book (which requires a different ISBN than the paperback), and I was able to use one of the numbers I still have left.
Note: Do not give away your ISBNs unless you are a publisher. Your number is like your book’s social security number and is attached to your name or the company you registered under. Thus, you will be the publisher of the record.
Photo by Pixabay
An exciting thing about Ingram Spark is its choice of paper. As experienced self-publishers know, you can choose your paper, usually white or creme, during uploading on Amazon. However, with Ingram, you have another choice. You can select Groundwood, an eggshell paper typically used in traditionally published mass-markets.
Note: I recommend using Amazon separately.
Upload your files for ebook using Kindle Direct Publishing like you normally would to put your book on Amazon. Then, use the other programs for the other retailers. If you do this, do not check the expanded distribution box on Amazon.
Example: If using D2D or Ingram and your ebook is already published on Amazon, you do not need to check the Amazon box during set-up.
For independent authors who want to self-publish but don’t have the time to look for editors and cover artists, Bookbaby is a possibility. By offering you publication packages for cover design, ebook conversion, ISBN, and even marketing, Bookbaby serves as a self-publisher assistant or vanity publisher.
Any publishing that demands payment is regarded as vanity publishing despite being verified and far more professional. Pay attention to the features supplied with each tier when using Bookbaby because it is also rather pricey and not all packages include editing. Remember that even if they include books with each bundle, ordering your own books through Amazon’s KDP or Ingram will save you a lot more money.
I’ve seen from other authors that their print quality is pretty good. So, though I have not used them, and have my concerns about their prices, they are an option.
Lulu is a possibility. However, it’s not my first pick. Early on, I utilized them for The Stella Trilogy and my volumes of poetry. Your book can be distributed via Lulu to several online retailers. The pricing of the books is substantial, and I don’t like their customer support method. The paperbacks’ quality is great and solid, though. Additionally, their upload procedure is quite simple. Again, they are an option, albeit I wouldn’t make them my first pick.
Now 48 Hour Books is what I like to call a hidden gem. They are an organization that prints bookstore-quality books. They work as a book printer and offer book templates, editing resources, self-publishing, and more. Imagine if Amazon’s KDP went down; 48hr books would be a great resource for printing your books. They also sell ISBNs and Barcodes, though I only recommend buying ISBNs from Bowker.
I have not used them, but I want to in the future to investigate their quality. From what I see, the paperbacks are top-notch.
Remember that you are not limited to the mainstream or most popular option when you embark on your self-publishing path. You may always assess what best aligns with your vision and objectives. You are not constrained to a single viewpoint either. Whether you hire a publisher or outsource, you are free to publish your book however you see fit.
Title: The Romeo and Juliet Delusion: Finding Freedom After Trauma
Author: Lori Abbott
Publisher: Lori Abbott
Published: April 16, 2023
Pages: 125
This is the second memoir I’ve read that grabs your attention from the opening page and delivers an essential message about addiction without holding back.
Lori Abbott is a well-educated attorney with over 15 years of experience in family and criminal law. Yet, she has not discerned that something is off with the guy at the bar. In fact, she finds herself incredibly drawn to him.
Romeo’s energy is electrifying and pulls her in at first glance. Once they start to talk, the attraction is mutual. Though they are each in a relationship now, the chemistry is undeniable.
Abbott and Romeo break it off with their spouses and eventually get together, and that’s when things get weird.
The first red flag was when Romeo invited Lori to his lake cabin in Nisswa, Minnesota, and opened the door using a credit card.
Then, he takes her to a place he said was his house, which looked like a college dorm. She asks about the Harley he said he had, which is nowhere around. Romeo becomes anxious and insists they leave for dinner. Lori complies.
Later, when she asks if they could return to the house, he says they can’t.
Huh?
Abbott catches Romeo in a series of lies but lets it slide, which she later realizes becomes a dangerous pattern.
Romeo loses control and smashes Lori’s car’s radio as the situation worsens. She is then forced to call his mother after he vanishes for several days.
It turns out that Romeo is a meth and heroin addict who is in and out of trouble. He is on child support for his daughter and has a felony case. The lake house was his parent’s year-round lake home, and the house belonged to a roommate who kicked him out. Romeo spends his nights at casinos or crashing on someone’s couch.
And these ain’t spoilers either because chile, things actually get worse.
This book stands out because the author does not shy away from the fact that while Romeo was addicted to drugs, she was addicted to Romeo. Abbott continues to fall for him because he persuades her that he is a victim of his past.
“What I did not realize at the time was that I was already becoming addicted to Romeo—one of the many lessons I have learned the hard way about addiction. I went from stagnation to intoxicating, reckless abandonment in a dangerously short period of time. The dichotomy between those two existences was the greatest rush I had ever felt in my life, and I was hooked.”
-Lori Abbott
The way the author ignored her intuition, knowledge, and awareness to excuse Romeo’s behavior is a warning for all women struggling to leave abusive relationships. Romeo would do the most outlandish things, and Abbott would close her eyes to it because she believed he could change.
“If you do not want to be doing something, but cannot stop doing it, you have a problem. Period.”
-Lori Abbott
This honest, well-written, and vulnerable story is a guide for women overcoming addiction, domestic abuse, and toxic relationships.
Trigger Warning: If you are struggling with similar addictions, be aware the author does not hold back in her descriptions. Proceed with caution.
We have two more books to promote that were registered before the deadline!
Stay tuned for our next dope read!
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Title: Black History Facts You Didn’t Learn in School |Author: Yecheilyah Ysrayl | Publisher: Literary Korner Publishing | Release Date: February 24, 2024 |Cover Art by David Colon | Edited by Writing Endeavors®
It’s been a long time coming!
What started as a profound series on this blog has been transformed into a full-length history book you can carry with you!
Inspired by the Black History Fun Fact Friday series, I am incredibly honored to finally introduce the book version, Black History Facts You Didn’t Learn in School.
My greatest hope is that after reading this book, you are equipped with enough information to spark conversation and, if necessary, participate in your own activism for the continual education and restoration of Black historical truth.
Its author, Andy Weir, said he didn’t think the book had mainstream appeal and was surprised anyone was interested.
It began as a series on Weir’s website, and when readers complained it was hard to read the stories sitting at their computer, Weir listened to his audience and put it out as an ebook and then on Amazon’s Kindle.
It then got picked up by a small Canadian audiobook company.
Then Random House was interested, and before he knew it, Weir had a movie based on a book he started writing on his website that he went on to Self-Publish.
The Martian would later be nominated for several Oscars.
Photo by RF.
Self-publishing doesn’t just benefit authors who wish to go Independent, but it could also help authors who want to attract the attention of publishing houses.
Everyone’s publishing journey is different, and there is no telling where yours might take you.
Going the traditional route doesn’t make you a sellout, and self-publishing doesn’t mean your book is trash.
If you take the time to craft a well-written, high-quality book that people just can’t stop talking about, the sky is not even the limit of where it could take you.
For a more personal example, I didn’t intend to give the platform much attention when TikTok launched. I thought it was for kids, I don’t dance, and I didn’t think I had time to learn another app.
But I took a chance and have grown my account to over 18K followers (updated: We are now at 23.6K!) went viral at 1.3million views, started a TiKTok shop, and have over 20 new email sign-ups that came directly from TikTok.
I am not telling you to start a TikTok account. I am telling you not to limit yourself.
In the words of Maya Angelou: “Pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you.”
I was away spending time with family when the now-viral Montgomery Riverboat brawl occurred.
When I finally logged into social media, I saw hilarious memes of folding chairs and pictures of Louis Farrakhan clamping his hands together proudly with the words: “Black people across America watching that video today…and ya’ll know what video I’m talking about.”
But I did not know what video they were talking about.
And then I saw it, but the fight video did not draw my attention as much as a specific viral meme.
This meme is inaccurate and should not be shared!
The meme identifies Nathaniel Alexander as the inventor of the folding chair, but the picture is of a different Black inventor.
The man in this picture is not Nathaniel Alexander. It is Lewis Howard Latimer who worked with Thomas Edison and helped make the light bulb possible.
Latimer is responsible for many of Edison’s patents because he worked as the original draftsman at Edison’s research laboratory.
Latimer also worked with Alexander Graham Bell on the telephone.
I cover more about Latimer in the upcoming book.
As for Alexander, he was not the first to patent the folding chair, which had already been used going as far back as ancient Egypt.
In the US, an early patent for a folding chair was by Jordan Cram in 1855.
Alexander’s invention improved the folding chair featuring a book rest which he patented in 1911.
“The purpose of my invention is to furnish a chair with a book rest or support that will be immediately placed in position when the seat of the chair is lowered…Another purpose of the invention is to provide a folding chair with a book holder and rest…”
Fredric Arnold also patented a folding chair in 1947.
The memes are funny, but historical context is important. A child somewhere now thinks Lewis Latimer is Nathaniel Alexander and that he invented the folding chair because it’s all over Google.
While both were Black inventors, the meme is decontextualized and could lead many astray.
Cause really, neither man invented the folding chair.
Let us do our part to ensure that we are not spreading disinformation. Black history is too rich and extensive for us to have to make anything up.
These are the lessons I am learning thus far on my journey to give myself more grace.
Take the Pressure Off
Story A.
I was never under any pressure to share the same stuff on all of my social media channels. I have never automated my posts to ensure that what I write to one also appears on the other, for this reason. Early on, I recognized that each medium had a slightly different audience. And I rarely received the same reaction when I attempted to post the same thing. At times, it works, but it’s not something I do often. Each platform, to me, is its own. Therefore, what I post to TikTok won’t necessarily make it to Instagram, and what I post to Instagram won’t necessarily make it to Facebook. (Hardly anything makes it to Facebook. It is my least favorite platform.)
Story B.
This weekend, I am excited to attend my family’s annual BBQ. That’s right. My Chi-town homies are coming down for us to meet in Augusta, GA, for some family time.
We were all to stay at the same hotel until my cousin called and said a group of them would stay at an Airbnb.
“Okay cool. Imma cancel our room then and find a cheaper hotel.”
I’m not staying at an overpriced hotel that everyone else is suddenly not staying at. (Cause how ya’ll just gonna leave.)
Nope. Imma find something else. (And I did at a little over $100 cheaper with the same quality.)
What’s my point of these two stories?
Take the pressure off yourself to do what everyone else is doing, appear polished and put together, or post eighty-six times a day.
Take the pressure off yourself to show up in spaces you are not comfortable with to make other people comfortable. This includes spending money you don’t want to spend.
Take the pressure off yourself to respond immediately to emails, text messages, and comments.
Take the pressure off yourself to agree with everything, overextend yourself, or do more work than is necessary.
Take the pressure off yourself to always go the extra mile, even when no one is going the extra mile for you.
Give yourself more grace by taking the pressure off.
The PBS Blog 