Happy Thursday, WG2E-Land!
With just a few days left till the release of my new non-fiction book
I thought I’d share one of my Secrets to Indie Epublishing Success…
THE TWELVE MANTRAS OF THE INDIE EPUB JOURNEY
I use these Twelve Mantras every day to save myself from jumping off the proverbial cliff of sanity. I literally repeat these beauties, in mantra-like form, often while looking in a mirror.
This is how I talk myself off the ledge and then skip along my merry way to my very own Indie Epublishing Oz.
Mantra One –
Evil Editor Turds and Other Turds too Can KMA
Mantra Two –
Find My Warm & Fuzzy Heated Towels
Mantra Three –
Readers Rule…Not Other Writers, Not Agents, Not Editors, Not Publishers…Only Readers Rule
Mantra Four –
I’ve Got to Give to Receive
Mantra Five –
Be Genuine, Not a Fake-and-Bake
Mantra Six –
Develop my Own Shock-Proof Shit Detector
Mantra Seven –
Visibility: Be the Purple Horse…or Snickers Bar…in Emerald City
Mantra Eight –
Bask in My Done-Did List
Mantra Nine –
Create Synergy…Because You Create Your Own Luck
Mantra Ten –
Long Tail Sales
Mantra Eleven –
Indie Epublishing is Not a Hobby
Mantra Twelve –
Nothin’ Beats Writers Helping Writers Reach Readers with Great Books for Great Prices
If I had to pick just one, I’d choose…
Mantra Three –
Readers Rule…Not Other Writers, Not Agents, Not Editors, Not Publishers…Only Readers Rule
It’s all about Readers, Peeps…NOT Other Writers, NOT Agents, NOT Editors, NOT Publishers. Just Readers!!!
So, spend the time that you’re not writing on finding and building relationships with readers.
Gosh, I wish I’d have known that early on!
And if ya want to find readers then keep ‘em…
Make the cornerstone of your Indie Epublishing Empire
Mantra Four –
I’ve Got to Give to Receive
I’ll show you exactly how to do this throughout the book (examples: Ebook Gifting, Ereader Giveaways, Superfab Cool Tchotchkes and more).
In the meantime, I wanted to give you the Twelve Mantras now so you can begin to think about the basic business principles inherent in each of ‘em and get a feel for the guiding principles I’ve used to build one heckuva commercially viable and successful Indie Epublishing Career.
It’s Your Turn, WG2E-Land: Which of my Twelve Mantras of the Indie Epublishing Journey are you already using? And what are your own guiding principles for building your Indie Epublishing Empires?
The Best of Indie Epublishing Wishes — D. D. Scott
D.D. I love your mantras. I already use 3 & 4 but I’m happy to adopt the rest.
Cheers all-around to #3 and #4, Kiru! They sooo work, don’t they, my friend?
I think you’ll have a ton of success and fun with the other ten too!!!
All of these are terrific! Thank you DD- I’ll have to put your book on my must read list:)
Thanks so much, Lois!
10 Years and 24 Hours is a book to take your career from a bunch of high points to a long-term, commercially viable career.
You’ll get great tips from it that you can then make your very own!
Thanks for the mantra list, D.D. I love it! I’ve been a sow what you reep kind of gal for most of my life. I recognized early on that whatever I put out into the world was going to come back to me in spades. Giving creates an outward flow of positive energy that draws that same energy to it. You can’t give without recieving something in return, even if its the warm fuzzy feeling you get from making someone smile. Wealthy people know the principle of planting and sowing. If you put one kernel of corn in the ground, it grows into a stock that has many ears and many more kernels that you can then plant to make more. If you eat that kernel because you don’t have the patience to wait for the plant to grow, or are living in fear that it will not succeed, well…one kernel of corn isn’t going to be very satisfying.
Luuuvvv the “sow what you reep” mentality, PJ!!!
And it is all about creating and sustaining that positive energy flow.
And yep, “don’t eat the corn”!!! LOL!!! Great analogy!!!
Dynamite list, DD!!! Call it the Twelve Commandments.
Couldn’t agree more with all but especially #3. It’s all about readers!
Readers beyond rule, Ruth!!!
And they become the rocks that keep you crankin’ out books!!!
Nothin’ is more motivating than getting a Facebook post or Tweet saying something like “I just finished (name of book) and can’t wait for the next one” or “I love (name of character)! Will (he or she) be in the next book?”
I’m loving #3, also, D.D.!
Live by #3, Tamara, and you’ve got a great shot at starting to see some superfab fun and big numbers!!!
Another great post, thank DeeDee for alway putting everything in perspective.
U betchya, Elizabeth!
And that’s exactly what I wanted to do with this book…”put everything in perspective”…to give each of you a how-to book that you could use no matter where you’re at in your Indie Epublishing Journey and one full of ideas you can use over and over and over again.
Thanks for sharing! Great list! I firmly believe in #3 for without our readers we would be no where. Can’t wait for your book!
Thanks bunches, Jamie!
You got it, Girlfriend…Readers are our EVERYTHING!!!
I can’t wait to read your book, either. I love nos 3,5 and 7. I think no 3 is the way to go. I am currently writing my third Angel book in my new indie career, and am trying to put bits in it about the characters backgrounds, which readers have commented on that they thought there should be more of. So I am listening to readers. I am treating this indie journey as a business not a hobby (as my mum calls it), by being professional and hiring a team of people to do things that I can’t do eg cover desgin. And am trying to be more visible, esp being on here and mentioning what I am writing to create interest in getting readers.
“Listening to readers” is a brilliant approach, Julie! Well done, my friend!!!
Being professional and genuine are also sooo very important. There are waaay too many “Fake-and-Bake Its”, but the good news is they’re sooo easy to spot.
The great thing about the visibility element is that just by hangin’ with readers and taking the time to spend quality time with them, you are really increasing the buzz about you and your books and givin’ those readers somethin’ to “sneeze” about, which in turn gets you more readers!!!
I think most of them could be used for Life Mantras.
Especially Give to Receive…
Thanks for the inspiration,
Mitzi
They really are Life Mantras too, Mitzi! And that’s a wonderful way to think of them and make them a very real and genuine part of who you are as both an author and a person!
People relate to people…not brands, icons, and rituals alone…without the human emotional element, none of the other stuff works!
Great list, D.D.! It’s no wonder you’re well on your way to everything you ever dreamed about and then some. Keep up the great work!
Thanks sooo very much, Jeanne!
The key to obtaining everything you’ve ever dreamed of is to work your rear-end off to make it not just a dream…but reality.
And not necessarily work harder, but work smarter.
With this book, I want to help us all work smarter, based on ideas I’ve used that can be re-worked to fit any Indie Author’s brand.
Hi, D.D!
I love these mantras!
And this is a super-stupid question, I know, but what does “KMA” stand for . . .?
Thanks, Diane
Not a super-stupid question at all, Diane…it simply means you’re much more of a “lady” than I am! LOL!!!
KMA = Kiss My Ass
Fantastic mantras, DD! I hope I’m using all of them!
You are using ‘em, Talli!!! And givin’ ‘em your very own Talli Roland twist too! Go, Girl, Go!!!
Cheers, my friend!!!
Got my Pimms raised high in the air to ya across the pond!!!
Great post, D.D.! I can’t wait to read the book. It almost seems like 10-24 the graduate level sequel to Muse Therapy. And it’s all so you! Luv it.
I like that, Alicia…LOL!…”the graduate level sequel to Muse Therapy”.
You know, I had to marvel a bit as I put together 10 Years and 24 Hours because I couldn’t get over how well my Muse Therapy ideals have worked on the business end of my Indie Epub Journey as well as on the craft-writing end too!
I do think “success” has a ton to do with one’s outlook and philosophies in life…and boy does Muse Therapy give ya some superfab fun ‘tude to weather the storms in this biz!!!
Love the mantras, DeeDee! I think for my online activity, I’ve been using 4, 5 and 9. But they are all terrific and I’ll be working on implementing the rest
BTW, thank you so much for joining the chat last night. Talk about Synergy!
For sure, Kristine! I was over the moon to hang with y’all during your superfab ChatRoll chat!!! What a spectacular tool to yes indeed create some sensational Synergy!!!
I’m sooo glad you mentioned #9 Synergy!!!
It is all about creating your own luck by finding new ways to align your stars with other peeps’ stars!!!
Well done, my friend!!!
Congrats on the new book, D.D.!
I think it’s great that you’re sharing what you’ve discovered over the course of your journey with other Indie Epub authors.
Thanks Bunches, David!
You know how much I live for Payin’ It Forward, and this book is just a natural extension of that philosophy!
What I can’t wait for is to hear how y’all take my techniques and make ‘em your own to build your Indie Epublishing Empires too!!!
D.D. . . . hahhaha!
KMA … Love it! : )
You are SO infinitely right about all this, especially making Mantra Three the most important. Put on blinders to everything else. Readers reign supreme. Great post, D.D.
Readers do reign supreme, Shaina, and I sooo agree with you about blinders being an essential wardrobe staple of this biz…’course mine have some fabulous bedazzle-style bling on ‘em too!