On “Going Commercial” – And Loving It.

I’ve just been invited by Amazon Canada to be an Amazon Influencer. This means that I get my own website at Amazon.ca to display all of my books (finally!) and I can recommend products to you there as well. As one reader put it, “You’re going commercial?”

You bet I am, but I’m not doing anything differently with my online presence than I have been for many years. It’s just that a large corporation finally noticed that what I have to say (of my own volition) to my followers may be useful to them. If that’s what some call “going commercial,” I say bring it on, bring it big or go home broke. I’m not doing anything I’m not proud of; in fact, I’m really excited about this, because I’d already been plugging books and products in my Instagram/ on Twitter and YouTube for two years without even realizing it. Now I’ll just be earning a small percentage per purchase when I point readers to books and products that I already use and love.

I’ve always been a writer for the love of writing, and if I can find ways to do what I’m passionate about every day, stick to my morals, and still make a decent living in the 21st century as an author? Then “going commercial” is something I’m darn proud of.

The best part is, this is one more way that I can prove to those of you who aspire to become authors that, yes, Virginia, we CAN be wealthy writers! Very few can make a living that will sustain a whole family simply by writing books (especially if you don’t have over ten published books out yet). We can, however, make a decent salary for ourselves as writers if we think outside the box and do more than just write books. We have to consider selling those books as ebooks, paperbacks, audiobooks; selling the rights to adapt those books into films; speak about our lives as writers and get paid for that, and use social media to gain more interested readers, which gives us leverage in making business deals with corporations and organizations that we respect.

I started out as a poet, first published at age five, and decided to become a writer then and there. At the time, I didn’t realize I was headed into a profession that would pay me very little (even as a trained journalist) for coming up with fresh ideas and stories out of thin air. It didn’t make sense to me: why are writers so undervalued, when people who catch footballs and run with them earn $5-20M a year?

Reality sunk in quite quickly in my twenties when I began sending out story ideas to magazines and learned I’d be paid two to forty cents a word for my work ($1/word for the top magazines) and that the average author in Canada makes $6,000 a year. For some crazy reason, though, I kept on writing. I think the reason is called passion.

I’ve since made it my mission to be transparent with followers who tell me that they want to be authors, too. I try to remind you that it’s going to be challenging, but not impossible, to make a living doing this. I only started making a good profit at writing fiction two years ago. It started out as what I called “skate money” to buy my daughter skates, but soon my earnings became “vacation money,” and I was able to buy a $500 daybed for our backyard, several lovely vacations for our family and I paid many bills (or as my husband Bill likes to joke about it, “Pay Bill.”). While my book income continues to grow, I wouldn’t be able to handle the mortgage payments on my own, plus saving for University for our daughter, plus all of our yearly expenses, without the help of my spouse’s income. I can’t sustain my family in 2018 on my author earnings. Yet.

And that’s why I’m going commercial. Plus, I love online shopping. I love avoiding traffic and crowds and shopping in my luxurious grey robe. Now, when I’m not writing my next novel or working on getting the last one adapted into a movie, I get to buy dresses, purses and shoes and tell you what I think about them? Yes, please!

Check out my new Amazon Influencer Link and please use it whenever you want to buy one of my books or audio books. It will be much appreciated.

Thanks for taking this journey with me,
Heather

Shopping online is my second favourite way of doing it. I most love shopping at outdoor markets, buying flowers and hand-crafted decorations for our home.

Poetry for Change

Back To You

Hey.

I know it’s been a while. I hope you still remember my name.

I’ve been a terrible blogger for the last few years. It’s been challenging to find time to write my novels, market my novels, teach others how to do that via YouTube and social media, and spend time with my family. Blogging had to be left behind.

But blogging poems and blogging about writing are how I got pulled away from journalism and onto this career path back in 2007. I started this blog as “Where the Butterflies Go,” you all commented on my poetry, encouraged me to turn the posts into a book, and … […]<<< a whole lot of stuff happened! and here I am today, a published author, with four novels, five poetry books, a screenplay book and a kids’ book of poems under her belt. I never could have imagined I’d still be doing this more than a decade later.

I don’t think I’d be here if I hadn’t started that blog and had such great feedback from you readers. Thank you.

I miss that interaction, don’t you? Social media certainly makes it easier to comment (no logging in…I’ll see what I can do about that btw) but you don’t always have the same “clan” coming back. I miss my bloggyland tribe.

I’ve learned so much since my first novel was published. Here are a few of those lessons:

1) Take risks. If you don’t risk, you don’t grow. I know it’s scary, especially for so many of us introverted artist types (surprise, yes, I’m in fact an introvert who had to come out of her shell through drama as a teenager when she realized that’s how artists grow). I have had such an interesting life because of a few brave moments.

2) You have to put yourself out there as an author. No one else, not even your publicist, knows your product like you do. You have to go to the book signings and the speaking engagements, tweet about stuff that really matters to you, and risk looking like a fool (see #1) if you want the right readers to find you. In time, many of those readers will become your friends. Cool right? It’s not all about making money…but…

3) You have to spend money to make money. I didn’t like this one very much. You mean you have to spend money to advertise that your heart and soul of a book is FREE for a few days? Yes, you do. You don’t have to do that until the end of time. Just until you gain a reader base. It sounds wrong, but it’s right. I didn’t start making a profit as an author until I started spending money directing traffic to my books.

4) Give back. I feel this one strongly. I like to encourage and teach aspiring authors, because I remember how maddening it can be to feel like you’re getting absolutely nowhere. I still have those days, trust me, but that’s because I’m trying new things every day (audiobooks, TV deals) so I’m still learning what works and what doesn’t work. There are tens of thousands of new authors out there who are struggling to find their audience in this ever-changing book industry. I just want to encourage them before they decide to call it quits. Speaking of calling it quits…

5) Don’t quit. Success if probably just around the corner, or at least the corner after that. Keep on going, dreaming, risking, believing. Don’t put a second mortgage on your home, mind you, please be smart about it, but do everything you can to get your book seen. You have to keep on going, especially if you have a strong “knowing” about it. If you know it’s supposed to be, it will be. It’s just a matter of time.

I’m so happy to be back. I’ll try to do this weekly!

Heather 🙂

 

Interview with Author Kelly Charron

I’m pleased to reintroduce my Interview with a Poet/Author Series for 2018-2019 with an interview with a very special Canadian guest: psychological thriller and urban fantasy author Kelly Charron.

Kelly Charron is the author of YA and adult psychological thrillers and urban fantasy novels. All of her novels have gritty, murderous inclinations and moderate amounts of humor. She spends far too much time consuming true crime television (and chocolate) while trying to decide if yes, it was the husband, with the wrench, in the library. Kelly has degrees in English Literature and Social Work. She has worked as a hairstylist, youth outreach worker and education assistant. She lives with her husband and cat, Moo Moo, in Vancouver, British Columbia.

You write both urban fantasy and psychological thrillers. How did you get into those genres and why do you like them?

It was a natural progression for me actually. I think authors write what they’re interested in and what naturally appeals to them. I’ve always been drawn to dark subjects that deal a lot with the human condition and psychology. I love exploring what motivates people and how they react under pressure and danger. Since I can remember I have watched and read thrillers, horror and suspense. I love unraveling mysteries.

The first book I wrote was a YA urban fantasy, but even though it wasn’t a thriller, it had a lot of darkness, secrets and death. The psychological thrillers I’ve written allow me to delve even farther into these areas, but I have a lot of fun switching between genres. I think doing so allows me to rest my imagination for that genre and I’m stronger with more inspired ideas when I come back to it.

We have being Canadian authors in common. What are some of your favourite things about Canada?

We do! What don’t I love? I’ve traveled a bit and always want to come home. Canada is such a beautiful and accepting country. The people really care about one another and I think we have a great sense of humor. Look at all the incredible comics and comedic actors that come from here. I live in British Columbia and it’s so stunning. The mountains, water, and forests are remarkable. You can literally go snowboarding and skiing in May and then wear shorts and a t-shirt to hike.

Do you think it’s harder or easier to be a novelist today than say, 20 years ago,
and why? What are some pros, and some of the cons?

Tricky question. I think it’s easier now in terms of getting your novels in front of readers. In the past, you had to get past the gatekeepers of literary agent, editor and ultimately the publishing house. Besides what was referred to as vanity presses, there weren’t other ways to see your book out in the world. Self-publishing has obviously changed the game entirely and while there are many perks that go along with that, there are some down sides. I’d say there’s a mixture in the quality of books out there now because of the lack of said gatekeepers. Some self-published works go out without editing, proof reading or revisions, however I’d say that overall, the people who are willing to sit down and complete a full manuscript are dedicated and want to make sure the book they put out is to the best of their ability.

Another downside of this is that discoverability is harder than ever. Over 1.5 million books were published in 2017 alone. That is in addition to all the other books that already exist, so you can imagine how difficult it can be to have people find your novels. Overall, I wouldn’t change it though, because it allows all authors to have a voice. My goal is to be a hybrid author, with both self-published and traditionally published novels, that way is the best of both worlds.
What’s your most recent book about and why do you think people should pick it up?

Kelly: My most recent novel is titled, WICKED FALLOUT. It follows a woman named Ryann who has been in prison for twelve years for killing multiple people when she was fifteen. After she has exhausted all of her appeals and believes she’ll die in prison, new evidence comes to light and her case gets new life under a prestigious legal team who enlist the help of a forensic psychiatrist. Dr. Clafin had the arduous task to evaluate Ryann to help determine if she should be set free or remain behind bars forever.

People should pick this book up because it is so much fun! It’s a true psychological suspense that has so many twists and turns that you won’t know what to think from chapter to chapter. Reviewers have likened the cat and mouse game between my main characters to the one between Dr. Lector and Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs films.

That sounds so cool and like something I wouldn’t be able to put down. I’m picking it up for my August TBR list! What are your hobbies besides writing?

I love hiking in the woods all around the Lower Mainland. I read as much as possible and love to paint, though I barely do because I always tell myself I should be writing. Does being addicted to Netflix count as a hobby?

Yes! It does, because I’m right there with you! If you could go anywhere and do anything, what would your ideal day be?

Easy! I would hop on a plane and fly to Salem, MA on Halloween day to tour the city. So much of my fantasy novels (because they are filled with magic and witches) are centered around Salem and Danvers. I would walk everywhere, hang out in the old cemeteries and shop in the all the stores for creepy antiques and then watch everyone dressed up in their costumes and eat too much candy.

Thank you so much for the great interview! This was so much fun.

Anytime, Kelly! Let’s tell everyone a bit more about your recent releases:

PRETTY WICKED

A small Colorado town. An opportunity for murder.

Ryann has been raised in a strict house by her perfectionist detective father and docile mother. She plays by the rules, doing what her parents ask, getting straight As, cheering at Friday night football games, and is the voice of reason for her eclectic group of friends.

But she’s done following the rules.

Ryann’s been a good girl for far too long. She’s suppressed her dark longings to make everyone else happy.

It’s time to make herself happy—to become the person she’s always wanted to be. Unfortunately, that means a few people are going to have to die.

Her sequel, which can be read as a standalone or as part of the Wicked series, WICKED FALLOUT picks up with the main character, Ryann Wilkanson, twelve years later.

WICKED FALLOUT

A killer’s last chance at freedom. A psychiatrist’s final decision.

Convicted of six murders when she was just fifteen, the notorious Ryann Wilkanson hasn’t been able to act on her darkest, deadliest urges for twelve years. She’s exhausted her appeals and has little hope of ever getting out of prison and back to hunting.

Until a media-hungry legal team mounts a campaign to do the impossible—get her immediately released with a commuted sentence.

Forensic psychiatrist Nancy Clafin has mere weeks to evaluate Ryann’s current mental state against her grisly past to determine if she’s changed. But under the shadow of her own questionable history, it’s not easy to separate her personal life from her professional duty.

At least that’s what Ryann is counting on.

Behind the cold steel doors of a Colorado maximum-security prison, will Nancy find a cold-blooded killer or a newly redeemed woman determined to right her past wrongs?

Connect with Kelly:

Website: http://kellycharron.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KellyMCharron

Facebook: https://goo.gl/UNkH3g

Goodreads: https://goo.gl/rf4NlM

Pretty Wicked https://goo.gl/EP2GQ8

Wicked Fallout  https://t.co/M8QBtxyhME

 

 

Now You Can Listen to Pete and Allie in the Car, on the Train, in the Sun, in the Rain ;)

Visit this link to hear a sample clip and learn more about The Ticket audiobook from its publisher: https://tantor.com/the-ticket-heather-grace-stewart.html OR get it discounted as a preorder item from Audible on Amazon: Get it Free on Amazon