So many books, so many milestones! My second full poetry collection, A Model Archaeologist, celebrates its one year publishing anniversary today. Here’s a photo of one of our cabbage white butterflies on my author hardcover copy, before the little critter took flight in our garden. Aww!
You can celebrate with me by grabbing a copy for free if you subscribe to KU, or as a hardcover for your bookshelf:
A few months back, I wrote an article looking at what percentage of authors make a full-time living from it. This post is to elaborate on the expenses I paid out versus royalties received in 2022, to give a balanced view of what the reality is like being an Indie author. I don’t have much basis for comparison as my fellow Indie authors have not disclosed their own data to me, but I assume I’m fairly typical for a one-woman promotional machine. So here goes:
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I’m making good use of my 8 week summer holiday to do some writing research. As you might know from my other blog posts, I work in a grammar school in Northern Ireland and while school is out for summer, I have been a busy bee working on two novels simultaneously. Novel WIP#7 is a supernatural horror set in London. It was originally an unpublished short story that I wrote back in 2009, and now I have an idea to expand it onto a novel. Novel WIP#8 is the sequel to The Buddha’s Bone, which I am writing at reader request; basically enough readers contacted me to say that they wanted to know what happens next in Kimberly’s story, since things end on a positive note with her and Naoki. The sequel will pick up directly where the story left them in Japan.
The photo is me at Keats & Chapman bookstore in Belfast doing research for novel WIP#7. Can you believe I didn’t know that such a gem of a bookstore existed? I tend to shop in Waterstones, No Alibis and Books, Paper, Scissors in my hometown, so happening upon this fantastic store while on a shopping day out with my family was a treat. I’m doing research on witchcraft (spoiler alert!), a topic I know next to nothing about. But as a reader, I love learning new things. I found these two fabulous non-fiction books on the history of witchcraft, so I’ll be brushing up my historical knowledge on the topic soon.
Prior to 2021, all of my books had been published by small press publishers. Once my books had been released, admittedly, I hadn’t spent any money on advertising; instead I promoted my books at live events, with maybe a token post or two on my website and social media. For my traditionally published books (A Model Archaeologist and Chemotherapy for the Soul) I attended spoken word events, literary festivals and book signings. Likewise, for my debut novel (Gods of Avalon Road) I sold the majority of copies at book launch events in stores such as Waterstones, or through library events.
Once I set up my own imprint in 2021 and launched my first book under my Leilanie Stewart Author brand (The Buddha’s Bone), expenses were high as I had to incur start-up costs; as you would for any business. My costs versus royalties for that left me in an eye-watering deficit; there were a few things that I did two years ago that I wouldn’t repeat, and some that have proved to be worth the money. I’d like to share with you the things that didn’t work for me in the hope that you won’t be out of pocket (by several thousand pounds – yikes!) like I was. Here is what older, wiser, more savvy publisher, Leilanie Stewart, will not repeat again going forward from 2023 onwards:
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I wrote a blog post recently about which is hardest between writing, editing and marketing. Other writers have since engaged when I shared that post on social media with their own thoughts that publishing and marketing are by far the hardest, since the former two of the three are within the writer’s control, whereas the latter involves reaching customers – and that, for the most part, is down to readers, not writers. Since it’s the one year publishing bookiversary of my most popular book, The Blue Man, I thought I’d share some marketing insights that I’ve learned over the past year. I’m by no means a marketing expert; I’m just another indie author who has had more hit than miss over the past year with my marketing experiments. Believe me, this time last year, I was wondering if releasing a ghost horror novel in July, rather than closer to Halloween, was the right decision. Turns out it was, as I guess readers like a creepy read at any time of year; I sure do! With that in mind, I thought I’d share what I’ve learned, so feel free to join me for a coffee (hurray caffeine!) and read on:
Continue readingLast week, I took 3 bags of old clothes to the charity shop as a gift aid donation. These were clothes that I had hung onto for over a decade, in the hope that I would one day fit into them again. For reference, these clothes were all a UK 8-10 and in the past 5 years, the smallest size I have managed to get myself down to is a UK 12; I am more comfortably a UK 14.
Body positivity matters, so instead of dwelling on how slim I used to be a decade ago, it’s more helpful – and realistic – to focus on recent health gains. If you have read my keto posts, you’ll know my weight yo-yos as a result of my sugar addiction and disordered eating.
However, since January 2023 I have managed to lose 16lbs/ 7kgs through slow, steady fat loss by eating low carb combined with occasional intensive exercise. I’m a fan of comparison photos, which I often use to highlight my keto diet weight loss journey on Instagram. Here are two 2023 photos, wearing the same outfit, which I took to highlight progress better than any bathroom scales could manage:
Continue readingIt’s release day! Toebirds & Woodlice is now available in Kindle Unlimited and as a hardcover.
Want to hear some sample poems:
Here’s the blurb:
Calling all day-dreamers, doodlers, dabblers and noodlers. This collection of 83 zany poems is for people who spend at least 60% of the day in their heads.
Some of these poems have previously been published in literary magazines. Some of the literary magazines that didn’t publish them may wish they had. Other literary magazines may be glad that they hadn’t – ever – published any of the poems in this collection. Some of the poems in this collection wish they had been published by literally any of the literary magazines in which other poems in this collection were published.
Disclaimer: The poems in this collection may induce headaches, nausea or nosebleeds. If this is the case, then please consult the help of your nearest noodlehead, who will advise the relevant treatment.
Grab an eBook/free on Kindle Unlimited:
Grab a hardcover:
Other stores:
I love writing. It’s my passion. Heck, it’s more than that: if I didn’t write, I wouldn’t be me. I’ve scribbled stories since I just about got the hang of how to string letters together. Between writing, editing and marketing, writing is also my favourite part of the process. Why? I’ll try to break down for you on a difficulty scale what I think.
Continue readingDid I mention that my third poetry collection is forthcoming on 20th July? Toebirds & Woodlice is a collection of 83 zany poems.
I first published Toebirds & Woodlice as a 39 poem pamphlet back in 2013. A decade later, I’m re-releasing it as a full collection including some poems from another photographic book of verse that I had self-published back in 2009. All the poems are wacky, some are surreal, and others subversive. Subversive verse? Why not?
Want to read a review? My original 39 poem pamphlet received a glowing review from Jenna Clake at Sabotage Reviews.
In the meantime, Toebirds & Woodlice is available for pre-order and will soon spread its Toebird-like wings and fly into the big, wide world.
Vocabulary is key to weight loss. As a writer I know the value of words, so I also know the impact that using the wrong words can have on not just mentality, but motivation too.
In 2020, before I lost 3 stone/ 18kgs/ 42lbs doing a ketogenic diet combined with intermittent fasting, I had many negative things to say about myself. I often referred to myself as ‘fat’, ‘fatty’ or a ‘slob’. As I began losing weight, I started posting ‘transformation’ photos on my Instagram. At first I used tags like ‘fat to fit’, but mulling this over, I decided to use more generic or body-positive tags instead, so I removed anything with negative connotations.
Why? Because apart from the fact that negative self body image isn’t helpful towards achieving weight loss goals, how many other millions of people may be having their own weight-gain struggles and succumbing to self blame? A recent article about ultra processed foods on Wired indeed talks about how blame lies with governments and medics who promote cheap, heavily processed foods as healthy because, of course, they get paid cash incentives to do so. Is it any wonder why overweight people blame themselves, thinking they have no self-control when in fact society is to blame by feeding them highly addictive junk food?
Believe me, it’s a hard habit to break. I struggle with carb and sugar addiction and have to be conscious and mindful each day about making healthy food choices. I’ve mentioned this in earlier blog posts about doing the keto diet and managing my sugar addiction, but I’ll say it again for reference – here is my golden list of clean eating and fat loss:
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