Since I returned from Norway, I’ve been back online as you can see. I thought before I resumed my regular writing routine, I would look at more avenues for marketing my books. Since there are overwhelming options for advertising plastered all over the internet, my head exploded, and then I wished I was still on vacation, unplugged!
I would love to go back to the Geirangerfjord. Our ship maneuvered right into it. I even woke up early that day to see it happen. My husband and I don’t normally like the early hours, but we forced ourselves out of bed. It was worth it. I stood on deck in awe as the crisp cool air blew my bed hair around. The ship passed boisterous waterfalls, mountains sprinkled with greenery, and jagged rocks as it eased into the fjord. It was around six in the morning, but the sun doesn’t completely hide during the summer in Norway so it seemed later. It was misty out, but I took pictures of anything I could. Even though I’m not a good photographer, and the camera couldn’t catch the sensation of being there, I still wanted to have physical images (over 300) to go with my memories. I posted some photos of the other ports (Alesund, Stavanger, Bergen) here too, because they all were amazing. Now I’m back to the real world. Once in a while I take short escapes and reflect on my Norwegian voyage. My day dreaming has helped me remain happy while I wade through the piles left on my desk at work. It has also helped me to not get too depressed that I’m not doing enough to get my books out to the world. I use LinkedIn to get guidance from more experienced authors and publishers in the book industry. It helped me find a wonderful editor and directed me to decide to self-publish. The problem with LinkedIn’s counsel is there is a great abundance of it. Everyone who knows something shares it in articles, free books, and through comments. So I find it time consuming to sort through it all. Some “experts” say you’re only writing as a hobby if you don’t devote every minute and dollar into your book. Many of their suggestions make sense, and they are successful using their own book promotion advice. The problem is that their ideas aren’t always feasible for me. I can’t devote all my time and money to promoting my books, because frankly, I like to spend time with my husband. My husband and I just celebrated 20 years of marriage, and that is because we enjoy each other’s company. We weren’t able to have children, so we use our extra money to travel. I could selfishly take away from all of our trips and times together to invest it all into my books, but I would miss out on the best relationship ever. I would also miss out on seeing the world, such as Norway. Does this mean I will never make a best sellers list? Could it mean that only family and friends will read my books? At this point I don’t know. I have taken steps to follow some of the advice on LinkedIn. I have also tried some of my own methods to reach the world. I do get a little frazzled, because all of the book promotion efforts take from my writing, which is what I really want to do. I’m so thankful I had my little break from social media, emails, texting and the web. I may never be the next J.K. Rowling, but I will have a lifetime of memories with my best friend, my husband. I strive to live with no regrets and our trip to Norway will definitely be on the “NO REGRETS” list. It even goes on the “BETTER THAN I EXPECTED” list. One more thing to check off my bucket list! (I have a lot of lists.)
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Ramblings on life, travels, & books
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December 2023
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