The Birth Of Cottage Farm & Meg Ryder, Battle Of Two Minds

Oh the joys of Ebooks

2011-07-08T04:57:00.000-07:00

I was under the impression that once your ebook was out there then that was it, sit back and watch, boy was I wrong, the marketing that is involved is mind blowing, if you are in the wrong frame of mind may I suggest, wait and start again when you are ready to add twenty odd sites to your bookmarks, keep track of every one and then expect to add more.
Watch as emails come flooding in and keep track of all them too and then there is still no promise of a sale and thats just the start.

Cottage Farm Blue Fever Free Ebook For Limited Time

2011-07-07T07:26:00.000-07:00

My Ebook is in the Summer Catolouge of smashwords for free until 27th july 2011 I would love for some reviews if you wish to download this ebook. All reviews would be greatly recieved.
Also visit my profile www.smashwords.com/profile/view/carolhaldane

The Birth Of Cottage Farm & Meg Ryder, Battle Of Two Minds: yahoo sales are finally coming in

2011-07-06T07:33:00.001-07:00

The Birth Of Cottage Farm & Meg Ryder, Battle Of Two Minds: yahoo sales are finally coming in

yahoo sales are finally coming in

2011-07-06T07:33:00.000-07:00

we are finally up and running and have started making some sales, Cottage Farm is finally selling, ok only a few at the moment but any sale is better than none surely, everyone has to start somewhere. So fingers crossed this is the start of things to come, here's hoping.

A new day

2011-05-04T10:36:00.000-07:00

well, i've been away for sooo long, but here we go, I'm back, with a new project. I'm still going down the self publishing route for my new venture, I am so excited, my daughter and I have been working hard for the past year. Not forgetting my good old friend and working partner in crime Karen.
We are three quarters of the way through, I will give more info on the book later, today I am just here to say I'm back and can't wait to keep you all informed of the new venture.

A New Day

2010-01-20T08:31:00.000-08:00

well, I'm back again, I think I'm finally on my way now,(I hope.)
The eBook is almost finished, (Yeah) and I am just waiting for the final draft of the front cover.
We have our audio books software and now just waiting for a mutal friend to do the speaking for us.
things are really starting to look up.
Just waiting for some credit to show up so we can start on our new design for the websites. I am certianly changing web hosts.
Lulu still seems to be favourate for the self publishing but we are no where near ready to do that yet.
We are hoping to have at least four or five eBooks out and audio books before we even begin to start thinking about the paperbacks.
The eBooks are a new thing to me, I don't even know if they will sell, only time will tell. I know from all the reports that it is the latest craze but will they really take over paperbacks? I suppose only time will tell with that as well.
There are so many avenues to consider now when writing or self publishing that it's hard to keep up at times, next step once the eBooks are out is to get them reviewed. I have a few people in mind who have already reviewed some of my other works so fingers crossed they will do me the honour again.
There is so many steps to consider I really should get more organized.
Well just going to finish the eBook now then hopefully get it proofread I can be sure I've messed up somewhere along the line so thats next on the agenda.
back soon.

I have actually lost count what day it is

2010-01-18T03:47:00.000-08:00

How mad, Ive actually lost count on what day I'm on. lol.
Things have been so hectic and mad, even if I was an octopus I still wouldn't have enough arms to do what needs doing.
I have just seen the first samples of the illustraions for the eBook, wow, they are amazing. seeing your characters come to life, there is no greater feeling in the world, you have your own image in your head of what they will look like and granted no one can ever get in your head and copy them, but when you then get to see the pictures through someone elses eyes of what they see your characters to be is amazing. I am so proud of my illustrator and can't wait for the final drafts.
Well the first book has been redreafted to go into eBook format and ready and waiting, I am now working on getting the second in the series reformatted for eBook.
I never thought I would get back the buzz for writing the way I have.
I just don't want to stop which is just as well because if I stop now, it will all fall apart.
A couple of weeks ago when I first decided to go down the route of self publishing, I enquired on two seperate self publishing firms, two of the biggest actually, this was before I looked into their company a little more. I have recieved email from both companies both stating that I now have a personal advisor working with me to finish the process of using their company, er I don't think so, I think you will find that is MY decision not yours. I haven't even decided if I am going to use your company yet let alone have a personal advisor to finish what I started.
So if anyone else is going down this route please be aware this is YOUR project no one elses and it is down to YOU who you chose. Don't feel obligated because they have decided to give you a personal advisor to go with that company. Do your homework, check out you tube and find out what other people who have had experience with these companies have to say.
As I said in an earlier post, each company has their own downfalls, it's down to you what you are after.
Anyway, I also have now found someone to do my audiobooks, who wishes to remain anon. So looks like we are finally getting somewhere.
The website? Don't get me started on the website. lol. I am now in the process of changing webhosts, this is due to the one I was using keeps adding to what it will cost me to set up my site, because I wanted a shopping cart added to my site they are now asking for more money. Not going to happen.
By the looks of it the best site to use is Dah Dah Dah............
Justhost.com yes you have to pay for a year upfront but then thats it done, also they give you live help whenever you need it. So thats the new one for me. They have everything you need to set up your website, all the tools for everything you can think of and if you get stuck, just use the live help and someone will talk you through it. thumbs up for Justhost.com.
So thats where I'm up to for now, will blog again soon, I promise.

day 10

2010-01-12T01:12:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all my new twitter followers and fb followers, nice to meet with you all, well what can I say other than MADNESS!!!!!!!

How do you divide a day between, twitter/facebook/webdesign/ebooks/writing/audiobooking/blogging/being a mother/cooking and sleeping.
Any answers?????
Thats not including still finding a self publisher.
Starting to think that the conventinal route would be easier, find a publisher, get rejected 16000 times, have low self esteem and give up.
Now, now come on you can do this it's just a matter of organisation.
I even made a list yesterday of what I needed to do, I got half way through it(enough said).
Just waiting for the illustrations now for the first Ebook to go to Smashwords for consideration. Then on to the next Ebook.
Am I even doing this right? We live and learn I suppose.
well I suppose I better get on with it, off now to do more webdesigning, will inform you tomorrow of my progress.

Day 8

2010-01-10T15:19:00.000-08:00

This is madness, I havent had a day off yet, it's never ending. Just keeping the social networking up is a job in its own, let alone the website and everything else.
I've soared through Utube videos trying to get a heads up on the Self publishing idea but they all recomend some different way to go.
It used to be so easy, who's bright idea was it to invent the internet anyway? (Only joking)
So, still none the wiser, which company to self publish with?
any ideas? anyone already done this and have a good rapore?
still life was sent to try us.
Thank you to all the new twitter and fb fans, glad to hear from you.
we are growing slowly but surely, not bad for a weeks worth of slogging away.
Back to the Ebooks tomorrow, can't get anywhere without them.
Been a long weekend.
Time for me to stop for now, back to the grindstone tomorrow.

Day 7

2010-01-09T07:15:00.000-08:00

So sorry for the lateness OMG things are getting hard, So whats happened over the last four days?
Well let me tell you, I've watched countless U tube videos, searched more self publishing firms, twittered, twittered and twittered some more, added to our webpage, started the editting for the Ebooks, still waiting for someone to do the audiobooks, WE GOT AN ILLUSTRATOR YEAH!!!!!!!
Thank you so much, you know who you are. Let's hope this takes off in a big way.
Cottage Farm is Finally taking shape and growing stronger by the day. Can't wait to see the characters finally come to life, I may even publish a preview of the characters, you never know.
So I'm now on Twitter, Facebook and Likedin, Where else to try?
Actually I think thats enough for the time being or I will be so busy with the network that I will have no time to finish the other parts of the project.
Who said Self Publishing was easy?
Thank You Jan, you know what for, see you soon.
I think it's time to go back to finishing the website and the Ebook, otherwise I will have no revenue coming in, now thats not good buisness sense at all.
Thank you all for reading and I will catch up tomorrow.

Day 3

2010-01-05T15:30:00.001-08:00

Tuesday, 5 January 2010

Day 3

well it doesnt get any easier, but all I can say is hello all you twitters out there thank you for joining us, it's been a great pleasure in finally working out how to twitter, maybe this is the start of things to come.

Well we are still none the wiser to what self publishing company to go with, we are edging towards lulu.com but still have our reservations.

Guess what guys, we may have found an illustrator (lets cross our fingers and hope) yeah!!!!!!

Time to finish re editing the ebook ready for publishing.

we have spent most of today twittering and making up our other blog page for our published books (why didnt I think of that earlier). Adding sections to our webpage and I think we really need to set ourselves a realistic goal to when all this is going to become available.

It doesn't feel so daunting today, still got lots to do but getting more organised at it.

Time to call in a few favours from a few friends I think.

well, I'm exhausted and I think I will call it a day, lets hope it gets easier tomorrow, only time will tell.

Day 2

2010-01-04T08:39:00.000-08:00

OMG why is everything in life so difficult, here we were thinking it was all so easy and were overwhellemed and weve only just started, step two set up your own web page lol easier said than done, I mean what do you put on it? when is it ready to be published? The more you look into this publishing lark the harder it becomes. there was us thinking yes easy enough just choose a self publishing company and off you go. Not so quick, its not THAT easy. There are over twenty companies that we have found already all offering different packages all at different costs and then when you research those companies there are drawbacks to each one.Not the same drawbacks Oh No all different.
So we decided to concentrate on getting the website ready for publishing. Easy? No chance. So weve bought our web domain, designed how its going to look now we concentrate on what goes into the site.
But thats going to take time, I estimate around three months time we will be ready to publish, first we have to get the books into ebooks, start selling them, get podcasts made, make a few videos and most of all FIND AN ILLUSTRATOR AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
So we have spent a few hours designing the webpage put that to one side and decided on getting our books onto ebook, at least then we can start selling in the meantime of setting up the webpage and deciding on a self publisher.
What could be easier, the books are already written (minus the illustrations) so we should be able to fire them out quite quickly yes?
NO. STOP RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE!!!!!!
they dont publish ebooks the same way as you publish a paperback, oh no, you have to redo the whole manuscript in a completely different format than the paperback, so guess what, it's back to rewriting the books again, ready for ebook publishing AND THEY WANT A FRONT COVER WE HAVE NO ILLUSTRATOR(have I already mentioned that?)
So day 2 is bang your head against a brick wall, count to ten and breathe day.
We will keep you posted on what happens next, as for now, we are going for a long break, well until tomorrow at least.

DAY 1 WHERE TO BEGIN

2010-01-03T07:31:00.000-08:00

Well here we go it's day 1 and I'm baffled already. This is the beginning of my journey into the world of publishing. We (myself and Karen) are about to embark on a journey into the unknown, we will either succeed or fail.
The book is written, we have the money to publish and everything is a OK to go, but where do we begin?
Follow our journey as we head into the world wide web of books and publishing.
Step one write our own blog. Check.
Step two build a hosted blog? well I'm off to find out how to go about this, so will report back soon.
Cottage Farm is on it's way.