Category: Columns

Rebranding…First Quarter Recap

It’s hard to believe we are five days into the second quarter.  I don’t know about you, but the first quarter didn’t quite go as I planned.  However, I think if I didn’t have a production schedule and new daily agenda, I would not be as far along as I am in my rebranding journey.  

Yes, I missed the deadline I set to release my book, but I had a very good reason.  I didn’t like the ending.  Let me back up.  I like my book.  I even feel secure in saying I love the story.  However, in the back of my mind it felt like there was something missing.  I sent it to a beta reader and she loved it.  It’s one thing for a reader to say they like or even love your work.  But if you get that gnawing feeling, then you need to address it.  

The other reason I changed the ending, was because I asked an established romance writer and a reader how they felt about cliffhangers.  Both had the same answer, “Don’t like them.”  I’ve been called out via review by readers not liking my cliffhangers.  One of them was my cousin.  I didn’t know she was reading my books until she’d read quite a few and posted her dislike of the cliffhanger.  

I thought using a cliffhanger at the end of a book was a clever marketing tool to get the reader to buy the next book.  Apparently, I missed the mark and pissed off a few readers.  

So on the eve or a few weeks before sharing my book, I decided to make a pretty drastic decision to re-write the ending.  

I had written what I thought was a nice little cliff hanger, but even I had to admit it was lacking something.  know what’s going to happen in the next book and wrote the end based on that.  But I forgot, the reader isn’t in my head.  Those words and plots are all mine.

Now I’m starting out the second quarter with a minor re-write.  If I don’t call it major, it won’t overwhelm me.  I think the ending is better and still sets up another book if I choose to continue with these characters or pick another pair from the story.

Let’s do a quick recap.

First quarter goals:

Release updated covers…6 out of 7 released [Cover seven ties into the new website and my upcoming release.]

Update website….Tweaking…launching this month

Update newsletter…Done

Bonus goals…format ebook interiors with paired down back matter [I sort of over did it on the excerpts.}  

I also reformatted the ebook lay out pushing the acknowledgements, dedication and a few other things to the back.  This gives the reader more story to sample.]

New Tagline and color theme

Graphics for new book…done

Did you make your goals last quarter?  If not, ask yourself why and what can you do to complete them this quarter.

Next month, I’ll share the new website.  It’s different, but very me.

To everyone attending Cal Dreamin’ enjoy this time hanging with your friends.  I hope you get everything out of it you were hoping for.  

See you next month.