Reflecting and Improving as an Indie Author
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Learning how to see failure and making the most of it.
If you know me well, you know how much I value the power of self-reflection, consistency, and even failure. Now, why do I bring this up?
In 2017, I published my first poetry collection, Love’s Cycle.
I went about it horribly though. I initially published it in only ebook format (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing). However, I decided it would be a good idea to bypass a professional editor and edit the book myself. Additionally, I thought it would be a good idea to create the cover myself. Needless to say, it did not go well, and it might be one of the titles that have sold the least throughout the years.
However, I take that as an opportunity to reflect on where I started and how I can take all the lessons I’ve learned as an independent author to seek continuous improvement and see how much I have grown.
The road to improvement.
I eventually got Love’s Cycle professionally edited and published a second edition with a paperback version around the same time I launched my second poetry book and Spanish bestseller, Las Musas. Still, I never updated my first book’s cover. My second poetry book wasn’t perfect either, but I took the lessons from my first book and applied them to the development and release of Las Musas. For my second book, I didn’t seek to edit the book myself, and I hired a designer for the cover.
If I chose to, I could get discouraged about many things as an independent author. There are so many things to learn about the writing and publishing business, not even including the marketing and post-release side of things (which I still have trouble with because I’m an introvert and don’t like sharing that I’m an author).
After a decade of writing and almost seven years of publishing, I still find things to improve on with every book I write. However, I’ve learned to make the process fun.
With every failure, I learn a new way to polish my craft, and it reminds me that my best work is yet to come.
Recently, I realized that this upcoming November will be Love’s Cycle’s 6th anniversary since its first release. I decided it was a good time to assess my past failures, reflect on what I could do to improve, and make many changes!
In the past few weeks, I’ve taken advantage of some free time to:
Do keyword and category research for all of my books to help increase their visibility on Amazon
Reformat Love’s Cycle’s manuscript for a hardcover edition
FINALLY REDESIGN THE COVER OF LOVE’S CYCLE
See below for the before and after!
Love’s Cycle - Cover #1 (Old Edition)
Love’s Cycle’s first cover was designed by none other than… me. Not great.
I will keep the original cover on the paperback version of Love’s Cycle even if it costs me sales because it will remind me of where I started and how much I have learned since 2017.
I think it’s important for us to have visual markers of our progress in all parts of life. That way, when we begin to look forward and get discouraged by how far we yet have to go, we can instead look back for a moment and see how far we’ve already come. It’s the consistent baby steps that lead us to victory.
Still, the ebook for Love’s Cycle will get revamped, and the hardcover will have the new design fresh off the press.
Love’s Cycle - Cover #2 (New Design)
Love’s Cycle’s new cover was designed by Getcovers.
With the help of the cover designer, we were able to come up with a minimalist design for a new cover that hopefully engages the audience within the contemporary poetry genre more effectively. Let’s hope for the best!
Love’s Cycle is a beautiful collection of prose and poetry that explores the highs of love and the lows of loss. Love can often be observed in several cyclical phases. First, there is the reaching, the yearning, and the longing to feel and be felt. Then it’s the grasping. It’s that moment when you feel endless, infinite, and intoxicated by bliss. And finally, it’s when some are forced to let go. It’s when the world says, “It’s time for another soul to have a turn.” It’s when you, as a lover, must accept that not everything lasts forever.
If you’re interested in reading my book, find it here!
If you’re interested in reading my book, click on the image above or find it here!
I hope the biggest lesson you can take from this story is to remember to embrace your failures and, instead of being discouraged by them, rejoice in the lessons you can learn from all your mistakes! It’s never too late to improve on yourself or a project you have been working on!
P.S. Don’t miss out on your free books!
Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools that humans have, and because I believe in its immense power, I created a “starter kit” for becoming a writer. When you join my email list, you will receive a free copy of my writing guide, 15 Ways to Overcome Writer’s Block. You will also receive a free copy of my book, Red Magic: Love Letters for a Soulmate. Red Magic is a poetry collection written in the form of love letters. The book also includes some reflection questions that will serve as writing prompts that explore what it means to live and what it means to love. I believe everyone has a story to tell and that they should tell it. It is our stories that often inspire and change other people’s lives.
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