Melissa Pearl

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Interview with Allison Potter - PA Extraordinaire

When I first started out in this business I couldn't ever imagine being in a position where I could afford, or need, a personal assistant. Well, that time came and I was lucky enough to find the lovely, Allison Potter. She's a dream to work with. Always onto it. Always does what I ask without complaint. She's reliable, helpful and I adore her.

So - I thought I'd dedicate a post to introducing you to my amazing PA. This is a chance for her to tell you a little about herself and also introduce you to a new initiative she's started.

Thank you so much Melissa for having me on your blog today! It means a lot to me that you like my idea and for you to share it with the world.

Two of my authors that I PA for, Julia Crane, and Melissa Pearl (well you) are in a group called “Indie Inked”. “Indie Inked” is a collective of top selling Indie authors bringing the best in today's fiction and trends. I have gotten to see the ladies talk back and forth in a Facebook group, and the way they support each other is amazing, and inspiring.

Personal Assistants to authors were not a very well-known thing when I started doing it in 2009. Lately, I have been seeing tons of bloggers helping out authors and becoming their Personal Assistants. I have also had numerous people message or email me asking some advice, which I happily give.

So, with Indie Inked as inspiration, I decided to make a secret group called “Perfect Personal Assistants” on Facebook. I asked people online that I knew if they would like to join, and some of them asked some of their friends. Right now we are a group of 19 and we get along just great.

The founding members are myself (PA for Julia Crane and Melissa Pearl), Anna Coy (Nicole Stayton), Christina Silcox (R.K. Ryals). Heather Heslip Alexander (PA to D. Love), Kim Walker and Jaime Radalyac (L.P. Dover), Melissa Stickney (Jessica Gibson), Barbars Gordon (Sophie Davis), Autumn Wrought (Tiffani Clark Kemp), Amy Chris (A.J. Bennett), Kimberly Schaaf (Airicka Phoenix), Jessica Molina Ramirez (MiaFox), Julia Hendrix and Len Phelps (Doug Dillion, and Julia Gilbert).

The secret group turned into a live Facebook Fan-page, Twitter, and a blog! I wanted to be able to help out personal assistants, and learn new things from them as well. Things have been going amazing; I couldn't be happier with all of the wonderful women in this group!

What types of services do you provide for your authors?

I have a tab on the page where authors can fill out PA requests. We have all kinds of PAs, some who do part time, some who aren’t accepting people right now (most of us are). Mainly, it depends on what you are looking for, and we will offer up a couple of choices for you!

The link is: http://perfectpersonalassistants.blogspot.com/p/services.html

What's your favorite aspect of the job?

Getting to help the girls, and learning things from them. It has been great with cross promotion for our authors as well!

Do you have any good marketing tips for authors trying to get their work noticed? Which marketing strategies work best?

Honestly, social media is key. And we can help you with that!

You are getting into editing as well…what do you love about editing?

I took a year long course to get an official certification in copy editing. I was beta reading, and proof reading for some authors, and one suggested that I have a great eye for errors and should think about copy editing. I am so glad I did. I love it, and can’t wait to get my name out there more so I can do more edits! I have done 5 so far and am working on another. Editing calms me; I love everything about it!

Do you feel as though authors need less editing the more they write?

It depends. Sometimes the authors just type without thinking of grammar just to let the creative process flow, and I think that’s great, but a bit more challenging to clean up. I have had some authors where editing is a piece of cake and I find myself so caught up in the book, that I have to go back and edit!

What are some of the most common mistakes you find in manuscripts?

Commas after quotes, a lot of sentences that start with “but” or “and” I have come to find a lot.

My website for copy editing is Potter’s Copy Editing Services if you want to check it out!

Some favorites:

1. Ice cream flavor = Chocolate! Or Cake Batter!

2. Movie = Die Hard and Harry Potter (don’t judge me lol)

3. TV Show = Revenge

4. Author = My authors Julia and Melissa of course…but JK ROWLING has my heart.

5. Thing to do when you're feeling silly = I am a classically trained ballerina so I dance around my house a lot. My dog, Romeo, thinks I’m nuts.

6. Subject in high school = English

7. Musical show = Not a musical kind of gal!

8. Pair of shoes = TOMS

9. Nail polish color = I like weird colors that are unusual. Also, I never only have one color on my hands. Two colors is a must!

Before I go, I have to thank Melissa again! Please check out our awesome Perfect Personal Assistants giveaway with TONS of prizes from our awesome authors! Check it out HERE!

Friday, October 25, 2013

Another Privilege of Being a Writer

As most of you already know, I simply ADORE being a writer. Yes it is really hard work and yes, sometimes I do wish I could step back and take a breather. But I have chosen the indie path and I couldn't be happier with my decision. For me I know there is so much more to come in this writing journey and I'm loving every part of it.

I feel very privileged to be in a position where my job is one I love. Writing doesn't feel like work to me and although I find marketing challenging, the fact I get to make up stories for a living takes the sting out of trying to get my books noticed. However one aspect of marketing that I really enjoy is the chance to talk about my books and writing to others...especially students.

Suzhou Singapore International School invited me to chat to some of their Literacy classes during Book Week. I had over 10 forty-minute sessions talking to high school students about my passion for writing and answering loads of questions - everything from cover design to how I go about constructing a story. Being able to rabbit on about writing this week was a privilege. Their questions were insightful and fun to answer. It made me realize that I have come to learn a lot about writing. The fact I could talk about it with such ease and no notes, means it must be ingrained. After 12 years, I still don't have the courage to call myself an expert, but I do have the courage to say I know what I'm talking about.

Another thing that occurred to me over this week is that last year, I used to tell people I was an indie author with a certain degree of shame. Like somehow because I wasn't traditionally published, I wasn't quite cutting it. I didn't feel that at all this year. As I was talking about what I had achieved in my two years as an indie author, I felt both pride and confidence. I am doing it. I am making a career out of writing and I am proud to be an indie author.

My biggest hope is that I have inspired the students. Hopefully they will realize that with a lot of hard work and persistence, they can become published authors...or whatever else they hope to be.

Thank you so much for having me SSIS. And thank you to the indie author community and my fans who have brought me to such a positive place in my writing life.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Indie Inked Giveaway

I know my blog seems as though it's all about giveaways at the moment, but there are just so many good ones going on and I don't want you guys to miss out.

So, here's another one!

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported Indie Inked this year. It's been so awesome to have you along for the ride.

Indie Inked just had a 2,000 Facebook Likes milestone!

We've come a long way since January 2013!

These authors are amazing and so generous, we're giving away A KINDLE FIRE 7" HD WIFI, ebooks and paperbacks galore! Check this out!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, October 21, 2013

Countdown to Christmas Giveaway! ONE MORE WEEK TO GO!

There's only ONE week to go for this giveaway! Don't miss out!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, October 18, 2013

Freebies and Giveaways...Are They Worth It?

Author Lizzy Ford asked her followers on Facebook the other day if they thought freebies and 99c books were a good idea. Did they go for them? Or did the cheap price put them off?

I skimmed the thread and quickly picked up that people love a freebie. It's introduced many to authors they never would have discovered if they'd had to pay.

From a writer's viewpoint, this stings me just a little. It hurts that my hours and hours of time and energy will only be discovered if I make a book free. In saying that, I have found the strategy to be a good one and at the end of the day, I publish my work so people can read it. I know I'll never become a millionaire and I'm cool with that. It's more important to me that people are reading and enjoying my work.

So - in answer to my question... Yes - I think freebies and giveaways are worth it. They are a great way to reach a wider audience, it feels good to play the role of Santa Claus every now and then, plus, I have picked up some very loyal fans. By listing the first book in two of my trilogies free, I've had the flow on effect of selling the other two books in the series. By gifting copies of my books in numerous giveaways, readers have stumbled across my work and then gone and bought the rest of my books. It is a good marketing strategy.

So here's a question for the readers... Is it all too much?

I feel like I am involved in so many giveaways at the moment and I'm worried that I'm bogging down my followers with constant giveaways and promos. I don't want people to miss out, but I also don't want to put people off, because all they ever read from me is promotional stuff.

As a reader, do you appreciate freebies and giveaways? Is your e-reader stuffed with more books than you can ever read? What's your take on it all?

*****

If you are a fan of the giveaways, I've listed all the ones I am currently involved in, just in case you would like to enter :)

Also - Unknown is currently FREE through all major distributors, if you'd like to pick up a copy.
UNKNOWN FOR FREE.

Giveaways:
Countdown to Christmas Giveaway - a stash of ebooks from Indie Inked Authors.
Spooktacular Hop Giveaway - a massive hop. I am giving away paperback copies of The Elements Trilogy.
The Spooky Spectacular Sale - a huge sale of 99c books, plus a massive giveaway.
The Society of YA Storytellers Giveaway - to celebrate our new website :)
**And keep an eye out for next week when Indie Inked is doing a Kindle Fire Giveaway. I'll post about that on Tuesday.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

BEYOND Release Day Post!

BEYOND

(A Betwixt Novella #1.5) (Betwixt Series)

Book Description:

Have you ever been so in love with someone, but not had the courage to tell them?

Nicole Tepper is that girl. She loves her boyfriend Dale, but fearing rejection, keeps her feelings buried deep. She can’t even let on how heartbroken she is when Dale begins applying for colleges thousands of miles away from her; never even whispering a word about how much she wishes he would stay close.

But, when Dale is rejected from Colombia University in NYC, due to a police report that follows him wherever he goes, Nicole soon discovers that love can drive her to do things she never thought possible.

There's more than one way to say, I love you and Nicole Tepper is about to prove to Dale that she loves him beyond all common sense.

Add BEYOND to your Goodreads TBR List

Cover Designs By: Eden Crane Design

Edited By: Allison from Potter's Copy Editing Services

Purchase Links:

Amazon

Smashwords

AUTHOR BIO:

“I used to be a full time teacher (11-13 year olds) then I became a full time mother. During that time I also found my passion for writing. Over the last ten years I have been studying the craft and putting myself out there.

My first trilogy came out in November, 2011. It has been a wild ride swimming in this indie river and I have loved so much of it. I have learned so many amazing things and met so many great people. It has totally solidified the fact I want to be a writer for as long as I possibly can!

I now have five books published and am working on a new YA Fantasy trilogy for 2013. I am having so much fun with it and can't wait to share it with everybody.

I am from New Zealand, but am currently living in China with my husband and two sons. It has been a culture shock, but it's pretty cool living in such a different country.” ~Melissa Pearl