In the post where I wrote about the biggest challenge of being an indie author. I listed several things I needed to do as the publisher of my company. Indies are their own publisher. I thought since my writing break is now over, I would go back and check my progress. If this kind of thing bores you, feel free to skip.
70% of my marketing and promotion goals were met.
What I got done: I have If It Takes A Scandal set up with the author assistant to promote on Facebook. I also have a blog post scheduled at a romance blog on the book’s release date. (The blog post includes a giveaway, so I’ll share it on this blog when it’s ready.)
What I still need to do: I have to set up a Bargain Booksy ad, but I can only do that after The Viscount’s Runaway Bride goes free on all channels. I’m not doing this until September, so technically, I’m not behind on this one. However, I haven’t sufficiently updated my blog and website, which is something I do need to do ASAP.
100% of the Formatting and Publishing Goals were met.
Copies of Taming The Viscountess have been mailed to my beta readers. Forced Into Marriage is now in paperback. If It Takes A Scandal has been uploaded in ebook and placed in all the retailers. I finished formatting Shotgun Groom and got it uploaded to Smashwords and the retailers it distributes to. (I had to reformat that book because Smashwords wasn’t accepting the file.)
100% of Copyright Registration goals have been met.
I registered the remaining three books that I needed to do in order to get up-to-date to the US Copyright Office, and I sent off paperback copies to the office.
98% of Social Networking goals have been met.
Except for a personal email to send to a friend, I am all caught up.
60% of edits for The Bride Price are done.
I’m doing a chapter a day in this book. It’ll be done next week.
100% of Book Cover goals have been met.
I did find someone to update all of my Marriage by Scandal Series.
I got the next two books in the Misled Mail Order Bride Series done. I also got the pre-orders set up for these books.
I decided to get a new cover for Married In Haste because I wasn’t fully happy with the one that I currently had.
This was a cover I made, and here it is:
Here is the new cover made by Yellow Prelude Design:
Personally, I love this one a lot more. Now I have to go and update this new cover on my blog, website, and in the pre-order information.
I am going to upgrade The Reclusive Earl cover, which is Book 1 in the Marriage by Fate Series.
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I think those were the goals I had listed. As you can see, I didn’t have a 100% success rate for everything, but I got most of the stuff I had listed done, and that makes me very happy.
Ruth Ann Nordin's Author Blog 
Good on you, Ruth. Meeting your goals like this is hard to do. I’m glad it’s going well for you.
I had to cease all writing in order to make that happen. While I enjoy the publishing side, the writing part is always the one I enjoy most. 🙂
Right there with you.
🙂
Hi, Ms. Nordin. Is it OK if I like the previous cover better? ^^;
I feel like the first cover with the couple and the distinguished font matches all your other Regency books, since almost all of them have a couple and the same font on their covers.
The new, second cover has a different font, different heroine (not a couple) and a sparkly feeling that the other covers don’t have. Maybe it has something to do with the story? Also, the second over heroine looks like she is from a different country than the first heroine and perhaps some readers will be confused?
I will definitely buy the new book, though, no matter what! I can’t wait for the release of all your upcoming books. 😀
It’s perfectly okay to like the other one better. 🙂
I can’t keep doing my own covers. That one took me about a week to do, and I don’t want to put that kind of wear and tear on my eyes for the next two covers in this series. I need other people to do covers for me.
I plan to change the first cover in this series to better match this new cover, so it won’t be so jarring.
You did fine! There was an old saying I remember during my school years, “If you aim for the stars, you’re bound to hit the moon.” ❤ 🙂
I remember that saying! I first came across it as a senior in high school, and it’s been one of my mottos ever since. I figure getting something done is better than getting nothing done. ❤ 🙂
Hi Ruth – excellent post, you really are efficient! I have seen quite a few authors talking about copyright registration over and above the usual copyright processes involved with book publishing. Is this really necessary to register your copyrights in the U.S. and do you think all indie authors should do it as a matter of course? Am I naive in thinking my works are copyright protected upon publication if copyright is claimed in the front matter of the book and the allocation of an isbn?
Once you write your book, it is covered under copyright law. Registering a copyright isn’t necessary in order to protect it from infringement. What it does is allow you to receive monetary damages in a court of law if such a case was actually to come up (which would rarely ever come up). I register my copyright because I’ve had books stolen in the past, and I feel “safer” having registration on hand. It’s a psychological thing. It might also come in handy for my heirs in the future. But no, you don’t need to register it with the US Copyright Office in order to protect your work. Under law, as soon as you write it, it’s protected.