An Anniversary, Book News, and Writing Experimentation

Please read so you can be kept in the loop 😊

Photo by benedictarenee from Getty Images on Canva Pro

Two years ago, I moved my entire blog over to Substack and it has been quite the ride. In an ever-changing social media and media environment, I have learned so much about the writing business and myself as a writer since making that transition. And while my writing has grown and evolved, so have I, which is demonstrated by the very first post that I wrote and sent out to my small number of initial subscribers.

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Evolving the Blog

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I’m proud of how far I’ve come. I’m proud of the two book projects that have come from my work here. I’m proud of the networking and writing I’ve done for other Substack writers. I’m proud of how I’ve grown personally since our move from Texas and the fresh start with a new blog and shifting focus.

And as I continue to grow into middle age, I’m excited about the writing I plan to do and the projects I want to complete. I want to leave that legacy for my children, and part of that legacy building is in the news items below.

Kickstarter Updates

I know that I hinted at this for months before the launch, but attempting crowdfunding in a shifting publishing landscape can be a challenge.

The publishing world is changing, and not all for the better. Getting a book published by a traditional publisher takes more than skill as a writer. It also takes connections, time, and more than a little bit of luck. It also doesn’t guarantee financial success, and most people have to put in their own time and money to market their books even after a publisher takes care of details like cover design and developmental editing and proofreading. And then you still have to wait one to two years to see your book on bookshelves after going through the whole publishing process.

I turn 45 this year. I have four more book projects that I want to get going. I have been working on The Life I Never Knew I Wanted for six years. I’m ready for everyone to get the chance to read it. I’m ready to share it with the local state parks and take it with us to gift to people while we are on camping vacations. I’m ready to share it with you, dear reader.

And that is where Kickstarter comes in. By participating in my Kickstarter, you are getting the book early. You are buying the book you were going to buy anyway, but by crowdfunding the book, you are helping me pay the upfront costs of cover design and editing to make it a professional product. And as a bonus, none of the money you are contributing will go to pay Amazon. You are directly funding the book and you will get the book in return.

I have less than two weeks left and a Kickstarter project is only funded if the initial goal is met. The sooner we meet the goal, the sooner we can push to my next goal, which is including pictures of some of our trips in the final copy of the book. Check it out and share with others 😊

To go with the promotional material for my Kickstarter, I created a camping journal. If you pledge $25 or more to the Kickstarter, you will automatically get a copy of the paperback. If you don’t want to commit to the Kickstarter but you want to check it out, you can purchase it directly from Amazon. (But if you want to avoid sending extra money to Amazon, everything you get through the Kickstarter will go directly to publishing, not to Amazon 😉)

Here's a look inside the book.

Trying My Hand at Fiction

Like many writers, I have dreams of someday writing a novel. However, I’ve always been most comfortable in the non-fiction realm.

I decided that the best way to change that is to start writing short stories. I am posting them on my author website as lead magnets and I am sharing them with my subscribers, no strings attached. I am publishing all of my stories through BookFunnel.

Right now I’m also participating in a BookFunnel giveaway with other writers to build our email lists. You can check out their work here: https://books.bookfunnel.com/makinglifegreat/3kfdc3hamw

Finally, a quick note for my paid subscribers. I am temporarily suspending the audiobook of Embracing the Journey until after school gets out. I will bring back new episodes this summer. I will still be publishing pieces in the “Shifting Sand” series and plan to do one a month.

Support my writing

While most of my work here is free for all subscribers, it is still a labor of love that I fit into the few hours I have when I am not teaching or being an attentive wife and mom. If you would like to support my writing but you do not want to commit to being a paid subscriber, please consider a one-time donation.

You can also support me by ordering my book or books from my favorite book lists at my Bookshop.org affiliate page.

If you want to be a regular supporter, you can upgrade your subscription from free to paid and get occasional content only for paid subscribers.

And thank you for supporting my journey 💗