How Social Media Benefited Me as an Indie Author

I don't do many of these writing posts, mostly because I don't feel like I have a lot to add, but since my third book was released I've been asked how social media has benefited me numerous times. I know many of you are hoping for advice on selling more books. I know this because my twitter feed is still loaded with posts on book sales. Truth be told, I'm not sure how many books I have sold as a direct result of posting on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media site, if any. If I had to venture a guess, I would say not many.

I don't know many people who buy books as a result of reading a post on Facebook or Twitter. I admit, I still try the hard sell on both - though mostly out of habit and the hope that it works. No, I'm not here to talk about marketing or how to sell more books. Honestly, that is not how social media has benefited me. Social media is an amazing tool to have in your repertoire, but not exactly for selling books.

Social media should be used to help you build your platform, sure, we all know this. The bigger the platform, the bigger the chance of success. However, through social media - specifically, Facebook and Twitter - the biggest benefit I have received is the help of other indie authors and the various blogs and sites each run. I have been blessed to receive help from some of the best indie folks I know, and their help has been invaluable to me.

There is no way I could have completed and released three books without help. I could not have sold nearly as many books as I have without some kind of help. Even help with simple tips and grammar mistakes have been a huge help. All of this came through social media. Thus, there is a benefit to maintaining all of you social media accounts, but the benefit is not necessarily immediate, nor is it always in the form of a substantial increase in sales.

Anyway, these are my two cents this week. Thank you everyone who has helped me along the way. I could not have accomplished any of this without you. All of you new indies reading this, spend less time on the hard sell and more time building relationships, which, incidentally, is what social media was designed for. Have a wonderful week, everyone!

If I can do it, so can you

First off, let me say: My third book is almost ready for release! It's hard to believe that my third book is almost here. To be quite honest, I wasn't sure if I could finish writing one book. When I finished the first book, I wasn't sure I could write one more. Now, here we are, and the trilogy is nearly complete.

I know a lot of writers use their blogs to offer writing tips and advice, but I really don't have any. The only thing I can say with certainty is: The only true failure is not trying. If you want to succeed at anything, you need to try. A lot of people tell me how they aren't sure they could ever write a book. I don't think anyone is really sure at the beginning, but I can guarantee you'll never find out, if you never try.

If I can write, so can you. I had no idea what I was doing when I started this journey. A few years later, I have made the Amazon bestseller list. My second book made it into the top 3. I have a pretty good fan base. Most importantly, I'm still enjoying writing. The fact is: I would not have accomplished anything if I did not bother to try.

Life is too short to not chase your dreams. Why not chase a few? I say chase as many as you can, and hopefully, you catch more than a few. You want to be a writer, well then write. You have another dream, go after it. No one is going to chase your dreams for you. You have to put in the effort. Don't walk through life wondering about the would've, could've, should've moments you let pass you by.

For me, writing a book was just one of my dreams. I'm constantly in the process of chasing dreams, whether it be writing, skimboarding, or whatever other crazy activity I'm doing. I hope that as I catch a few of those dreams it will inspire others to chase theirs. So, get out there and chase your dreams. If you have the time, tell me about a few. I love to hear from people who are living the dream. Have a wonderful week everybody!

Keep moving forward

Recently, I've been talking to a lot of folks that have me thinking about something. A lot of people I meet are interested in the way I live my life. I try to live life as best I can. I try to learn from everyone and every situation that comes my way. One of the most important things I do is I keep trying.

Sounds simple, right?

I think so, but for some reason, this concept sounds completely foreign to a lot of people. Let me tell you what I mean. More often than not, when people find out I am a writer, they will often tell me about an idea that they have for a story. They also tell me how they are impressed that I have two books out because they aren't sure they could write a book. I try to encourage everyone I meet, so I will usually ask, "Did you ever try?" You know what the most common response is: "No."

If you never try something, how will you ever know if you can do it or not? How about another example? A few weeks ago I decided to try my hand at skimboarding again, a water activity I have not done for over 20 years! Many people I meet on the beach, especially older guys, tell me how much they used to love skimboarding, but they just don't feel like they could do it again. My question for them is the same: How do you know, if you never tried?"

I worry that too many of us give up because we never try. I truly believe in living life to the fullest. We can't do that if we are too afraid to try. Maybe skydiving and extreme sports is too much for most people, but what about the simple things? If you have an idea for a book, you should try writing. I never thought I could write a book. That is the whole reason I did, and now I am about to finish my third book. I wasn't sure if I could skimboard again without seriously hurting myself, but I tried, and now I go all the time. I'm not sure why I ever stopped.

What is something in your life that you could do to make your life fuller, but you are too afraid to try? This week, at least give it another look. Maybe you want to travel, become a chef, write a book, or learn to swim. The possibilities are endless. Whatever you do, keep moving forward, keep trying. It's the advice we give children who are learning something new. I think it is still sound advice for many of us who are adults that are afraid to try.

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

Versatile Blogger Award and 7 Things About Me

I need to thank two people, Christina Zarella (http://turbulenceintheveins.blogspot.com/) and Claudia Burgoa (http://www.claudiayburgoa.com), for nominating me for the Versatile Blogger Award! It’s nice to know that people read my blog. If you haven’t heard about the Versatile Blogger Award, you can find out more here: http://versatilebloggeraward.wordpress.com/vba-rules/

My nominees for the Versatile Blogger Award include, in no particular order, the following bloggers:
  
Gina Stoneheart -  http://www.dawningonanewday.blogspot.com

Rob Distaffen  - http://rdistaffen.blogspot.com

Karen Pilarski - http://karenpilarski.blogspot.com/
 
Rachel Thompson - http://rachelintheoc.com

Lelani Black - http://www.lelaniblack.com/

Stephanie Neighbour - http://stephanieneighbour.com

Debbie Vega - http://debravega.wordpress.com/

Roz and Patty - http://rozandpattywrite.blogspot.com/

Bruce Van Horn - http://www.brucevanhorn.com/

Seven Things About Me...

1. I was born and raised on the Island of Oahu in the State of Hawaii, but most of my family is made up of immigrants from all over the place.

2. I only planned on writing one book, but now I am almost done with my third book.

3. I used to fall asleep every time I watched the first Harry Potter movie. One day my wife made me stay up to watch it. I have been a fan ever since.

4.  When I was young I got caught up in gangs and drugs, and consequently, spent most of my young life out on the streets.

5. I am an ordained minister.

6. I almost died in a horrible car wreck when I was 19. I fell asleep behind the wheel and was nearly decapitated by a dump truck. I broke my neck and back, but I was able to walk out of the hospital on my own. That's my faith story.

7. I've been called many things in my lifetime, and without a doubt, "Daddy" is my absolute favorite.

Discovering new motivation to write

Let me just start off by saying: I love to write. My love of writing has led me to publish two books, with a third on the way. Recently, I needed to take a break from drafting book three. My break ended up being a bit longer than I intended, so I've been very slow to get back to writing. I still love to write; I just find my thoughts and ideas aren't flowing to the page as smoothly as before. Thus, I am in need of motivation.

With my first two books, my best thoughts always came from time spent at the beach. Catching a few waves helped me get the creative juices flowing. Since my second son was born, I can count the number of times I have been to the beach on one hand. This wasn't a problem until I fell into a lull in the middle of drafting book three. So, I have been taking some time to discover some new motivators.

I'm really enjoying this experience. It has been interesting to talk with other writers to find out what helps them stay creative and motivated. I have found that writing something other than what I normally write has been a great help. I spent some time on Wattpad working on poetry, which is definitely not what I normally write (I'll post one of my poems below). Through some of the poems, I have been able to place myself back into my characters shoes and see the world from their perspective. The process has been incredibly insightful.

I have also found that not putting too much emphasis on promoting my other two books has helped me stay in writer mode as well. Promoting is great, and obviously necessary, but I realize now that I need to find some balance between writing and promoting. It's just not good to get so caught up in promoting that you forget to keep writing.

The last thing I have been trying to do is keep enjoying life. I don't know how it is for you, but writing isolates me from the world around me. When I am writing, that is all I am doing. Everything else falls away. It's good to get away from the computer and live life, spend time with family and friends, and leave some of that stress behind. Sad that I needed to be reminded to live, but glad I learned that lesson now instead of later.

Anyway, thanks for letting me rant about this for a little bit. I'd love to hear how you keep yourself motivated to keep writing. Please leave a comment below. Keep writing, my friends. Have a wonderful week!



As promised, here is one of the poems I wrote to get back in the swing of things:




Darkness Within

Deep within the recesses of my mind,
the darkness no longer tries to hide.

Like venom, the memories run through my veins.
Driving my mind insane,
filling my soul with pain,
leaving me desperately looking for someone but myself to blame,
destroying every cell of hope in my body,
until only a shell remains.

Why can't I think of better days...

Do normal people replay every hurt in their head,
while roaming through life like the walking dead?
Why, why, why do I?
Why can't I be like them instead?

Instead of this hollow shell, a reminder of what could've been.
A monument to pain, the type hidden deep within.

Hidden from the prying eyes of a society that looks away, anyway.
Yet, finds entertainment in other people's pain.

When my work and works of fiction intersect

A few months back I tweeted about my work in ministry intersecting with my work of fiction. It seems to be happening more as time goes on. I think it's good that people have questions after they read my book. That is part of the reason I decided to publish at all. It's fun to talk with people who want to separate fact from fiction.

I work in ministry, but I write works of fiction about angels, demons, and various other supernatural subjects. There's bound to be some questions. I have some of the most interesting conversations with people who read the book, and then come out with questions guns blazing. The reality is part of the reason I write fiction is to talk about things I am unable to explain. I mean, that is the beauty of writing, right? I get the chance to bring a story to life, explain the unexplained, and create a world different from our own.

I am often asked, "Do you believe in angels and demons?" The simple answer is yes I do. Do I believe that they fight each other? Of course, I do. However, do I believe they act, talk, and function in the way I describe in my books? Do they do battle with golden weapons, traveling at speeds faster than the human eye can see, leaving nothing but fire, dust, and ash behind? Well, this is the part where fiction comes in. This is why I love writing. I get the chance to take something I believe in and create a story around it.

I have seen a lot of crazy things over the years. I've seen the miraculous occur more than once. I have also witnessed things that I thought could only exist in works of horror. Some of them I wish I could simply explain away and never think about again. Writing provides an outlet for me to work through all these crazy things. I suppose I could write non-fiction, but where is the fun in that?

At the end of the day, my books are meant to entertain. The idea that they are creating dialogue with people I wouldn't normally interact with is an added bonus. I'm enjoying these conversations, so please keep the questions coming. I'm so glad people are enjoying the first book so much that they want to know more. For all of you wondering, the sequel to Beyond Heights and Depths will be released later this year.

Where is the fun?

Recently, I was talking to someone about all the work I do. The conversation pretty much boiled down to him saying, "Dude, everything you talk about is heavy. Where is the fun?" In a lot of ways, what he said is true. The kind of work I do requires me to talk about various difficult subjects with youth and young adults. Moreover, no one really asks me what I do for fun, so it's not something I talk about on a regular basis. Does this happen to anyone else?

Nevertheless, let me just say I am a pro at goofing off. I do a lot of things for fun, so I'll talk about some of them in this post. However, before I continue, I want to add that I still think there is a lesson in all this. Last week, I talked about balance being an essential part of life. I emphatically believe that it is important to do things that are fun. Life can't be all work, right? Every part of life requires balance: life can't be all work, and life can't be all fun. I think when you can find the right balance between the two, and maintain that balance consistently, that is when you are really living. Alright, enough with the lesson before someone reminds me that I haven't talked about anything fun yet.

The first thing that has to go in, whether it sounds like work or not, is that I enjoy writing. Writing is still something I do for fun. Writing is not my main source of income, so it is still something I do when I am not working. I released my first novel "Beyond Heights and Depths" in January, and I am currently in the process of writing the sequel. In addition to the sequel, I love to work on poetry, sermons, and other creative projects. I also like to draw, practice graffiti, and work on designs on my computer. I love all things art, although I still consider myself a pretty poor artist, so I still have lot's of room to grow.

I don't watch a lot of television, but my two favorite shows right now are Duck Dynasty and Castle.

I love to watch Duck Dynasty because it is hilarious. The cool thing is that it is not all comedy. Every episode ends with a little life lesson at the end that ties it all together. The show is also pretty wholesome compared to other things on television. One of the other reasons I watch it is that the show is on all the time. I don't know when shows are regularly on, so I tend to just watch whatever is on. In case any other fans are reading this, my favorite character is Si--hey.

The other show I watch is Castle. Like Duck Dynasty, Castle is on a few times a day, almost every day. I do enjoy the fact that the male lead character is a writer too, but that is not the reason I watch. I really enjoy the fact that it is a crime drama that is much different from the other crime dramas on television. It's funny and dramatic, but not as messed up as some of the current crime dramas on television. I used to be a Law & Order and CSI fan years ago, and I don't watch any of those shows anymore.

Like a lot of people, I spend my fair share of time on social media, particularly Facebook and Twitter. Unfortunately, a pretty large amount of that time is still considered work, especially when I am working on book promotions. I do really enjoy catching up with friends I haven't seen in a long time. I like to see all the cool finds people are posting, not to mention visiting the Castle page. Interacting with people on Twitter is totally different than Facebook, but I like talking with all the different people on there, nevertheless.

Above all else, I love spending time with my family. There is nothing more fun or rewarding than being a parent. No matter where we are, or what we are doing, I am always having the best time with them. Whether I am out at the beach, or pretending to be a Ninja Turtle with my son, I treasure every moment. So, that's a little bit about me. As you can see, I do make time for fun, maybe even more than I should. Like I said before, I'm still learning to find the right balance in life myself.