Now that I have finished writing Women of the Way, Embracing the Camino, I have been tying up the loose ends. I worked on the Website adding PayPal and a way to get a signed copy. I spent two days trying to develop a better header and then took a poll only to find out that everyone preferred the original header with the photo of the mural taken in Sarria, Spain.
I revised my author’s pages changing both the bio and the book descriptions. I added the book to GoodReads. I worked with the various European Kindle Direct Publishers to correct missing links, incomplete book titles, and incorrect book revisions. I also established the Author’s Central page on each of these sites.
I enrolled in a three-week webinar to help me learn how to better communicate with and engage my readers. I used some of the lessons learned in the first week to present a ToastMaster speech on the Five Steps to becoming a Scintillating Speaker.
I have been reading a lot of blogs on writing, marketing, hiking and the Camino. Comments I wrote on one forum resulted in having my book listed in the Camino de Santiago Store and on their Facebook page.
Now that I have time, I have been helping fellow writers and would-be writers, teaching them how to use styles to format a book, how to create e-books, and how to self-publish on CreateSpace. I am more than happy to share my newly gained experience, especially if I can help them avoid the mistakes I made. Today, I completed a first draft edit for A Few More Zeroes: Lost with the Wind and the Stars on the Camino de Santiago.
To help promote my book, I have sent out press releases, been interviewed on two local radio stations, and have spoken with a reporter from the Sarasota Herald Tribune.
It seems that I never have time for all the things I want to do. As I cross off something on my To Do List, I add more. But setting goals, schedules, and list are important. How else can I measure my achievements and keep myself motivated?
One of the lessons I learned on the Camino was to enjoy the journey. I can honestly say that the journey into becoming a published author has been well worth the effort.
