Happy New Year!!!

Well, 2013 was beyond awesome. I grew a lot as an author and person. At the start of the year, I couldn't figure out the whole blogging thing. Now, I run a half dozen. Back in the winter, I was lucky to sell fifteen books a month. Now, I average a few thousand. Over the year, I made a few great friends and ditched some crappy ones. Allow me to get nostalgic about 2013...

BBA, F&G, and Cliques

In January 2013, I only knew the very basics of the BBA bullshit stinking up the indie author scene. I had never read F&G. I didn't know who Vanity was or why many BBA were shelved. What I did know was a small subset of authors were attacking readers and staining the image of the rest of us.

In the beginning, I was a follower. I joined the BBA group and lurked as they collected their info. The first time F&G attacked me, I was a little shocked by their OTT bullshit. Looking back, it seems quaint for them to simply say I was a failed author (Jealous of PP? Really?) and a bad mother.

I eventually severed ties with the BBA group when they played favorites and protected Ederyn while shelving authors for the same behavior. Sick of the clique shit, I ditched them, started the BBA Whisperer group, and created the blog. No more pretending F&G was a scary hate site to be "ignored." Candy Girl and I took on the BBA publicly.

Of course, the BBA attacked and tried to intimidate us. What they underestimated was how we were part of a cause, not a clique. We didn't care about kissing ass or playing favorites. These days, the BBA hide away, only occasionally voicing their bigotry and hate. They still claim I'm jealous, but they also avoid adding the Bijou Hunter pen name to my "Worst Offenders" section on F&G. Jealous, my ass. 

Friends and Foes

Meeting Candy Girl was a boon. No getting around it. She's my best friend. My beta reader. My co-blogger. If nothing else good ever came from writing the BBA blogs and despite all the lies F&G spread because of them, they were how I met Miranda. Nuff said.

Lauryl and I started as foes, now she's my sister from another mister. It's freaky how much we have in common. We both started the year struggling to find readers. By the end of the year, we had built fan bases and enjoyed increased sales. Also, we've both quit our regular jobs to write full time. Like I said, it's freaky how similar we are.

As for foes, a half dozen people I considered friends turned into jerks. No need to point them out. If you know them, you understand. If you don't know them, it's not worth rehashing their stupid. No loss in having fewer lame people in my life.

Sales? What are sales?

In 2012, I published seven books. From July to December, I sold a little over a hundred. I know there are authors who never sell that many while others sell that many an hour. This year with seven new books published, I've sold thirty thousand. While this is a drop in the bucket compared to many authors, it's a step in the right direction. I managed to sell them, despite my horrible marketing skills (see below on my resolutions). If anything, I'm proof it's possible to make a living as an indie author, even if you never hit Colleen Hoover level success.

Kids and Sally

We gave homeschooling a try this year and it's been a success. Kids like Roo need the kind of attention a teacher can't provide. I know homeschooling gets mocked, but it allows children to learn at their pace. With Roo, repetition is the key. Every kid learns differently, but a classroom teacher can't change their plans to fit each student. I can and Roo has really excelled.

Having teenagers isn't nearly as horrifying as many people make it out to be. My boys are pretty mellow. Whenever they get moody, I remind myself how stubborn I could be at their ages. It's a little weird to write romances about guys Tigger's age, but he's nothing like the alphas in my books.

Sally had a great year. Like most people, when my family is happy then I'm happy. We were healthy too. Another benefit to homeschooling is less flus and colds to bring home. A great year all around.

Here are a few resolutions for the next year...

Resolution #1: Work on my marketing skills

I admittedly hate marketing. Damaged and the Beast was published in April. Before December, I'd only requested a single review. With all the blogs dedicated to romance, I was simply being lazy. I've learned a lot about marketing from Lauryl and Candy Girl. In 2014, I'll market my books consistently (without becoming a spammer or obnoxious) and strengthen my relationships with bloggers.

Resolution #2: Prioritize Books

Even if I could write a book a month, I still couldn't publish everything I want this year. As such, I've reorganized my publishing schedule. As much as I love my Angela and Dakota books, I need to focus on Bijou and new romance pen names. I have two or three more Damaged books scheduled plus the new Lush Gardens series for Bijou. I want to publish Gator and Sing for Me under two different pen names. Plus, Rebound Biker for Etta and Dmitri for Carys. I'm sure there are more, so I need to organize and prioritize. I'm writing for a living now and not simply for pleasure.

Resolution #3: Blog Less

I have a lot of blogs. Duh, right? This year, as with my publishing schedule, I need to prioritize. With F&G's surrender, we shouldn't need to blog as often about asshats. I'll also cut back my interviews with authors and reviews. I enjoy blogging and promoting good authors, but there are only so many hours in the day.

I guess 2014 will be all about prioritizing. This month, I attend my first book signing. It'll be a great chance to meet readers and others authors. Plus, I'll learn more about marketing. Already putting those resolutions into action.