Happy May, readers! Welcome to our new subscribers from the IWA Spring Boutique! We’re glad you’re here! Here’s a photo from the event with fellow historical fantasy author, Susan Laspe. Thank you to all who attended, chatted with us, and purchased books.
Release Date Update
This month brings a big update. If you receive my Extra Edition newsletter, you’ve already heard the news, but I am delaying the release of Sparks Fly Upward to August 27, 2024. The reason for this is due to a herniated disc I sustained in my neck in mid-March, which resulted in over a month of terrible pain in my back, down my right arm, and into my hand. Sitting at a desk was particularly painful, which means that what energy I had for typing was being used by my day job.
With rest and physical therapy, I’ve been slowly recovering, and as of last week, have thankfully, started to get back to a normal routine. One of the things I love about being an indie author is that, even though I lost six weeks in the publishing process, I have the freedom to give myself more time. This extra time has also allowed me to brainstorm about Book 4 in the series and develop a new final chapter to Sparks Fly Upward that I think you’re going to love.
Keep an eye out for next month’s newsletter to join the Launch Team!
Off Social Discovery #5 – My calling is not anyone else’s.
On the heels of last month’s off social discovery, now that I have a world of possibilities open to me for marketing my writing, how am I supposed to figure out which direction to go?
Something I’ve noticed that probably doesn’t surprise you is social media is rank with comparison. Authors are susceptible to it, too. We see what other authors are doing and think, I need to do that, too. But another person’s calling is not my calling or your calling. God gives each of us a specific job to do that is no one else’s. No one can tell your story the way you tell your story. So, then, why are we trying to let them?
Something I realized these past five months is that – *deep breath* – I don’t have to sell books. It’s true. I love writing books. I love talking to readers about them. I love reaching people through my stories and hoping I’ve made a difference. But I don’t have to sell them in order to keep my family afloat.
Some authors do. Writing is their full time job and so their approach to selling books looks very different from mine. For me, I have a full time day job, so I only need to sell enough books to cover my publishing expenses. When I finally hit that number…then what? Where does God want my focus if money isn’t it?
On Him, of course. It sounds cliche, but I didn’t switch from mainstream fiction to Christian fiction because I thought it would make me rich. I did it because it was what I felt called to do. Through my characters, I want my readers to see a piece of themselves, to experience God’s message, and know they aren’t alone. Taking this time away from social media has helped me to renew my focus and shift my mindset from marketing for selling’s sake to marketing for the sake of sharing and glorifying Him.
Please pray for me that I may remain open to His calling and help me to follow where He leads.
As a reminder, in lieu of social media posts, I have created an “Extra Edition” newsletter which includes special behind the scenes book content just for subscribers. Simply, complete the form at the link below to receive all the inside info. The next edition releases on May 18. If you’ve signed up in the past, you’re already on the list!
Join the Journey – Get Bonus Content
Releasing in May
Need another read? Here are the new releases I’m excited about:
- To Crown with Liberty by Karen Ullo – split-time between the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror and the swamps of Spanish Louisiana
- When Hope Sank by Denise Weimer – post-Civil War historical romance about the sinking of the steamboat Sultana
- Dereliction of the Heart by Hannah Hood Lucero – the fourth book in the Sons of Vigilance military romantic suspense series
- Teagan’s Treasure by Colleen Marie – inspirational college romance set on the Emerald Isle
- Stuck in Time by Heather Manning – time travel set in 1933 Kansas City, “a city run by the powerful mafia machine”
Want to know what I’m currently reading? Follow me on GoodReads.
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Until next month, happy reading!
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
Kelsey
Purchase signed copies of my books: kelseygietl.com
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Purple Mask Publishing
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