A Few Short Updates

I'm getting back into the swing of things, full force this time. And here's just a few updates about what I'm embarking on this summer.

Upgrading The Career

I've been freelancing for almost a decade, and for most of that time I've had a sense of pride for how little I have had to invest to live the dream (which is probably 60/40 dream/nightmare at any given time). But things are changing. I'm still committed to making money solely from writing/editing/being generally creative, which means I have to start upgrading the business. I've been making tons of lists on what I have to do to get all of this going, but really it starts with two simple things: a P.O. box and a website.

Without a business address, I've been stunted at what I can do. I can't have a mailing list through MailChimp or any other company without one, and I certainly don't want to put out email blasts with the home address. Without a website, I don't feel I can do all I need to do with communicating my writing services, my work, and everything else. That, and as good as Blogger has been to me, it just doesn't look professional to have a Blogger web address on a business card (which is another one of those pesky tasks on my list). I'm amazed I've been able to work this long without these two very important items, but that time is coming to an end.

Submissions Calling

When it comes to submissions, I'm getting back up on the proverbial (and temperamental) horse. Although I missed the deadline to send in my poetry chapbook to one particular press, the manuscript itself is not dead. I've been researching places that take chapbooks and have found quite a few that may be a good home for what I've created. I found this list of chapbook submissions particularly helpful, and maybe you will too if you have something to submit.

Unfolding Life on Playster

Draft2Digital just added a new distribution channel, Playster, and I've placed Unfolding Life on it. Honestly, I hadn't heard of it before this, but it seems similar to Kindle Unlimited where you buy a subscription rather than individual titles. So, if you're already a subscriber, please check it out. And by check it out, I mean read the whole thing, because with subscription services, I don't get paid unless the book gets read.

Those Lashes, Though

I've also been keeping up with my product testing and reviews over at Showered in Beauty. The latest review is for Revlon mega Multiplier Mascara.

That's it for my updates. What are you working on this week? 

2016: The Year of the Writer

I am not a person who thinks New Year's resolutions are a good idea. I've discussed this before--you may have motivation because it's a new calendar year, but by February there's nothing left to keep you going. Careers, however, need to have goals. And implementing goals at the beginning of the year can work if you plan well. I have a few goals so that 2016 will become the Year of the Writer in my book. Hopefully you'll come along with me on the journey.

In 2016 my goal is to...

Finally Publish In Another Life

I checked my keywords and I've been talking about this book on my blog since May 2013--at least with the title. I was probably talking about it long before that. The time has come to finally get the revisions into high gear and get it out there. I don't plan on rushing the process, but I think giving myself up to a year to get it out is more than enough time to make sure it's the best it can be.

And I'm going to need your help. I've used Amazon's Write On community to work on one book, and though that first experience was a little lacking, I want to try again with a different genre. When I start uploading the first few chapters, I will let you know and hopefully you'll check it out--and tell me exactly what you think is wrong with it! Criticism is  more than welcome. It's the only way any writer can get better and improve their craft.

Submit a Book to Kindle Scout

And my In Another Life goal leads to this one. I want to try my luck with Kindle Scout. I think that In Another Life could be a contender for a contract. But again, I'm going to have to call on my friends, fans and completely random readers to help.  I'm still studying the process and seeing what a book needs to win, but I'm finding out that a strong fan base is essential--so marketing is going to be a priority for me in 2016.

Resurrect My Neglected Blogs

I don't know if you know this, but I actually have five blogs. There's this one, Book Review Bin (book reviews), Ancestry Musings (genealogy), Showered in Beauty (wellness/beauty/fashion) and College Chronicles (my comic/graphic novel). All of them pertain to other creative outlets and interests of mine, but I haven't been updating them as often as I should. Some haven't been updated in months.

Not only will keeping these blogs a priority help me to keep writing every single day, these blogs could very well be another income stream. Although I haven't had any luck yet with my first Fiverr gig attached to Book Review Bin, I know that the only way I can make advertising, guest posting and other features lucrative is to provide useful information and be consistent to build an audience--and get that ever-important page rank up. Truths of a Shy Writer doesn't even earn income on a regular basis as a PR3 blog, but the occasional sponsored post does come up, along with getting free products in exchange for reviews (which significantly helps on the monthly budget). I realize that I need to offer much more to earn more, and that's just what I'm going to do.

Continue to Advocate for Better Treatment and Better Pay for Freelancers

This is a no-brainer. I don't make nearly enough money freelancing, even during the months when work is abundant. Publishing fiction independently doesn't bring in much more with a small reader base. I'm lucky enough to have help so I don't have to live in a cardboard box, but that help won't always be there. I want that feeling of true independence back--I miss having that.

It would shock most people to learn just how little writers make--even ones with name recognition.  So the only way to make sure that writers and other freelance creative services now and in the future get the pay they deserve is to keep speaking up about it. I'm also sticking to my vow to not take jobs that equal to well below minimum wage. It's been two years since I worked for anything less than $8/hr. It's not worth it to go below that with the skills and research I bring to the table, and it gives clients all over the world an easy excuse to continue mistreating freelancers.

I fully support the #FreelanceIsntFree movement that the Freelancers Union is working on. Even though most of the work the organization does typically benefits those in the New York City area directly, what's implemented there tends to sweep the country. So the sooner they get ahead, the better for everyone.

And speaking of support...

Along with the freelancer fight, I'm also going to promise to be a better reader. It takes a lot of courage to publish a book. And being on the receiving end of the occasional unhelpful review and ratings without a reason, I know that I need to be more active in leaving helpful reviews for authors, especially on Amazon. While Goodreads may help writers find a more niche audience to consider their work, Amazon is sort of the king for independent authors trying to make a sale. If I can help that with my review, I'll make a point to do that, and I won't hold back if the book simply isn't worth the time spent reading it.

This is just the start of making 2016 a great year to be a writer. There are so many other projects I have in the pipeline that I shouldn't have any excuse to slow down. I hope everyone has a lovely holiday season and I'll see you again in 2016!

Time Out for Snack Time

Snacking is an art. That's why I try my best to get to know as many different snacks as possible. When it comes to Asian flavors, there are no better appetizers I know of than those offered by Pagoda.



Through the last month or so I've been trying all of the different varieties offered by Pagoda. These are quick prep, quick eat appetizers that offer a few servings per box. All of them can be prepared in the oven/ on the stovetop or in the microwave. I must admit, as much as I love microwaves, you do get better flavor and texture if you prepare it without this modern marvel of convenience.

Out of the eight varieties available, I can honestly tell you that I would sit right down and eat any one of them--no questions asked. But my top three favorites are crab rangoon, pork potstickers and chicken egg rolls. Each of these has a great flavor that is comparable to what you would get at an Asian restaurant.

Have you tried and Pagoda snacks for yourself? Which one is your favorite?

*I received coupons for free Pagoda products courtesy of BzzAgent. All opinions are my own.

The #VitaVoxBox is Here!

Influenster has bestowed upon me another box of fun products to try out. This is the Vitality Vox Box, and it is full of goodies. As always, I'll be posting reviews, photos and videos on my other blog, Showered in Beauty, and across all of my social media platforms.

Received this box free from Influenster for testing purposes.

A Fun Week

You may have already noticed this on my social media feeds, but this week is all about product testing. I've been given the opportunity to check out all of the products in Influenster's #GoVoxBox and so I've been sharing my thoughts on all the products. Not only is it really cool to get a box of free stuff in the mail, but it keeps my product review skills as sharp as a tack. And the VoxBox isn't the only thing on my plate right now--I'm also in the middle of a few BzzAgent campaigns as well. Lots of free stuff... and you can't beat that!

* received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes

However, it's the summer slump in the writing arena, so I'm getting ready to go badger friends to see if they know about any summer jobs opening up. If I want to feel good about my life by my 30th birthday in a few weeks, I'm going to have to make some changes. The status quo will never cut it. But the print version of Unfolding Life is still on the way, so stay tuned for updates about that.

Here's a Chance For #Freebies!

Hey guys -- Happy Labor Day weekend!

I know that most of you are on vacation, or at least relaxing at home with your long weekend (if you don't happen to work in food service or retail). So, I thought I would brighten your day by bringing you a special offer. This is an awesome chance to help influence what products people are using and talking about and get a chance to get free stuff. I know I love free stuff. Do you? Read on.

Recently, I joined a program called Influenster that rewards its members who are influential in different expert topics. They are looking for more members, but it is an invite-only program. And guess who just happens to have 5 invites left to give out? Yep, that's right. Me. I do. Want one?

You may want to know how Influenster works to see if you are interested. You can read all about it at their website, but I'll give a quick overview. Once you sign up, you take a few short surveys about topics you are interested in, then you are awarded badges and an Influenster score. My topics include beauty, fashion, food and pop culture. There are also topics such as eco-friendly, wine enthusiast, debonair man and home decor. You can also earn other badges for lifestyle topics such as new mom, pet owner and bookworm (yep, I've got that badge too).

Once you earn your badges, you can improve your score by sharing product pages on social media, writing reviews of your favorite products and answering questions other users have about those products. The higher your score, the greater the chance you will be able to get freebies, such as a VoxBox full of goodies.

If you take my invite and sign up this week, you can have your own chance of earning qualification for the next VoxBox just by using your own invites to give out and let your most influential friends shine along with you. If you get three active invites of your own, you are one step closer to those freebies. Can't you just imagine it already? There's no cost, you don't have to do stuff every single day--all you have to do is link your social media accounts to your profile and your set!

In order to get your invite, I will need your email address. I promise, you will not receive any other email other than the invite. You can EMAIL me with the subject line "Influenster Invite" and I will send it out ASAP. Or you can send me your email in a DM on Twitter. Or on Google+. Or Instagram (trying to make this as easy as possible!). To automatically qualify for the next VoxBox, you have to sign up and send out your invites before Friday. I can't wait to hear from you!

Did You say FREE?!

I don’t know about the rest of you, but writing my return address on envelopes is just annoying. So many times, I will actually mess up my own address. This is why I love using return address labels. They are neat, tidy, and save me a few extra minutes while I am paying my bills. And if you check out the Special Sale from VistaPrint, you will find much more than just free return address label. Yes, I said FREE.

There are many other products from VistaPrint that you can try for free as well. You have a choice from getting free business cards, business car holders, invitations, announcements, rubber stamps, postcards, t-shirts, and a websites. Now I look for free things all the time, and I know how hard it can be to find quality products for free. But with VistaPrint, I know that I am getting a quality product, and I don’t even have to pay a dime to try it out.

You can use these free products for anything that you like. Got a non profit that is just starting out? You can get a few address labels to get you started. Have a party and need some cool invitations? VistaPrint can hook you up. And trust me, once you try the free products, you’ll probably want to try the rest of the products that they offer. So go on and check it out.